Credit Cards Head-to-Head: Odyssey World Elite Mastercard Desjardins and National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®

To the point Here's our detailed comparison of the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard and the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®.

Welcome bonus Annual Benefits Access to the VIP airport lounge in the Montréal-Trudeau international zone Earning reward points Insurance Minimum Income Bottom Line

Desjardins and National Bank each offer a World Elite Mastercard credit card with travel rewards:

At first glance, they may seem to be identical, especially because of their name! But which one is the most advantageous?

Let’s look at each of their features in detail, to distinguish these two credit cards.

Welcome bonus

With the current welcome offer, receive up to 35,000 bonus points earned as follows:

10,000 points if you make at least $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
10,000 points if you make at least $10,000 in purchases in the first 6 months
15,000 pointsif you make at least $20,000 in purchases in the first 14 months

What’s more, the annual fee is fully refunded in the first year.

Desjardins never offers a welcome bonus.

Advantage: National Bank's World Elite Mastercard^®

With a welcome offer, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® is the winner! Her competitor never does, so it’s best not to get your hopes up.

Annual Benefits

Each calendar year, National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® cardholders are entitled to a total of $150 applicable to certain travel-related expenses:

Airport parking
Baggage fees
Seat selection
Access to airport lounges
Airline ticket upgrades

Unlike the National Bank card, Desjardins does not offer annual credits for travel expenses.

Advantage: National Bank World Elite Mastercard

By reimbursing up to $150 in travel expenses, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® wins this round.

It should be noted that these two cards share similar privileges, being World Elite Mastercard cards :

Membership of the DragonPass program, which provides access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide ($32 USD per person)
Free Wi-Fi access while travelling anywhere in the world, thanks to Boingo

Access to the VIP airport lounge in the Montréal-Trudeau international zone

The National Bank card provides complimentary and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge.

The cardholder, 1 guest and up to 2 children (under 12) can access the lounge on presentation of the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®.

This card offers eight free visits per year to the Desjardins Odyssey Lounge.

Each person who enters the Desjardins Odyssey Lounge with the card is equivalent to one visit, including children over three years old.

Then, after the 9th visit, a 50% discount is granted. Before taxes, regular admission is $42 for adults and $26 for children.

Advantage: National Bank World Elite Mastercard

For unlimited access, the advantage goes to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®. This is especially convenient for the cardholder and her/his family.

Earning reward points

With the National Bank World Elite^® Mastercard^®, you can earn up to 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points
Grocery and Restaurant	5*
Gas and electric recharging	2
Recurring bill	2
À la carte Travel	2
Other purchase	1

For the Grocery and Restaurant category, you will be able to earn 5 points per dollar up to $2,500 in total monthly purchases charged to the card.

With the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard, you earn:

3% in BONUSDOLLARS at the grocery store*.
2% in BONUSDOLLARS for restaurants*, entertainment and public transport
1.5 % in BONIDOLLARS for all the rest

* Please note that from January 1, 2024, the accumulation will be different for grocery and restaurant expenses.

Between January 1 and December 31 of each year, the cumulative annual expenses made in the “Grocery” category will lead to the following earnings.

Spending between $0 and $10,000: 3% earning at the grocery store
$10,001 and over: 1.5% earning for the rest of the year

Then, cumulative annual spending in the “Restaurant” category will lead to the following accumulation:

Between $0 and $6,000: 2% earning
$ 6,001 and over: 1.5% accumulation for the rest of the year

Advantage: National Bank World Elite Mastercard

With an accumulation rate of up to 5 points per dollar, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® has the edge over the Desjardins card.

However, if you make many out-of-class purchases, you’ll be better off with Desjardins at 1.5% per dollar versus 1 point per dollar with the National Bank.

Insurance

Both cards are known to have excellent insurance of all kinds.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® is one of the only credit cards in Canada to cover you even if you only pay part of the cost of your trip.

This travel coverage only protects the policyholder, his/her spouse and their dependent children.

Medical and theft/loss/damage of luggage insurance

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® offers protection up to $5,000,000 per person, as follows:

Age	Maximum trip duration
54 years or less	60 days
55-64 years	31 days
65-75 years	15 days
76 or over	no coverage

For the luggage portion, the amount is a maximum of $ 1,000 per person.

Flight Cancellation

Coverage will be provided if at least a portion of the cost of the trip has been charged to the account.

Trip cancellation (prior to departure)	up to $2,500 per insured person
Trip interruption (after departure)	up to $5,000 per insured person

Travel Assistance Service

In addition, a travel assistance service is available for help if there is a problem:

loss of documents (passport, identity papers, etc)
loss of travel documents (such as an airline ticket)
need a medical emergency, an interpreter or legal assistance
need an emergency transfer of funds

Extended warranty

Theft and breakage coverage is valid for 180 days from the date of purchase. In addition, an extended warranty triples the length of the original manufacturer’s warranty for up to 3 years, under certain conditions.

Insurance for mobile devices

Up to $1,000 in compensation for a smartphone or tablet’s loss, theft, accidental damage or mechanical failure.

For full details, please refer to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® Certificate of Insurance.

All these coverages are valid for the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard credit cardholder, his/her spouse and dependent children. Even grandchildren benefit from the intergenerational coverage at no cost, when they travel with the holder.

Medical and theft/loss/damage of luggage insurance

Emergency Health Care coverage is up to $ 5,000,000 per person. The duration of these protections depends on the age of the traveller:

Age	Maximum trip duration
59 years or less	60 days
60-64 years	31 days
65-75 years	15 days
76 years or older	no coverage

For baggage, the maximum amount is $1,000 per person.

Flight Cancellation

Trip cancellation (prior to departure)	up to $2,500 per insured person
Trip interruption (after departure)	Unlimited coverage

Travel Assistance Service

In addition, a travel assistance service is available for help if there is a problem:

loss of documents (passport, identity papers, etc)
loss of travel documents (such as an airline ticket)
need a medical emergency or legal assistance

Extended warranty

Coverage for loss or damage is valid for 120 days from the date of purchase. In addition, an extended warranty doubles the duration of the original manufacturer’s warranty for up to 2 years, under certain conditions.

Insurance for mobile devices

Up to $1,500 in compensation for loss, theft, accidental damage or mechanical failure of a smartphone or tablet.

For full details, please refer to the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard Certificate of Insurance.

Equality

At this level, we cannot decide. In general, the insurances of the 2 cards are similar, with some differences. It’s up to you and your needs.

In fact, if you’re using rewards points to pay for part of the cost of your trip, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^® is perfect for you. In addition, it has an extended warranty period and longer protection for loss and damage.

Conversely, the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard offers insurance for mobile devices that its competitor does not. Or if you’re between 55 and 59 and travel medical insurance is important, you’re better off with Desjardins.