PC World Elite Mastercard

PC World Elite Mastercard

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SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

Apply Now

PC World Elite Mastercard vs SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express: Which one is better?


PC World Elite Mastercard

PC World Elite Mastercard

3.1


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

4.7


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$266

PC Financial


First Year Bonus

$100

PC Financial


Annual Fee

$0


First Year Value

$366

$266 in years after

Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$534.23


First Year Bonus

$200


Annual Fee

$119.88


First Year Value

$614.35

$414.35 in years after

Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Insurance Included

  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Up to 31 days
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Doubled up to a year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $1M, Up to 10 days

Insurance Included*

  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $85K up to 48 days
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $5M/insured Person

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $100,000
  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500

Extra Benefits

  • concierge

    Concierge Services

  • shield user

    Identity Theft Assistance

Extra Benefits*

  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    Access events and special offers curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™

Interest Rates

Purchase:

21.99%

Cash Advance:

22.97%

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.99%2

Cash Advance:

21.99%2

Annual Fee

$0

Annual Fee*

$119.88

Income Required

Min Personal Income:

$80,000

Min Household Income:

$150,000

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Welcome Bonus

100,000 PC after approval of the application

Welcome Bonus*

Earn a bonus 10% cash back on all purchases for your first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases). Plus, earn a $50 statement credit when you make a purchase in month 13. This could add up to $250 in bonus value in your first 13 months.

Rewards Rate

45 points per $1 dollar spent at Shoppers Drug Mart® stores
30 points per $1 dollar spent at Atlantic Superstore, Extra Foods, Fortinos, Loblaws, Maxi, Maxi & cie, no frills, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore, SaveEasy, SuperValu, valu-mart, Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs
20 points per $1 spent in PC travel
19 points per $1 dollar spent at ESSO and Mobil (it's 30 points per liter and the assumption of average gas price of $1.6 was made)
10 points per $1 dollar spent for everything else

Rewards Rate*

  • 4% cash back on eligible gas station purchases in Canada
  • 4% cash back on eligible grocery purchases in Canada (up to $1,200 cash back annually)
  • 2% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Loyalty Program

Loyalty Program*

N/A

Point Redemption Options

  • groceries

    Groceries

    0.1¢ / point
  • gas station

    Gas (Esso)

    0.1¢ / point

Point Redemption Options*

Not Applicable

Is this card worth it?

This is a great card to have in your arsenal if you frequently shop at Shoppers Drug Mart®, Loblaw's owned chains, and ESSO and Mobil gas stations, as you will earn significant rewards in these categories. The additional benefits, such as out-of-province medical insurance, car rental damage insurance, and concierge service, are impressive and typically only come with cards that have annual fees; however, you can access these benefits for free with this card. We do not recommend using this as your primary credit card but as a supplement to another primary card, especially because there are no fees. This is because the rewards on purchases outside the mentioned shops are very average, and many other cards offer much more substantial rewards for general use.

Is this card worth it?

The Simply Cash Preferred is one of the best cashback credit cards in Canada. The base cashback rate of 2% is great for all purchases, but the 4% on groceries and gas, which are two of the highest expenses for most people is the cherry on top of their great cashback program.

Pros

  • Out-of-province medical insurance, concierge service, and car rental damage insurance—benefits that are usually included with cards that have fees—are included with this card.
  • Decent rewards on purchases at Shoppers Drug Mart®, Loblaw's owned chains, and ESSO and Mobil gas stations.

Pros

  • Highest cashback rate on groceries and gas in Canada
  • Great base cashback rate for all purchases
  • 10 different insurance types included

Cons

  • Many other high-spend categories don't earn as many rewards. Shopping at any other grocery chains, gas stations, or pharmacies will only give the base reward rate, and restaurant purchases and purchases in other categories don't earn much either.

Cons

  • Cash back is only paid out to you once a year
  • American Express has a lower merchant acceptance compared to Visa or Mastercard

Legal


*American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment. Check here for full details and current product information.
2 If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 28.99%.

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