5 Things to Know About the BMO VIPorter Mastercard
If you’re a budget-conscious traveller or a Porter Airlines patron, the BMO VIPorter Mastercard merits consideration. It’s a solid travel card that offers surprisingly upscale perks with a wallet-friendly $89 annual fee (waived in the first year).
Rewards breakdown
Rewards breakdownPoints for every $1 spent on Porter purchases.*
Point for every $1 spent on gas.*
Point for every $1 spent on transportation.*
Point for every $1 spent on groceries.*
Point for every $1 spent on dining.*
Point for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations.*
Points for every $1 spent everywhere else.*
NerdWallet's take
NerdWallet's takePorter Airline aficionados will find much to appreciate in this low-fee entry point to the Porter points program. Cardholders earn 2 VIPorter points per dollar on Porter purchases, plus 1 point per dollar on gas, transportation, dining, groceries and hotels. Annual flight discounts, priority boarding perks, and surprisingly decent travel insurance round out this low-fee card’s offerings. However, cardholders must be ready to splash a hefty $25,000 annually to unlock the flight discount voucher. Best for: Porter loyalists who want some elevated airline perks.
Pros
- Low $89 annual fee for a travel card.
- 35% off one Porter flight booking annually (minimum spend applies).
- Some travel insurance.
Cons
- $25,000 annual spend required to unlock the flight discount voucher.
- Low base rate of 0.5x per $1 spent.
Card details
Card details- Welcome offer: Get up to $1,800 in value including 40,000 VIPorter points and a 35% off flight voucher.* Plus no annual fee in your first year.*
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on Porter purchases.*
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on gas and transportation, Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on groceries and dining*, Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations, Earn 0.5 points for every $1 spent everywhere else.*
- Priority re-accommodation for flight delays*, Dedicated check-in*, Early boarding*, No VIPorter points expiry*, Earn $1 of Qualifying Spend for every $25 spent.* *This benefit applies to up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking .
- Your BMO VIPorter credit card comes with comprehensive travel coverage including: 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.*
- Shop confidently with an extended warranty and purchase protection.*
- Save up to 20% on National Car Rental®†† and Alamo Rent A Car®†† and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-Car®†† at locations worldwide using the Car Rental Booking tool.
- Get 20% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows touring Canada* and 15% off resident shows in Las Vegas.
- Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada.*
- Get even more benefits: You may qualify for the BMO VIPorter World Mastercard tier of this card – which has the same fees and rates, but also includes experiences available only to World Mastercard cardholders.*
- Enjoy three months of Instacart+ and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you enroll your eligible BMO Credit Card.*
- *Terms and conditions apply
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
1. It earns VIPorter points on every purchase
The BMO VIPorter Mastercard earns VIPorter points on every dollar spent at the following rates:
2X on Porter purchases (up to $10,000 annually).
1X on groceries and dining out (up to $5,000 annually).
1X on gas and transportation (up to $3,000 annually).
1X on hotel accommodations (up to $3,000 annually).
0.5X on other eligible purchases (and after exceeding any annual spending caps).
Now, the BMO VIPorter Mastercard is a lower-fee card, so you’re not going to earn points at the same accelerated rates of its more expensive sibling: the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard. The World Elite card is more than twice as expensive to carry, though, with a $199 annual fee and eligibility criteria that require an annual income of at least $80,000 for an individual or $150,000 for a household.
View details
Points for every $1 spent on Porter purchases.*
Points for every $1 spent on gas.*
Points for every $1 spent on transportation.*
Points for every $1 spent on groceries.*
Points for every $1 spent on dining.*
Points for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations.*
Point for every $1 spent everywhere else.*
This co-branded Porter card offers enriched VIPorter point earn rates and luxurious travel perks befitting a top-shelf travel card for just $199 annually. But high income requirements will put this card out of reach for some applicants. Best for: Frequent Porter flyers.
Pros
- Annual round-trip companion pass.
- Free checked bags.
- Priority airport services.
Cons
- $80,000 individual or $150,000 household annual income requirement.
- Annual companion pass requires $50,000 in annual spending to unlock.
- Welcome offer: Get up to $2,400 in value* including 70,000 VIPorter points and a round-trip companion pass.* Plus receive $1,000 in Qualifying Spend.*Plus no annual fee in your first year.*
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on Porter purchases.*
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on gas and transportation, Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on groceries and dining*, Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations, Earn 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else.*
- A round-trip companion pass per year*, 1 complimentary checked bag*, 1 complimentary carry-on bag on all Porter fare types*, Free PorterClassic seat selection*, Priority re-accommodation for flight delays*, Priority check-in, security, and early boarding*, No VIPorter points expiry*, Earn $1 of qualifying spend for every $25 spent.* *This benefit applies to up to 8 companions travelling on the same booking.
- Your BMO VIPorter credit card comes with comprehensive travel coverage including: 21-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.*
- Complimentary membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass. As a member enjoy lounge access for a fee of just US$32 per person, per visit.* Registration is required. Visit the Mastercard Travel Pass website or use the Mastercard Travel Pass mobile application to register.*
- Save up to 20% on National Car Rental®†† and Alamo Rent A Car®†† and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-Car®†† at locations worldwide using the Car Rental Booking tool.
- Discover a world of Mastercard Travel Rewards cash back offers when you shop, dine and relax with our partners outside of Canada.
- Save up to 7% on your Booking.com prepaid hotel or property rental bookings at booking.com/mastercardcanada.*
- Access valuable benefits and offers for digital everyday services from a variety of on-demand apps and subscription services.*
- Shop with extended warranty and purchase protection.*
- Enjoy six months of Instacart+ and a $10 monthly Instacart credit when you enroll your eligible BMO Credit Card.*
- *Terms and conditions apply
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
The BMO VIPorter Mastercard imposes no such income criteria and sets the bar of its annual fee at a more budget-friendly $89. Still, its baseline earn rate of 0.5 VIPorter points may be underwhelming for travellers keen to rack up rewards. This drawback may be particularly unattractive for big spenders who may bump up against the various spending caps across this card’s elevated rewards categories.
2. You get priority airport services
Air travel can be a hectic affair, so any credit card perk that helps a cardholder cut down on time spent waiting in line is worth a callout. Access dedicated flight check-in, priority security lanes and be among the first to board the plane when you fly with Porter — for you and up to eight additional guests on the same reservation.
Competing travel rewards programs like Aeroplan typically reserve the benefit of priority airport services for their premium cards. So, seeing this top-tier airport perk on a card that costs less than $100 is noteworthy.
3. Its travel insurance is surprisingly robust
Travel insurance that extends above and beyond emergency medical and common carrier coverage isn’t particularly common for lower-fee credit cards. The BMO VIPorter Mastercard offers both of these benefits plus rental vehicle coverage, flight delay, lost baggage and hotel burglary coverage — a rare suite of insurances for a card in this price tier.
4. Airline partners are limited — for now
VIPorter points can be earned and redeemed with Porter’s partner airlines. As of this writing, Porter’s airline partner network is limited to Air Transat, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines.
That said, Porter is actively expanding its airline partner network and route map, so VIPorter credit cardholders may have access to a greater range of point earning and redemption opportunities in the future.
While not an airline partner, Porter is a merchant partner of AIR MILES, which means you can earn Miles when spending with Porter. Porter will continue as a merchant partner when the program transitions to Blue Rewards in summer 2026.
5. You have to spend big to unlock the annual flight voucher
The BMO VIPorter Mastercard offers an annual flight voucher for 35% off a Porter flight booking for the cardholder and up to three companions, but there’s a catch: you have to spend at least $25,000 annually to get it.
The voucher period resets each year on the anniversary date of the card, and if you don’t hit the spending threshold within the 365-day period, you don’t get the flight discount. Plus, the spending caps for the BMO VIPorter Mastercard’s accelerated rewards rates add up to $21,000, so — depending on where you use your card — you’ll probably stop earning extra points before you meet the spending minimum to unlock the voucher.
While $25,000 is a steep annual spending requirement, 35% off the base fare of a flight is a respectable discount that could shake out to hundreds of dollars in savings. For example, a $600 round-trip ticket from Toronto to Vancouver drops down to $390 after applying the voucher (plus taxes and fees). That’s a potential savings of $210 — more than enough to offset the card’s annual fee.
Note: New cardholders can earn the 35% off flight voucher with a much lower hurdle: spending $6,000 within the first 180 days of account opening as part of the welcome offer. The offer also includes up to 40,000 VIPorter points and an annual fee waiver. Conditions apply.
Bottom line
The BMO VIPorter Mastercard delivers outsized value for its $89 annual fee, offering perks more often reserved for high-end travel cards, like priority airport services and solid insurance coverage. While its limited lineup of airline partners and steep spending requirement for the annual flight voucher may be dealbreakers for some, frequent Porter flyers may be willing to overlook these drawbacks to take advantage of travel-enhancing features without premium-tier costs.
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