Credit card offers change regularly, as I’m sure you know if you’re at all familiar with the wonderful world of travel rewards. But credit card features themselves don’t change very often! But BMO has just announced some modifications for 2025, and they are entirely negative.
I wish I could say I’m surprised — but I really am not. In fact, this just reinforces 2 things I shared in very recent posts.
Here are the details of the BMO credit card changes for 2025 (you can also check out the new credit card offers for February 2025).
Basics of the BMO credit card changes for 2025
Before giving you the full list of changes by card, here are the basics.
BMO, in addition to having the least competitive welcome bonus offers of all major banks, always seems to find ways to make things worse. It’s truly unfortunate because they have products with so much potential.
This confirms what I said in 2 related news posts just in the last 2 weeks:
- That it’s extremely rare for card changes to be entirely positive
- Like TD just did by adding lounge passes, among other things
- That it’s a bit concerning that Porter Airlines chose BMO as its issuing bank
- Because nothing in their recent history inspires confidence, honestly
Okay, these are pretty minor changes from BMO. But they’re still completely negative.
(Interest rates are also increasing, but if you’ve read our infographic that summarizes all the travel rewards basics like you should, you know that paying everything on time is one of the only 3 non-negotiable rules if you want to get into free travel, so I won’t even mention it!)
Details of BMO credit card changes for 2025
We already have resource pages with 10+ information tabs on all these cards, so I’m not describing the cards at all: I’m telling you only what’s changing.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card
Changes to the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card:
- New annual maximum for multiplier rate
- Was $50,000 combined for all 4 categories
- Groceries (including gift cards at grocery stores, of course)
- Restaurants
- Gas
- Public transit
- Is now individual for each category
- Groceries: $6,000
- Restaurants: $6,000
- Gas: $20,000
- Public transit: $20,000
- Was $50,000 combined for all 4 categories
Honestly, it doesn’t change much because spending that much on a single card, especially this card, was about the worst thing you could do if you want to maximize the rewards you earn.
Card earn rates are really less important than most people think when you know how to earn rewards.
This is one of the best BMO cards, with a multiplier earn rate of 5 pts/$. But if you know the basics of travel rewards, you know that currencies obviously all have different values.
BMO Rewards points are worth less, so this 5 pts/$ rate is incredibly inferior to the 5 pts/$ rate on the Amex Cobalt Card, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, and even the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard.
The annual maximum decreases drastically for the most important category for most people: groceries. But if you spent that much, you should at least get a card that really gives 5%. They have a much more generous annual maximum, too (except the other BMO card; of course).
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card
Changes to the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card:
- New annual fee
- Was $499
- Now $599
I don’t want to repeat myself, but when I said it was quite exceptional that the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card added 4 free annual lounge passes and new multiplier earn rates with no negative changes or fee increase, this is exactly what I meant.
With this BMO card, the annual fee increases by $100, and you get absolutely nothing more. If it was a card that already gave excellent value, it could still be good despite costing $100 more… but that’s not the case, unfortunately.
Yes, it gives 6 annual passes for airport lounges, but so does the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege (much more lucrative points) and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card (much more lucrative points and Air Canada benefits like unlimited access to Air Canada lounges).
BMO Prepaid Mastercard
Changes to the BMO Prepaid Mastercard:
- New annual fee
- Was $6.95
- Now $9.99
- New card design
- If you care about that
Well, this isn’t a real credit card and it’s not an interesting card, but I’m listing all the changes to keep you updated.
If you want a prepaid card, the EQ Bank Card (Prepaid Mastercard) is completely free and absolutely superior. Everyone should have it, no exceptions. You’ll earn more interest there than in your bank account (it’s my main chequing account now), and you’ll be able to use it to pay in different currencies with no foreign transaction fee. It’s not a credit card, so there’s no credit request. There’s no reason not to get it.
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Summary
BMO credit card changes for 2025 are quite minor, but they remain entirely negative. This is, unfortunately, what the bank has gotten us used to in recent years.
What would you like to know about the BMO credit card changes for 2025? Tell us in the comments below.
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