To the point
Here's our detailed comparison of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard and National Bank World Elite Mastercard®*.
BMO 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.
Minimum Income
The National Bank World Elite Mastercard requires :
- $80,000 individual income
- $150,000 household income
- or assets under management of $400,000 or more
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard requires a minimum income of:
- $80,000 (individual)
- $150,000 (combined)
Equality
Both World Elite Mastercard cards require the same criteria to qualify.
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.
When you sign up for the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points as well as a $150 annual fee waived for the first year :
- 55,000 points after $4,500 in purchases in the first 3 months
- 3,750 points per month after $2,500 in monthly purchases from the 4th to the 15th month, i.e. up to 45,000 points
Advantage: BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard Mastercard
With its extra points requiring less spending, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* is the best!
The Benefits
Annual Travel Credit
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
No annual travel credit for BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard holders. However, as mentioned above, you can take advantage of an attractive$150 annual fee waiver for the first year.
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 gives you access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide (admission fee of $32 USD per person; the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard comes with 4 free visits per year)
- 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
Having access to an airport lounge before a flight is convenient.
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®.
Like all Mastercard World Elite cards, you have the option of purchasing admission to the National Bank and Air France lounges, both members of the DragonPass network.
This card entitles you to 4 free visits a year to these lounges.
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
Both credit cards offer purchase categories that allow you to earn more rewards points.
Purchasing categories
With the National Bank World Elite® Mastercard®, you can earn up to 5 points per dollar:
| Category | Points |
| Grocery and Restaurant | 5* |
| Gasoline and electric recharging | 2 |
| Recurring invoices | 2 |
| À la carte Travel | 2 |
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. Starting at $2,501, points are accumulated at a rate of 2 points per dollar for 5 X points categories.
With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar spent on travel.
And you get 3 points for every dollar you spend on:
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Recurring Bill payments
IT'S A DRAW
With its accumulation rate of up to 5 points per dollar, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard® takes the lead over the Card offered by BMO for everyday spending.
On the other hand, if you make a lot of travel purchases with your credit card, it will be more attractive to opt for the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®*.
Basic earning level
Outside these accelerated accumulation purchase categories, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard and National Bank World Elite Mastercard® offer a basic accumulation rate.
With the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
This represents a value of approximately 1%.
With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
IT'S A DRAW
For out-of-category purchases, both cards offer a similar return of approximately 1% per dollar of purchase.
Redeeming points
Both cards are reward point cards, mainly for travel.
However, the loyalty programs are completely different:
- BMO Rewards for the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®*.
- À La Carte Awards for the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®.
This means that the ways you can redeem your points are different.
Points redeemed for trips purchased with the card
You can use the points from both credit cards for travel.
With the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®, you can apply your points to travel purchases.
The redemption rate is:
- 10,000 points = $100 for purchases made through Travel À la Carte
- 11,000 points = $100 by redeeming at least 55,000 points for any travel purchase you’ve booked yourself with the card
- 12,000 points = $100 for any travel purchase you’ve booked yourself with the card
A minimum of 12,000 points (or 10,000 points through the Travel A la Carte Agency, i.e. a minimum of $100) must be redeemed.
With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can redeem your points via the BMO Rewards portal.
The usage rate is 10,000 points = $71 for BMO Rewards travel purchases.
Advantage: National Bank World Elite Mastercard®.
To achieve a good redemption rate, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard® doesn’t require you to redeem at a specific branch, or to redeem a large number of points.
Points for other rewards
Both the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard and the National Bank World Elite Mastercard® allow points to be used for other rewards: everyday purchases, gift cards, products, investments.
But we do not recommend these uses because of the low value.
To redeem your National Bank World Elite Mastercard® rewards points, you’ll need to log in to your NBC Plan Rewards à la carte online account. You can contribute to an RRSP or TFSA, or pay off your all-in-one line of credit or mortgage: 12,000 points = $100.
You can also get a gift card: 12,000 to 13,500 points for a $100 gift card.
Finally, you can apply your points to everyday purchases for a statement credit: 25,000 points = $100.
With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you can redeem your points via the BMO Rewards portal.
| Use | 10,000 points | Value of 1 point |
| Travel | 71,4 $ | 0,71 ¢ |
| Investment | 66,7 $ | 0,67 ¢ |
| Experiences | 62 $ | 0,62 ¢ |
| Goods | 60 $ | 0,60 ¢ |
| Gift cards | 54 $ | 0,54 ¢ |
| Statement credit | 33,3 $ | 0,33 ¢ |
IT'S A DRAW
It’s hard to tell the difference between the two cards on this aspect: the redemption rate is quite similar. Better to use the points for travel!
Annual Fees
Both credit cards have similar annual fees.
The National Bank World Elite Mastercard® has an annual fee of $150.
However, this card offers an annual travel credit of $150, so it costs you almost nothing each year!
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard has an annual fee of $150 (but has an annual fee waiver for the first year).
However, it comes with four airport lounge visits, which may justify its cost.
Advantage: National Bank World Elite Mastercard®.
By making full use of the $150 annual travel credit, your National Bank World Elite Mastercard® could be virtually “free” year after year.
Insurance
Both credit cards offer extensive insurance.
| Insurance |  |
 |
| Trip Cancellation Insurance | Up to $2,500 per person | Up to $2,500 per person |
| Trip interruption insurance | Up to $5,000 per person | Up to $2,000 per person |
| Out-of-Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance | Up to $5,000,000 for up to 60 days | Up to $2,000,000 for up to 21 days |
| Flight delay insurance | Up to $500 after 4 hours |
Up to $500 per person |
| Baggage Delay Insurance | Up to $500 after 6 hours |
Up to $500 per person |
| Baggage loss or theft insurance | up to $1,000 | Up to $500 per person |
| Hotel burglary insurance | – | up to $1,000 |
| Rental car theft and damage insurance | up to $65,000 | up to $65,000 |
| Travel accident insurance | 500 000 $ | 500 000 $ |
| Purchase Protection | Up to 2 additional years | Up to 1 additional year |
| Purchase Guarantee | Up to $1,000 180 days |
90 days |
Advantage: National Bank World Elite Mastercard®.
With its more generous insurance coverages, the National Bank World Mastercard® takes the lead over the Card offered by BMO.
Bottom Line
So? Which Card is the winner?
First, it should be noted that both are great credit cards to use at Costco!
With the National Bank World Elite Mastercard®, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- Best insurances for your trips ;
- Best insurances for your purchases ;
- Its welcome offer, which arrives a few times a year;
- High accumulation rate for certain categories of purchases, including groceries, restaurants, gas and electric charging, recurring bills and purchases made through the Voyage À La Carte agency;
- Free unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge in Montreal in the international zone;
- Annual Travel Credit up to $150.
Against it, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®* stands out for:
- Earn 5 points per dollar for travel and 3 points for everyday purchases;
- Its welcome offer;
- Four annual airport lounge passes included;
- No annual fee for the first year ($150 value).
This credit card is perfect for people who travel regularly and require extensive insurance.
Note that both cards offer interesting advantages; they are accepted at Costco and have excellent insurance coverage. It’s up to you to choose between these two excellent credit cards according to your needs!
