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The American Express Cobalt® Card gives you ≈ $900 in travel rewards for $191.88 in fees — and you don't need big spending to get it. Just put $750/month of the groceries and restaurants you're already paying for on the card. We'll show you the exact math and the exact steps (it's what we do).
🔒 via Amex secure application link • no minimum income required • takes ≈ 5 minutes
Fee listed is for residents of Canada other than the province of Québec (Québec residents are subject to a different fee). Terms and conditions apply.
Welcome bonus offer (net value)
Why we recommend this card
Don't trust the fee — trust the math. You pay $191.88 in fees and get ≈ $900 in rewards. We show you the full calculation above, with our own conservative valuation. No bank math, ours.
You almost certainly do. There's no giant lump-sum requirement: the bonus unlocks month by month with $750 of spending — and groceries & restaurants are exactly the 5 points per $ categories.
Your 60,000 points are worth $600 on travel booked on any website, guaranteed — even if you never learn anything else. If you do want to learn, the same points can be worth ≈ $900 to unlimited. We teach you for free.
Offer subject to change at any time — this is the structure currently available
The "$750 a month" reality check
The welcome bonus is split into 12 monthly parts: spend $750 in a month, get a 1,250-point bonus for that month. Do it all 12 months and that's 15,000 bonus points — plus the ≈ 45,000 points you earn on that spending itself, since the Cobalt's best earn rates are on the most ordinary spending there is:
Multiplier rates apply to up to $2,500 of spending per membership month. You can even earn 5 pts/$ indirectly at 100+ other retailers via grocery store gift card displays. And additional cards are free (up to 9) — so your partner's groceries count too.
Illustrative example of regular household spending only — your actual spending mix is up to you. The requirement is simply $750 in net purchases per monthly billing period.
What 60,000 points actually get you
Amex Membership Rewards are points of the more valuable type: they transfer to airline and hotel programs (8 partners), where the value can go far beyond the guaranteed minimum. A few examples with your 60,000 points (one-way flights; roundtrips are simply twice the points):
On United, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, or Brussels via Aeroplan transfers — your 60k covers most of a roundtrip.
On ANA via transfers — or 55,000 pts for the same flight in business class.
On Aer Lingus via Avios transfers — one of the famous sweet spots we teach our readers.
Lie-flat to Germany, Switzerland and more from Toronto/Montreal — the welcome bonus alone can cover it.
That's the floor: 60,000 points = a $600 discount on any travel expense, no program knowledge required. Everything above is upside, not a requirement. (Marriott hotel transfers can also get you up to 10 free nights in some destinations.)
Points never expire as long as you have the card
Step by step, concretely
No jargon, no spreadsheets required. This is the exact sequence — and we have free guides for every step.
Through the Amex secure application link. No minimum income required — eligibility is based on your credit profile (estimated good or excellent).
Reach $750 in purchases each month. That's it — that's the whole "strategy." Set your usual bills and food spending on the card and pay it off in full like a debit card.
1,250 bonus points per month for 12 months, on top of the ≈ 45,000 points your spending earns at up to 5 pts/$. Total: 60,000 points in year one.
Easy mode: $600 off any travel, booked anywhere. Expert mode: transfer to partners for ≈ $900 to unlimited value — and our free newsletter and guides walk you through it, screenshot by screenshot.
🔒 via Amex secure application link
Everything included (and what's not — we tell you that too)
We always tell you the catch. It builds better trips (and trust).
Follow these and rewards pay you — handled responsibly, opening cards over time can actually be good for your credit profile. Flytrippers editorial opinion; not financial advice.
Who's telling you this
We're Andrew and Kevin — two travelers who learned to spot flight deals and master travel rewards so we could see the world without paying full price. Millions of Canadian travelers have taken advantage of our experience.
This page is our editorial opinion only. The Flytrippers Valuation is calculated independently with our own conservative point values — banks don't write our reviews, and we never share an offer we don't consider advantageous for some travelers. Got questions before applying? Ask us — we answer.
Before you decide
Never look at a fee alone — look at the fee and the value. By unlocking the welcome bonus, you get rewards worth ≈ $900 (at our conservative valuation) for $191.88 in fees, charged $15.99 per month. That's ≈ $708 in net value, a ≈ 7.9% return on the minimum spending. You'd be leaving money on the table by paying with debit instead.
You still come out ahead. The floor is simple: your 60,000 points are worth a $600 discount on travel booked on any website — no program knowledge needed. Transfers to airlines and hotels (where the value goes from ≈ $900 to unlimited) are the bonus level, and we publish free guides and a newsletter that teach it step by step, at your pace.
For most households, yes — it's groceries, restaurants, gas, streaming, and everyday bills, not extra spending. The requirement is monthly (not one big lump sum), additional cards for family members are free so a partner's spending counts too, and you can even earn the 5x rate indirectly at 100+ retailers via grocery store gift card displays. If a month doesn't work out, you simply don't get that month's 1,250-point part of the bonus — the other months still count.
Our editorial take, based on years of doing this ourselves: handled responsibly, cards reward you rather than hurt you. Follow our 3 golden rules — pay in full every month, never close your oldest cards, space out applications by 2–3 months. If you can't commit to paying in full, don't get into travel rewards at all. (We're travelers, not financial advisors — this is general information, not advice for your specific situation.)
No rush — that's why we say to always be earning for future trips. Amex points never expire as long as you have the card, and even if you no longer have it, you can easily extend the expiration indefinitely. They can also be pooled with travel companions via transfer partners. Earn now, redeem when the right trip comes.
Card eligibility: no minimum income required; age of majority in your province; estimated good or excellent credit (TransUnion). Welcome bonus eligibility: you must not have had the American Express Cobalt® Card before. Québec residents: the fee listed is for residents of Canada other than Québec — see the Québec version of this card page.
Honestly: we don't know, and we won't pretend otherwise. The offer is subject to change at any time — that's the banks' call, not ours. Our standing advice is simply that a good bonus today is better than a perfect bonus in a month. If you've decided this card fits, there's no value in waiting.
Apply in about 5 minutes via the Amex secure application link — then grab our free new-card checklist so you avoid the important mistakes.
via Amex secure application • Terms and conditions apply
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