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TD Bank and the Bank of Montreal (BMO) each offer a credit card that lets you earn points to purchase airline tickets with Canadian airlines:
We’ll now look at the main differences between these credit cards in terms of:
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.
With this welcome offer for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 45,000 Aeroplan points, 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 is worth approximately $900.
When you sign up for the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard, you can earn up to 70,000 VIP points, plus a few extra gifts:
Based on our valuation of VIPorter points (1.5 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to an approximate total value of $1,249.
In terms of value, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard has the best welcome offer! However, you will need to spend $18,000 over 12 months (an average monthly spend of $1,500 for a year) to earn all the points from the offer. This is 50% higher than its competitor (an average monthly spend of $1,000 for a year).
However, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard has an additional perk: the companion pass. This allows you to purchase one airline ticket and get the second one free (you only have to pay taxes and other fees). Depending on your destination, you could save several hundred more dollars.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card requires a minimum personal income of $60,000 or $100,000 in annual household income.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* requires a minimum individual income of $80,000 per year or an annual family income of $150,000.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is less demanding in terms of minimum income than its competitor.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $139, but it’s waived for the first year thanks to its current welcome offer.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* has an annual fee of $199, but it’s waived for the first year thanks to its current welcome offer.
The annual fee for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is lower than the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard.
In any case, thanks to current promotions that waive the annual fees for the first year, you have the choice between two free cards.
The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard and the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card each offer different levels of point accumulation.
With TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, the maximum points accumulated are 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar for purchases:
1 Aeroplan points per dollar on all other purchases.
We value an Aeroplan point at 2 cents.
With the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you earn VIPorter points on the following purchases:
We value a VIPorter point at 1.5 cents.
VIPorter points and Aeroplan points are two different kinds of points, each with a different value:
So we have to do a little math to figure out which of the two accumulates the most value, depending on our consumption habits. Take the following examples:
200 VIPorter points
($100 x 2 points/$1)
100 VIPorter points
($100 x 1 point/$1)
$4.50
(300 points x 0.015)
150 Aeroplan points
($100 x 1.5 points)
100 Aeroplan points
($100 x 1 point)
$5
(250 points x 0.02)
At first glance, the difference seems slight. However, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card earns approximately 11% more than its rival. When considering the accumulation of amounts over a year, this difference can actually prove to be significant.
These two credit cards accumulate points for different airline programs, but the principle remains the same when it comes to use.
Each month, the Aeroplan points accumulated through the purchases of the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card are automatically credited to the cardholder’s Aeroplan cardholder’s account.
Then, to use Aeroplan points, you need to book your flight on the Air Canada or Air Canada Vacations website. These Aeroplan points allow you to get a cheaper vacation package or an airline ticket with around fifty partners, members of the Star Alliance network, such as:
Each month, VIPorter points earned with the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* are credited to the VIPorter member account, a few days after the monthly statement is issued.
Then, the VIPorter member can spend their VIPorter points to purchase an airline ticket on Porter flights, but also with two other partners:
Thanks to the flexibility of the Aeroplan points, they can be used in a variety of ways, such as :
Moreover, the approximately fifty Star Alliance partners allow for travel all over the world. This is not the case with Porter, where the territory is more limited.
With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
With the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you can also take advantage of several other benefits:
Both cards offer a wide range of benefits for travellers, but the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard stands out. Its main advantage is the annual companion voucher, which provides savings on a second flight ticket each year.
However, it’s unfortunate that a minimum of $50,000 in annual spending is required to take advantage of it, which is a considerable sum compared to other credit cards with companion vouchers.
In return, the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* is virtually the only credit card in Canada that gives you high status with an airline, effortlessly.
The two cards are very similar in terms of insurance.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card offers some more generous coverage compared to its competitor, in addition to providing mobile device insurance. Additionally, it requires that at least 75% of travel purchases be charged to the card or paid with Aeroplan points.
In contrast, the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard requires that the cost of the travel expense be charged to the card the majority of the time (except for cancellation and interruption insurance, which requires only a portion). However, its insurance coverage for medical expenses in the best!
If you want a credit card that covers your travels, even when a small portion of the expenses has been charged, I recommend this article: The best credit cards for travel insurance with rewards points.
So? Which card is the winner?
For its great flexibility with Aeroplan points and the ability to depart from anywhere in the world, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card stands out thanks to :
While the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard has a lot going for it:
To learn more about the VIPorter Grand Voyageur elite status, consult our complete guide here.
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