Points Pulse for May 4, 2026: Aeroplan Changes, Tangerine goes Premium, Wise ATM Fees
In this edition of NerdWallet Canada’s Points Pulse series:
Aeroplan award prices to change June 1
Aeroplan is updating its flight reward chart on June 1, 2026. The changes apply to redemption tickets booked or reissued on or after that date.
While the update includes a mix of increases and decreases, several long-haul premium-cabin awards are about to get noticeably more expensive.
Some of the steepest jumps hit partner first- and business-class awards. For example:
A partner first-class flight between North America and the Atlantic zone in the 4,001- to 6,000-mile band will rise from 100,000 to 120,000 points.
In the 6,001- to 8,000-mile band, it jumps from 130,000 to 150,000 points.
Partner business-class flights between North America and the Pacific zone (in the 7,501- to 11,000-mile band) will increase from 87,500 to 102,500 points.
Not every redemption is taking a hit, however. Some economy awards are actually decreasing, and the final price still depends on the route, distance, cabin, and partner type.
Still, if you’ve been saving up for a long-haul premium-cabin seat, June 1 is a date you'll want to circle on your calendar.
Nerdy take: Search before you transfer. Booking before June 1 can lock in a reward at today’s price, provided you don’t need to reissue the ticket after the change takes effect. In general, you shouldn’t move flexible points just because a chart is changing. Always confirm your itinerary, final price, and availability first.
Tangerine enters the premium-ish credit card market
April 22 saw the launch of the Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard, a splashy new addition to the Scene+ rewards ecosystem. With a solid mix of travel and everyday perks, it's worth a look for consumers seeking an affordable entry point into a more premium credit card market.
In exchange for a $120 annual fee, cardholders get access to:
Elevated earn rates (1.5 points per dollar spent) on three spending categories of their choosing.
Four complementary DragonPass airport lounge passes per year.
Robust insurance coverage.
3X the Scene+ points when booking through Scene+ Travel, powered by Expedia — even when paying with points.
Up to 10 cents per litre in savings on fuel purchases at Shell stations.
Cardholders also gain exclusive access to Benefinder, a newly launched rewards and benefits management tool housed directly within the Tangerine mobile banking app to help track unused perks.
Nerdy take: While the card faces stiff competition in the travel rewards space, its approachable annual fee and flexible earning categories are strong draws. However, serious globetrotters might still prefer to spend a bit more each year — on a card like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, for example — to unlock higher base earn rates, no foreign transaction fees, and more lounge passes.
Wise cuts its free ATM allowance to $100 CAD
Wise now gives Canadian-issued cardholders just $100 CAD per month in free ATM withdrawals. After that, Wise charges a $2.69 CAD fixed fee, plus 2.69% on the remaining amount over the monthly allowance.
Keep in mind that ATM operators may also tack on their own fees. Wise notes that Canadian-issued cards cannot be used for local ATM withdrawals within Canada.
This new fee structure makes Wise a little less appealing as a primary travel-cash tool.
For context, a traveller making a single $500 CAD withdrawal in a month would pay about $13.45 CAD in Wise fees on the $400 excess, before any local ATM operator fees are applied. A single $1,000 CAD withdrawal would incur about $26.90 CAD in fees. Because Wise’s fixed fee applies per withdrawal, making multiple over-limit transactions could cost you even more.
This doesn’t make the Wise card unusable, but it does mean it's better treated as just one component of your travel wallet rather than your sole cash-access plan abroad.
Nerdy take: Before your next trip, estimate how much physical cash you’ll actually need. If the answer is more than $100 CAD in a month, compare alternative debit-card, prepaid-card, and bank-account options before you’re standing at an overseas ATM battling luggage, jet lag, and a confusing fee screen.
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