The CIBC Adapta Mastercard is a no fee credit card that adapts your rewards to your spending. You'll automatically earn 1.5 points per $1 spent in your top 3 spend categories every month. No need to figure out what your spending habits are.

CIBC Adapta Mastercard rewards

The CIBC Adapta Mastercard automatically rewards you with 50% more points in your top 3 spend categories - even if they change every month.

Now, it's not an unlimited number of categories. CIBC has 12 different categories they'll give you bonus rewards in.

There are some unique categories here not found elsewhere, like clothing, electronics, pet stores, and health and beauty.

This makes it a very unique product. Sure, there are cards out there that let you choose your own categories from a list, but none automatically pick your highest 3 categories and update them every month.

So, what are Adapta points worth? You have 2 choices when it comes time to use them:

• Statement credits: 1,500 points will save you $10 on your credit card bill, making each point worth 0.67 cents each.
• Deposits to select CIBC financial products: 1,200 will be a $10 deposit, for a point value of 0.83 cents.

Pros of the CIBC Adapta Mastercard

There are few more things this card offers besides rewards.

1. Welcome bonus

When you sign up, you'll get a jump start on your rewards bank – 6,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 4 months, which are worth up to $50.

2. Fuel savings at Journie Rewards gas stations

Use your card at any Journie Rewards gas station in Canada – that’s Ultramar, Chevron, Pioneer, and Fast Gas – and you'll instantly save 3 cents per litre on all your fuel when you connect your CIBC card to your Journie Rewards account. When combined with Journie Rewards savings of 7 cents per litre you can save up to 10 cents per litre.

3. Roadside assistance included

Once you complete your first purchase, you'll be granted roadside assistance courtesy of the Dominion Automobile Association. Valued at $50, you'll get access to services like gas delivery, towing, and battery boosting.

4. No annual fee

This unique card won't cost you anything to carry as it has no annual fee.

Cons of the CIBC Adapta Mastercard

Here are a few things to consider with the CIBC Adapta Mastercard.

1. Limited rewards

Offering something unique comes at a cost – and in this case, it’s the rewards. Using our typical $2,000 monthly spending breakdown, our top 3 spending categories are groceries, gas, and recurring bills. After a year with this card, you've earned 29,100 points, for $241.53 in annual rewards (1.01% return).

This is a decent return, but you’ll only get it for sending your rewards to a CIBC financial product. If you redeem for statement credits, your annual rewards drop to $194.97.

2. Best for CIBC bank clients

This card is best for cardholders who have a CIBC financial product to deposit rewards into. If you don’t bank with CIBC, you’ll be losing out on rewards.

Comparison to the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card

The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a credit card with flexible rewards categories – except with this card, you have to choose the 2-3 categories (from a list of 10) that earn you bonus rewards. Once you've chosen them, you can't make changes for 90 days.

Here's how they compare. Note that our comparison numbers are based on redeeming points towards CIBC Financial products and choosing 3 categories for a Tangerine card.

	CIBC Adapta Mastercard	Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
Welcome bonus	Up to 6,000 bonus points (terms)	$125 GeniusCash + 10% extra cash back for the first 2 months (terms)
Earn rates	* 1.5 Adapta points for every dollar you spend in your top 3 spend categories * 1 Adapta point for every dollar you spend on all other purchases	* 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases
Average earn rate	1.01%	1.14%
Additional features	* Roadside assistance	* Balance transfer offer of 1.95 for 6 months
Annual fee	$0	$0

These are evenly matched cards. While Tangerine offers slightly more rewards, Adapta may net you more per year as it will automatically change your top spending categories for the greatest return.

Either way, you'll get a good no fee card to add to your wallet.

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FAQ

What does the CIBC Adapta Mastercard offer for rewards?

The CIBC Adapta Mastercard is a unique card that automatically awards bonus rewards based on your spending. You'll earn 1.5x the points on your 3 highest spend categories in a month, and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.

What are Adapta points worth?

Adapta points are worth up to 0.83 cents each. They can be redeemed in 2 ways: 1,500 points for a $10 statement credit or 1,200 points for a $10 deposit into select CIBC Financial products.

What are the annual fee and income requirements of the CIBC Adapta Mastercard?

The CIBC Adapta Mastercard has no annual fee and a $15,000 household income requirement.