Comparison: American Express Cobalt Card vs TD Visa Infinite Card Aeroplan
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American Express Canada and TD Bank each offer credit cards that earn points directly or indirectly Aeroplan:
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Featured
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $139
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,139
- Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months
- Up to 50,000 points
Apply Now
on TD's website
These are two basic cards that we often recommend, when a person wants to get points easily.
So, we’ll break down the key differences between these credit cards based on:
Welcome Bonus
The welcome bonus offered by each of these credit cards varies depending on 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:
- 1,250 points per month for the first 12 months (monthly expenses of $750 or more)
With this welcome offer for TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you can earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points, with no annual fee for the first year.
Here’s how:
- 10,000 Aeroplan points after first purchase
- 15,000 Aeroplan points, if you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening
- 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of account opening
Based on our valuation of Aeroplan points (2 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to an approximate value of $1,000.
Advantage: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
With the TDMD AeroplanMD Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn up to 25,000 Aeroplan points after 3 months by spending $3,000, along with a rebate on the annual fee for the first year.
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).
Minimum Income
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.
Advantage: American Express Cobalt Card
The American Express Cobalt® Card requires no minimum income, unlike the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card.
Annual Fee
For residents outside Quebec, the CobaltMD American Express Card has monthly fees of $15.99 (for a total of $191.88 annually). For residents in Quebec, they are $191.88, charged annually.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $139. What’s more, the current promotion fully refunds these costs in the first year. So you’re way ahead of the competition!
Advantage: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
The annual fee for TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card are lower (especially in the first year) than the American Express Cobalt® Card.
Earning Points
The American Express Cobalt® Card and the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card each offer different levels of point accumulation.
Accumulation Levels
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can earn 5 points per dollar in purchases for:
- Groceries
- Food delivery
- restaurants, bars
- Cafés and fast food (up to $2,500 in combined purchases per month across these categories)
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 :
- local transport
- Gas stations
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 :
- Grocery purchases
- Gas purchases
- And with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
American Express Cobalt® Card
It’s easy: the American Express Cobalt® Card surpasses most other credit cards with its 5 points per dollar earned at the grocery store.
Keep in mind that convenience store purchases, gift cards included, earn only 1 point per dollar with the Cobalt: American Express leaves them out of its 5x category.
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.
Redeeming Points
Both cards are part of different loyalty programs:
- Points Aeroplan for TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
- American Express Membership Rewards for American Express Cobalt® Card
Thus, the ways of using the points are different.
For Travel
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.
Advantage: American Express Cobalt Card
Thanks to the great flexibility of the American Express Cobalt® Card and Membership Rewards points, they can be used in a variety of ways. Points can be used for travel purchased on the card:
- Flights
- Rental Cars
- Hotel
- Airbnb rental
- Etc
For Everyday Shopping
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can apply Membership Rewards points to everyday purchases charged to the card.
The usage rate is 1,000 points = $10.
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.
Advantage: American Express Cobalt Card
The American Express CobaltMD Card ‘s flexible Membership Rewards points are simply the best use of both cards.
Transfers to Other Programs
With the American Express CobaltMD Card, you can use its points:
- to save on flights via the American Express fixed price schedule
- for points transfers to partners: Aeroplan British Airways Executive Club, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles, Asia Miles, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and ALL Accor
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, Aeroplan points remain in the Aeroplan program. Therefore, they cannot be transferred.
Other Benefits
With the American Express Cobalt® Card you can also enjoy:
- Various promotional offers (which can offset the monthly fee)
- Access to exclusive presale Front Of The Line® tickets to concerts and plays through American Express® Experiences
- From Amazon’s Shop With Points program
- Hotel reservations at The Hotel Collection with specific perks
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- Free first checked bag free for you and up to 8 people travelling on the same reservation
- Earn 1,000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 in net purchases
- $100 statement credit every 4 years for NEXUS membership or renewal fees
- Access to Visa Infinite Privilege (concierge, luxury hotel collection, vineyard tours, additional travel privileges)
- Optional TD Auto Club membership (roadside assistance)
- Various promotions with Aeroplan (Aeroplan points back, discounts on flights, credits or points Aeroplan to the account, link your account with Starbucks)
With the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, you also get a free 1 GB GigSky international mobile data plan every year, valid for 15 days, plus 20% off your next GigSky purchases. TD moves some cardholders up to the Visa Infinite+ tier, which adds a 10 GB plan valid for 15 consecutive days, once a year. Our GigSky guide for Visa cards explains how to activate these plans.
Advantage: TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
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.
Insurance
| Insurance |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Trip Cancellation Insurance | None | Up to $1,500 |
| Trip Interruption Insurance | None | Up to $5,000 |
| Out-of-Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance | Up to $5,000,000 for 15 days | Up to $2,000,000 for 21 days |
| Flight delay insurance | Up to $500 after 4 hours | Up to $500 after 4 hours |
| Delayed Baggage Insurance | Up to $500 after 6 hours | Up to $1,000 after 6 hours |
| Lost or stolen luggage insurance | Up to $500 | Up to $1,000 |
| Hotel Burglary Insurance | Up to $500 | Up to $2,500 |
| Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance | Up to $85,000 | Up to $65,000 |
| Travel Accident Insurance | 250 000 $ | $500,000 |
| Purchase Protection Plan | 1 additional year | 1 additional year |
| Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan | Up to $1,000 90 days | Up to $1,000 90 days |
Advantage: TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
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.
Conclusion
So? Who is the winning card?
The American Express Cobalt® Card is the perfect way to do whatever you want with your points without breaking the bank! In addition, it stands out with:
- His best and fastest point accumulation on grocery store purchases
- Its lack of a minimum income requirement
- Its use of points on anything you want
- The possibility of transferring points to several other loyalty programs
While the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card stands out thanks to its
- Welcome offer with points Aeroplan
- No annual fee for the first year
- Comprehensive travel insurance
- The first free bag and those of 8 other travellers on the same reservation
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Featured
- Annual feeNo annual fee the first year
- $0 $139
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,139
- Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months
- Up to 50,000 points
Apply Now
on TD's website
Frequently Asked Questions: Amex Cobalt or TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about this card.
Which card has the better welcome bonus, Cobalt or TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card offers a higher welcome bonus in the short term, with up to 50,000 Aeroplan points (about $1,000 in value), unlocked in tiers over 12 months and including a first purchase. The American Express Cobalt Card offers up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points (about $150 to $300 depending on the conversion), spread over 12 months and requiring $750 in monthly spending. For a customer who can reach $12,000 in spending within 12 months, the TD Aeroplan delivers more than double the value of the Cobalt.
Which card requires the lowest income, Cobalt or TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
The American Express Cobalt Card has no minimum income requirement, which makes it accessible to students, newcomers and self-employed workers early in their careers. The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card requires $60,000 in personal income or $100,000 in household income, like most Visa Infinite cards. Below those thresholds, only the Cobalt remains eligible of the two.
Which one earns the most points on groceries and dining?
The American Express Cobalt Card clearly wins on groceries and dining: 5 points per dollar, on up to $2,500 in purchases per month, versus 1.5 points on groceries and 1 point on dining with the TD card. On $1,200 in monthly grocery and dining spend, you earn 6,000 points a month with the Cobalt (about $60 to $120), versus 1,200 to 1,800 Aeroplan points with TD depending on how much goes to restaurants (about $24 to $36). On the other hand, TD is more widely accepted (Visa versus Amex), and your purchases made directly with Air Canada earn 1.5 points per dollar.
Which card offers the best travel insurance coverage?
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card gives you the more complete travel insurance of the two: emergency medical coverage up to $2,000,000 for 21 days under age 65 (4 days at age 65 and over), trip cancellation up to $1,500 per person, trip interruption up to $5,000, plus car rental insurance. The American Express Cobalt Card covers emergency medical care up to $5,000,000 for 15 days, but only before age 65, and includes neither trip cancellation nor trip interruption. For a family trip, a stay longer than 15 days or a traveller aged 65 and over, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is clearly the safer choice.
For your next Hilton stay, see the Hilton Honors American Express® Card available in Canada and the terms of its current offer.