A big thank you to everyone who has come onboard the Rewards Canada sub-reddit! When I launched it just over 2 years ago I never expected that it would grow like this. Whether you have contributed or are silent behind the scenes and just absorb all the knowledge, I really do appreciate everyone who has joined our community!

A interesting new transfer bonus! Get 20% extra when converting RBC Avion Rewards points into Triangle CT Money

We’re all used to the usual transfer bonuses from RBC to their airline partners but now they have new one in play for their Triangle Rewards partnership

From now until August 31 when you convert Avion Rewards points to Triangle Rewards you’ll get 20% bonus CT Money. With the bonus this means you’ll get $1.20 in CT Money for every 140 points transferred over. At 140 points to $1.20 this works out to a value of 0.8 cents per point. If you are Avion Elite, this is a low value for the points as you can always get 1 cent per point when redeeming for any travel however it does work out better than the statement credit option on those cards. Even with all this talk about value and how this transfer won’t be worth it for some, as I say in my videos now, “you do you”, if you aren’t chasing the maximum value and can benefit from additional CT Money, then by all means do the transfer when you have a bonus like this!

For ION and ION+ cardholders who are not doing the Avion+ION combo, this actually works out to be a decent redemption as it is better than the travel or gift card redemption value but does fall short of the 1 cent per point for converting to WestJet.

Get up to a 50% bonus when buying Avios from Qatar Airways

There is a new flash sale from Qatar Airways for buying Avios with up to a 50% bonus. When you buy Avios at that highest bonus tier of 50% you are paying 1.53 US cents each or about 1.95 cents C$ before GST/HST. After taxes it works out to about 2.18 to 2.35 cents per Avios. That’s a decent price to be buying Avios at if you can find some good availability for Qsuites at 70,000 Avios! This offer is available until Aug 25, 26

Click here to learn more: https://blog.rewardscanada.ca/daily-update/august-18-2026/

As posted on Rewards Canada earlier today:

Big news from Scotiabank today that confirms the posts on Reddit etc. from last Friday that the bank is removing rent and tax payments from the recurring bills accelerated earn rate found on their cash back Momentum Visa cards.

The changes will take place on October 22 and it primarily affects those cardholders using their cards through third party payment providers like Chexy, Neobanc, TenantPay and Casa to pay rent and taxes. At this point we do not have clarification on how other bill payments such as those for utility companies made via these companies will be coded by Scotiabank.

 

The new cash back earn rate on rent and taxes

These are the regular cash earn rates on the cards that will be in place for rent and tax payments as October 22, 2026:

• Scotia Momentum Visa No-Fee Card: 0.5%
• Scotia Momentum Visa Card: 1%
• Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + Card: 1%
• Scotia Momentum for Business Visa Card: 1%

 

Why is Scotiabank changing the earn rates?

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + Card is/was by far and away the favourite card of many to use for Chexy as it’s 4% cash back earn rate on recurring bill payments meant you could clear 2.25% on rent and tax payments after deducting Chexy’s 1.75% fee.

Even with the 4% earn rate being capped at $25,000 in spending annually, people quickly learned they could skirt the cap by simply getting another Momentum Visa Infinite + Card as Scotia has allowed individuals to hold more than one of the same card.

And with Chexy gaining in popularity over the last couple of years I’m sure the uptake on the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + Card increased significantly and it would be no surprise if many of the new cards being issued were only being used with Chexy and nowhere else.

Thus this move by Scotiabank to change the earn rates on rent and taxes as they are definitely losing money on those cardholders who are only using the cards with Chexy.

 

What about utility & other bill payments

Based on the initial wording we received from Scotia it is possible they will still earn 4% as they only made reference to rent and taxes.

 

Will other banks follow suit?

The next question we need to ask is “Who is next?” Will TD and Neo Financial follow suit? They are the only two other card issuers with larger accelerated earn rates on recurring/pre-authorized bills. Granted TD has a lower earn rate of 3% and also a lower annual spending cap of $15,000 on their TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card. Meanwhile Neo caps their 4% on recurring bills at $500 per month on the Neo World Elite Mastercard – Gas & Grocery so we may not see any movement from either of them as cardholders can’t really runaway with as big of value as was found on the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite + card.

 

Wrapping it up

The news that came out today about Scotiabank cutting earn rates on rent and tax payments doesn’t come as a surprise to me. It was not question of if they would do it, but when would they do it. This is not the first time we’ve seen a credit card issuer trying to curb losses on their products (the Amex Cobalt Card is good example) and it won’t be the last. It’s always been a game of cat and mouse and while consumers haven’t done anything intrinsically wrong and haven’t broken any rules, if the issuer is losing money, they can and will change those rules just as we see here.

And to expand on one of my Reddit comments:

In the end Scotiabank doesn’t need Chexy, Neobanc etc. and their Momentum cards did just fine long before these companies came along. The Momentum Visa Infinite + Card was and still is one of the top 5 cash back cards with an annual fee in Canada.

On the other hand, Chexy, Neobanc etc. have a bigger reliance on Scotia as these companies themselves feature the 4% cash back heavily in their marketing materials since it’s a guaranteed return that is easy to market. Come this October that marketing is going to have to shift, at least for rent and tax payments and the reliance may have to fall onto potential values of Aeroplan, Avion, etc. and that’s a little harder to sell to everyday Canadians than a guaranteed return.

An excerpt from my post earlier today on Rewards Canada

RBC’s lesser known cash back credit card portfolio is getting a refresh that will definitely be giving them a better share of the limelight. As of October 1st, 2026 both the RBC Cash Back MasterCard and RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite MasterCard will have a complete revamp of their earn rates and then on December 2 the cash back rewards will become on demand and the minimum redemption amount lowered. The World Elite card will also have more insurance coverage being added along with an increase to the annual fee.

 

The New Earn Rates on the RBC Cash Back Mastercard and Preferred World Elite Mastercards

The new earn rates for the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite MasterCard will be as follows:

• Unlimited 3% cash back on Groceries, Dining (restaurants, food delivery, and takeout), Gas, EV charging, Transit, Rideshare, Streaming, and Digital Gaming purchases
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other Net Purchases

Currently the card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases up to $25,000 annually and then 1% after. For most Canadians the new earn rates will mean they can earn double the cash back on many everyday purchases  – and it’s unlimited!

However, for those who primarily have this card to earn the excellent 1.5% cash back at merchants that typically don’t feature in accelerated earn rate categories (See Costco below), this will be a downgrade of their cash back earning of 33.3% on their first $25,000 of spending.

I do think for most consumers that do have the World Elite card, they will earn more cash back with it.

For the eagle eyed readers and credit card enthusiasts, you’ll notice these number track exactly with the earn rates on the RBC ION+ Visa Card albeit with cash back instead of points. If you are not someone running with an RBC Avion and RBC ION+ card combo to maximize value from the Avion Rewards program, the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite MasterCard will be more rewarding even with an annual fee that is $72 higher than the ION+ card.

The new earn rates for the RBC Cash Back MasterCard will be as follows:

• Unlimited 2% cash back on Groceries
• Unlimited 1% cash back on Gas, EV Charging, Rideshare, and Transit
• Unlimited 0.5% cash back on all other Net Purchases

Right now the card also earns 2% cash back on grocery purchases but it is capped at $6,000 annually. It also earns 0.5% cash back on all other purchases the first $6,000 spending and then 1% cash back after the $6,000 threshold. Having the grocery earn rate of 2% moved to unlimited is great and unlimited 1% on gas, EV Charging, Rideshare and Transit is decent but having all other spend drop to 0.5% is a pretty big cut for anyone who did spend over $6,000 on this card to get unlimited 1% earning.

I don’t feel as positive about the earn rate changes on this no fee card as I do with the World Elite card. Yes, it will be a win for some if most of their spending is on groceries but I do think it will be a loss for others with the 50% cut on all other spending (after hitting $6,000 in spending)

 

New on demand cash back rewards starting at $1

These cards already featured pretty flexible cash out options for the cash back rewards with cash back being awarded with each statement and the ability to redeem once a cardholder reached $25 in cash back rewards. That’s going to become even more flexible as cash back for purchases will be awarded once a charge posts (instead of waiting until the statement date) and the minimum redemption will be $1. This new on demand cash back matches some competitors in the market who offer similar on demand redemptions.

 

The Annual Fee on the World Elite Mastercard is increasing, but it will also come with better insurance

Annual fee increase

With this round of changes on the cards, the World Elite Mastercard which currently has a $99 annual fee will see that increased to $120 per year as of October 1st. The $21 increase isn’t too bad considering the changes however additional (Supplementary) cards will go from being free ($0) to $50 each – that hurts!

Improved Insurance Benefits

As of October 1st the World Elite Mastercard will have more insurance coverage added to its benefits package. Those new coverages are:

• Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance
• Flight Delay and Delayed Baggage Insurance
• Mobile Device Insurance

 

The World Elite Mastercard becomes a better cash back contender for many everyday purchases

3% unlimited cash back on Groceries, Dining (restaurants, food delivery, and takeout), Gas, EV charging, Transit, Rideshare, Streaming, and Digital Gaming purchases will move this card into the middle to upper echelon of rewards cards in Canada for these spending categories.

I haven’t run all the numbers yet but the card is most definitely in the top 15 cash back cards in Canada with these changes and it may actually squeeze into the Top 10.  For context, there are cards that do offer higher 4% and 5% returns on groceries and dining, some give 4% on gas and/or transit but I think it is the category of Gas where the unlimited 3% will shine for those who are driving on the road for a living.

Once the new earn rates take effect the card will also be given honourable mention in our feature on The 10 Best Cards for Dining with several other 3% dining cards that fall just shy of the top 10.

 

The World Elite Mastercard will no longer be a contender for Costco purchases

For the longest time, the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite MasterCard has been considered one of the five best Mastercards to use at Costco warehouses in Canada by Rewards Canada. Unfortunately, without the 1.5% earn rate on all purchases up to $25,000, the card with it’s 1% cash back earn rate at Costco will drop off our list of the Top 5 Mastercards for Costco.

I’m sure glad I still haven’t made the updated 2026 video for the Best Mastercards to use at Costco yet! And I can tell you I won’t be making that video today as tomorrow there are changes to other cards coming that affect the Top 5 list!

Porter Airlines is 20 years old and to kick off their 20th Anniversary celebrations they are releasing limited-edition blind boxes which also give the chance to win free flights! This is the first time Porter Airlines is offering branded merchandise to the public and it comes in the form of some fun “Little Things” vinyl collectibles and a key chain in each “The Little Things Blind Box”.

The pot gets sweetened beyond the merch as 1 out of every 500 boxes will feature a “Golden Porter Pass”, which is redeemable for 20 free flights to any Porter destination!

Each box is US$22, which works out to around C$30 plus shipping. We ordered two boxes for our kids and it worked to C$85 in total.

Blind boxes are sealed collectible packages, and the surprise reveal is a little moment of joy in itself. Per the cultural phenomenon, each The Little Things Blind Box — measuring 10.4 cm x 10.4 cm x 12.7 cm (4.1 in. x 4.1 in. x 5 in.) — contains a sealed foil bag to be opened after purchase to reveal the collectable item. Each blind box also includes a keychain to turn the little thing into an accessory.

Each box contains one of The Little Things (Ratio 1:5):

• Mr. Porter: He’s Porter’s little raccoon superstar and a mini travel companion.
• De Havilland Dash 8-400: The iconic Dash 8 has been a member of the fleet since day one.
• Embraer E195-E2: A big little thing taking traveller’s to many new places.
• Little Drink: There’s nothing quite like a generous pour served in a real glass at cruising altitude. Cheers!
• Little Luggage: A little luggage that’s just the right size for a big trip.

One thousand of each item are available. With 20 chances to find an extra little secret (Ratio 1:500)*:

• Golden Porter Pass – This is unlike anything Porter has offered before. 20. Free. Flights. This is equivalent to 10 round trips to any Porter destination.

Click here to learn more and to pre-order a Porter Airlines The Little Things Blind Box

Air Transat's new loyalty program (Announced January 19, 2026) is now in a test phase with a few select people being offered the chance to try it out ahead of their full blown launch!

I don't have access but have joined the waitlist.

However if anyone in the Rewards Canada community has been invited and would like to share more details, it would be greatly appreciated! Reply here if you are able to help find out anything about earning, redeeming etc.

Here's the link to the program's landing page https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/rewards-program

Nice to see more locations from PEI added!

Thank you to the Rewards Canada community for the following additions to our Cobalt Card confirmed multipliers list:

• The Pearl – Vancouver, British Columbia: 5x points
• BC MoMo Restaurant & Bar – Vancouver, British Columbia: 5x points
• Pilot Coffee Roasters (Online) – Canada Wide: 1x points
• Club SAW (bar) – Ottawa, Ontario: 1x points
• Sou’West – New London, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• North Lake Boathouse Eatery – North Lake, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• Buen Amigo – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• Pho Dan Restaurant – Moncton, New Brunswick: 5x points
• Ollie’s – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• Nani’s Gelato – Ontario Wide: 5x points
• Big Burger – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• Satay Brothers – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Pizza Toni – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Pasta Pooks – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Cam’s Dejeuner – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Shaka Club – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Pizzeria Crosta – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Alphabet Cafe – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• St. Viateur Bagel – Montreal, Quebec: 5x points
• Pie Wood Fired Pizza Joint – Muskoka Lakes, Ontario: 5x points
• Muskoka Steamships – Gravenhurst, Ontario: 1x points
• Booking.com (Online) – Canada Wide: 1x points
• Waffleland Cafe – Vancouver, British Columbia: 5x points
• Le Parfait – Vancouver, British Columbia: 5x points
• Datcha – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• Budley’s Restaurant – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: 5x points
• Garcia’s Sandwich Shop – Waterdown, Ontario: 5x points
• Tesla Motors Canada (including subscriptions) – Canada Wide: 1x points
• Nomad (Thunder Bay Airport) – Thunder Bay, Ontario: 5x points
• Norteños Taqueria – Thunder Bay, Ontario: 5x points
• Shekho’s Shawarma – Thunder Bay, Ontario: 5x points
• Adore Cake – Markham, Ontario: 5x points
• Oklahoma Burgers – Toronto, Ontario: 5x points
• Tondou Ramen – Toronto, Ontario: 5x points
• Hinoya Curry – Toronto, Ontario: 5x points
• Bagsaway – Toronto, Ontario: 1x points
• Alpha’s Shawarma – Toronto, Ontario: 5x points
• Hockey Sushi – Ottawa, Ontario: 5x points
• Northwest Florist – Calgary, Alberta: 1x points
• Mariposa Bakery – Orillia, Ontario: 5x points
• John Max Sports & Wings – Windsor, Ontario: 5x points