I’ve long been a carry-only-one-credit-card kind of gal. I like to be loyal — and I like my points even more. But in the 10 years that I had my old credit card, I never stopped to research if I was still getting the best bang for my annual-fee buck.
Ten years is a long time, and lifestyles and priorities can change a lot in a decade. This year brought with it some financial changes in our home and it seemed like the right time to take a closer look at the benefits I was getting from my credit card to make sure it still aligned with our habits.
While having a credit card with travel rewards was still really important to me, I knew from looking at our statement each month that we were missing out on rewards for purchases that had nothing to do with travel at all.
From dance classes to camp registrations to sporting equipment, there were a lot of charges that could have been earning me rewards points — but my old card didn’t offer that.
So, after doing hours of research, I selected the World Elite Mastercard credit card. And, full disclosure, I did all of this weeks BEFORE becoming a Mastercard ambassador! (That was just a big, coincidental cherry on top.)
When I applied online — a process, by the way, that took a mere 12 minutes start to finish — there were a couple of nice perks that nudged my decision in Mastercard’s direction, specifically for the World Elite card: the first year’s fee was waived and I received 35,000 welcome points*. All said and done, those two things alone were worth about $400 combined.
And without any fees for the first year, I figured this was the perfect time to take a risk-free dive into the world of Mastercard.
*Pssst! These welcome perks will be available on the BMO World Elite Mastercard until October 31, 2019, so it’s a great time to apply.
Here are the 8 big reasons I chose the World Elite Mastercard:
1. I’ll get 3 rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible travel, dining and entertainment purchases (which includes an enormous list of merchants like airlines, car rental agencies, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, restaurants, movie theatres, theatrical productions, orchestras, amusement parks and more). I’ll also get 2 points for every $1 spent everywhere else.
Rewards points are easy to redeem at bmorewards.com — for flights and vacations (including taxes and surcharges, with no blackout periods!), gift cards at some of my favourite stores, loads of products and experiences like tasting menus and wine tours. Or, I can put $50 towards my outstanding balance every 15,000 points. The key here? Flexibility.
2. World Elite Mastercard cardholders get preferred access to a whole bunch of cool offers, upgrades and experiences — like Priceless Cities, which I’ve only just started exploring and can’t wait to try out (and tell you more about)!
3. Paying for certain goods with my Mastercard doubles the original manufacturer’s or store brand warranty by up to one full year.
4. If an item I buy using my World Elite Mastercard is damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase, it’s covered.
5. Thanks to Zero Liability protection, the financial institution that issues your Mastercard won’t hold you responsible for unauthorized purchases made with your card. (Phew!)
6. So. Much. Insurance. Whether it’s car rental collision insurance or travel insurance that includes medical, cancellation, lost or delayed baggage and even hotel theft, I have more protection than I suspect I’ll ever need.
7. No matter where I am around the world, my World Elite Mastercard comes with emergency card replacement or cash advance services if I’m in a pinch.
8. And finally, perhaps my most favourite benefit of all — airport lounge access thanks to the Priority Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey program. Each year, I have four free visits to participating lounges in airports across the globe, and then a preferred rate thereafter. If you’ve never had the pleasure of spending your pre-boarding time in a lounge, this is where it’s at! Food, drinks and fast wifi at your service.
There are even more perks than what I’ve listed, but these were the clinchers for me when choosing my new credit card. Plus, I think it’s pretty clear that the World Elite Mastercard is more than just a travel or rewards credit card; it’s really a personalized service to help cardmembers experience life’s most memorable moments.
Like I mentioned, I’m super excited to partner with Mastercard this year to explore the benefits of my World Elite credit card and cardholder status — starting with airport lounge access this week! I can’t wait to share the experiences along the way and provide you with information that might be helpful for your own credit card research.
I’m no financial expert by any means, but I’m always here to help. Stay tuned for more!
DISCLAIMER: As a Mastercard ambassador in Canada, I will be compensated for content and provided with complimentary experiences to help write about some of the awesome benefits of being a cardmember. However, as always, opinions and suggestions will be honest and all my own.
S V Thomas says
I’ve had MasterCard Elite for five years now and most recently used points to book flights to Barcelona as well as flights home for my daughter. Lounge visits make international travel bearable.
On last year´s trip to BC on the final day a rock flew up and cracked windshield. Called Mastercard Elite. Issue was immediately taken care of. No issues whatsoever! Highly recommend this card!!
Mommy Gearest says
I love hearing great stories like this! So many people have told me how much they love this card. After using it for only a brief time, I completely understand why.
Karen says
We just switched to this card and so far, so good. We have used the passes to the airport lounge which made our wait for our flight a little more relaxing. Great insurance and customer service. Glad we made the change.
Mommy Gearest says
The lounge passes are such an awesome perk!