BMO Ascend™* World Elite®* MasterCard®*

Flytrippers opinion: A new offer on a great card for VIP airport lounge access and simple points.
Flytrippers Valuation
of Welcome bonus (net value)		 ends May 31st

via BMO secure application link
$ 330ⓘ

Rewards: $330*

Card fee: $0 $150
Earn BMO Rewards
more simple rewards

Uses: for literally any
travel expense 		How to unlock bonus
spend $4,500 in 3 months

(*minimum value: $330
*maximum value: $330) 		Card eligibility
min. income: $80k (or $150k household)

Welcome bonus eligibility
must not have had this specific card before
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.

Summary of Flytrippers' review

WHY GET THIS CARD

  • The good welcome bonus of $330
  • The rewards that are of the more simple type and can be used for any travel expense
  • The 4 annual passes for VIP airport lounges
  • The earn rate on the travel category
  • The good insurance coverage

WHO SHOULD GET THIS CARD

  • Those who want rewards that are more simple and can be used for any travel expense
  • Those who want 4 passes for VIP airport lounges
  • Those who want a no-annual-fee-the-1st-year card even though the total value is always what you should look at

Card details

Welcome bonus structure (13 separate bonuses)
(INCREASED OFFER)

45,000 points Bonus after spending $4,500 (in a maximum of 3 months)
*3,750 points Monthly bonus after spending $2,500 in the month (offered for 12 months starting with month 4)
*NOT INCLUDED IN OUR FLYTRIPPERS VALUATION

45,000 points Total with the main part of the bonus
*90,000 points Total with the 13 parts of the bonus
*NOT INCLUDED IN OUR FLYTRIPPERS VALUATION

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Earn on the minimum spending requirement

4,500 points Minimum earn on the minimum spending requirement of $4,500 (at base earn rate of 1 pt/$)
*30,000 points Minimum earn on the additional spending requirement of $30,000 (at base earn rate of 1 pt/$) 
*NOT INCLUDED IN OUR FLYTRIPPERS VALUATION

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Total rewards by unlocking the welcome bonus

49,500 points Main part of the welcome bonus + earn on the minimum spending requirement to unlock it
*124,500 points Entire welcome bonus + earn on the minimum spending requirement to unlock it
*NOT INCLUDED IN OUR FLYTRIPPERS VALUATION

‣Apply for the BMO Ascend™* World Elite®* MasterCard®*

Value of the welcome bonus offer
(at our Flytrippers Valuation of 0.67¢/pt)

$300 Welcome bonus (45,000 pts)
$30 Earn on the min. spend (4,500 pts)
–$0 Card fee (none the 1st year free)

$330 Total net value by unlocking the welcome bonus alone

‣Learn more about our Flytrippers Valuation of welcome bonuses

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Effective return rate

7.3% Return on the minimum spending requirement ($330 on $4,500 in 3 months)

‣Learn more about effective return rates (coming soon)

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Rewards acquisition summary

$330 Rewards you get for $0

‣Apply for the BMO Ascend™* World Elite®* MasterCard®*

Value of redemption options (welcome bonus)

For each available redemption option, here is the value of the 49,500 BMO Rewards points you get by unlocking the welcome bonus:

$330 Travel booked on any website
$330 Cashback indirectly with the refundable hotel trick
$330 Deposit in a BMO investment account
≈ $248 Merchandise
≈ $248 Gift cards
$163 Statement credit

‣Learn more about the best redemptions of BMO Rewards points (coming soon)

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Value of redemption options (per point)

For each available redemption option, here is the value per BMO Rewards point to help you understand:

0.67¢ Travel booked on any website
0.67¢ Cashback indirectly with the refundable hotel trick
0.67¢ Deposit in a BMO investment account
≈ 0.5¢ Merchandise
≈ 0.5¢ Gift cards
0.33¢ Statement credit

‣Learn more about the basics of the values per point (coming soon)

Redemptions for travel

The more simple type of rewards redemption, with a fixed value. It is worth less but gives you more flexibility. BMO Rewards points are really as simple as points can be, as you can use them to simply erase any travel expense booked on any site.

Redeem your 49,500 BMO Rewards points for:

49,500 pts Discount of $330 on travel booked on any website

‣Learn more about the best redemptions of BMO Rewards points (coming soon)

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Redemptions for cashback indirectly

The refundable hotel trick is usually useful for credits, but BMO Rewards points can be cashed out by booking a refundable hotel, by applying the points, and by getting a refund.

Redeem your 49,500 BMO Rewards points for:

49,500 pts Cashback of $330 with the refundable hotel trick

‣Learn more about the best redemptions of BMO Rewards points (coming soon)

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Redemptions for investments

Also a redemption of the more simple type, with a fixed value. BMO Rewards points are among the very few that offer a non-travel redemption that doesn’t have a lower value than travel redemptions. You can use your points to get a deposit in a BMO investment account at the same fixed value.

Redeem your 49,500 BMO Rewards points for:

49,500 pts Deposit of $330 in a BMO investment account

‣Learn more about the best redemptions of BMO Rewards points (coming soon)

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Redemptions for anything other than travel (except BMO investments)

Should always be avoided, as with all rewards!

‣Learn more about why you should always redeem your rewards for travel (coming soon)

Expiry
BMO Rewards points never expire if you have the BMO Ascend™* World Elite®* MasterCard®* and if you don’t want to renew, you can downgrade it to a no-annual-fee card to keep your points indefinitely.

‣Learn more about BMO Rewards points expiry (coming soon)

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Pooling
BMO Rewards points cannot be pooled with travel companions.

‣Learn more about pooling BMO Rewards points (coming soon)

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Transfers
BMO Rewards points cannot be transferred to more valuable rewards programs.

‣Learn more about transferring BMO Rewards points (coming soon)

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Logistics
BMO Rewards points can be used directly on the BMO Rewards website.

‣Learn more about how to get started with the BMO Rewards program (coming soon)

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Rewards program summary
Rewards: BMO Rewards points
Source: Bank rewards
Type: More simple
Flytrippers Valuation: 0.67¢ per point
Minimum value: 0.67¢ per point
Maximum value: 0.67¢ per point
Transferable: No

‣Learn more about rewards programs basics (coming soon)

Earn rates

5 points per $ (3.33%):

  • Travel

3 points per $ (2%):

  • Dining
  • Entertainment
  • Recurring bill payments

1 point per $ (0.67%):

  • Everywhere else

‣Learn more about credit card earn rates (coming soon)

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Earning with additional cards

Fee for additional cards: $
Quantity allowed: N/A
Minimum age: N/A

‣Learn more about additional cards (coming soon)

4 free annual passes for VIP airport lounges worldwide
You get 4 free passes to enter 1,200+ VIP airport lounges around the world, including 21 in 8 Canadian airports. All DragonPass lounges (Mastercard Travel Pass by DragonPass).

‣Learn more about the airport lounge access

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Free global access to Boingo Wi-Fi
Access over 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide through the Boingo program.

‣Learn about the Boingo Wi-Fi program (coming soon)

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Discount on rental cars
Get a variable discount by using a special promo code (CID) at certain locations with National Car Rental (3717122) and Alamo Rent A Car (7014883).

‣Learn more about the BMO car rental benefit (coming soon)

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24/7 concierge service
You have access to a concierge service that can make restaurant reservations, organize deliveries for flowers or other things, and complete various research tasks for you.

‣Learn more about the BMO concierge service (coming soon)

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Mastercard World Elite benefits
Get discounts on shows, restaurants, services, and products in Canada and abroad thanks to Mastercard World Elite benefits. 

‣Learn more about Mastercard World Elite benefits (coming soon)

Insurance included

Medical travel insurance for 21 days (64 years and under)
Flight delay insurance ($500, 4hr minimum)
Baggage delay insurance
Trip cancelation insurance
Trip interruption insurance
Rental car insurance
Lost or stolen luggage insurance
Hotel burglary insurance
Travel accident insurance
Purchase protection
Extended warranty

‣Learn more about the BMO Ascend™* World Elite®* MasterCard®*‘s insurance coverage (coming soon)

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Insurance not included

Mobile device insurance

‣Learn more about the different types of insurance coverage (coming soon)

Card eligibility
Minimum income: $80,000 (personal) OR $150,000 (household)
Age: Majority in your province
Estimated credit score: Excellent
Credit bureau: Equifax Canada

‣Learn more about credit card eligibility requirements (coming soon)

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Welcome bonus eligibility
You must not have already had the BMO Ascend™* World Elite®* MasterCard®*

‣Learn more about credit card welcome bonus eligibility rules (coming soon)

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Offer end date
Offer ends May 31, 2024

‣Sign up for Flytrippers’ free newsletter about travel rewards to get all card updates

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Card details
Issuer: BMO (Bank of Montreal)
Network: Mastercard
Card Type: Credit card
Product Type: Personal card

‣Learn more about credit card types (coming soon)

Fees and rates
Card fee: $150 (rebated the 1st year)
Fee for additional card: $50 (rebated the 1st year)
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%
Purchases annual interest rate: 20.99%
Cash advance and balance transfer annual interest rate: 23.99% (21.99% for Québec residents)
Balance transfer APR: 23,99%
Cash advance fee: $5

‣Learn more about why Flytrippers recommends ignoring fees and rates (coming soon)

Welcome offer: Get up to 90,000 points and the annual fee waived in the first year for both the primary cardholder and authorized users.*

5x the points for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases,* 3x the points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and entertainment purchases and recurring bill payments,* 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else.*

Now get the highest rewards points for travel of any premium flexible travel card in Canada!†

Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass,* with four annual complimentary passes.

Access over 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world – all at no added cost, and no added fees or roaming charges*

Get valuable benefits and offers for digital everyday services from a variety of on-demand apps and subscription services

Points you can use to cover all flight charges & taxes*

Fly on any airline, with no blackout dates*

Best-in-class travel and medical insurance (unlimited trips per year)*

BMO Concierge Service*

Unlock Mastercard Travel Rewards cashback offers when you travel and shop outside of Canada

BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information

*Terms and conditions apply†Statement based on a comparison of the redeemable value of the non-promotional travel rewards points earned on premium flexible Canadian credit cards as of May 3, 2022. “Flexible” is defined as points earned when you purchase travel anywhere and “premium” refers to cards with an annual fee of ≤ $150 or has an income requirement of ≤ $150,000 annual individual income.

Start earning rewards today

And make sure to download our free checklist for when you get a new card—it includes very important mistakes to avoid
(it will open in a separate tab, or you can click here)

APPLY NOW

via BMO secure application

*Beta version of card page. Sign up to get updated guide soon.*

Terms & conditions — Travel rewards

†Terms and conditions apply.

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All offers described on the Flytrippers website are subject to the financial institutions’ latest terms and conditions, which can be found on their official website. No efforts are spared to ensure this page is up to date but offers from financial institutions change quickly. It is your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of these offers on their website. Flytrippers will not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the offers or the result of your actions.

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All articles, pages, and content on Flytrippers’ website are merely personal opinions of a general nature and are for informational purposes only and should not be considered advice for specific situations. It is your responsibility to perform your own personal research to ensure that travel rewards are appropriate for your own situation.

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