Earn rates

Spending category Earn rate Value per $100 spent
Eligible eats & drinks (restaurants, bars, cafes, food delivery, groceries in Canada) 5 pts / $1 ~$5.00
Eligible streaming subscriptions 3 pts / $1 ~$3.00
Transit, ride share & gas 2 pts / $1 ~$2.00
Everything else 1 pt / $1 ~$1.00

The 5x rate applies to the first $2,500 in net eats and drinks purchases each month, then 1x. 1 Membership Rewards point ≈ $0.01 CAD as a baseline; transfers to Aeroplan and other airline partners can return more per point.

Benefits

Benefit Details
Welcome bonus Up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points (~$150) by earning 1,250 points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases, over the first year. Verify the current offer with American Express before applying.
Transferable points Membership Rewards transfer to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar, Iberia, Aer Lingus), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors. Points can also be applied against eligible charges at $0.01 each.
Mobile device insurance Up to $1,000 against loss, theft, or damage to a device when the purchase is charged to the card. Subject to certificate terms.
Travel & purchase insurance Flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, travel accident, hotel burglary, and car rental theft and damage. Coverage limits and eligibility per certificate.
American Express Experiences Front Of The Line presale and reserved tickets, plus dining and entertainment access.
Foreign transactions 2.5% currency conversion charge on purchases in a foreign currency. No waiver.

What your monthly spend earns

Monthly spend $2,500
Category Monthly spend Rate Monthly pts
Eats & drinks $700 5x 3,500
Streaming $100 3x 300
Transit & gas $325 2x 650
All other spending $1,375 1x 1,375
Total $2,500 5,825 pts / mo

69,900 pts / year (~$699 at the $0.01 baseline, ~$543 net of the $155.88 annual fee). ~2.33% effective return on this spending mix. Transferring to Aeroplan or another airline partner can raise the per-point value well above the baseline.

Good fit if

  • You spend heavily on restaurants, food delivery, and groceries. The 5x rate on eats and drinks, up to $2,500 a month, is the highest grocery-and-dining earn of any Canadian card.
  • You want points that move. Membership Rewards transfer to Aeroplan and several airline programs, so the same points can cover anything from a domestic hop to a business-class seat.
  • You prefer a fee you pay monthly rather than all at once, and you will use the dining and transit categories enough to clear the $12.99 a month.

Less useful if

  • Your spending is spread across general retail and bills. Most of it would earn 1x, where a flat-rate card would return more.
  • You want broad lounge access or a large travel credit. This card carries neither; those sit with the Platinum tier.
  • You spend often in a foreign currency. The 2.5% conversion charge is not waived.
Membership Rewards program → All American Express cards →