Looking for a Visa that gives you great rewards on everyday purchases? The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card is a top option from BMO. You’ll earn 5 points per $1 spent on restaurants, groceries, gas, and daily transit. You'll also enjoy high-value flexible redemption options.

We’ll dive into the perks and travel benefits that come with this Visa Infinite card, plus compare it to the more premium option, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, so you can decide if it's worth it to pay the extra annual fee.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite rewards

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite earns BMO Rewards, which is BMO's own flexible rewards program.

Earning BMO Rewards

The only way to earn BMO Rewards is with a BMO credit card, including the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card card.

With this card you'll earn:

• 5 BMO Rewards points for every $1 spent on dining, groceries, gas, and transit
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

A unique feature of this credit card is that if you add an authorized user to your account, you'll earn 10% more rewards points. That said, you will need to pay a $50 annual fee for each authorized user.

The value of these points depends on what you redeem them for.

Redeeming BMO Rewards

BMO Rewards are flexible, with a number of redemption options.

Clearly, redeeming your BMO Rewards points for travel will give you the most value. And while redeeming points for statement credits will still give you a value of 0.5 CPP, it's at the bottom of the list.

If you're earning 5 points for every $1 spent on groceries, for example, here's what your approximate rate of return would be for each of these options:

• Any travel: 3.35%
• Investments: 3.35%
• Experiences: 3.25%
• Gift cards: 2.8%
• Merchandise: 2.7%
• Statement credits: 2.5%

Redeeming points for statement credits is essentially like cash back, and a 2.5% return on your spending isn't bad.

But keep in mind that you're only getting 5x points on a handful of spending categories. For most things, you'll only get 1 point for every $1 spent, which is a significantly lower rate of return.

In fact, at 1 point per $1 spent, your rate of return plummets to a paltry 0.5% – 0.67%. To keep your value, look into ways to maximize your BMO Rewards.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite benefits

There are seven major reasons to check out the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite.

1. 80,000 point welcome bonus

You'll start with a welcome bonus worth up to 80,000 points.

This is a three-part welcome bonus, where you'll earn:

• Earn 30,000 BMO Rewards welcome bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 110 of account opening
• Earn an additional 20,000 BMO rewards bonus points when you spend $7,000 in the first 180 days of account opening
• Earn another 20,000 bonus points when you spend $12,000 in the first year of account opening

Redeemed for travel, 80,000 BMO Rewards points are worth an estimated $536. Redeemed for statement credits, they're worth $350. Not a bad welcome bonus, since it covers the annual fee and then some (as long as you spend enough).

2. 10% bonus rewards if you add an authorized user

A unique feature of this card is that you'll earn 10% more rewards if you add an authorized user to your account.

Whether that's worth the additional $50 annual fee per authorized user is up to you. Also, the bonus doesn't stack – whether you have one additional user or a dozen, you'll still only get 10% more rewards.

3. Annual fee waived for the first year

Like many premium credit cards, the annual fee is waived for the first year you have the card.

This gives you a chance to take it for a test drive, see if it works well with your typical spending patterns, and take full advantage of its perks and benefits.

If you find the card’s perks and benefits aren’t worth the fee, simply cancel the card before the end of your first year.

4. Annual $50 lifestyle credit

A unique feature of the BMO eclipse Visas is their inclusion of a "lifestyle credit." This is an automatic credit you'll receive within two billing cycles after making a purchase of equal to or greater than the value of the statement credit.

In the case of the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite, the lifestyle credit is $50, so you'll receive a $50 statement credit automatically the first time you make a purchase of $50 or higher on the card every year.

The lifestyle credit offsets a bit of the annual fee, so take that into consideration when deciding if the card is worth it.

5. Mobile device insurance

This credit card comes with seven types of complimentary insurance coverage, the details of which you'll find in the "Insurance Coverage" tab at the top of this page.

One rare coverage that this credit card includes is $1,000 of mobile device insurance. This covers your smartphone for loss, theft, or damage if you purchase it with this credit card.

If you never need to use this insurance, that's fine since it's free. But if you do need to use it, this coverage can save you up to $1,000 for the cost of a replacement device.

6. Free credit score monitoring

As a BMO customer, you'll have access to their CreditView free credit score monitoring service. This is available through their mobile or online banking apps.

7. Enhanced security features

If you're concerned about your credit card – whether you've misplaced it or think it may be compromised somehow – the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite comes with some advanced security features for added peace of mind.

Whether on the road or at home, you can lock, unlock, or report your card lost or stolen at any time.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite drawbacks

While the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite has a lot going for it, you'll still need to grapple with things like an annual fee, high interest rates, and pesky income requirements.

1. Typical but still expensive annual fee

While the $120 annual fee is fairly typical for a premium credit card, it's still a lot of money every year to keep a credit card in your wallet.

The annual fee is waived for the first year you have the card and the annual $50 lifestyle credit offsets it a bit, but you'll still have to take full advantage of this card's rewards, insurance, and other perks and benefits to justify that cost.

Based on our typical spending breakdown, the average Canadian would have to spend about $600 a month to earn enough rewards to cover the annual fee.

2. Above-average interest rates across the board

The BMO eclipse Visa card has higher-than-average interest rates of:

• Purchases: 21.99%
• Cash advances: 23.99% (21.99% for Quebec residents)
• Balance transfers: 23.99% (21.99% for Quebec residents)

While most credit cards have interest rates hovering around 20%, these are a little higher and are something to be aware of.

3. Standard high income requirements

Where some credit cards don't have minimum income requirements for approval, many do, and the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite is one of these.

In order to qualify for this credit card, you'll need income of either:

• $60,000 personal
• $100,000 household

Unfortunately, this requirement puts this credit card out of reach for many Canadians. The workaround is that BMO allows you to qualify if you have $15,000 in declared current annual spend.

4. Additional cards are also expensive

Finally, if you do get the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite and want an additional card for someone else, you'll pay $50 annually for the privilege.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite vs. BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite has another BMO Rewards equivalent, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard. Let's see how these stack up, side by side.

Feature	BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card	BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard
Welcome bonus	$150 GeniusCash + Up to 80,000 bonus points, first year free (terms)	$150 GeniusCash + Up to 100,000 115,000 bonus points, first year free (terms)
Annual fee	$120	$150
Rewards	* 5 BMO Rewards points for every $1 spent on dining, groceries, gas, and transit * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	* 5 points per $1 spent on travel * 3 points per $1 spent on dining, entertainment, and recurring bills * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Special Features	* 10% more points when you add an authorized user to your account * $50 annual lifestyle credit	* Mastercard Travel Pass membership and four free passes
Insurance coverages	6 types	14 types
Income requirements	* Personal: $60,000 * Household: $100,000	* Personal: $80,000 * Household: $150,000

This comes down to what you want in a credit card. With credit cards, you can't get everything, and BMO has designed its cards to offer different things.

If you simply want the most rewards, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card is the better option. You'll get more points and that lifestyle credit.

But for insurance and perks, you'll want to get the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard. It sacrifices those rewards to increase what it offers in these two areas.

Bottom line

All in all, it's nice to see a BMO Visa credit card with a solid rate of return on some common everyday purchase categories, such as gas and groceries.

FAQ

What are the perks of the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite?

In addition to the great earn rate, you’ll get an annual $50 lifestyle credit and 10% more reward points when you add an authorized user to your card.

Does the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite have lounge access?

Unfortunately, the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card doesn’t give cardholders airport lounge access. However, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard includes a free Visa Airport Companion membership along with six free lounge visits per year.

Do you get airport lounge access with Visa Infinite?

Most Visa Infinite cards do not come with airport lounge access, but cards that are designated as Visa Infinite Privilege cards typically do. Read your card’s terms and conditions to find out if you get lounge access.

Is the BMO eclipse rise Visa Card good?

The BMO eclipse rise Visa Card is a solid BMO Visa option that doesn’t charge an annual fee or have income requirements. This card is easier to qualify for and still gives a high rate of return for everyday purchases.

How is the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card different from the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card?

The Visa Infinite Privilege card is slightly harder to qualify for, but offers more travel insurance and benefits. The Visa Infinite card is more basic in its offerings and it has a lower annual fee.