Sometimes, simplicity is best when it comes to a credit card. And with the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard, you get an easy way to earn cash back, with earn rates of up to 2% on a no fee credit card.

With no complicated points and pretty much no math to do in your head, this is an easy way to all-around save on everything.

Here's how the card works, as well as how it stacks up against other cards in the market.

Pros of the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard

Even though it's a basic credit card, it's still not a bad option if you want a no frills (though no thrills) credit card.

1. Simple (and high) earn rates for a no fee

First, we'll start with the earn rates for the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard:

• 2% cash back on restaurants, entertainment, transit, and pre-authorized payments
• 0.5% cash back on all other purchases

As you can see, there are 4 categories where you can boosted earn rates, meaning that you'll get a nice increase in earnings.

And if you were curious, no, there are no caps to any of these bonus categories, meaning you won't have to think about holding off on a purchase just because you're getting too close to a $500 monthly limit, for instance.

2. Basic travel insurance is included, as well as mobile device insurance

Unlike some basic cash back cards, this card has an added advantage of having some basic travel insurance. It's only good for 3 days, but it's certainly better than nothing, especially if you're planning a weekend getaway to Vegas or a short road trip across the border.

It also has the rare mobile device insurance included as well (though this type of coverage is starting to become more common).

3. Discounts on car rentals

Excited by the short jaunt to the States but not planning on taking your own car or taking American public transit? You can get up to 15% off at popular rental car services and save some money.

Here are the car rental services that you can apply your discount to:

• Hertz,
• Thrifty, and
• Dollar.

4. No annual fee

As we alluded to plenty of times in this review, this card has no annual fee, so you're good if you don't spend much money or if you need Mastercard specifically for shopping at Costco.

Cons of the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard

Now that you know you can save some money on annual fees, here are some things you can't do with the card.

1. No welcome bonus or special promos

Other than being a basic no fee card, there are no sweeteners with this card. Some cards have welcome bonuses to give you a nice boost to get started, but this card is lacking.

2. No physical branches outside of Quebec and Ontario

Since this credit union is based out of Quebec, you'll be hard pressed to find a branch outside of La Belle Province. Other than Ontario, there are no physical branches anywhere else in Canada.

If you've got a problem and live outside of those provinces, you'll need to rely entirely on online or phone support.

Comparison to the BMO CashBack Mastercard

Let's compare this card to a well-known and popular no fee cash back card, the BMO CashBack Mastercard.

	Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard	BMO CashBack Mastercard
Normal earn rate	* 2% cash back on restaurants, entertainment, transit, and pre-authorized payments * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases	* 3% cash back on groceries (up to $500 per month) * 1% cash back on recurring bill payments (up to $500 per month) * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	No bonus at this time	$20 GeniusCash + 5% cash back for the first 3 months (terms)
Number of insurance types	8	2

First thing, we'll talk about the normal monthly earn rate. While the BMO CashBack Mastercard is ahead numerically, it can easily be caught by the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard. This is because of the very harsh spending limit on the BMO card. If you've got a family to feed, this may not be the card for you, especially considering the record inflation that has hit Canadians in terms of groceries.

Getting an extra percent back on entertainment is nice, but if you commute, getting 4 times back on your monthly bus pass is even nicer. Realistically, it's not that much (a savings of less than $35 per year on a 2-zone pass in Vancouver), but it's still a ton more than what you'd get with the BMO CashBack Mastercard.

One area that the BMO card has the Desjardins card beat is the welcome bonus, one part of which is exclusive to creditcardGenius. You'll be able to take home 5% cash back for the first 3 months, up to $2,500 in spend. That's worth $175 in total value if you max it out.

FAQ

Does the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard have a welcome bonus?

No, there is currently no welcome bonus for this card at the moment.

What kind of insurance coverage does the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard have?

Aside from basic price protection and extended warranty offered by most credit cards, this card also has 6 types of travel insurance that cover you for up to 3 days out of the country.

What other perks are included with the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard?

The card also comes with rental car discounts of up to 15% at 3 popular providers.