American Express Cobalt® Card vs Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card: Which one is better?
American Express Cobalt® Card
5
Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card
4.4
Finly Rebate
N/A
Finly Rebate
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$1,096
American Express Membership Rewards
First Year Bonus
$315
American Express Membership Rewards
Annual Fee
$155.8
First Year Value
$1,255.2
$940.2 in years after
Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$346.79
First Year Bonus
$84.95
Annual Fee
$0
First Year Value
$431.74
$346.79 in years after
Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Insurance Included*
Extended Warranty
Up to 1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$500
Baggage Delay
$500.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
yes
Travel Accident
$250,000
Mobile Device Insurance
$1,000
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$500
Emergency Out of province Medical
15 daysFlight Delay
$500
Insurance Included*
Extended Warranty
Up to 1 yearPurchase Protection
Up to 90 days
Extra Benefits*
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Travel Credit
Book two or more consecutive nights at participating properties through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel to receive a $100 credit for amenities or a complimentary room upgrade, if available.
Amex Experiences™
Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™
Extra Benefits*
N/A
Interest Rates*
Purchase:
21.99%1
Cash Advance:
21.99%1
Interest Rates*
Purchase:
20.99%2
Cash Advance:
22.99%2
Balance Transfer:
22.99%2
Annual Fee*
$155.8
Annual Fee*
$0
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
$15,000
Min Household Income:
$15,000
Welcome Bonus*
Earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases on your Card in the first Year
Welcome Bonus*
Earn up to 10% cash back† for your first 3 months up to $1,000 eligible spend.
Rewards Rate*
- 5x points per $1 spent on eligible eats and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery (up to 12,500 points per month)
- 3x points per $1 spent on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada
- 2x points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit & ride share in Canada
- 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Rewards Rate*
- 4% cash back on eligible restaurant, bar, and coffee shop purchases up to $5,000 spent per year†
- 1.5% cash back on gas, groceries, drugstore, and pre-authorized payments up to $15,000 spent per year†
- 0.5% cashback on all other purchases†
Loyalty Program*
Loyalty Program*
N/A
Point Redemption Options*
Most Optimal
Transfer to Airline Partners
2.1¢ / point
Fixed Point Travel Program
1.66¢ / point
Transfer to Hotel Partners
1.66¢ / point
Statement Credits (Cash)
1¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.765¢ / point
Amazon.ca
0.7¢ / point
Merchandise
0.63¢ / point
Point Redemption Options*
Not Applicable
Is this card worth it?
This card was voted the Best Credit Card in Canada by FinlyWealth. The rewards earned on this card for a person with average spending exceed those of other credit cards in Canada by a huge margin! In addition, this card has a good benefits coverage, a flexible points redemption program (1:1 transfer to Aeroplan® or Avios), making it the best candidate to become the main credit card for the majority of people.
Is this card worth it?
If you dine out a lot and don't want to pay an annual fee for your credit card, the Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card will undoubtedly be one of your best friends with its 4% cashback. Additionally, the card offers a decent cashback rate (1.5%) for gas, pharmacy, and groceries, making it one of the best no-annual-fee cashback credit cards in Canada. However, there are limits on how much you can earn in these categories. Therefore, you need to be careful not to exceed those limits; otherwise, your cashback rate will drop to 0.5% after those spending limits are reached.
Pros
- Points can be transferred to Air Canada Aeroplan® at a 1:1 ratio, making this card a solid Aeroplan® points earner as an alternative to Aeroplan® branded credit cards
- Generous welcome bonus of up to 15,000 points
- 4+ different ways of redeeming your points for great value
- 10 different types of insurance, including travel
- Often referred to as the Best Credit Card in Canada
Pros
- Highest cashback rate on restaurant purchases in Canada!
- Decent cashback rate on high spent categories such as groceries and gas.
- No annual fee for a card with great rewards.
Cons
- Less acceptance of American Express at different merchants across Canada
- Not all types of travel insurance are covered, especially trip cancellation and interruption insurance
Cons
- No insurance and benefits other than the standard purchase protection and extended warranty.
- Cap on the rewards that can be earned on each category.
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Other Comparisons
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vs Rogers Red Mastercard®
vs Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
vs RBC ION+ Visa
vs American Express® Green Card
vs PC World Elite Mastercard
vs MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®
vs Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card
vs SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express
vs Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard®
vs Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
vs BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard®
vs CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
vs CIBC Costco Mastercard
vs Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card
vs SimplyCash® Card from American Express
American Express Cobalt® Card vs Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card: When to go for one over the other
Annual Fees and Requirements
Rewards Comparison
Redemption Options
Benefits and Insurance Comparison
Network Comparison
Conclusion
Legal