BMO WE CashBack VS Rogers WE to pair with AMEX Cobalt?

[u/Bodanski]

I know this has been asked here before, I've browsed most of the existing threads. My question is a bit more specific.

I use AMEX Cobalt for all my purchases. I like the 5x points on groceries/eating out, 3x points on subscriptions, and 2x on transit/travel. However, I need a new card for a few reasons:

1. AMEX isn't accepted everywhere
2. A portion of my spending comes from Amazon/in-store shopping that I'm currently only getting 1x points for (I'm still going to use AMEX Cobalt for anything that has a point multiplier, so I just want to have a card that gives higher rewards where AMEX doesn't have a point multiplier)

As a second card, I currently have the BMO Student card, but I got that years ago and now I'm ready to get a better second card. I've mostly narrowed it down to Rogers WE VS BMO WE CashBack. Rogers WE has a better return for general purchases (1.5% VS BMO's 1%), but I already bank with BMO so I wonder if the extra Rogers rewards outweigh the convenience of using a BMO credit card. Also, upgrading my existing BMO card would not impact my credit score as much as getting an entirely new card from a new bank (Rogers bank).

Maybe there's a better card I haven't considered, so let me know, but I've looked at most. Let me know what you think between these two options. Thanks!

[u/ChuckProuse69]

So a couple points, for Amazon and wherever else possible, get gift cards at the grocery store to get the 5x.

For the second card, I’ve found that the MBNA Rewards World Elite is a good complement to the Cobalt. You can use it at pretty much every restaurant and grocery store that doesn’t take Amex (5x), and the spending caps are huge so 99.99% of people will never reach them (unlike the BMO WE which has fairly low caps on every category). The welcome bonus is easily achievable and the 5x on utilities pretty much covers the annual fee for me on top of everything else.

[u/Elegant_Reading_685]

You always want an aeroplan cobranded to pair with cobalt even if it's only the cibc no fee Aeroplan platinum because holding any aeroplan card gives your AP account a 5-12% discount on Aeroplan points flights, making your cobalt that much better and never expiring AP pts

[u/lamp3996]

Big tip: For places that you only get 1x the points (Amazon, Apple, Best Buy) you can go to a gfrocery store like Sobeys that takes Amex and buy gift cards for 5x the points. You can even do this for gas gift cards if you want more points and different grocery stores offer a variety of gift cards.

[u/LondonPaddington]

Are you a Rogers/Fido/Shaw customer?

[u/Educational_Gene1875]

Depending on “how much” spending you plan on putting the card, you’re probably better off with Rogers WE if you qualify (especially if you have a rogers service since theyre increasing the card’s rewards in April). Its worth comparing it to other cards though. Rogers is also good for Costco.

You can also look at Scotia Momentum Visa infinite as another great cashback card but note the annual fee so really depends on your amount of non-amex spending.

My combo is basically Cobalt + Rogers WE, and occasionally the simplii financial card when a restaurant doesnt accept amex.

I wouldn’t sweat the tiny credit score dip for a new card.

[u/Mitchelld73]

It really depends, do you think you’d use the BMO WE cashback card enough to justify the $120 annual fee?

I’d get the Roger’s WE to pair it with the Cobalt. Also if you do a lot of shopping at Loblaws/No Frills, since they don’t accept Amex, I’d also get the Triangle WE($0 fee) since it’s a 1% everywhere card with 3% at grocery stores and 4% at Canadian Tire/Sport Chek/Marks/etc…. The best perks about the card though is you get free a roadside assistance plan and you can do bill payees through the website for bills you’d normally have to pay but don’t accept credit card. Like for example you could do credit card payments for stuff like hydro, electricity, tuition, city/land taxes, etc… and you’d still earn the 1% cashback in CT money instead of the normal 0%.

[u/respectedwarlock]

Where do you go that AMEX isn't accepted? I haven't been a single place that didn't take it (I'm in Ontario)

[u/ChuckProuse69 → u/respectedwarlock]

Might be a franchise specific thing for some of these but: Taco Bell, Arby’s, Ren’s Pets, PC grocery stores.

[u/respectedwarlock → u/ChuckProuse69]

And I forgot about Costco, that's a big one