Last edit by: jerry305
CANADIAN REFERENCE ON FLYERTALK
Canadian Credit Card Master List - Curated for Best Offer A complete listing of all the major credit cards in Canada along with their sign-up bonus, annual fee, CPM, and other pertinent information.
AMEX recent discussion American Express Canada application and reward strategies (2018) • Which credit card should I get? • Cards with good bonuses • List of Credit Cards with Great Welcome bonuses (RFD version)
BLOGS
Canadian Kilometers • PointsNerd • Rewards Canada • Don't Call the Airline! • Pointshogger • Canadian Travel Hacking
CONFERENCE
• PointsU conference (2018 & 2019 website)
Canadian Credit Card Master List - Curated for Best Offer A complete listing of all the major credit cards in Canada along with their sign-up bonus, annual fee, CPM, and other pertinent information.
AMEX recent discussion American Express Canada application and reward strategies (2018) • Which credit card should I get? • Cards with good bonuses • List of Credit Cards with Great Welcome bonuses (RFD version)
BLOGS
Canadian Kilometers • PointsNerd • Rewards Canada • Don't Call the Airline! • Pointshogger • Canadian Travel Hacking
CONFERENCE
• PointsU conference (2018 & 2019 website)
MilesBuzz: Canada
#2208
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
I know this is just the case in general, but it really bugs me how screwed we Canadians get on the SPG Amex
Signup Bonus:
Canada - 20k
USA - 25
okay, that difference isn't too big...
Annual Fee:
Canada - 120.-, no FYF
USA - FYF, then 65.- (84CAD)
... okay, pay more but get less.... why?
Starpoints earned:
Canada - 1 for everything
USA - 2 for stays, 1 for rest
... that's quite a big difference if one wants to focus on SPG stays&points
Elite Status nights:
Canada - nada
USA - 2 stays&5 nights towards next elite level
After August 11, the annual fee in the US will increase to 95 (so, basically same annual fee as us), BUT they also get additional benefits:
-NO FOREX FEES (yeah, wish we had more than ONE of those here...)
-Free Boingo Wifi (ever been to an airport with Boingo and no free wifi? yeah, it sucks)
-Sheraton Club Lounge access, aka free daily breakfast at Sheraton's
-sigh-
Sometimes I wish I had a credit file in the US, this would be so much better than the Canadian SPG, especially with no forex fees, you can easily just use it everywhere in Canada.
Signup Bonus:
Canada - 20k
USA - 25
okay, that difference isn't too big...
Annual Fee:
Canada - 120.-, no FYF
USA - FYF, then 65.- (84CAD)
... okay, pay more but get less.... why?
Starpoints earned:
Canada - 1 for everything
USA - 2 for stays, 1 for rest
... that's quite a big difference if one wants to focus on SPG stays&points
Elite Status nights:
Canada - nada
USA - 2 stays&5 nights towards next elite level
After August 11, the annual fee in the US will increase to 95 (so, basically same annual fee as us), BUT they also get additional benefits:
-NO FOREX FEES (yeah, wish we had more than ONE of those here...)
-Free Boingo Wifi (ever been to an airport with Boingo and no free wifi? yeah, it sucks)
-Sheraton Club Lounge access, aka free daily breakfast at Sheraton's
-sigh-
Sometimes I wish I had a credit file in the US, this would be so much better than the Canadian SPG, especially with no forex fees, you can easily just use it everywhere in Canada.
#2209
I know this is just the case in general, but it really bugs me how screwed we Canadians get on the SPG Amex
Signup Bonus:
Canada - 20k
USA - 25
okay, that difference isn't too big...
Annual Fee:
Canada - 120.-, no FYF
USA - FYF, then 65.- (84CAD)
... okay, pay more but get less.... why?
Starpoints earned:
Canada - 1 for everything
USA - 2 for stays, 1 for rest
... that's quite a big difference if one wants to focus on SPG stays&points
Elite Status nights:
Canada - nada
USA - 2 stays&5 nights towards next elite level
After August 11, the annual fee in the US will increase to 95 (so, basically same annual fee as us), BUT they also get additional benefits:
-NO FOREX FEES (yeah, wish we had more than ONE of those here...)
-Free Boingo Wifi (ever been to an airport with Boingo and no free wifi? yeah, it sucks)
-Sheraton Club Lounge access, aka free daily breakfast at Sheraton's
-sigh-
Sometimes I wish I had a credit file in the US, this would be so much better than the Canadian SPG, especially with no forex fees, you can easily just use it everywhere in Canada.
Signup Bonus:
Canada - 20k
USA - 25
okay, that difference isn't too big...
Annual Fee:
Canada - 120.-, no FYF
USA - FYF, then 65.- (84CAD)
... okay, pay more but get less.... why?
Starpoints earned:
Canada - 1 for everything
USA - 2 for stays, 1 for rest
... that's quite a big difference if one wants to focus on SPG stays&points
Elite Status nights:
Canada - nada
USA - 2 stays&5 nights towards next elite level
After August 11, the annual fee in the US will increase to 95 (so, basically same annual fee as us), BUT they also get additional benefits:
-NO FOREX FEES (yeah, wish we had more than ONE of those here...)
-Free Boingo Wifi (ever been to an airport with Boingo and no free wifi? yeah, it sucks)
-Sheraton Club Lounge access, aka free daily breakfast at Sheraton's
-sigh-
Sometimes I wish I had a credit file in the US, this would be so much better than the Canadian SPG, especially with no forex fees, you can easily just use it everywhere in Canada.
Also, UK has it worse than us. They pay Ł75 or so and get no nights benefit and only 10K points.
Japan is kind of a toss up. $320/year, but it has a free cat 6 night yearly.
#2210
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
... Does it... does it work? if so, how? PM me if you don't wanna share, please
I'd argue a free cat 6 night at SPG is worth more than 200.-... but ouch, yeah, didn't know about the UK one.
I mean the US has better benefits in general (AA signup bonuses anyone), but the SPG we have a direct comparison so it just makes me feel worse :lol
#2211
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,534
US amex SPG is going up to 95 USD (123 cad) annual fee, but with waived forex fees (common down south, not so much in Canada)
Earnings rate for US SPG amex is 1 USD:1 SPG
Earnings rate for Canadian SPG amex is 1 cad (0.77 USD):1 SPG
The gap isn't as big as it used to be when the cad was at par
Earnings rate for US SPG amex is 1 USD:1 SPG
Earnings rate for Canadian SPG amex is 1 cad (0.77 USD):1 SPG
The gap isn't as big as it used to be when the cad was at par
#2212
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Alaska, Marriott
Posts: 435
seem to recall reading something that basically said issuers make way more from your average US customer vs your average Canadian customer, so they're willing to offer bigger bonuses.
something to do with US consumers paying more interest, fees, carrying larger balances, etc.
something to do with US consumers paying more interest, fees, carrying larger balances, etc.
#2213
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
US amex SPG is going up to 95 USD (123 cad) annual fee, but with waived forex fees (common down south, not so much in Canada)
Earnings rate for US SPG amex is 1 USD:1 SPG
Earnings rate for Canadian SPG amex is 1 cad (0.77 USD):1 SPG
The gap isn't as big as it used to be when the cad was at par
Earnings rate for US SPG amex is 1 USD:1 SPG
Earnings rate for Canadian SPG amex is 1 cad (0.77 USD):1 SPG
The gap isn't as big as it used to be when the cad was at par
Question: does anyone know if you can pay car insurance/ICBC with a credit card? My car dealer won't let me pay my lease with one which is a bummer, what about car insurance? ICBC's phone lines are about as bad as aeroplan's -.-
Last edited by Smiley90; Jul 29, 2015 at 10:23 am
#2214
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,534
If you pay annually all Autoplan brokers will accept Amex (and others) for ICBC insurance. Monthly payments only available via CTFS's bill payment interface. I've timed my Amex Business Gold app to coincide with renewal to knock a big chunk out
Some automakers financing arms are also on CTFS (Ford is for sure, Subaru and Toyota were not when I checked) so you could earn 1% back on Ford payments
Some automakers financing arms are also on CTFS (Ford is for sure, Subaru and Toyota were not when I checked) so you could earn 1% back on Ford payments
#2215
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,832
1USD:2SPG for hotel-spend though, which can make quite the difference.
Question: does anyone know if you can pay car insurance/ICBC with a credit card? My car dealer won't let me pay my lease with one which is a bummer, what about car insurance? ICBC's phone lines are about as bad as aeroplan's -.-
Question: does anyone know if you can pay car insurance/ICBC with a credit card? My car dealer won't let me pay my lease with one which is a bummer, what about car insurance? ICBC's phone lines are about as bad as aeroplan's -.-
#2216
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
If you pay annually all Autoplan brokers will accept Amex (and others) for ICBC insurance. Monthly payments only available via CTFS's bill payment interface. I've timed my Amex Business Gold app to coincide with renewal to knock a big chunk out
Some automakers financing arms are also on CTFS (Ford is for sure, Subaru and Toyota were not when I checked) so you could earn 1% back on Ford payments
Some automakers financing arms are also on CTFS (Ford is for sure, Subaru and Toyota were not when I checked) so you could earn 1% back on Ford payments
Thanks for the responses! Knocking out a 3-month spend with it is exactly what I had in mind
#2217
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,397
I just called ICBC and it's even more awesome than I thought, the guy was super helpful:
I can go to any autoplan broker, tell them I need to make a pre-payment and can pay any random amount of money with my credit card, and then ICBC will just deduct it from the balance when my payment is due. I don't even have to "time" it with my renewal date, I can do it anytime I want! That's sweet. So I can just pay month-to-month until I have a big minimum spend coming up, pay a large pre-payment to fullfill the spend and then don't have to worry about ICBC for a while.
Sweeeeeeeet.
Now if only Mazda was as cooperative... Maybe if I go to my dealer I can make a pre-payment too, but I'm not sure :lol
I can go to any autoplan broker, tell them I need to make a pre-payment and can pay any random amount of money with my credit card, and then ICBC will just deduct it from the balance when my payment is due. I don't even have to "time" it with my renewal date, I can do it anytime I want! That's sweet. So I can just pay month-to-month until I have a big minimum spend coming up, pay a large pre-payment to fullfill the spend and then don't have to worry about ICBC for a while.
Sweeeeeeeet.
Now if only Mazda was as cooperative... Maybe if I go to my dealer I can make a pre-payment too, but I'm not sure :lol
#2218
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: YYZ
Programs: National EE, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond, AC 50K
Posts: 422
So I just got off the phone with Capital One about my Delta Skymiles card. They said existing cardmembers get to keep it and continue earning.
They also said something else I didn't know: They are cancelling the IHG card as well (but letting existing cardmembers keep it), and focusing on Costco.
They also said something else I didn't know: They are cancelling the IHG card as well (but letting existing cardmembers keep it), and focusing on Costco.
#2219
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
I know this is just the case in general, but it really bugs me how screwed we Canadians get on the SPG Amex
Signup Bonus:
Canada - 20k
USA - 25
okay, that difference isn't too big...
Annual Fee:
Canada - 120.-, no FYF
USA - FYF, then 65.- (84CAD)
... okay, pay more but get less.... why?
Starpoints earned:
Canada - 1 for everything
USA - 2 for stays, 1 for rest
... that's quite a big difference if one wants to focus on SPG stays&points
Elite Status nights:
Canada - nada
USA - 2 stays&5 nights towards next elite level
After August 11, the annual fee in the US will increase to 95 (so, basically same annual fee as us), BUT they also get additional benefits:
-NO FOREX FEES (yeah, wish we had more than ONE of those here...)
-Free Boingo Wifi (ever been to an airport with Boingo and no free wifi? yeah, it sucks)
-Sheraton Club Lounge access, aka free daily breakfast at Sheraton's
-sigh-
Sometimes I wish I had a credit file in the US, this would be so much better than the Canadian SPG, especially with no forex fees, you can easily just use it everywhere in Canada.
Signup Bonus:
Canada - 20k
USA - 25
okay, that difference isn't too big...
Annual Fee:
Canada - 120.-, no FYF
USA - FYF, then 65.- (84CAD)
... okay, pay more but get less.... why?
Starpoints earned:
Canada - 1 for everything
USA - 2 for stays, 1 for rest
... that's quite a big difference if one wants to focus on SPG stays&points
Elite Status nights:
Canada - nada
USA - 2 stays&5 nights towards next elite level
After August 11, the annual fee in the US will increase to 95 (so, basically same annual fee as us), BUT they also get additional benefits:
-NO FOREX FEES (yeah, wish we had more than ONE of those here...)
-Free Boingo Wifi (ever been to an airport with Boingo and no free wifi? yeah, it sucks)
-Sheraton Club Lounge access, aka free daily breakfast at Sheraton's
-sigh-
Sometimes I wish I had a credit file in the US, this would be so much better than the Canadian SPG, especially with no forex fees, you can easily just use it everywhere in Canada.
As yall know, I'm a double dipper. And yes, you need an SSN and U.S. physical address to get a US credit file. I play the game big time both down here and north of the border.
Re: the SPG card, the referral is 10K, plus the bonus, that's 30K per hard pull. US is only 25K. So you're paying less than $100 US for 5K extra points. Not great, but better than you made it out to be.
But the real bonus is on the MR transfer rate: 1 to 2 v. 1 to 3. Canada wins. In fact, I believe that the key to aspirational travel for Canadians is via this method. Now that the Aeros to US/AA via points.com transfer option is dead, I believe transferring to SPG is the way to go, and that's what I'm doing with mine.
Plus, the Sheraton lounge access is only for Biz cards anyway.
My 2 cents. Or Starpoints.
#2220
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,611
I absolutely disagree. SPG is the one and only one place Canadians have it better.
As yall know, I'm a double dipper. And yes, you need an SSN and U.S. physical address to get a US credit file. I play the game big time both down here and north of the border.
Re: the SPG card, the referral is 10K, plus the bonus, that's 30K per hard pull. US is only 25K. So you're paying less than $100 US for 5K extra points. Not great, but better than you made it out to be.
But the real bonus is on the MR transfer rate: 1 to 2 v. 1 to 3. Canada wins. In fact, I believe that the key to aspirational travel for Canadians is via this method. Now that the Aeros to US/AA via points.com transfer option is dead, I believe transferring to SPG is the way to go, and that's what I'm doing with mine.
Plus, the Sheraton lounge access is only for Biz cards anyway.
My 2 cents. Or Starpoints.
As yall know, I'm a double dipper. And yes, you need an SSN and U.S. physical address to get a US credit file. I play the game big time both down here and north of the border.
Re: the SPG card, the referral is 10K, plus the bonus, that's 30K per hard pull. US is only 25K. So you're paying less than $100 US for 5K extra points. Not great, but better than you made it out to be.
But the real bonus is on the MR transfer rate: 1 to 2 v. 1 to 3. Canada wins. In fact, I believe that the key to aspirational travel for Canadians is via this method. Now that the Aeros to US/AA via points.com transfer option is dead, I believe transferring to SPG is the way to go, and that's what I'm doing with mine.
Plus, the Sheraton lounge access is only for Biz cards anyway.
My 2 cents. Or Starpoints.
I'm also worried that Amex SPG will have a lower earn rate at some point...because it's costing Amex more to buy those points from SPG.