Earn rates

Spending category Earn rate Value per $100 spent
Eligible travel (flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises) 2 pts / $1 ~$2.00
Gas, grocery & drugstore purchases in Canada 2 pts / $1 ~$2.00
Everything else 1 pt / $1 ~$1.00

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
Annual travel credit $100 statement credit each year for eligible travel booked through American Express Travel. Offsets a large share of the $250 fee.
NEXUS credit $50 statement credit for a NEXUS application or renewal fee charged to the card.
Airport lounge access Four complimentary Plaza Premium lounge visits each year.
Welcome bonus Up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points (~$600) in the first year, by earning a set number of points for each month you meet the spend requirement. 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, or apply against eligible charges at $0.01 each.
Additional cards First supplementary card free, then $50 each.
Travel & purchase insurance Travel accident, flight and baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, hotel burglary, car rental theft and damage, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Coverage limits and eligibility per certificate.
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
Travel $200 2x 400
Gas, grocery & drugstore $875 2x 1,750
All other spending $1,425 1x 1,425
Total $2,500 3,575 pts / mo

42,900 pts / year (~$429 at the $0.01 baseline). Net of the $250 fee, and after the $100 travel credit, the everyday return lands near break-even before any transfer upside. Transferring to Aeroplan or another airline partner can raise the per-point value well above the baseline.

Good fit if

  • You spend steadily on gas, groceries, and drugstores. The 2x rate across those everyday categories, with no cap, is where this card does most of its work.
  • You book at least $100 of travel a year through American Express Travel, so the annual travel credit brings the real cost of the card down toward $150.
  • You want transferable points. Membership Rewards move to Aeroplan and several airline programs, which is where the value climbs above the cash baseline.

Less useful if

  • You want to earn 5x on dining and groceries. A dedicated food-earning card returns more on those categories at a lower monthly cost, if a fixed annual fee is not your priority.
  • You want lounge access and large travel credits. Those sit with the Platinum tier, not this card.
  • You will not use the travel credit. Without it, the $250 fee is harder to justify on everyday earn alone.
Membership Rewards program → All American Express cards →