May 13, 2013, 10:15 pm
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)
MilesBuzz: Canada
Jan 26, 2016, 4:08 pm
#2956
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: TXL
Programs: A3 Silver
Posts: 1,116
Hah, when I got that card, I called to add my BW number, and the CSR told me that I had to contact Best Western to do that. Tried arguing with her about how that made no sense, but was a waste of time. HUCA fixed it and got an agent who knew what she was doing and added it just fine.
Jan 27, 2016, 10:59 am
#2957
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: MTL, QC
Programs: Aeroplan, SPG
Posts: 19
Credit Cards experience - AMEX, TD, Capital One - con't
You didn't ask this BEFORE you got the AMEX SPG card and pay the $120 fee? :P
You should ask in the AMEX Thread here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...da-2016-a.html
Pre-pay your bills, insurances, buy gift cards (Gas/Grocery), $500 is easily met
You should ask in the AMEX Thread here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...da-2016-a.html
Pre-pay your bills, insurances, buy gift cards (Gas/Grocery), $500 is easily met
I really didn't expect to find POS that don't support AMEX because I used to see it a lot in the past. Visa and MasterCard are wildly popular, supported everywhere you go. AMEX is more present in some big brand stores as opposed to boutique & specialty stores.
Luckily, I had a big expense that allowed me to cover 80% of the 500$ required spend to get the bonus.
Thanks for the thread!
Jan 27, 2016, 11:06 am
#2958
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: MTL, QC
Programs: Aeroplan, SPG
Posts: 19
Capital One Aspire Travel
Last edited by Nathalie.OroLoyalty; Jan 27, 2016 at 12:19 pm Reason: Title to give context
Jan 27, 2016, 11:31 am
#2959
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 130
has anybody got the free cat 4 hotel from Marriott Canadian cc twice and used it when u got cc from them ? long story short , had Marriott card before ,just called up to ask about some pts , they tell me a have free cat 4 hotel stay to use , I had it before , wonder if I use it will I get dinged paying for the room down the road ? has anybody used this twice with no problems .
Jan 27, 2016, 1:49 pm
#2960
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canadia
Programs: A loyal Amerisuites customer... oh wait
Posts: 2,033
has anybody got the free cat 4 hotel from Marriott Canadian cc twice and used it when u got cc from them ? long story short , had Marriott card before ,just called up to ask about some pts , they tell me a have free cat 4 hotel stay to use , I had it before , wonder if I use it will I get dinged paying for the room down the road ? has anybody used this twice with no problems .
Jan 27, 2016, 2:15 pm
#2961
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: MTL, QC
Programs: Aeroplan, SPG
Posts: 19
Credit Cards experience - AMEX, TD, Capital One - con't
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
The trouble with the Cap 1 card, is that it has the same shortcoming at its core, similar to other cards like the BMO Rewards World elite, where you have to spend a LOT on the cards annually, to get value out of these cards. If you have such a resource to tap into where you can throw $100k/$200K or more onto it each year, then you're laughing. No need to sign up for, or churn CCs to get up to par with the REAL FFs. And then from the redemption side of things, you're getting at most 2 cpm (correct me if I'm wrong), though you do then get the flexibility to book whatever revenue fare offerings are available. However, after giving a couple of these spend-based cards a trial, I came out feeling less than satisfied. It was particularly bad from the BMO front, since they require you to book through the BMO Rewards site, and for me, that loses a lot of possibilities and options.
Since I am not a bonafide true frequent flyer, I had never been much of an Aeroplan player until I started churning cards, and even though it has huge holes in it's redemption model, if you can learn how to overcome those obstacles then, at least for our family, it's been the most rewarding program where we are redeeming at 2cpm to +12cpm (mainly long-haul business class). From the input end there have been so many different CC offers in recent years from Amex, TD and CIBC, to earn gobs and gobs of Aeroplan (or convertible 1:1 Amex Membership Rewards) points. And when you have good credit ratings, the churn comes into play and now you're doubling, tripling quadrupling the flow.
Sadly, the torrential rainfall of free points has been significantly impacted lately, with several new policies and system enhancements by Amex. Even the TD stream is tightening up, compared to how free flowing they were handing out their cards when the launched into the Aeroplan race. Fortunately CIBC didn't bow out of the race and moved/adjusted their conduit of points flow. So, while the landscape has changed recently, there's still enough open grazing pastures out there, to keep the game alive. So if you want to look at Aeroplan offers, have a look at the Wiki at the top of these web pages (if you're viewing on a browser), if you want to visit the various threads on Amex, CIBC and TD cards.
You have to decide what type of 'water' you want to play in, and then whether you want to cruise an ocean in a sail boat, or navigate the rapids with a kayak. Both can be satisfying.
The trouble with the Cap 1 card, is that it has the same shortcoming at its core, similar to other cards like the BMO Rewards World elite, where you have to spend a LOT on the cards annually, to get value out of these cards. If you have such a resource to tap into where you can throw $100k/$200K or more onto it each year, then you're laughing. No need to sign up for, or churn CCs to get up to par with the REAL FFs. And then from the redemption side of things, you're getting at most 2 cpm (correct me if I'm wrong), though you do then get the flexibility to book whatever revenue fare offerings are available. However, after giving a couple of these spend-based cards a trial, I came out feeling less than satisfied. It was particularly bad from the BMO front, since they require you to book through the BMO Rewards site, and for me, that loses a lot of possibilities and options.
Since I am not a bonafide true frequent flyer, I had never been much of an Aeroplan player until I started churning cards, and even though it has huge holes in it's redemption model, if you can learn how to overcome those obstacles then, at least for our family, it's been the most rewarding program where we are redeeming at 2cpm to +12cpm (mainly long-haul business class). From the input end there have been so many different CC offers in recent years from Amex, TD and CIBC, to earn gobs and gobs of Aeroplan (or convertible 1:1 Amex Membership Rewards) points. And when you have good credit ratings, the churn comes into play and now you're doubling, tripling quadrupling the flow.
Sadly, the torrential rainfall of free points has been significantly impacted lately, with several new policies and system enhancements by Amex. Even the TD stream is tightening up, compared to how free flowing they were handing out their cards when the launched into the Aeroplan race. Fortunately CIBC didn't bow out of the race and moved/adjusted their conduit of points flow. So, while the landscape has changed recently, there's still enough open grazing pastures out there, to keep the game alive. So if you want to look at Aeroplan offers, have a look at the Wiki at the top of these web pages (if you're viewing on a browser), if you want to visit the various threads on Amex, CIBC and TD cards.
You have to decide what type of 'water' you want to play in, and then whether you want to cruise an ocean in a sail boat, or navigate the rapids with a kayak. Both can be satisfying.
Totally get what you mean for Cap1 cards & similar. In that category, however, it still stood out as the best bank for your buck as the perks were simple:
• 2 miles / 1$ spent (no condition on where/when/how like many cards do) – most cards still give 1 point/mile per 1$ or even per 1.5$ spent including a bunch of conditions
• The 10K anniversary bonus made it worth it as it meant that the card cost 20$ per year (120$ annual fee). Recent changes: now 150$, no anniversary bonus, 40K miles signup bonus. So for new members, they break even after 2.67 years (at the latest of course cause I’m not factoring in expenses) after which, time to churn ☺
• The key perk as you mention is to be able to pick any airline & hotel so capitalizing on deals where Aeroplan isn’t delivering. In an ideal scenario, I can book using Cap1 reward miles with a Star Alliance partner and earn aeroplan rewards… win-win situation… but doesn’t always work & and obviously needs a lot of planning.
I think you can benefit a great deal with Aeroplan by churning CCs yes and tracking promotions. I try to always opt for FYF promotions, which requires on point management to not miss cancellation time. So far, I haven’t had trouble to get approved for cards despite applying to multiple ones at a time and I'm accumulating Aeroplan points so quickly!!
The big issue with Aeroplan bookings is the taxes, fees & surcharges that often amount to, if not surpass, the price of the ticket. MTL-FLORIDA is a good example where all the fees can amount to 200$+ when the ticket with a low cost carrier can be as low as 100$. The main trick is to pick the right airlines that don’t have fuel surcharges like Brussels AirlinesSwiss, TAM Airlines, Turkish Airlines and United and a few others. Of course, booking early and being flexible with dates is equally important.
I'm trying a few CCs & looking into the recent offers to keep improving my cpm on earning & redemption. I'll soon give updates on my findings and experiences.
Cheers!
Jan 28, 2016, 7:56 am
#2962
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, Bonvoy, Alaska, Avios
Posts: 1,290
We used to do heavy duty spend on the Cap1 cards. My #1 problem was the $7,500 limit that required constant attention. Many times we paid the cards off several times during the month. Drove my wife's bookeeper nuts. They never ever increased the limit. I do get why, the interchange fees don't cover the 2% back. Close but Chase/Moneris etc take a cut (no idea how much of one) so Cap1 one is getting somewhere like 1.5%-1.7%?
Jan 28, 2016, 8:02 am
#2963
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Alaska, Marriott
Posts: 435
We used to do heavy duty spend on the Cap1 cards. My #1 problem was the $7,500 limit that required constant attention. Many times we paid the cards off several times during the month. Drove my wife's bookeeper nuts. They never ever increased the limit. I do get why, the interchange fees don't cover the 2% back. Close but Chase/Moneris etc take a cut (no idea how much of one) so Cap1 one is getting somewhere like 1.5%-1.7%?
Feb 1, 2016, 7:50 am
#2964
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, Bonvoy, Alaska, Avios
Posts: 1,290
You missed the deal they cut with the Fed's last year (actually 2014) where in exchange for no new regulations they reduced the interchange fee's to 1.5% for 5 years.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/visa...ears-1.2822985
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/visa...ears-1.2822985
Feb 1, 2016, 8:07 am
#2965
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Alaska, Marriott
Posts: 435
You missed the deal they cut with the Fed's last year (actually 2014) where in exchange for no new regulations they reduced the interchange fee's to 1.5% for 5 years.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/visa...ears-1.2822985
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/visa...ears-1.2822985
The 1.5% cap is the average rate including all card types (basic, world, and world elite)
For world elite, basically the minimum interchange will be around 2% (for large volume merchants, supermarkets, gas stations), and goes up to 2.5%
You can Google mastercard interchange canada 2015 to look at the PDF.
I do see your point though, as even with what I said, the average C1 world elite interchange probably comes out to only 2.1% to 2.2%. If they're paying out 2% in rewards, their margins will be very thin. That's probably why the updated C1 Travel card is so terrible, and also I expect that terribleness may get even worse.
Feb 1, 2016, 11:36 am
#2966
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, Bonvoy, Alaska, Avios
Posts: 1,290
Interesting, so that deal is a lot of smoke and mirrors, what a surprise...
Out of curiosity I just went to look at my Moneris statements but it's like hieroglyphics... only worse! Thankfully it's a small part of how I get paid. I do pay more due to most of my usage being manual entered, there is a premium for that.
What I am curious about is the cut Moneris/Chase take. In the end we all know it's those who carry a balance that subsize those that spend like mad and pay in full...and the odd churn..
Out of curiosity I just went to look at my Moneris statements but it's like hieroglyphics... only worse! Thankfully it's a small part of how I get paid. I do pay more due to most of my usage being manual entered, there is a premium for that.
What I am curious about is the cut Moneris/Chase take. In the end we all know it's those who carry a balance that subsize those that spend like mad and pay in full...and the odd churn..
Feb 1, 2016, 11:52 am
#2968
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Alaska, Marriott
Posts: 435
Interesting, so that deal is a lot of smoke and mirrors, what a surprise...
Out of curiosity I just went to look at my Moneris statements but it's like hieroglyphics... only worse! Thankfully it's a small part of how I get paid. I do pay more due to most of my usage being manual entered, there is a premium for that.
What I am curious about is the cut Moneris/Chase take. In the end we all know it's those who carry a balance that subsize those that spend like mad and pay in full...and the odd churn..
Out of curiosity I just went to look at my Moneris statements but it's like hieroglyphics... only worse! Thankfully it's a small part of how I get paid. I do pay more due to most of my usage being manual entered, there is a premium for that.
What I am curious about is the cut Moneris/Chase take. In the end we all know it's those who carry a balance that subsize those that spend like mad and pay in full...and the odd churn..
Feb 3, 2016, 8:22 am
#2970
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Canada
Programs: A3*G, Fairmont Pl, Accor Pl, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Amex Platinum
Posts: 182
HHonors Gold - Coming to Amex Canada Platinum
Not sure where to post this.
HHonors Gold - was announced for the US Platinum Card some time ago. Was wondering if it was going to be added to the Amex Canadian Platinum card. Never saw an announcement - but when I logged into my account this week - I noticed an announcement for it on the "Travel/Hotels" page.
It says:
"Coming Soon: Complimentary HHGonors Gold Status"
That is good news. It will allow me to maintain status with Hilton after Diamond status match expires. Also a little insurance against greatly reduced Hotel status on this card after the Marriott/Starwood and Accor/Fairmont mergers. Although, its probably the status I value the least.
HHonors Gold - was announced for the US Platinum Card some time ago. Was wondering if it was going to be added to the Amex Canadian Platinum card. Never saw an announcement - but when I logged into my account this week - I noticed an announcement for it on the "Travel/Hotels" page.
It says:
"Coming Soon: Complimentary HHGonors Gold Status"
That is good news. It will allow me to maintain status with Hilton after Diamond status match expires. Also a little insurance against greatly reduced Hotel status on this card after the Marriott/Starwood and Accor/Fairmont mergers. Although, its probably the status I value the least.