The wait is over for Porter Airlines fans – the BMO VIPorter Mastercards are officially available and here’s RWRDS Canada’ first in-depth look at the two new cards. This new suite of cards is comprised of the mid-tier BMO VIPorter Mastercard®* and the premium BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* which both offer accelerated earn rates for Porter purchases, benefits to enjoy when flying on Porter Airlines and more.
Key takeaways:
- First Canadian credit cards to offer automatic airline elite status
- Excellent introductory welcome offers
- Good to very good rates of return on card spending
- Relatively low annual spending caps on accelerated earn rates for everyday spending
- The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard has the highest annual fee of any premium card in the market
Click here to learn more and to apply for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard®*
Click here to learn more and to apply for the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Card art:
I’m not one to usually discuss card looks and tend to be indifferent on appearance – including if cards are made of metal or plastic. Most people don’t even pull their cards out of their wallets and for me I probably physically use a card perhaps 1 out of every 30-40 transactions (rest are Apple pay) so look or feel don’t matter. But, I must say these are some fun and great looking cards with the Porter mascot featured on them!
Annual fees:
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
The BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard’s annual fee comes in at $199 per year and additional (supplementary) cards are $75 each.
As part the initial welcome bonus offer, BMO is waiving the first year annual fee on this card.
At $199 per year, this is now the most expensive premium level card in the Canadian market as it eclipses the $180 seen on the Cathay World Elite Mastercard – powered by Neo
BMO VIPorter Mastercard
The BMO VIPorter Mastercard’s annual fee is $89 per year and additional (supplementary) cards are $35 each.
As part the initial welcome bonus offer, BMO is waiving the first year annual fee on this card.
Welcome Bonus:
The cards are being introduced with some really good, in fact, I would say excellent welcome bonus offers. However, just like other BMO cards, they also have some heftier spend requirements to earn the overall bonus but I have to say it is well worth it – especially for the World Elite version.
Don’t forget that if you were one of the nearly 30,000 people who joined the waitlist for these cards, you’ll earn up to 10,000 more points when you apply for and are approved for one of them.Do not apply via our links if you are on the waitlist. You’ll receive an email with a special link!
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
The introductory welcome bonus on the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard offers up to 70,000 VIPorter Points, annual companion pass, up to $1,000 in qualifying spend and no annual fee in the first year. This offer is available until July 1, 2025.
The welcome bonus is broken down as follows:
- 20,000 points earned when you spend $5,000 within 110 days of account opening
- 20,000 points earned when you spend $9,000 within 180 days of account opening
- 30,000 points earned when you spend $18,000 within 365 days of account opening
- One companion pass when you spend a minimum of $9,000 within 180 days of account opening
- $1,000 in Qualifying Spend when you spend a minimum of $9,000 within 180 days of account opening
Those 70,000 points are worth $1,005 based on the average value of 1.5 cents per VIPorter points, and not having to pay an annual fee in the first year and then throwing in a $0 companion pass where you only pay taxes/fees? That’s a really good bonus!
There’s only one slight downside to this offer and that is the relatively big spending requirement to achieve it all. It requires an average of $1,500 per month of spending – that’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things as this is a World Elite Mastercard and most people who get this card will easily spend that much.
So you may be asking what’s the actual downside then? It’s the competing cards – there are cards whose welcome bonuses can be earned with less spending than this and will provide comparable value. Thus a consumer will need to see which card offer and relative spending requirement makes the most sense for them.
* The companion pass is valid for 12 months from the date issued and allows a companion to accompany the primary cardholder at no extra base airfare cost, but does not apply to taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, which must be paid at the time of booking
BMO VIPorter Mastercard
The introductory welcome bonus on the BMO VIPorter Mastercard offers up to 40,000 VIPorter Points and no annual fee in the first year.
The welcome bonus is broken down as follows:
- 10,000 points earned when you spend $3,000 within 110 days of account opening
- 15,000 points earned when you spend $6,000 within 180 days of account opening
- 15,000 points earned when you spend $10,000 within 365 days of account opening
- 35%-off flight booking discount voucher when you spend $6,000 within 180 days of account opening*
Those 40,000 points are worth $600 based on the average value of 1.5 cents per VIPorter points and not having to pay an annual fee in the first? That’s also a really good bonus!
Again, the only potential downside here is the spending requirement to get the bonus points – it is higher than many comparable cards but I should point out the dollar value from this card’s welcome bonus will be hard pressed to be matched by other cards of this level.
* The flight voucher is valid for 12 months and allows up to 3 companions to accompany the primary cardholder at a 35% discount on the flight booking’s base fare (does not apply to taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, which must be paid at the time of booking).
Earning points:
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
Here are the earn rates for the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard:
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on Porter purchases* (Capped at $20,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on gas and transportation (Capped at $5,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on groceries and dining* (Capped at $10,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations (Capped at $5,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else*
At an average value of 1.5 cents each the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard provides an excellent rate return with these earn rates. The figures above work out to a 1.5% return for the 1 point per dollar, 3% return for the 2 points per dollar and 4.5% for the 3 points per dollar on Porter purchases. Those are some really healthy returns on spending!
See why rate of return matters in our Loyalty Lesson – How to properly use Cents Per Point (CPP) and Cents Per Mile (CPM) valuations
The only drawback on the earn rates are the annual caps on spending – while not as bad as some cards in market, they are significantly lower than this card’s main competitors such as the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. I’m surprised (but not really since it’s BMO) of the very low $10,000 cap on dining and groceries combined. Remember the average grocery spend for a family of 4 is estimated to be over $16,000 annually and that’s groceries only, no dining included.
BMO VIPorter Mastercard
Here are the earn rates for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard:
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on Porter purchases* (Capped at $10,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on gas and transportation (Capped at $3,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on groceries and dining* (Capped at $5,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations (Capped at $3,000 of spend annually)
- Earn 0.5 points for every $1 spent everywhere else*
At an average value of 1.5 cents each the BMO VIPorter Mastercard provides an average rate of return with these earn rates. The figures above work out to a 0.75% return for the base earn rate of 0.5 points per dollar, 1.5% return for the 1 point per dollar and 3% for the 2 points per dollar on Porter purchases. Outside of the accelerated earn rate for Porter purchases, these are pretty much inline with their primary co-brand credit card competitors from Aeroplan except…
Those darn annual caps. This card only has accelerated earn rates on $8,000 of everyday spending combined (gas, transportation, groceries and dining). That’s not a lot of spend that you’ll potentially be getting 1.5 cents per dollar in value and I can think of a lot of other cards that can match that or do better and their points can also be used on Porter flights.
Redeeming points
As we covered rate of returns for the separate cards above we won’t split this section like the others. Redeeming points in the Porter VIPorter program is very simple and on average each point is worth 1.5 cents each. That’s an average though, it can be more than that or it can be less than that (See below*)
They can be used towards Porter Airlines flights for either 100% of your base fare, or a portion of your base fare, in which case the balance of the fare must be paid by credit card or other forms of payment as accepted by Porter Airlines.
Not only can the points be used on Porter Airlines flights but also on Air Transat flights and Porter+Alaska flights. In fact, these cards are ideal for any semi-frequent to frequent Air Transat flyers who may not even set foot on a Porter airplane!
Recommended reading: Porter Airlines VIPorter members can now redeem points for flights with Air Transat and Alaska Airlines
The one drawback Porter VIPorter has right now with redemptions compared to its primary competitors in Air Canada and WestJet, is no option to use VIPorter points for taxes and fees. Air Canada Aeroplan has offered an option to do so for quite sometime now while WestJet will begin to offer it as of April 30. As such I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Porter add this option in the near future.
* The value of Porter Airlines VIPorter Points can vary widely depending on the route, date, time and fare class that you redeem for. In our most recent searches we found values as low as 0.79 cents per point all the way up to 2.1 cents per point with an average rate coming in at 1.44 cents per point. Porter however provides a valuation of 1.5 cents on average* so we will use that in our calculations of bottom line value as theirs is definitely more accurate than my dozen or so numbers used to get to 1.44.
* “Value is based on VIPorter members receiving an average value of $0.015/points when redeeming for a flight as of January 1, 2024. Redemption calculation is based on a aggregate view of actual flight bookings made between the period of January 1 – October 31, 2024.”
TIP: The one thing I have found in doing numerous points vs. cash searches to determine a value for VIPorter Points cents per point value is that the points tend to provide better value when redeemed for Porter Classic fares over Porter Reserve fares.
Features and benefits
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
Automatic VIPorter Venture Avid Traveller elite status
Cardholders are automatically granted VIPorter Venture Avid Traveller membership benefits. The key benefits provided to Venture level members are:
- 6 points per dollar on Porter flights
- Dedicated airport check-in
- Priority security screening
- Early boarding
- Priority re-accommodation for flight delays
- One complimentary checked bag
- Carry-on bag, free of charge, with PorterClassic Basic fare
- Complimentary PorterClassic seat selection
- Priority call centre service
Avid Traveller Qualifying Spend
All World Elite cardholders will also earn $1 of Avid Traveller Qualifying Spend for every $25 in eligible credit card spend.
Annual round-trip Porter companion pass
This card features an annual round-trip Porter companion pass that gives an additional passenger flying on the same booking 100% off the base fare of any Porter flight when spending at least $50,000 annually on the card. This is a great benefit to have especially when purchasing more expensive fares but that’s quite a big spend requirement to earnit, in fact it is the highest out of any cards in Canada that offer a similar benefit.
I’m surprised BMO and Porter set the bar that high considering the vouchers from the WestJet cards do not require any card spend at all, Air Canada cards only requiring $25,000 in spend (yes, these Aeroplan cards have higher annual fees) and the RBC British Airways card requiring $30,000 in spend. Even with WestJet having a co-pay requirement for their companion vouchers you know you will always get one every year so it is way more accessible than Porter’s. For many it’s easier to swallow a $119 to $499 co-pay with WestJet than trying to spend $50K on a card.
No VIPorter Points Expiry
By having the card it exempts the member from airline’s rule requiring members to fly with Porter or redeem some points at least once every 24 months
World Elite Mastercard benefits
This card also comes with the standard benefits provided on all Canadian World Elite Mastercards:
- Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass Complimentary membership to Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass gives access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide at discounted rate of $32 USD per person per visit
- FlexiRoam Global Data Roaming Stay connected around the world without a SIM card and get up to 15% off a Global Data Roaming plan plus up to 3GB of data, free.
- Fubo Discount Access 50+ live-stream sports channels and save $30 on your first three months of Fubo
- H&R Block Discount Save up to 30% when you pay for your tax preparation services using your eligible Mastercard
- Booking.com Discount Up to 7% off prepaid stays and save as you explore
Insurance Coverage
The card’s insurance coverage includes
- 21-day out-of-province or country emergency medical insurance,
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption/Delay insurance
- Car rental-collision/loss damage insurance
- Common carrier insurance
- Flight delay insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Hotel burglary insurance
- Extended warranty and purchase protection
BMO VIPorter Mastercard
Automatic VIPorter Passport Avid Traveller elite status
Cardholders are automatically granted VIPorter Passport Avid Traveller Venture membership benefits. The key benefits provided to Passport level members are:
- 6 points per dollar on Porter flights
- Dedicated airport check-in
- Priority security screening
- Early boarding
- Priority re-accommodation for flight delays
- Priority call centre service
Avid Traveller Qualifying Spend
All World Elite cardholders will also earn $1 of Avid Traveller Qualifying Spend for every $25 in eligible credit card spend.
Annual 35%-off flight booking discount
This card features an annual 35%-off flight booking discount voucher that provides the primary cardholder and up to 3 companions a 35% discount on the flight booking’s base fare (does not apply to taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, which must be paid at the time of booking) when spending at least $25,000 annually on the card.
This is a nice benefit to have especially for a mid-tier card like this but again, just like the World Elite card it takes quite a bit of spend to earn it.
No VIPorter Points Expiry
By having the card it exempts the member from airline’s rule requiring members to fly with Porter or redeem some points at least once every 24 months
Insurance Coverage
The card’s insurance coverage includes:
- 8-day out-of-province or country emergency medical insurance,
- Car rental-collision/loss damage insurance
- Common carrier insurance
- Flight delay insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Hotel burglary insurance
Initial thoughts:
BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard
This card is definitely a market challenger, it will easily break into the Top 5 of the airline category in RWRDS Canada’s Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards. I’m quite positive it will become the third best in that category and it will happily mark the return of a card issued by BMO into the rankings as the bank hasn’t had any Top 5 cards with RWRDS Canada for a couple of years now.
The best things about this card after this first look at it are the welcome bonus, the excellent earn rates (even though the annual caps are a little restricting) and the Avid Traveller Venture status.
Having automatic Avid Traveller status will definitely be one of the key selling points of this card. Sure other cards in market offer first checked bag free like this elite status level does, but those other cards don’t provide priority call centre service, complimentary carry-on bag for the cheapest fares, or priority check-in. Are those enough to move the needle to have a traveller switch their credit card and travel allegiance from the other big Canadian airlines? I would think it’s quite possible and what those benefits will really do is make those who are already loyal or semi-loyal to Porter, even more loyal.
BMO VIPorter Mastercard
I have mixed thoughts about this one – it’s great to get the automatic Passport Avid Traveller benefits from the card but outside of that it is a bit on the lacklustre side. A low base earn rate and low annual spending caps on everyday spending keep this card from really having any “oomph” and standing out from a lot other cards in the market. It’s actually not far off from the entry level Aeroplan co-brand cards so I get the construct of the offering but unless you are flying with Porter enough to get some value out of the Passport elite status, most Canadians will do better with a more flexible travel rewards credit card that’s not tied into a specific airline.
Wrapping it up
The highly anticipated BMO VIPorter Mastercards are officially here! Consumers will have two cards^ to choose from the BMO VIPorter Mastercard®* and the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* to use to earn more VIPorter points and to receive some pretty good benefits when flying with Porter Airlines.
The value proposition seen on both cards of accelerated earn rates on Porter flights and automatic elite status point towards a focus of the cards being developed for those who fly with Porter Airlines on a semi-frequent to frequent basis and less so for everyday Canadians. This makes a lot of sense for Porter as the airline doesn’t have the reach of Air Canada or WestJet just yet in terms of cities served and overall flight options. So it is better to appeal to those using the airline rather than going after the general Canadian populace like Aeroplan does and to a lesser extent, like WestJet does.
Overall, the World Elite version is the card to go for if you meet the income requirements as it has healthy returns on spending, provides first checked bag free, free carry-on bags for the cheapest fares, complimentary seat selection and more. It is the ideal card offering for people who fly with Porter. And as mentioned earlier in the post, it is also an ideal card for Air Transat flyers!
Click here to learn more and to apply for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard®*
Click here to learn more and to apply for the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Additional card option:
BMO VIPorter World Mastercard
^ The terms and conditions for the cards make mention of a BMO VIPorter World Mastercard and it appears that it may be offered to those apply for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard but have income of $50,000 (individual) or $80,000 (household) It has the same fees, welcome bonus, earn rates etc. as the BMO VIPorter Mastercard but then also includes the standard World Mastercard benefits of Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, FlexiRoam Global Data Roaming etc.
All images via Porter Airlines and BMO