Rewards
AIR MILES Is Now Blue Rewards: What Changed in Canada
AIR MILES has become Blue Rewards. What happened to your miles, what Blue Points are worth, how BMO’s cards earn now, and which partners changed.
What happened to AIR MILES?
AIR MILES has been replaced by Blue Rewards, a program still run by a BMO subsidiary. BMO announced the change on January 26, 2026 and converted the program in summer 2026.
Collectors didn’t need to do anything: existing miles converted automatically to Blue Points. BMO’s AIR MILES credit card is now the BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard.
Put it into practiceBMO credit cardsWhat happened to my AIR MILES balance?
BMO converted every balance to Blue Points “at the equivalent value”. Because 95 miles used to buy $10 off and 1,500 Blue Points now buy $10, each mile became roughly 16 Blue Points.
The numbers on your account look much bigger, but what they buy is the same as before.
How much are Blue Points worth?
BMO lists 1,500 Blue Points = $10 when you redeem in store or toward eGift Cards. That is about 0.67 cents per point, so 15,000 points ≈ $100.
Daily redemption limits and program terms apply, so check your account before planning a large redemption.
How do you earn Blue Points with a BMO card?
The no-fee BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard earns 0.5 points per $1 on most purchases, 1 point per $1 on groceries, gas, EV charging, wholesale and alcohol, and 5 points per $1 at participating Blue Rewards partners.
At 0.67 cents a point, 1 point per $1 is about 0.67% back, and 5 points per $1 at partners is about 3.3%.
Which partners changed?
BMO says more than 400 brands carry over, and it has added Porter Airlines, Accor hotels (including Fairmont and Novotel), Instacart and MTY Group restaurants. Shell Canada left the program: Shell rewards ended May 25, 2026, or March 2, 2026 in Alberta.
Which credit cards earn Blue Rewards?
BMO issues the Blue Rewards credit cards. By first-year value at typical spending, the BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard leads at $645, followed by the BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard ($239).
| Card | Annual fee | First-year value | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopBMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $645 | $62 |
| BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard | $0 | $239 | $106 |
Card values use WalletReturn’s example spending of $2,000 a month. First-year value is the welcome bonus plus a year of rewards, minus the annual fee; net annual rewards are what a typical year earns after the fee.
Is Blue Rewards a good program for a credit card?
Only if you shop at its partners. On everyday spending, roughly 0.33–0.67% back is lower than many no-fee cash back cards, which pay 1% or more.
Compare what you’d earn on your own spending before choosing a card for the program.
Keep reading
RewardsHow to Redeem Credit Card Points in CanadaThe same points are worth different amounts depending on how you use them. In the programs we have reviewed, the recorded value ranges from 1 ¢ a point to 0.1 ¢ a point.- RankingsHow Much Are Credit Card Points Worth in Canada?What 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000 points are worth for Aeroplan, Scene+, Membership Rewards, Aventura, BMO Rewards, PC Optimum and other Canadian programs, how to work out a redemption’s value yourself and how points compare with cash back.
RewardsAeroplan Points Explained: Value, Flight Costs and Expiry in CanadaHow far Aeroplan points go: the points a flight costs on Air Canada’s current chart, what a point is worth, how to tell a good redemption from a poor one, how to keep points from expiring and which cards earn the most.
RewardsScene+ Points Explained: Value, Earning and Redeeming in CanadaWhat Scene+ points are worth, how fast you earn them at Sobeys, Home Hardware, Cineplex and Scene+ Travel, every way to redeem them, whether they expire and which Scotiabank card earns the most.
Official sources and further reading
- BMO newsroom: BMO launches Blue Rewards (January 26, 2026) ↗
- BMO: Blue Rewards Mastercard (formerly AIR MILES) ↗
Terms vary by product. Confirm the provider’s current terms before acting. This guide does not predict approval, realized value or credit-score changes. How WalletReturn calculates value