Canadian card points programmes compared

Two kinds of programme

BMO Rewards is the programme attached to BMO Rewards credit cards, and BMO offers a variety of such cards. [5] BMO says cardholders collect points on almost any purchase and can redeem them for gifts from the BMO Rewards programme once enough points are collected. [5] BMO's card navigation also lists Blue Rewards, described as a loyalty programme where members earn and redeem Blue Points. [5]

WestJet Rewards is an airline programme with published tiers, and membership is free to join. [9] WestJet publishes its tier thresholds in tier qualifying spend: Teal up to $3,999, Silver $4,000–$5,999, Gold $6,000–$9,999 and Platinum $10,000 and beyond. [7] Silver requires $4,000 in tier qualifying spend, and the benefits become available for the remainder of the current year and the entire year after. [10]

Earning structures

On the Teal tier, WestJet awards 1 WestJet point per $1 spent on WestJet flights, seat selection, baggage and upgrades, and 1 point per $1 spent on WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations packages. [9] Teal members also earn on car rentals, meal plans, attractions and transfers, on flights with partner airlines, and on everyday purchases with WestJet Rewards partners. [9] On Silver, the earn rate on WestJet flights rises to 3 points per $1. [10]

BMO says points are collected on almost any purchase made with a BMO Rewards credit card, but the page checked does not publish earning rates for those cards. [5]

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard adds a status benefit rather than a point multiplier. [7] Status Lift awards 200 CAD in tier qualifying spend for every $5,000 in eligible purchases charged to the card account, and a cardholder can receive up to 50 lifts in a qualifying year, equivalent to 10,000 CAD in tier qualifying spend. [7] Eligible purchases are net purchase transactions made by all cardholders on the account, minus returns, other credits, fees, interest charges and cash advances such as balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized merchant charges. [7] Purchases made outside Canada are eligible. [7] A lift is awarded about 10 business days after the monthly statement date on which the $5,000 threshold is reached. [7] Only the primary cardholder receives the tier qualifying spend, although purchases on all cards on the account count toward the $5,000 threshold. [7] The qualifying year runs from 1 January to 31 December; for new accounts it runs from the first monthly statement date to 31 December, and tier qualifying spend resets to zero at the start of each qualifying year. [7]

Redemption paths

BMO Rewards points can be redeemed through the BMO Rewards website for merchandise and gift cards from a catalogue BMO describes as containing hundreds of products. [5] Points can also be put toward a contribution to a BMO savings or investment account. [5] Pay with Points lets cardholders apply points directly to eligible purchases, and BMO lists eligible travel purchases such as flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises. [5] BMO does not publish a point value or a redemption rate for these options on the page checked. [5]

WestJet says Teal members can redeem points on upcoming trips, gift cards, merchandise and more. [9]

Transfers, expiry and fees

None of the four sources describes a transfer option from BMO Rewards points to an airline or hotel programme, or from WestJet points to another loyalty programme. [5] [7] [9] [10] WestJet does state that tier qualifying spend earned through Status Lift has no monetary or other exchange value and cannot be sold or transferred; that wording concerns tier qualifying spend, not WestJet points generally. [7]

None of the sources states when BMO Rewards points or WestJet points expire. [5] [7] [9] [10] None states the annual fee for a BMO Rewards card or for the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. [5] [7] [9] [10]

Exceptions and limits

• Status Lift depends on the card account staying open and in good standing when the lift is awarded; if the account is closed before the end of a qualifying year, WestJet reserves the right to remove any Status Lifts or tier upgrades received through the benefit. [7]
• WestJet and Royal Bank of Canada reserve the right to change or withdraw Status Lift at any time. [7]
• Purchases made in December after the December statement date may post to the next statement and not count toward that qualifying year's $5,000. [7]
• Silver benefits run for the remainder of the year in which status is earned and the entire following year, and some apply only on itineraries sold and operated by WestJet. [10]
• Silver includes four advance seat selection vouchers for Standard or Preferred Economy seats where a fee typically applies, but not Exit Row, Extended Comfort, Premium or Business seats; they must be used before check-in, and a round trip needs two vouchers per guest. [10]
• Silver members receive two checked bags free, and up to eight guests on the same reservation can also receive up to two checked bags free if they are within WestJet's baggage allowance; excess items face oversized baggage restrictions and fees. [10]
• BMO's Pay with Points applies to eligible purchases, and the page checked does not define which purchases are eligible. [5]

Related pages

Programme pages: BMO Rewards and WestJet Rewards. Background: Start here: cards and transfers and the frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. BMO Rewards and WestJet Rewards are covered; other Canada-issued programmes, including Aeroplan, American Express Membership Rewards Canada, RBC Avion Rewards, CIBC Aventura, TD Rewards and Scene+, are not covered here.

1. BMO Rewards credit cards page, checked 18 October 2026
2. WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard Status Lift page, checked 18 October 2026
3. WestJet Rewards Teal tier page, checked 18 October 2026
4. WestJet Rewards Silver tier page, checked 18 October 2026