On August 3rd, there was a BMO Air Miles update. BMO Air Miles Mastercards had a few subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes. These affect how you earn your Air Miles and where you can earn them from.
The good news is that there is a new category where you can earn up to double the Air Miles at eligible retailers. There is also a very subtle change that you may be interested in if it applies to you.
Read on for the latest on this BMO Air Miles update.
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BMO Air Miles update – double the Miles on groceries
Do you buy food?
Alright, that’s a bit of a silly question. Well, if you’re not a filter feeder, this may be interesting to you. If you have (or are planning to get) a BMO Air Miles credit card (we’ll list some of them below), you will see some changes in your earn rate at the grocery till.
It depends on which card you have, but some BMO Air Miles Mastercards will have double the Air Miles earn rate compared to before when buying groceries.
Here’s a table that outlines the BMO Air Miles update for their Mastercards, effective August 3, 2022:
| Credit card | Added bonus |
|---|---|
| BMO AIR MILES Mastercard | 2x the Miles for every $12 spent at any eligible grocery stores |
| BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard | 2x the Miles for every $12 spent at any eligible grocery store |
| BMO AIR MILES Mastercard for students | 2x the Miles for every $25 spent at any eligible grocery stores |
All of the cards had a bonus of 3x the Miles for purchases made at an Air Miles partner (differing on the spend for each tier of card), as well as the base earn rate of 1 Mile per $12 or $25 spent (again, depending on the card).
Note that you can’t combine the 2x and the 3x. If the place you’re shopping at is offering triple points for being an Air Miles partner, you can’t double dip and get 6x the points.
BMO Air Miles Mastercards compared
Not familiar with these BMO Air Miles Mastercards? Here’s a quick rundown on the affected cards.
Ol’ reliable – good earn rates, no annual fee
$20 GeniusCash + Up to 
It may not be the most exclusive, fancy credit card out there, but it’s not too shabby. The
As a refresher, here’s how you’ll earn your Air Miles:
- 1 Mile per $25 spent on all purchases
- 3x the Miles for every $25 at participating Air Miles partners
- 2x the Miles for every $25 spent at any eligible grocery, liquor, and wholesale stores
If you’re spending money on groceries, it’s good to see that you’ll not only see double the points, but there’s less money required to earn those points.
Interested in getting a head start on your Air Miles collecting? This card offers a nice welcome bonus of 2,500 Miles after spending $1,500 in the first 110 days, and an additional $450 at wholesale clubs and grocery stores. You’ll also get 2 types of insurance with the card, extended warranty and purchase protection.
Better overall earn rates with a higher-end BMO Air Miles Mastercard
×1 Award winner 
GC: $150
1x Award winner
Here’s a levelled-up version of the BMO AIR MILES Mastercard that may catch your eye – the
You’ll see better earn rates (well, the same earn rates, but you won’t need to spend as much money to earn your Air Miles). Here’s the full list:
- 1 Mile for every $12 spent
- 3x the Miles for every $12 at participating Air Miles partners
- 2x the Miles for every $12 spent at any eligible grocery, liquor, and wholesale stores
The welcome bonus is also doubled from the standard version of the card. Instead of just 2,500 Air Miles, you’ll get 9,000 Miles after fulfilling the same criteria (after spending $20,000 in the first year, and an additional $1,000 at wholesale clubs and grocery stores).
With this card, you’ll also get a much more comprehensive insurance package. Instead of just 2 types of coverage, you will get 7x more.
Here’s a neat table to show how much more reckless you can be with your life.
BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®* Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.Extended Warranty 1 year Purchase Protection 90 days Travel Accident $500,000 Emergency Medical Term 15 days Emergency Medical Maximum Coverage $2,000,000 Trip Cancellation $1,500 Trip Interruption $2,000 Flight Delay $500 Baggage Delay $200 Lost or Stolen Baggage $750 Personal Effects $750 Hotel Burglary $500 Rental Car Theft & Damage Yes Rental Car Accident $200,000 Rental Car Personal Effects $1,000
All of this can’t come for free, however. You’ll have to pay $120 as an annual fee. But of course, you’ll get a lot of extra benefits for holding a World Elite Mastercard.
These perks include:
- 24/7 concierge service,
- preferred access to Mastercard World Experiences like upscale hotel benefits,
- membership to the Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, and
- exclusive offers for World Elite Mastercard holders.
An option for students
Some rock bands say we don’t need no education. But we do, however, need a student version of the BMO Air Miles Mastercard. It looks similar, but there are some slight tweaks between the regular one and the
Unlike the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard, there is no annual fee, which is nice since you won’t be sinking further into debt as you spend your time sequestered in the library or hanging out with all the cool kids in your school’s world-class ping pong club (good times, good times…).
Let’s get to the earn rates:
- 1 Mile per $25 spent on all purchases
- 3x the Miles for every $25 at participating Air Miles partners
- 2x the Miles for every $25 spent at any eligible grocery stores
As you can see, you will earn the same amount of points (and bonus points), but will have to pay a little more to earn them when buying your instant ramen and flats of cola. But so long as the increased earn rate is the same, this is a good card to have until you can upgrade to a better one once you’re out in the real world.
Before we discuss the other change, we should also mention the welcome bonus since it isn’t the same anymore either. You’ll earn 800 Air Miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. That is significantly less than the other 2 options, but if this student card is all you’re eligible for, then again, it’s better than nothing.
An additional small change on purchase interest rates for BMO Mastercards
One other change that affected a bunch of BMO Mastercards on the same day as the BMO Air Miles update was that there was a change to the purchase interest rate of a few credit cards.
This was minor and won’t have an effect on everyone, but we thought it’d be best to put it out there so everyone could be aware.
The following cards have a new purchase interest rate of 20.99%:
- BMO AIR MILES Mastercard
BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* - BMO AIR MILES Mastercard for students
BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* for students
What are your thoughts on the BMO Air Miles update?
Will you be taking advantage of this BMO Air Miles update? Or are the changes too small to really tell all your friends about? Would you stick with your card or move onto something else?
Let us know in the comment section!
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