American Express Cobalt Card Review: Is It Worth It?
The American Express Cobalt® Card is a rewards credit card that allows cardholders to earn Membership Rewards points with each purchase. Membership Rewards points can be redeemed to cover a variety of eligible purchases, including movie tickets, statement credits, gift cards and merchandise, as well as bookings made through American Express Travel Online. A minimum of 1,000 points, worth $10, must be redeemed each time.
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Points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery.* Spend cap applies.
Points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
Points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada.
Point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else.
Additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online.
A standout everyday earner with up to 5x points on a spectrum of everyday spending categories, including eats and drinks, streaming services, gas and more. Unusually robust travel insurance for a mid-tier card makes it a decent travel companion, too. Best for: Those who spend big on groceries, entertainment or transit and want a flexible rewards program.
Pros
- Includes 10 forms of insurance.
- Points can be transferred to other rewards programs, including Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy.
- Up to $60 in Instacart statement credits.
Cons
- No lounge access.
- The 5x earn rate is capped at $2,500 monthly — purchases above the cap drop to 1x.
- In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
- Earn 5x the points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery. Spend cap applies.
- Earn 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
- Earn 2X the points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada.
- Earn 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online.
- Earn 1X point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else.
- Enjoy access to hotel bookings, a room upgrade (when available), 12pm check-in and late check-out (when available), and up to $100 USD hotel credit to use on amenities when charged to the room for a stay of 2 or more consecutive nights through The Hotel Collection from American Express Travel
- Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs.
- Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™
- American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
American Express Cobalt Card full review
Because the American Express Cobalt Card is a rewards credit card, you’ll want to ensure that the earn rates align with your everyday spending habits. Since you can earn points on a wide array of purchases — like restaurants, gas, food delivery and streaming subscriptions — there’s a decent chance they might.
The American Express Cobalt Card could capture the interest of people looking to get a little extra from their rewards card, like generous earn rates, the ability to transfer points to several frequent flyer programs and access to exclusive events.
Elevated earn rate (5x) on eats, such as restaurants, stand-alone grocery stores and food delivery purchases (up to $2,500 monthly spend — after which, the earn rate drops to 1x)
Flexible redemption methods. You can use your points to pay for merchandise, travel and gift cards, you can also transfer them to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs.
Robust suite of travel protection benefits. The insurance provided, which includes lost baggage, emergency medical, trip interruption and hotel burglary coverage, should provide peace of mind while you’re on the road — or in the air.
Access to Amex Experiences™, a collection of dining, shopping and special events, and American Express Front Of The Line, which can help cardholders score presale and reserved tickets for concerts or major events.
Not as readily accepted by retailers as Visa and Mastercard. You can use American Express Maps to find stores that accept Amex cards.
Strict insurance requirements. The full cost of any flight, hotel, rental car or mobile device must be charged to your card to qualify for insurance coverage.
Is the American Express Cobalt Card worth it?
The American Express Cobalt Card’s accelerated and varied earn rates, combined with its modest cost ($191.88 annually, or $15.99 per month for non-Quebec residents and $191.88 annually for Quebec residents), make this card worth considering.
American Express Canada now lets you check your eligibility for a personal card before you apply. You’ll get an instant decision through a soft credit check, with no impact to your credit score — a smart, easy way to apply with confidence.
What Reddit has to say
NerdWallet’s credit card experts rigorously review every detail of a card to determine its rating. But our Nerds know it can also be helpful to hear what everyday cardholders think. So, we took to Reddit to find out what users are saying about the American Express Cobalt® Card across multiple threads.
Redditors mostly agree with NerdWallet's review
It’s safe to say the Amex Cobalt is beloved by Redditors. The travel card has been recommended in dozens of threads, with many users stating that its elevated earn rates on eats and streaming services make the annual fee well worth it.
American Express customer ratings
Above average in customer satisfaction: American Express ranks first out of 14 issuers in J.D. Power’s 2025 Canada Credit Card Satisfaction Study, and the American Express Cobalt Card ranks first out of 13 cards that charge an annual fee.
Poor Trustpilot rating: American Express has 1.4 out of 5 possible stars based on more than 4,800 customer reviews at the time of this writing.
Poor Better Business Bureau rating: American Express has 1.1 out of a possible 5 stars, according to more than 550 customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau website, at the time of this writing.
Low Customer Service Scoreboard rating: American Express has a score of 36.46 out of a possible 200, based on over 330 ratings at the time of this writing.
American Express Cobalt Card eligibility
Who qualifies for the American Express Cobalt Card?
To apply for the American Express Cobalt Card, you must:
Be a Canadian resident and have a Canadian credit file.
Be the age of majority in the province or territory where you live.
There is no known minimum income requirement for the American Express Cobalt Card.
Approximate credit score needed for approval
Canadian credit card issuers rarely disclose required credit scores, which makes it hard to know your chances of approval when comparing credit cards. However, higher scores generally mean better chances of approval, and that’s true regardless of the type of credit you’re applying for.
Want to learn more? Visit our “What Credit Score is Needed for a Credit Card?” page.
American Express Cobalt Card rewards
Earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points in the first year of card ownership.
Earn 1,250 points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases.
5x Membership Rewards points on eligible eats and drinks, such as restaurants and food deliveries (up to $2,500 monthly, for a total of up to $30,000 annually — earn 1x points thereafter).
3x Membership Rewards points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2x Membership Rewards points on eligible gas and transit purchases.
1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases.
1 additional Membership Reward point when you book travel through Amex Travel Online.
In your first year as a new Cobalt cardmember, you can earn 1,250 points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases. Hitting the target in all 12 periods yields 15,000 points.
What those points are worth depends on how you redeem. Based on our analysis and program terms, 15,000 points could be worth approximately:
$150 via Amex Canada’s Flexible Points Travel Program (fixed rate of 1 cent per point)
$213 toward economy airfare (based on NerdWallet valuation of 1.42 cents per point)
$1,728 toward hotels (based on NerdWallet valuation of 11.52 cents per point).
Point value breakdown
11.52 cents per point for hotel redemptions.
1.74 cents per point for business class air fare redemptions.
1.42 cents per point for economy class air fare redemptions.
1 cent per point for statement credits.
0.76 cents per point for gift cards.
0.65 cents per point for merchandise.
The value of an American Express Membership Rewards point varies on the redemption method you choose, but you can expect to get around 0.6 to 11.5 cents per point, according to NerdWallet’s analysis.
Rewards calculator: See how many points you can earn
American Express Cobalt Card vs Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
If you’re looking for comparable benefits at a slightly lower annual cost, you may want to consider the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card.
Rewards breakdown
Rewards breakdownPoints on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery.* Spend cap applies.
Points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
Points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada.
Point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else.
Additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online.
NerdWallet's take
NerdWallet's takeA standout everyday earner with up to 5x points on a spectrum of everyday spending categories, including eats and drinks, streaming services, gas and more. Unusually robust travel insurance for a mid-tier card makes it a decent travel companion, too. Best for: Those who spend big on groceries, entertainment or transit and want a flexible rewards program.
Pros
- Includes 10 forms of insurance.
- Points can be transferred to other rewards programs, including Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy.
- Up to $60 in Instacart statement credits.
Cons
- No lounge access.
- The 5x earn rate is capped at $2,500 monthly — purchases above the cap drop to 1x.
Card details
Card details- In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
- Earn 5x the points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery. Spend cap applies.
- Earn 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
- Earn 2X the points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas in Canada.
- Earn 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via American Express Travel Online.
- Earn 1X point for every $1 in Card purchases everywhere else.
- Enjoy access to hotel bookings, a room upgrade (when available), 12pm check-in and late check-out (when available), and up to $100 USD hotel credit to use on amenities when charged to the room for a stay of 2 or more consecutive nights through The Hotel Collection from American Express Travel
- Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs.
- Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™
- American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
Rewards breakdown
Rewards breakdownPoints on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Freshco, Foodland and more.
Points for every $1 you spend on dining & food delivery. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions.
Points for every $1 you spend at other eligible grocery stores.
Points for every $1 you spend in Canada on eligible entertainment purchases. Includes movies, theatre and ticket agencies stores.
Points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible gas purchases.
Points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible daily transit options. Includes rideshares, buses, subway, taxis and more.
Points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible select streaming services.
Point for every $1 spent on all other eligible everyday purchases.
NerdWallet's take
NerdWallet's takeA well-rounded rewards earner that stands out for its top-tier rates in popular categories, like groceries and entertainment spending. Its waived foreign exchange fees and travel insurance will appeal to travellers, but there’s no complimentary airport lounge access, just discounted membership to Priority Pass. Best for: Travellers and families who spend big on groceries, restaurants and commuting and want to collect Scene+ points.
Pros
- Generous rewards rates of up to 6x Scene+ points.
- No FX fees.
- Priority Pass airport lounge membership discount.
Cons
- No complimentary airport lounge access.
- Highest earn rate only applies to dollars spent at Sobeys and its subsidiary stores.
Card details
Card details- Earn up to $850 in welcome offers, first year rewards and savings value and up to 45,000 bonus Scene+ points.¹
- Earn 6x Scene+ points¹ on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Freshco, Foodland and more
- Earn 5x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 you spend on dining, food delivery and other eligible grocery stores. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions.
- Earn 5x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 you spend in Canada eligible entertainment purchases. Includes movies, theatre and ticket agencies stores.
- Earn 3x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible gas and daily transit options. Includes rideshares, buses, subway, taxis and more
- Earn 3x Scene+ points¹ for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible select streaming services
- Plus earn 1 Scene+ point for every $1 spent on all other eligible everyday purchases
- Earn additional benefits + up to 4X Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia.
- No Foreign Transaction Fee
- Comprehensive Travel Insurance coverage
- AMEX Offers®
- AMEX Front of the Line®
- American Express Invites®
- Complimentary Concierge Services
- Rates, fees and other information are effective as of January 2, 2026. Subject to change.
- *See Card Provider's website and Card Application for complete card details, terms and current offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.
Reasons you might want a different card
The American Express Cobalt Card may not be a perfect fit for you if:
You don’t spend much on dining and food delivery.
You want a card with no annual fees.
You’d prefer to earn a different reward, like cash back.
American Express Cobalt Card facts
American Express Cobalt Card | |
|---|---|
Card type | |
Fees and interest rates | |
Annual fee | For non-Quebec residents, $15.99/month (Equals $191.88 annually). For Quebec residents, $191.88/year. |
Regular/purchase APR | 21.99%. |
Penalty APR | 25.99% if you miss two payments within 12 months and 29.99% if you miss three payments within 12 months. |
Cash advance APR | 21.99%. |
Cash advance fee | N/A. |
Balance transfer APR | N/A. |
Foreign transaction fee | 2.5% of the transaction amount. |
Rewards and benefits | |
Intro offer | Earn 1,250 points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases to your card in the first year, equaling a potential 15,000 Membership Rewards points. |
Reward earn rates | 5x points on eats and drinks (up to $2,500 monthly. After which, the earn rate drops to 1x). 3x points on streaming subscriptions. 2x points on travel and transit. 1x points on everything else. 1 additional point when you make eligible travel booking through Amex Travel Online. |
Other perks | Ability to transfer your Membership Rewards points to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs. Up to $100 hotel credit and room upgrades on eligible bookings. Access to Amex Experiences™, which includes dining, wellness and entertainment perks, as well as Amex Front Of The Line reservations and presale tickets. |
Insurance coverage | |
Travel accident | Up to $250,000. |
Travel medical | Up to $5 million per insured person per trip, under the age of 65. |
Baggage and flight delay | Up to $500. |
Lost or stolen baggage | Up to $500 of coverage per trip for all insured persons. |
Hotel burglary | Up to $500 of coverage for personal items (excluding cash). |
Rental car theft/damage | For up to 48 days. |
Extended warranty | Up to one additional year. |
Purchase Protection | 90 days. |
Mobile Device Protection | Up to $1,000 of mobile device protection in case of loss, theft or accidental damage. Conditions apply. |
Methodology
BACK TO TOPFrequently asked questions
Is it hard to qualify for an American Express Cobalt Card?
Because there’s no publicly stated minimum income requirement, it may be easier to qualify for the American Express Cobalt Card than some other rewards cards. Generally, having a good credit score (660 or higher) can improve your chances of approval.
You can also check your eligibility with no impact to your credit score before applying. American Express uses a soft credit check — not a hard one — to let you know if you’re likely to be approved, so you can apply with confidence.
Is Amex Cobalt better than Amex Gold?
The American Express Cobalt Card ($191.88 annually, or $15.99 per month for non-Quebec residents and $191.88 annually for Quebec residents) applies a higher earn rate to a broader range of spending categories than the American Express Gold Rewards Card, but the Gold Card (annual fee of $250) offers more ways to save on travel, including a NEXUS fee rebate and annual travel credit.
How do I apply for the American Express Cobalt Card?
You can complete the application for the American Express Cobalt Card from the American Express website.
DIVE EVEN DEEPER
Shannon Terrell