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BMO CashBack World Elite vs TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in Canada

On 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.

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Is the BMO CashBack World Elite or the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite better?

Quick answer

On 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.

Fee-bearing cash-back products with different everyday bonus categories.

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.

Some of that lead sits in capped categories on the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard (Groceries, Transit), so it narrows once the cap is reached; the cap section below shows what applies afterwards.

Put it into practiceBMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard

How do the two cards compare, fact by fact?

Quick answer

The two cards at a glance, on the same recorded facts. BMO CashBack World Elite leads by $106 a year before any benefits you would use are counted.

Card factsBMO CashBack World Elite MastercardTD Cash Back Visa Infinite
TopAnnual fee$139$139
Rewards net of the annual fee (example profile)$430$324
First-year value (welcome offer included)$1,049$659
Welcome offer recorded$480$195
Rewards programCash BackNot recorded
NetworkMastercardVisa
Income requirement$80,000$60,000
Purchase interest rateNot recorded21.99%
Foreign transaction feeNot recordedNot recorded

Rewards net of the annual fee are the year’s estimated rewards after the card’s regular fee, excluding any welcome offer. First-year value adds a welcome offer where the card supports one. Both use the same example spending profile for every card.

A “Not recorded” entry means our catalogue does not hold that fact for the card. It is an unknown, not a favourable fact, and we never fill the gap by assumption.

Which card pays more in each category?

Quick answer

The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard pays the higher recorded rate in 2 of the 9 categories both cards price (Groceries, Transit), the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in 2 (Recurring bills, Entertainment), and they are level in 5. An asterisk marks a rate that draws on a capped limit.

CategoryBMO CashBack World Elite MastercardTD Cash Back Visa Infinite
Groceries5% *3% *
Dining1%1%
Gas3% *3% *
Transit4% *3% *
Recurring bills2% *3% *
Travel1%1%
Drugstores1%1%
Online shopping1%1%
Entertainment1%3% *

A bonus rate applies only to purchases that record in that category. Merchant classification decides it, so a purchase in the same store can earn differently.

Across the 9 categories both cards price, the BMO CashBack World Elite is higher in 2, the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in 2, and they are level in 5.

BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard: a $500 monthly cap on groceries, after which 1% applies; a $300 monthly cap on transit, after which 1% applies; a $300 monthly cap on gas, after which 1% applies; a $500 monthly cap on recurring bills, after which 1% applies. TD Cash Back Visa Infinite: a $15,000 annual cap on groceries, after which 1% applies; a $15,000 annual cap on gas, after which 1% applies; a $15,000 annual cap on transit, after which 1% applies; a $15,000 annual cap shared by recurring bills and entertainment, after which 1% applies.

BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard base rate: 1% on purchases outside its bonus categories. TD Cash Back Visa Infinite base rate: 1% on purchases outside its bonus categories.

Do the bonus rates have caps?

Quick answer

Yes. BMO CashBack World Elite caps part of its bonus earning, and TD Cash Back Visa Infinite caps part of its bonus earning. Once a capped limit is reached every category inside that limit drops to the rate that applies afterwards.

BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard: a $500 monthly cap on groceries, after which 1% applies; a $300 monthly cap on transit, after which 1% applies; a $300 monthly cap on gas, after which 1% applies; a $500 monthly cap on recurring bills, after which 1% applies. TD Cash Back Visa Infinite: a $15,000 annual cap on groceries, after which 1% applies; a $15,000 annual cap on gas, after which 1% applies; a $15,000 annual cap on transit, after which 1% applies; a $15,000 annual cap shared by recurring bills and entertainment, after which 1% applies.

A cap is often shared between categories — groceries and dining on one card can use the same allowance, so spending in one reduces what is left at the bonus rate in the other.

An unrecorded cap is an unknown, not a promise that no cap exists. Confirm the current terms with the issuer before relying on a rate.

Is the extra annual fee worth it?

Quick answer

Both cards charge a $139 regular annual fee, so the whole $106 difference on our example profile comes from the earning rules and caps, not from the fee.

MeasureBMO CashBack World EliteTD Cash Back Visa Infinite
TopAnnual fee$139$139
Rewards net of the fee (example profile)$430$324
DifferenceBMO CashBack World Elite by $106

This arithmetic uses 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. A smaller month of bonus-category spending has to earn the fee back on less.

With equal fees, the entire difference is in the earning rules.

If either card’s fee is waived or rebated in the first year, that changes year one only. Compare the regular fee for a card you plan to keep.

How do the first-year values compare?

Quick answer

With welcome offers included, the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard leads the first year at $1,049, and it also leads on ongoing rewards at $430.

MeasureBMO CashBack World EliteTD Cash Back Visa Infinite
TopWelcome offer recorded$480$195
First-year value (offer included)$1,049$659
Rewards net of the annual fee$430$324

A welcome offer is conditional: it usually needs a minimum spend inside a set period, and it pays once. Ongoing rewards are what the card is worth in a normal year after its fee.

Which card should I pick?

Quick answer

On our example spending, the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard. If your spending is concentrated in Recurring bills, Entertainment, the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite becomes the better fit.

If you expect to carry a balance, compare the purchase interest rates first: this comparison prices rewards only and does not deduct interest.

WalletReturn is paid by affiliate links on some cards. Compensation does not change an estimate, a cap or the order of any ranking, and we do not predict approval odds or eligibility.

How do I check this against my own spending?

Quick answer

Enter your own monthly amounts by category in Find My Card and the totals are recalculated for both cards with their caps and post-cap rates applied.

Compare puts two cards side by side, and the Rewards Calculator shows the arithmetic for one card at a time. My Wallet keeps the pair you actually hold.

Every card is put through the same earn rules, cap records and welcome offers. Where a card’s terms do not document something, it stays unrecorded on its product page and in this article.

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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