American Express Canada and TD Bank each offer credit cards that earn points directly or indirectly Aeroplan:
These are two basic cards that we often recommend, when a person wants to get points easily.
So, we will analyze what are the main differences between these credit cards on:
The welcome bonus offered by each of these credit cards varies according to the promotions. However, there are differences to be aware of between the two credit cards.
When you subscribe to the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can earn up to 15,000 points:
With this welcome offer for TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you can earn up to 40,000 points Aeroplan, with no annual fee for the first year.
Here’s how:
Based on our valuation of Aeroplan points (2 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to an approximate value of $800.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Cardyou can earn up to 25,000 Aeroplan points after 6 months by spending $7,500.
To obtain the full welcome bonus from the American Express Cobalt® Cardwelcome bonus, you need to spend $9,000 in the first year($750 per month x 12 months to earn 15,000 points).
American Express Cobalt® Card requires no minimum income.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card requires a minimum personal income of $60,000 or $100,000 in annual household income.
The American Express Cobalt® Card requires no minimum income, unlike the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card.
The American Express CobaltMD Card has a monthly fee of $12.99, charged on each monthly statement. At the end of 12 months, the total is $155.88.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $139. What’s more, the current promotion fully refunds this fee for the first year. So you’re way ahead on its competitor!
The annual fee for TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card are lower (especially in the first year) than the American Express Cobalt® Card.
The American Express Cobalt® Card and the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card each offer different levels of point accumulation.
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can earn 5 points per dollar in purchases for:
3 points per dollar of purchases for streaming services (Apple TV+, Apple Music, Crave, Disney+, Netflix, RDS, TSN, etc)
2 points per dollar of purchases in :
1 point per dollar for the rest.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card the maximum points earned is 1.5 points per dollar for purchases :
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
It’s easy: the American Express Cobalt® Card surpasses most other credit cards with its 5 points per dollar earned at the grocery store.
Don’t forget the possibility of buying gift cards in Couche-Tard convenience stores with it: you earn 5 points per dollar, even for Walmart, Amazon, Sports Experts, Canadian Tire gift cards, etc.!
Even for travel and gas purchases, it is the best with 2 points per dollar.
These American Express Cobalt® Card can be transferred 1:1 to Aeroplan points.
Both cards are part of different loyalty programs:
Thus, the ways of using the points are different.
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can apply Membership Rewards points to travel purchases charged to the card.
The usage rate is 1,000 points = $10.
A minimum of 1,000 points (minimum $10) is required, thereafter in increments of 1 cent per point.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Cardit’s different. Every month, the Aeroplan points accumulated through purchases are automatically credited to the cardholder’s Aeroplan account.
According to Aeroplan program rules, Aeroplan points cannot be transferred to other rewards programs. They remain in the Aeroplan account.
Then, to use your points Aeroplan, book your flight on the Air Canada website.
Thanks to the great flexibility of the American Express CobaltMD Card and Membership Rewards points, they can be used in a variety of ways. Points can be used for travel purchased on the card:
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can apply Membership Rewards points to everyday purchases charged to the card.
A minimum of 1,000 points (minimum $10) must be applied.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you can’t use your Aeroplan points to pay for everyday purchases.
A backdoor way would be to use Aeroplan points to buy gift cards (Costco, Petro-Canada, The Bay, Walmart) on Aeroplan eStore. However, for someone who wants to maximize their points, this is not an ideal choice.
The American Express CobaltMD Card ‘s flexible Membership Rewards points are simply the best use of both cards.
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can use its points:
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, Aeroplan points remain in the Aeroplan program. Therefore, they cannot be transferred.
With the American Express Cobalt® Card you can also enjoy :
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
With its wide range of travel benefits, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is unbeatable in this aspect. For a person travelling with Air Canada, the benefits are saving and making the annual fee more cost-effective each year.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you benefit from additional or more generous coverage than with the American Express Cobalt® Card.
What’s more, it requires 75% of travel purchases to be charged to the card, whereas the American Express CobaltMD Card requires the entire trip to have been charged to it.
If you want a credit card that covers your travel, even when a tiny fraction of it has been charged to it, I advise you in this article: The Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance with Rewards Points.
So? Who is the winning card?
The American Express CobaltMD Card is the perfect way to do whatever you want with your points without breaking the bank! In addition, it stands out with:
While the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card stands out thanks to its
Savings are here:
