What is the headline difference between the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite and the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard?

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is built for everyday spending: 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar on groceries, dining, gas and transit, plus a $50 annual lifestyle credit that brings the effective fee down to $70. The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* is more travel-oriented: 5 points/$1 on travel, 3 points/$1 on dining, entertainment and recurring bills, plus 4 complimentary airport lounge passes per year through Mastercard Travel Pass.

Which welcome bonus is bigger between the two BMO cards?

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* wins on the welcome side: up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points plus a first-year annual-fee waiver of $150. The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points with the first-year $120 fee waived. Both bonuses translate to roughly $155 to $220 in flexible travel value when redeemed through the BMO Rewards travel portal at the standard 142.86-points-per-dollar conversion.

What income do I need to qualify for each card?

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card requires a minimum personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000, the standard Visa Infinite threshold. The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* sits one tier higher: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household, which mirrors most Canadian World Elite Mastercards. If you barely meet the eclipse threshold, that is usually the safer application to submit first.

Which BMO card is better at Costco Canada?

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* is the obvious pick at Costco Canada: it runs on the Mastercard network, so it is accepted at the warehouse, and it still earns 1 point per dollar there as part of regular purchases. The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, despite its stronger everyday categories, is not accepted at Costco warehouses — you would have to buy Costco Shop Cards through Costco.ca to capture any rewards on that spending.