Review: BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card

bmo-eclipse-visa-infinite-privilege-review-featured

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege is the premium crown jewel in BMO’s credit card lineup. Offering a strong earning rate on five popular spending categories, coupled with an anniversary easy-to-use lifestyle credit, complimentary airport lounge access, and good insurance coverages, this is an interesting card to consider if you prefer the BMO Rewards ecosystem and want to step up your credit card game.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card to see if this card is worth adding to your wallet.

Overview

Welcome Bonus

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card currently has a welcome bonus in which new cardholders can earn up to 120,000 BMO Rewards Points:

  • Earn 50,000 BMO Rewards points upon spending $6,000 in the first 3 months
  • Earn 30,000 BMO Rewards points upon spending $30,000 in the first 6 months
  • Earn 40,000 BMO Rewards points upon spending $75,000 in the first year

Plus: You can earn an additional $100 FlyerFunds Rebate on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card when you apply through Frugal Flyer Rebates!

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card
Apply Now Learn More Earn $100 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card earns BMO Rewards points and offers cardholders benefits including an anniversary $200 lifestyle credit and six complimentary airport lounge passes annually.

Check out our BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card review for more details.

BONUS
120,000 BMO Rewards
MINSPEND
$75,000
NET VALUE
$305+
ANNUAL FEE
$499
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Nov 30, 2024

This offer has an expiry date of Nov 30, 2024.

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card has an annual personal income requirement of $150,000 or an annual household income requirement of $200,000.

Earning Rates

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card earns BMO Rewards points for all eligible purchases made on the card at the following rates:

  • Earn 5 BMO Rewards points for every dollar spent on grocery, dining, gas, travel, and drugstore purchases (up to a combined $100,000 in spend per calendar year)
  • Earn 1 BMO Rewards point for every dollar spent on all other purchases

Once the cardholder reaches a combined amount of $100,000 in spending in the 5x categories listed above during a calendar year, all future purchases will earn 1 BMO Reward point per dollar spent.

Annual Fee

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card has an annual fee of $499. This is comparable to the annual fee on other premium credit cards in Canada, including other Visa Infinite Privilege cards in Canada.

Benefits

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card offers a number of benefits including an anniversary lifestyle credit, complimentary airport lounge access, and various travel and personal insurance coverages.

Anniversary $200 Lifestyle Credit

Each anniversary year, BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders will receive a $200 lifestyle credit. This credit is automatically applied towards the first purchase greater than $200 made during the anniversary year. There is no action required by the cardholder to access this credit.

Once the eligible purchase is made, the credit will show up as a statement credit on the next billing cycle.

Complimentary Airport Lounge Access by DragonPass

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders will receive six complimentary airport lounge passes per calendar year as part of the Visa Airport Companion membership program.

If you haven’t visited an airport lounge before, they are a great way to ease the stress of the airport before your next flight. Comfortable seating plus complimentary food and drink (including alcohol) goes a long way when compared to the annoyance of finding seating in the terminal and paying way too much for food and beverage elsewhere.

These airport lounge passes can be used for any lounge in the DragonPass lounge network and can be used for both the cardholder and their guests. There are over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide that participate in this program, so you will easily be able to use these passes on your next vacation.

dragonpass-lounge-logo-featured-image

Cardholders can enroll in the Visa Airport Companion membership program here to receive their six free airport lounge passes.

Insurance Coverage

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege credit card offers ten types of insurance coverage:

  • Emergency medical insurance
  • Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
  • Car rental collision and loss damage coverage
  • Common carrier insurance
  • Flight delay and baggage insurance
  • Hotel burglary insurance
  • Purchase security insurance
  • Extended warranty coverage
  • Mobile device insurance

Refer to the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege insurance certificate for additional details, including terms and conditions for eligibility.

Other Benefits

There are a number of other benefits available on the card that may or may not be useful for the cardholder depending on their lifestyle and travel needs, so we have combined them into this section.

Cardholders may receive priority security lane access at the airport in addition to airport parking and valet service discounts at select Canadian airports. They will also be able to access the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection to book hotel stays while receiving benefits such as free breakfast.

Cardholders will also receive access to the Visa Infinite Privilege Concierge and be able to enjoy unique dining and wine events with the Visa Infinite Dining Series and Visa Infinite Wine Country. Finally, they can also benefit from Troon Rewards® Golf benefits which provides discounts at over 95 resorts and courses around the world.

Redeeming BMO Rewards Points

BMO Rewards points can be redeemed for a number of options including travel, merchandise, gift cards, a statement credit, or a cash investment in a BMO investment account.

However, if you want to redeem BMO Rewards points for the best value, you should use them for travel purchases booked through the BMO Travel Portal. When redeeming points towards bookings made through the travel portal, the redemption rate is 150 BMO Rewards points = $1 CAD. This is the maximum value that you can expect to receive from your BMO Rewards points at a rate of 0.66 cents per point.

Comparable Credit Cards

If you are looking for a comparable premium credit card or one that offers similar earning rates on dining and grocery purchases, there are a few other cards that you should consider.

American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum card is arguably the best all-around premium credit card in Canada when it comes to perks and benefits.

American Express Platinum Card
Apply Now Learn More
American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum card earns Membership Rewards and offers cardholders a variety of benefits including an annual $200 travel credit, complimentary airport lounge access, an annual $200 dining credit, and instant elite status with many hotel loyalty programs.

In 2024, we awarded this card as the Best Credit Card for Airport Lounge Access.

BONUS
140,000 Membership Rewards
MINSPEND
$10,000
NET VALUE
$2,281+
ANNUAL FEE
$799
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Jan 28, 2025

American Express Platinum cardholders receive a $200 annual travel credit upon approval, and every anniversary year thereafter. This credit can be applied towards a single travel booking made through American Express Travel online.

The American Express Platinum card also includes a $200 annual dining credit. Cardholders will need to enroll in this benefit and will need to spend at least $200 in one purchase at an eligible restaurant as outlined by American Express.

The American Express Platinum card grants the cardholder access to many airport lounge programs through the American Express Global Lounge Collection. This includes complimentary access to American Express Centurion lounges at specific airports for the cardholder and two guests. If you are a frequent traveler, the airport lounge access on this card is much better than the six annual lounge passes offered on the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express card has a much lower annual fee than the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card but still offers a 5x earning rate on all grocery and restaurant purchases.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Apply Now Learn More Earn $150 in FlyerFunds upon approval.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express card earns Scene+ Rewards points and gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 5x Scene+ points on grocery, restaurant, and entertainment purchases. This card charges no foreign exchange fees.

Check out our Scotiabank Gold American Express card review for more details.

BONUS
45,000 Scene+
MINSPEND
$7,500
NET VALUE
$450+
ANNUAL FEE
$120 (FYF)
FOREX FEES
No
EXPIRY
Dec 31, 2024

This card earns Scene+ Rewards points which are worth 1 cent per point when redeemed for travel, which is greater value than BMO Rewards points. Scene+ Rewards can also be redeemed towards travel booked through any vendor and not just travel booked through a specific portal.

Additionally, the Scotiabank Gold American Express card is one of the few in Canada that offers no foreign exchange fees when making purchases in other currencies, saving you 2.5% on every transaction that is made in a currency other than Canadian dollars. This means that cardholders will pay only the exchange rate when completing foreign currency transactions online or in person.

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card is a great option if you are looking for a premium Aeroplan credit card or a card that is more holistically focused on travel-specific benefits.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card
Apply Now Learn More
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege Card

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* card earns Aeroplan points and offers cardholders a variety of Air Canada benefits including priority boarding, free checked baggage, and Maple Leaf lounge access.

Check out our TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card review for more details.

BONUS
80,000 Aeroplan
MINSPEND
$24,000
NET VALUE
$1,081+
ANNUAL FEE
$599
FOREX FEES
Yes
EXPIRY
Jan 6, 2025

This card earns Aeroplan points which can be redeemed for flights including premium experiences such as Air Canada Signature Class and EVA Airways business class. The card also offers a number of Air Canada specific benefits including free checked baggage and priority check-in, boarding, baggage handling, and same-day standby.

Cardholders can also access Maple Leaf Lounges free of charge when flying on a same-day Air Canada ticket.

Conclusion

When you are looking for a premium credit card in Canada, there are a number of credit cards to consider as they all offer different earning rates, benefits, credits, and annual fees. Before you apply for the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card ensure you understand what it offers to determine if it is right for your lifestyle and travel needs.

Josh Bandura

Josh Bandura

Co-Founder at Frugal Flyer
Josh has been involved in the miles and points game since 2015 but has scaled up his knowledge and points earning potential in recent years. With a consistent attitude of "min-maxing" in many aspects of his life, Josh has transferred this mindset over to the miles and points game. Always looking for the next big opportunity, he aims to share content on a variety of topics including his travels, miles and points, and most importantly, how to get the most out of your credit cards

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