What is BMO Rewards?

Is BMO Rewards worth it?

Depends on what you want from a rewards program. Strong fit if any of these apply:

• You spend heavily on groceries, dining, gas, or drugstore purchases, where eclipse cards earn 5x
• You want simplicity: book travel anywhere, apply points to the charge, no award chart to learn
• You prefer a predictable value and don’t want to manage multiple loyalty accounts

Less useful if you’re chasing long-haul business class value. Variable programs like Aeroplan can deliver 2¢ or more per point on the right routes. BMO Rewards caps out at 0.67¢ regardless of what you redeem for.

What can you redeem BMO Rewards points for?

Travel purchases charged to your BMO card qualify at the full rate: flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages, long-distance train tickets, and bookings through travel agencies. Book however you like, then log in to apply points against the charge. You can also deposit the cash equivalent directly into a BMO investment account, also at 150 pts = $1. Statement credits are available but return lower value — stick to travel or the investment deposit.

What is the best way to use BMO Rewards points?

Cover a flight or hotel night you were going to pay for anyway. The value is fixed, so there’s no optimization game. Pay for travel on the card, then offset the charge with points. The investment account deposit is equally good if travel isn’t on the horizon.

How do you earn BMO Rewards points?

Credit cards are the only source. BMO Rewards has no airline partners, no partner stores, and no earn on non-BMO spending. The program is entirely card-driven.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite

5x on groceries, dining (in and out), gas, drugstore, and travel purchases. 1x on everything else. Adding an authorized user unlocks a 10% bonus on the base accelerated rate. Annual fee: $120 (first year waived).

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege

Same 5x categories with a higher annual spend cap before the rate drops to 1x. Best for cardholders who maximize the bonus categories consistently. Annual fee: $599.

BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

5x on eligible travel (up to $15,000 per calendar year), 3x on dining, entertainment, and recurring bill payments (up to $10,000 each per year), 1x on all other purchases. Best for cardholders whose primary accelerator is travel rather than everyday groceries and gas. Annual fee: $150 (first year waived).

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What are the best BMO Rewards credit cards?

How does BMO Rewards compare to other programs?

BMO Rewards sits in the fixed-value tier alongside TD Rewards and Scotia Rewards. All three let you apply points to any travel purchase at a predictable rate. The difference is the earn side: BMO’s eclipse cards offer one of the strongest everyday earn structures in Canada at 5x across groceries, dining, gas, and drugstore. The tradeoff is the ceiling: 0.67¢ per point, every time, on every redemption.

If your priority is getting more cents per point on a premium cabin flight, Aeroplan and Amex Membership Rewards both offer routes to 2¢ or more. But if you want the points math to be simple and the earn rates to be genuinely strong on everyday spend, BMO Rewards is one of the better options in Canada.