Rankings
Best BMO Credit Cards in Canada
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard records the highest first-year value of the BMO cards we track at $1,064, and BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard leads the same lineup on net annual rewards at $430. Both figures are net of the annual fee.
Which BMO credit card earns the most in the first year?
The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard records the highest first-year value of the BMO cards we track: $1,064 on our example profile, after its $199 annual fee.
| Card | Annual fee | First-year value | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopBMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard | $199 | $1,064 | $165 |
| BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard | $139 | $1,049 | $430 |
| BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $805 | $122 |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | $120 | $791 | $338 |
| BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $645 | $62 |
WalletReturn example spending of $2,000/month: groceries $500, dining $200, gas $150, transit $80, travel $100, recurring bills $200, entertainment $100, drugstore $40, online $300, other $330.
BMO’s lineup holds two of the highest first-year totals in the catalogue, and the cheapest of the two on an annual basis is not the one with the biggest fee.
First-year value counts the welcome bonus where our engine supports the offer; that is $899 of the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard’s total, and it is paid once. Net annual rewards is the figure that describes year two onward.
Put it into practiceBMO cardsWhich BMO card is best after the first year?
The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard records the highest net annual rewards of the lineup at $430 on our example profile.
| Card | Annual fee | First-year value | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopBMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard | $139 | $1,049 | $430 |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | $120 | $791 | $338 |
| BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard | $199 | $1,064 | $165 |
| BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $805 | $122 |
| BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $645 | $62 |
Every card we track in this lineup records a positive net annual figure on our example profile.
None of these cards records a zero foreign transaction fee, so US-dollar spending carries the card’s recorded fee.
What do BMO credit cards cost a year?
Annual fees in this lineup run from $120 on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite to $199 on the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard.
| Card | Annual fee | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|
| TopBMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard | $199 | $165 |
| BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard | $139 | $430 |
| BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $122 |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | $120 | $338 |
| BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard | $150 | $62 |
The value columns on this page are net of the annual fee: a card whose fee is larger than the rewards we estimate shows a negative figure rather than a hidden cost.
A fee is worth paying when the rewards and benefits you would actually use exceed it. Where a benefit needs a spending level or a booking channel you do not use, it does not count.
How does BMO compare with the rest of the catalogue?
The strongest BMO card records $1,064 of first-year value; the highest in the catalogue is $1,251 on the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card.
| Card | First-year value |
|---|---|
| TopBMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard | $1,064 |
| TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card | $1,251 |
A larger first-year figure usually means a bigger welcome bonus rather than a better ongoing rate: compare the net annual rewards column before reading a gap as a permanent advantage.
Every card is put through the same engine, the same example profile and the same earn rules, so a card cannot move up because of an affiliate relationship.
How do I check these BMO cards against my own spending?
Enter your monthly spending in Find My Card and the same engine re-ranks these cards on your numbers instead of our example profile.
WalletReturn example spending of $2,000/month: groceries $500, dining $200, gas $150, transit $80, travel $100, recurring bills $200, entertainment $100, drugstore $40, online $300, other $330.
WalletReturn is paid by affiliate links on some cards. That never changes an estimate, a cap or the order of a ranking, and an unrecorded fact stays unrecorded rather than being assumed in a card’s favour.
Keep reading
Choosing a cardBMO CashBack Mastercard vs Simplii Cash Back Visa in CanadaOn our example spending profile the Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa finishes the year $29 ahead: $311 of rewards net of its $0 regular annual fee, against $282 for the BMO CashBack Mastercard after its $0 fee. The Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa also pays the higher recorded rate in 4 of the 9 categories both cards price, and the BMO CashBack Mastercard in 1.- Choosing a cardBMO CashBack World Elite vs TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in CanadaOn our example spending profile the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard finishes the year $106 ahead: $430 of rewards net of its $139 regular annual fee, against $324 for the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite after its $139 fee. The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard also pays the higher recorded rate in 2 of the 9 categories both cards price, and the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in 2.
RankingsBest Tangerine Credit Cards in CanadaTangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard records the highest first-year value of the Tangerine cards we track at $674, and Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard leads the same lineup on net annual rewards at $246. Both figures are net of the annual fee.- RankingsBest CIBC Credit Cards in CanadaCIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite records the highest first-year value of the CIBC cards we track at $779, and CIBC Dividend Platinum Visa leads the same lineup on net annual rewards at $355. Both figures are net of the annual fee.
Official sources and further reading
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