BMO VIPorter Mastercard

Earn rates

The card earns at three tiers, with annual caps on the elevated categories. Porter purchases earn 2x up to $10,000 a year. Gas and transportation, groceries and dining, and hotel accommodation each earn 1x, with separate annual caps. All other spending, and any spending beyond a category cap, earns 0.5x.

VIPorter points typically land around 1.5¢ each on Porter and Air Transat redemptions. The 1x everyday categories return ~1.5% in flight value within the caps; the 0.5x base rate is low, so this card earns best when Porter and the capped categories carry most of the spend.

Key benefits

VIPorter Passport status

Passport is VIPorter’s entry membership above the base account. The card grants it automatically and keeps it active for as long as the account stays open, with no flight activity required. Passport members earn bonus VIPorter points per dollar on Porter flights, so the flight itself earns more on top of the card spend.

Companion discount voucher

The card grants a 35% discount voucher rather than a free companion pass. Once earned, it applies a 35% discount on base fares for up to three companions on a single Porter booking. You earn the voucher by reaching $25,000 in net annual purchases. It is a meaningful saving on a group booking, but it is a percentage discount, not the 100%-off companion fare the World Elite version provides.

The VIPorter program

VIPorter points redeem on Porter’s own network, on Air Transat through the joint venture partnership locked through 2032, and on Alaska Airlines transborder itineraries that include a Porter segment. Domestic Porter redemptions and Air Transat transatlantic routes typically land around 1.5¢ per point.

Earn partners include JetBlue, Qatar Airways, Icelandair, and Azores Airlines, but these are earn-only. You can credit flights to VIPorter from those carriers but cannot redeem points on them. The redemption universe is deliberately narrow, which is worth weighing against more transferable programs before committing.

Travel insurance

Coverage types included:

• Emergency travel medical: up to $5 million, trips up to 8 days
• Rental car collision and damage: coverage applies
• Flight delay: coverage after a qualifying delay
• Baggage delay: coverage for necessary purchases
• Lost or stolen baggage: coverage applies
• Extended warranty and purchase protection

Coverage limits and eligibility conditions apply, and the 8-day medical window is short for longer trips. Always review the certificate of insurance before travel, particularly the medical eligibility and pre-existing condition exclusions.

What the earn math looks like

A cardholder spending $2,500 per month on everyday categories, before any Porter flight spend:

19,800 VIPorter points per year from everyday spending at this mix, before any Porter flight earn. At ~1.5¢ per point, that is approximately $297 in flight value annually. The earn rate alone is modest. The card’s real value is the Passport status, priority airport service, and the year-one fee waiver, for a flyer who takes Porter occasionally.

Good fit if

• You fly Porter occasionally and want Passport status and priority airport service without an income requirement.
• You want a low-cost entry into VIPorter. The $89 fee is waived in year one, and the welcome bonus lands before the fee applies.
• You are not ready for the World Elite version’s $80,000 income requirement but still want the status and earn that the co-branded card provides.

Less useful if

• You fly Porter often and can meet the income requirement. The VIPorter World Elite Mastercard grants the higher Venture tier, stronger earn, and a free annual companion pass.
• You fly mostly Air Canada or WestJet. VIPorter points only book Porter and Air Transat flights.
• You want a high everyday earn rate. The 0.5x base rate and the category caps limit how much the card returns on general spending.