Monday, September 9, 2019

Hotel Review: Best Western Cranbrook


Another Bill W  review for you! Bill is a true road warrior, his work has him driving and flying across Western and Central Canada every week while staying in a variety hotels from a variety of chains.  Bill has been reading, following and even giving Rewards Canada tips and updates for a very long time so let's welcome him back with this contribution!  

The Best Western Cranbrook is in the beautiful Kootenay mountain region of British Columbia on Highway 3 (Crowsnest) close to downtown Cranbrook.

This 4-story hotel is approximately 15 years old and has 94 rooms. This includes 3 specialty suites with 2 separate bedrooms and a full kitchen. There are also several spa suites available. I found the hotel and its grounds to be very inviting. The upkeep and maintenance of the hotel certainly portrays an appearance of a newer hotel and I found it to be very clean and well-maintained.


 The room has quite the spacious feeling due to the 9’ ceilings. It is nicely appointed with a king size bed, full-size couch/hide-a-bed, work desk, coffee maker, and minifridge. The 42” wall mounted TV is quite nice and offers a variety of Shaw channels including some in high definition.



 Power outlets are in good supply in the room. The desk area had 2 outlets on the wall along with 2 in the base of the lamp. Each lamp on the sides of the bed had 2 power outlets as well. Sometimes it is difficult to find a convenient place to charge your equipment, not so with this hotel and this is certainly appreciated.



The bathroom had both a tub and shower (The shower nozzle is mounted at 6 feet which will allow taller travellers a more comfortable shower). There are also the usual amenities (soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shower cap & hair dryer). The shower and toilet are separate from the sink and counter, which makes it easier for two people to get ready for their day as they are not jostling for room.

The temperature in the room was very easy to maintain. The wall-mounted control was very easy to operate and responded instantly to any setting changes (It was 32°C while I was here, hence the need to cool the room was very important).

Pets may be accepted, but it is best to check with the hotel at time of booking.

Parking is no issue at this hotel.  They have close to 80 parking spaces including 3 handicapped stalls and 4 reserved for motorcycles. I haven’t seen this option at any other hotels but is actually a very good idea as this area sees a lot of motorcycle traffic in the summer.


 The True Root cafe in the hotel is open for both breakfast and lunch. They do not offer a dinner service, but there are quite a few restaurants within a short walking distance (Mr. Mike’s and East Side Mario’s to name a few). The breakfast menu was good and the pricing reasonable. The food quality was great, was served within a reasonable amount of time and the staff very friendly and outgoing.





The fitness centre is open 24 hours and has a good variety of equipment available to help you maintain your fitness regimen. The games room has a pinball machine, table hockey and foosball.
The indoor pool area is very open with lots of natural light. The waterslide is a good way to keep the kids occupied (and quite frankly the adults too). A fun way to cool off after a day of hiking/sightseeing. (Also a good way to ease those stiff joints if you have overdone it during the day)

One very nice surprise was the patio area at the back of the hotel. They have a couple of tables and chairs where you can kick back and relax in the afternoon sun (the patio is located on the West side of the hotel).  They even have a couple of chaise lounges out on the grass. It was quite quiet back there as it is away from the main roadway.
 
There is a business centre with computer and printer available should you need to print any documents. The wireless Internet service is provided at no cost.  I didn’t have many issues with it, though it was a bit sluggish during the evening (a typical high-use time). During the morning and afternoon it was fine.

The railway tracks run behind the hotel, but the sound of the trains as they came through was quite minimal, more like background noise. The trains do not sound the whistle as they come through town.

The Front Desk staff were very positive and greeted us promptly on arrival. Our rooms were ready when we checked in and we were recognized as Best Western Diamond Select members. I had the opportunity to speak with Simran and Lynelle and they were both very helpful and able to provide me with information about the hotel.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone who is travelling through the area. The hotel is very easy to find and offers great access to all the businesses and amenities you would need during your stay.

Hotel details
Best Western Cranbrook Hotel  (Book here)
Best Western Rewards Points required for a free night 20,000 to 24,000 Points

Talk to us! Have you stayed at the Best Western Plus Cranbrook Hotel? What are your thoughts of the hotel? Or are you planning to and looking forward to it? Let us know below! 

September 9 Update: Up to a 100% bonus when you buy MileagePlus miles, Hilton's 2x points promo starts today & Air Canada launching Toronto-Brussels flights

 Today only sees a buy miles bonus from United MileagePlus. You can earn up to a 100% bonus when you buy miles up until 11:59pm CT.  Find out more and buy miles here.
Buy 5,000 - 19,000 miles | Get 25% bonus miles
Buy 20,000 - 49,000 miles | Get 50% bonus miles
Buy 50,000 - 87,500 miles | Get 100% bonus miles

 Bonus Points Reminder! As of today you should be earning Double Hilton Honors points on all your Hilton stays Worldwide! If you haven't registered for the offer yet you can do so here. Already registered? Simply book your Hilton stays here!

Air Canada announced last week they will launch new year round flights between Toronto and Brussels, Belgium. The flights, which will operate up to 5x per week, start in May 2020 and will be operated with a Boeing 787-8. (Source Air Canada)

Brussels Airlines, who is Air Canada' Star Alliance partner will discontinue their Toronto to Brussels flights in January and then come summer 2020 will launch Montreal to Brussels seasonal flights (Source Routesonline)

Hainan Airlines looks to be changing their Calgary - Beijing flights to seasonal as they will not be flying the route between late October and late March 2020. This made the news here in YYC as this is the flight that was being used to bring in fresh bamboo for the pandas that are on loan to the Calgary Zoo. The zoo is now looking for other ways to get the bamboo here. (Soure Routesonline)


Posts since our last update:

Travel Deals

Europcar Fall Sale: Save up to 35% on all rentals Worldwide. Book by Sep 30 for rentals until Dec 16. Find out more here.

Stay at participating Waldorf Astoria or Conrad Hotels for 2 or more nights and enjoy a daily $100 hotel credit

KLM's Dream Deals
are here again! Book by September 11 to save on Economy or Business Class flights from Canada to Europe, Africa, the Middle East & Asia. Economy class fares start at $672 and business class at $3,222 round trip! Click here for details on the business class sale or here for the economy class sale!

Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!

Canadian Bonus Offers

Air Canada Aeroplan
- Earn Your Wings 8th Edition - Earn Thousands of bonus Aeroplan Miles for completing Air Canada flights and other travel related tasks. More... For AC Altitude Members only Register and book Sep 9 - Oct 18 for travel until Nov 29, 19

Other Bonus Offers

Le Club AccorHotels
- Quadruple Le Club AccorHotels Points for stays at participating new Accor Hotels Worldwide. More... Book by Oct 21 for stays until Dec 8, 19
- 1,000 Bonus Le Club AccorHotels points for stays at participating Accor Hotels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia. More... Book by Oct 4 for stays until Oct 5, 19

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Double KrisFlyer Miles when you stay for at least 3 consecutive nights at Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Marina Mandarin Singapore or Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi. More... Book by Sep 30 for stays until Dec 19, 19

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Double ROP Miles for stays at the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, Emporium Suites by Chatrium, Chatrium Residence Sathon Bangkok or the Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon. More... Until Oct 31, 19

Turkish Airlines Miles &Smiles
- 30% Bonus Miles&Smiles Miles when you fly on Turkish Airlines between Istanbul and Akanbe Astana Dammam Graz Isfahan Alexandria Kabul Malta Marrakech Mazar-ı Sharif Stockholm Skopje Varna or Voronezh. More... Oct 1 - 31, 19
- 30% Miles&Smiles Discount when you redeem for award travel on Turkish Airlines between Istanbul and various cities in Europe, Africa, and Asia. More... Oct 1 - 31, 19

World of Hyatt
- Earn up to Triple World of Hyatt Points starting with your second qualifying stay at over 900 participating hotels and resorts worldwide. More... Register by Oct 31 for stays Sep 15 - Dec 15, 19

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Save up to 25% on IHG hotel stays Worldwide! Book by September 24 for stays until March 31, 2020


IHG's back to school sale, entitled Stay in the Moment, offers everyone up to 20% off the best flexible rates at IHG hotels Worldwide. If you are an IHG Rewards Club member you'll receive an additional 5% off for a total discount of 25%. That's a pretty decent discount if you know you have some stays you have to complete since the discounted rate must be prepaid and is non-refundable. Simply book by September 24 for stays until March 31, 2020. If you are not a member of IHG Rewards Club you can join here for free to make sure you get that additional 5% off!

Click here to learn more about this sale or to book it!

Remember as well to register for IHG Rewards Club's various bonus points offers to earn more points on these stays:
Find Rewards Canada's complete list of IHG Rewards Club Bonus points offers right here!


[OFFER EXPIRED] New offer for the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card - 10% Cash Back for first 4 months & first year annual fee rebate


THIS OFFER IS EXPIRED

CIBC is taking on TD premium cash back offers with their own offer on their CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite card.  CIBC's offer is pretty much a match to TD with 10% cash back on $2,000 in purchases (so up to $200 cash back) and waiving the first year annual fee on the card. The only difference between CIBC's and TD's offer is that CIBC gives you four billing cycles to make the $2,000 in spending versus TD's 3 months.

Once the bonus 10% is up the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card will earn you 4% cash back on eligible gas and grocery purchases,  2% cash back on Tim Hortons and TELUS purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Now you should note that "the 4% and 2% cash back offers are only available on the first $80,000 in net annual card purchases (meaning all card purchases by all cardholders, at any type of merchant) or $20,000 on gas, grocery, Tim Hortons or TELUS purchases on your account, whichever comes first; after that, net card purchases at all merchants, including grocery stores, service stations/automatic gas dispensers, Tim Hortons or TELUS will earn cash back at the regular rate of 1%." This means if you have $80K in overall spending on the card you lose the 4% and 2% cash back rates even if you didn't spend a dime in those categories. Just something to take note of!

Should you chose to keep the card after the first year the annual fee is $120. The card also comes with some good insurance benefits likes out of province emergency travel medical insurance, trip interruption insurance and more.



You can also see how this card stacks up against other Cash Back cards on our Cash Back Credit Card Comparison chart.

World of Hyatt – Earn up to Triple Points for stays at over 900 locations Worldwide (Starting with 2nd stay)


World of Hyatt has released their fall global bonus points promotion. The offer awards double or triple World of Hyatt points for all stays starting with your second stay at participating Hyatt locations Worldwide. This is somewhat similar to Hilton’s promotion except Hilton’s kicks in on the first stay.

Offer details:
Earn up to Triple World of Hyatt Points starting with your second qualifying stay at over 900 participating hotels and resorts worldwide. Register online (Registration is required) Register by Oct 31 for stays Sep 15 – Dec 15, 19
  • Earn Triple Points at nearly 350 Hyatt Place hotels in cities like New York, London, Tokyo and more.
  • Earn Double Points at over 550 other Hyatt hotels worldwide and participating M life Rewards destinations and Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotels.
You can combine the above offer with these other World of Hyatt offers:
  • Double World of Hyatt Elite Qualifying Nights for stays at Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara resorts. Register online (Registration is required)
  • 2,000 Bonus World of Hyatt Points for your first stay at each of Hyatt’s new brands of Thompson Hotels (starting March 28), Joie de Vivre (starting May 15), Alila and Destination Hotels (both coming soon) Maximum bonus of 8,000 points. Plus earn a free night if you stay at all four brands. Full details and online booking
  • 500 Bonus World of Hyatt points for stays at select new Hyatt Hotels Worldwide. Full details
Click here to see our complete list of World of Hyatt bonus points promotions.

Air Canada Earn Your Wings Returns - AC Altitude members can earn thousands of bonus Aeroplan Miles


The latest edition of Air Canada's Earn Your Wings is here! Like the previous five editions it is strictly for Air Canada Altitude members. This version runs just like the previous one where you earn badges for completing various travel related tasks and then those badges get converted to Aeroplan miles.  For every 2,000 wings you receive you will earn 2,000 Aeroplan miles. This year, you'll even get 50 Wings simply for being an existing Aeroplan-affiliated cardholder of TD® Aeroplan® CreditCards,  and CIBC®Aerogold® Visa(tm).

How can you earn Wings? Here's a sample of how easy it is to rack up Wings and Bonus Aeroplan Miles:
* Earn 500 Wings simply for registering
* Earn a minimum of 100 Wings for every takeoff and for every landing on any Air Canada flight (including flights operated under the Air Canada Express brand) and Air Canada Rouge. This translates to a minimum of 200 Wings per flight segment. Destinations and Super Destinations are valued anywhere from 200 to 2,000 Wings
* Earn 300 Wings by booking an Avis or Budget car rental via Aircanada.com
* Earn 300 Wings by booking a hotel stay via Aircanada.com
* Make an Air Canada Bistro purchase and earn a minimum of 25 Wings
* Earn 750 Wings for applying for an Aeroplan-affiliated Credit Card with TD or American Express between September 9 - November 29, 2019.
* Get 50 Wings when you complete three unique Aeroplan partner transactions and use your Aeroplan card during the contest.
* Earn extra Wings by collecting badges (see Collect Badges)
* Finish in the Top 10 and earn your equal share of 10,000,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles. Finish in positions 11–30 and you’ll earn your equal share of another 10,000,000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles. Finish in positions 31–50 and earn an equal share of 1,000 eUpgrade Credits. Players who land in positions 51–60 will each receive a $500 Air Canada Gift Card. For final approach in positions 61–80, earn a $250 American Express Gift Card. And when you taxi into positions 81–100, you'll receive a 1-day Avis Reward Day car rental voucher.
* For complete Terms and Conditions, click here


To participate in Earn Your Wings you must be an Air Canada Altitude member and register online at: https://earnyourwings.aircanada.com/en by Oct 18th. Flights booked between Sep 9 and Oct 18th that are completed by Nov 29th will count towards earning your wings.

Here are just a few of the badges that you can earn additional Wings with:



Friday, September 6, 2019

September 6 Update: New National Bank of Canada credit card page, see any movie for half the SCENE points on Sep 27 and more!


Earlier today we posted the details of the new offer for the National Bank of Canada World Elite Mastercard and have now also created a page on the main Rewards Canada site for National Bank cards. As of right now the World Elite card is the only one listed but we will add their other cards to the page shortly. Click here to see the page.


You'll want to mark September 27th on your calendars if you want to score some good value out of your SCENE points. All movies on that day can be seen with the half the SCENE points you normally require. You can start booking the tickets at the 50% off price on September 24th. Find out more here.
 Redeem 625 SCENE points for any regular admission or 3D ticket, 1000 points for any Enhanced ticket including UltraAVX®, IMAX®, D-BOX®, 4DX® and ScreenX® (including those in 3D) or 1,250 points for any VIP ticket (legal drinking age required) for showtimes on September 27, 2019 at any Cineplex theatre. SCENE members can redeem this offer once during the promotional period. SCENE members must provide their SCENE member card or membership number when purchasing movie tickets in order to participate in this promotion. Tickets will be made available for sale on September 24, 2019 and the promotion applies to all tickets purchased in-theatre, online or on the mobile app during the campaign period. No time extensions or substitutions. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer and does not apply to food purchases. Additional restrictions may apply.


Posts since our last update:

Travel Deals

Hilton Asia Pacific 100th Anniversary Sale – Save up to 20% for stays through to February 2020

KLM's Dream Deals
are here again! Book by September 11 to save on Economy or Business Class flights from Canada to Europe, Africa, the Middle East & Asia. Economy class fares start at $672 and business class at $3,222 round trip! Click here for details on the business class sale or here for the economy class sale!

Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!


Canadian Bonus Offers

N/A

Other Bonus Offers

British Airways Executive Club
- 30% Bonus Avios when you buy or gift Avios online. More... Until Sep 24, 19

Hilton Honors
- 1,000 Bonus Honors Points PER NIGHT when you stay on the Grand Opening offer at the DoubleTree by Hilton Phoenix Chandler. More... Until Nov 20, 19

Marriott Bonvoy
- 1,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays at the Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key. More... Until Oct 31, 19
- Earn 10,000 Bonus Bonvoy points when you book Air+Hotel packages of 4 or more nights at participating Marriott Hotels & Resorts in Asia Pacific. More... Book by Oct 1 for travel until Dec 15, 19

Rocketmiles
- 5,000 Bonus Miles / Points with most Rocketmiles partners when you make your first booing at select properties Worldwide. . More... Book by Dec 31, 19

SriLankan FlySmiles
- Earn up to 6x FlySmiles when you rent a car at participating Avis locations for 3 or more days in USA (exclude Alaska), Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. More... Sep 30 for rentals until Dec 15, 19



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New welcome offer for the National Bank of Canada World Elite Mastercard - up to $480 cash back in the first year


National Bank of Canada has released a new welcome bonus for the premier card in their portfolio - the NBC World Elite Mastercard. The provides new cardholders with the opportunity to earn up to $40 in cash back each month for the first 12 months of having the card. When you spend at least $500 each month NBC will give you that $40 up to $480 if you meet that spend in all 12 months. This bonus is over and above the regular points earn and other benefits that come with the card. To take advantage of this particular offer you must apply for the card by October 31, 2019.

The NBC World Elite Mastercard is a this bank's top card and it is a pretty good card overall. It doesn't make it into the Top 5 of any of our categories in Canada's Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards but it's not that far out. I would definitely place it in the Top 10 of the Travel Points category in Canada.  The reason for this is that the card normally doesn't have a welcome bonus, so this limited time offer is a welcome bonus! Pun intended. It also a bit weak in the rewards department when you line this card up against comparable offerings from other banks. With a variable earn rate of 1.5 points to 2 points per dollar spent and a travel redemption value ranging from 0.83 to 1.0 cent per point makes this card provide a return of 1.25 to 2% (and the 2% is only awarded on your spend between $40,000 and $80,000 annually). So you can see where this card lacks compared to its competition however where it doesn't lack is in the insurance department. It has some of the best insurance benefits you can find in Canada, in particular for out of province travel medical insurance.  The Travel Medical Insurance provides up to $5,000,000 in coverage per person and covers travel of up to 60 days for those up to 54 years old, 31 days for 55-64 years old and 15 days to 74 years old.

The card also provides up to $250 in annual rebates for associated costs with travel broken down as follows: up to $100 on airport parking, $50 on seat selection and $100 on baggage fees. This is another nice benefit to have if you can utilize it!

In the end you will end up $330 ahead if choose to get this card as we take into account the $150 annual and subtract that from the $480 cash back bonus. That's a pretty decent bonus in terms of value. It's nice to see NBC up their game a bit in the welcome bonus field as their competitors tend to always offer something on their cards.

Learn more about this limited time offer here. 



Thursday, September 5, 2019

September 5 Update: Air Canada Cafe set to open tomorrow at YYZ, Sandman Hotels extends bonus stamps offer and more!


Air Canada will be opening up their first Air Canada Cafe in the domestic gate area of Toronto Pearson International tomorrow. This is reminiscent of the Maple Leaf Lounge Express they opened up earlier this year in the U.S. departures section!

Video tour of the new Air Canada Cafe at Toronto Pearson International Airport from Air Canada on Vimeo.
Air Canada is serving up its newest offering for premium customers with the opening of the Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Conveniently located in the domestic gate area, the café will offer customers a wide selection of specialty beverages to Grab & Go or to be enjoyed with complimentary Wi-fi in a relaxed, bistro-type setting.
"We are thrilled to unveil this innovative product, one we are sure will create buzz not only for our customers, but the entire industry. Air Canada's premium clientele will have access to this new Café, revolutionizing the coffee shop experience at Toronto Pearson. It will offer a wide selection of beverages and food that can be taken to go," said Andrew Yiu, Vice President, Product at Air Canada.
Passengers will be able to visit the Barista Station for freshly squeezed orange juice, a wide selection of Lavazza Coffee, cold brew mocktails, specialty hot drinks or Lavazza Cold Brew. A self-serve station will offer Greenhouse Juice products such as kombuchas and a variety of organic, cold-press juices available in individual-size bottles, coffee, tea, flavoured waters, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages.  Other items such as Lindt truffle chocolates, OKA fine cheese and Gouter premium pastries will also be offered.

Before 11 a.m., passengers will be able to enjoy a selection of breakfast foods such as yogurt, fresh fruits and pastries. After 11 a.m., the Café will offer an assortment of freshly prepared salads, sandwiches, cheeses and more. It will offer complimentary Wi-fi and access to digital newspapers and magazines in partnership with PressReader, which makes the content of more than 7,000 newspapers and magazines in 60 languages.

A highlight of the Café will be a large mural by Canadian artist Shawn Evans of the places he has lived and travelled. The painting draws upon his memories to evoke the deep and immense spaces found under the prairie sky, to the mountainous regions of the West, to the streetscapes of Toronto.
The Air Canada Café officially opens on Friday, Sept 6 and will complement the existing Maple Leaf Lounges at Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is located at gate D20 and will be open all day seven days a week. It offers comfortable seating for 109 customers, power and USB ports throughout the Café, washrooms and a customer service desk staffed by Premium Agents.
Are you planning on visiting this cafe anytime soon? Let us know! We'd love to have one of the Rewards Canada community review it for us (and just so you know - we pay for the reviews!) (Source Air Canada)

Photo courtesy of Air Canada
.

Sandman Hotels has extended their bonus stamps promotion for their Lucky13 program. You will now be able to earn bonus stamps on Sandman Hotel stays until Apr 30, 20. Find out more here.


Triple Aeroplan Miles are coming soon for Costco.ca purchases. The offer launches on September 9 and will run until September 22. You'll need to use promo code AERO3 at check out to earn the bonus miles.


Posts since our last update:

Travel Deals

Hilton Asia Pacific 100th Anniversary Sale – Save up to 20% for stays through to February 2020

WestJet
is running a long term seat sale, that is for when you need to travel - from now until the end of April 2020. Must book by today! Find out more here!

KLM's Dream Deals
are here again! Book by September 11 to save on Economy or Business Class flights from Canada to Europe, Africa, the Middle East & Asia. Economy class fares start at $672 and business class at $3,222 round trip! Click here for details on the business class sale or here for the economy class sale!

Remember to visit Rewards Canada's Travel Booking site to book travel directly with many of your favourite airlines, hotels and more!

Canadian Bonus Offers

Air Canada Aeroplan
- 50% Bonus Aeroplan Miles when you convert Radisson Rewards points to Aeroplan miles. More... Until Sep 30, 19

Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- September Promo Rewards – Save 20% to 50% on the Award Miles usually required for an award ticket. This month sees 25% off business class flights out of Toronto. More... Book by Sep 30 for travel Nov 1 – Dec 31, 19

HSBC Rewards
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus HSBC Rewards Points with the HSBC World Elite Mastercard. More... Until Dec 16, 19

Other Bonus Offers

Aegean Miles+Bonus
- Earn 20% Bonus Miles+Bonus Miles when you fly on any Aegean Airlines or Olympic Air flight. More... Until Sep 30, 19
- 30% Miles&Bonus Discount on select award tickets within Greece and between Greece and Europe, the Middle East or Africa. More... Until Nov 30, 19

China Airlines Dynasty Flyer
- Earn up to 4x Dynasty Flyer Miles when you rent a car at participating Avis locations for 3 or more days in the US (excludes Alaska), Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. More... Book by Sep 30 for rentals Dec 15, 19

IHG Rewards Club
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points for stays at the Kimpton Edinburgh Charlotte Square, Kimpton Glasgow Blythswood Square or the Kimpton Fitzroy London. More... Until Nov 30, 19
- Double IHG Rewards Club Points for stays at the Hotel Indigo New York Lower East Side, InterContinental New York Times Square or the InterContinental New York Barclay. More... Until Dec 13, 19

Marriott Bonvoy
- 3,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays at the Four Points by Sheraton Perth. More... Until Nov 24, 19
- 3,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays at the Aloft Perth. More... Until Nov 24, 19
- 3,000 Bonus Bonvoy Points for stays at the Westin Perth. More... Until Nov 24, 19


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Debunking the myth of American Express Cards not being widely accepted

This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.


One comment I hear time and time again from our readers is that they don’t want an American Express card because the cards aren’t widely accepted. They come to us for advice on getting a new credit card and this is one of the statements that I usually find in their initial email to us. I then proceed to help educate them on the truth surrounding the cards and that they should really consider an American Express. Two of the main reasons why are that American Express cards are some of the most rewarding cards in Canada - if you are looking to rack up lots of points that have value and are flexible to use, you want to go with American Express and the second reason is increased acceptance.

Over the past few years American Express has been aggressive in adding new merchants to their portfolio. In 2017 alone, American Express are added over 70,000 retailers and this was topped in 2018 with over 96,000 new retailers in Canada starting to accept the cards. This is not even limited to brick and mortar stores - most online retailers or small business using third party payment processing to accept cards, accept American Express. I can speak from personal experience that when I am at my daughters' sporting events, the companies taking and selling the photos and videos, have all accepted American Express via their card reader attached to their iPad or iPhone thanks to those third party payment processors! Here are some stats provided by American Express breaking down some of the 96,000+ new retailers added in 2018:
  • Over 47,000 Service provider locations in Canada started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
  • Over 27,000 Shopping locations in the Canada started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
  • Over 16,500 Dining locations in Canada started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
and by major city
  • Over 20,000 places in the Toronto area started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018
  • Over 10,000 places in the Montreal area started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
  • Over 9,000 places in the Vancouver area started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018
  • Over 5,000 places in the Calgary area started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
To further educate cardmembers about card acceptance and encourage them to use their cards at non major retailers, American Express also has their Shop Small program, which is a map based feature on the American Express website that allows you to find small merchants who accept the cards. I find myself regularly looking at the map to see who accepts the cards. You'd be surprised at the type of merchants who do accept the cards - my daughters were out shopping (they are additional cardholders under my wife's accounts) and were able to even use an American Express card at a second hand vintage clothing store.

Continuing on personal experience of using the cards I would say close to 95% of all of the purchases that the Rewards Canada household has, are placed on our American Express cards. From dining to cell phone bills to travel, almost all of our spending is put on American Express cards. We have four different Amex cards in our family and here is a breakdown of how we utilize them for our purchases:
If you want to learn more about the various American Express cards that are available to Canadians I would suggest you start with our American Express summary page as this lists all the cards with all their features. If you don't currently have an American Express card but are thinking of getting one, I would recommend starting with any one of these three cards first and then adding more once you are up to speed with them:
  • American Express Cobalt™ Card In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 2,500 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $500 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 30,000 points in a year.
  • American Express Gold Rewards Card
    New American Express® Gold Rewards Cardmembers can earn a Welcome Bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards® points just by making $1,500 in purchases in the first three months of Cardmembership.
  • SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express
    New SimplyCashTM Preferred Card from American Express Cardmembers can earn 5% cash back on all eligible purchases (up to $300 cash back) for the first 6 months of Cardmembership.
 Further resources that can help you in your points and miles journey:

Title Image source: Reddit