This is the premium card for Blue Rewards, the program that used to be AIR MILES, and it only makes sense if you will actually shop where the program pays. At participating Blue Rewards Partners, including travel booked through Blue Rewards Travel (powered by Expedia), Fairmont, Dollarama, Instacart and Pharmasave, it earns 10 points per dollar. Groceries, gas, EV charging, wholesale clubs and liquor stores earn 2, everything else 1.
The number I keep coming back to is BMO's own valuation: 1,500 points for $10 in store, or 0.67 cents per point. That makes the partner rate worth about 6.7%, which is excellent, but the 2x categories only about 1.3% and the base rate about 0.67%. I'd point it at someone who already shops the partner list and wants trip cancellation and lounge passes in a $150 card, free in year one.
Welcome offer
BMO is offering up to 100,000 Blue Rewards points on the Blue Rewards World Elite, verified on the BMO page on October 13, 2026. The points come in three steps: 45,000 after $5,000 in net purchases in the first 110 days, 20,000 more once you reach $10,000 within 180 days, and 35,000 more at $20,000 within the first 365 days. Applications must be received by October 31, 2027.
BMO values the 100,000 points at up to $665 when redeemed in store at participating partners or toward eGift Cards, and builds a larger "up to $1,600 in value" headline by adding the first-year fee rebate, a NEXUS credit of up to $200, the lounge membership and passes, and Instacart. Bonus points can be cancelled if the card is closed within 365 days, and the offer is closed to anyone reopening the card or switching in from another BMO card. New accounts also get 0% on balance transfers for the first 12 statement periods, with a 2% fee.
The first tier is the efficient one: 45,000 points for $5,000 in 110 days, about $1,400 a month, worth up to $300 at BMO's in-store rate. The full ladder needs $20,000 in a year. Booking a trip you were taking anyway through Blue Rewards Travel helps on both fronts, since it counts toward the spend and earns 10x.
Fees & eligibility
The card costs $150 a year, rebated in the first year under the current offer for the primary card and for any additional cards added at the time of application. Additional cards are otherwise $50 each. BMO also rebates the $150 primary fee every year for holders of a BMO Premium Plan account, provided the card has at least $15,000 in qualifying purchases in the card year.
Eligibility is the World Elite bar: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income. Purchases carry 21.99% interest and cash advances and balance transfers 23.99% (21.99% in Quebec). Foreign currency purchases cost 2.5% on top of the network rate. As with any rewards card, the points only come out ahead if the balance is paid in full each month.
Earning rewards
Purchases at participating Blue Rewards Partners earn 10 points per dollar on up to $25,000 a year combined. The partner list includes Blue Rewards Travel (flights, car rentals, hotels and more on Expedia's inventory), Fairmont, Dollarama, Instacart and Pharmasave, and partners can be added or removed at any time.
Four everyday categories earn 2 points per dollar: grocery stores, gas and EV charging, wholesale clubs, and liquor stores, each on the first $500 per statement cycle at merchants in Canada. Everything else earns 1 point per dollar. Showing your Blue Rewards Member Card at a partner earns that partner's points on top of the card's.
Redeeming rewards
BMO's stated rate is 1,500 Blue Points = $10 when redeemed in store at participating partners or toward eGift Cards, which is 0.67 cents per point (cpp). Over 400 brands are available, including Amazon, Apple, Dyson and Ninja, and standard daily usage limits apply to in-store and eGift Card redemptions.
For travel, Blue Rewards Travel (powered by Expedia) lets you cover a whole trip with points, including taxes and fees, or use any amount of points alongside the card (cruises and pay-at-property fees excluded). BMO does not print a fixed points value for travel, and other redemption types carry their own rates, so compare the price in points against the cash price before booking.
Perks & benefits
The perks are better than the earn rates suggest. You get a Mastercard Travel Pass membership run by DragonPass with 4 complimentary lounge passes each calendar year, usable for yourself or a travelling companion (extra visits US$32 per person), an up to $200 NEXUS credit in year one, and BMO Roadside Assistance with boosts, tire changes, lockouts and towing.
The smaller extras: six months of Instacart+ with a $10 monthly credit, a FlexiRoam eSIM with up to 3GB of global data a year, up to 30% off Avis and 35% off Budget when you prepay, discounts at National, Alamo and Enterprise, Cirque du Soleil savings, and Blue Rewards card offers at participating brands. There is no foreign fee waiver.
Insurance
The insurance is a full travel set for a $150 card, underwritten by CUMIS. Emergency medical pays up to $5 million per person for the first 15 days of a trip, for travellers aged 64 or under, and the trip does not need to be charged to the card. Trip cancellation pays up to $1,500 per person ($5,000 per trip) and trip interruption or delay up to $2,000 per person ($10,000 per trip), and trips paid in full or in part with points earned on the card count.
Flight delays over 4 hours are covered up to $500 per trip, delayed bags (6 hours or more) up to $500 per person, and lost or damaged bags up to $500 per person ($1,000 per trip). Rentals with an MSRP up to $65,000 are covered for 48 days, purchases for 90 days, and warranties are doubled by up to 1 extra year. There is no mobile device insurance.
My take
I'd get this card if you already shop at Blue Rewards Partners and book trips through Blue Rewards Travel; if your spending is mostly at stores outside the partner list, I'd skip it.
What makes the Blue Rewards World Elite interesting is the 10x partner rate. At 0.67 cpp that is about 6.7% back at partners and on Blue Rewards Travel bookings, on up to $25,000 a year, which is a strong return for a $150 card. Add trip cancellation that covers points-paid trips, four lounge passes, roadside assistance and a first-year NEXUS credit, and the package holds up, especially if a BMO Premium Plan makes the fee disappear.
Outside the partners, the earning is weak. 2x on groceries and gas is about 1.3% and capped at $500 per category per statement cycle, and 1x is about 0.67%, below most no-fee cash back cards. If you mainly want travel rewards from general spending, I'd compare it with BMO's Ascend World Elite at the same $150 fee, which earns 5x on travel booked anywhere.
The good
- 10x at Blue Rewards Partners and on Blue Rewards Travel
- Trip cancellation that covers points-paid trips, plus 4 lounge passes
- No fee in year one, roadside assistance and a NEXUS credit
The catch
- Points worth 0.67 cpp in store; 1x outside partners is about 0.67%
- 2x categories capped at $500 each per statement cycle
- 2.5% FX fee and no fixed points value for travel