Upcoming Changes on BMO Financial Products

One of my friends told me that there will be changes on some BMO credit cards:

• BMO Air Miles WEMC: Reduce the Air Mile Flight Redemption discount from 25% to 15%【Now I see why BMO provides 3000 Air Miles to the new applicants...】
• BMO Air Miles World/Gold/Small Business Card: Discontinue the 25% Air Miles Flight Redemption discount
• BMO Rewards World Elite MasterCard：BMO will add a bonus rewards earn to Travel/Dining and Entertainment purchase【this one sounds good】
• BMO Rewards World Elite MasterCard：Waiver of annual fee for BMO Private Banking clients【not related to me anyway...】
• BMO Rewards MasterCard：remove Common Carrier insurance

My friend told me that I may see those changes on the Nov credit card statement.

I do have the BMO Air Miles WEMC, and I don't have the BMO Rewards WEMC. So, I only see bad news here. Considering that BMO just reduced the earning rate of Cash Back WEMC from 1.75% to 1.5%, I was wondering what will happen next to other BMO products...

Updated on Oct 20, 2017: A picture is worth a thousand words. I got a new version of those BMO changes...

There is a bad news for BMO Rewards WEMC: the number of points needed to redeem for $1 in travel rewards will increase from 100 to 135 BMO rewards points, effective Jan 15, 2018! This makes the return ratio decreased from 2% to 1.48%, which is even lower than the current BMO Cashback WEMC (1.5%)... The points value for gift cards/merchandise/financial contribution redemption will be improved by up to 25% (but I am not interested in those items...). I think I may move to RBC WestJet WEMC or MBNA Alaska WEMC after Jan 2018.

BTW, BMO will also make some changes to their everyday bank plan fees, effective Dec 1, 2017.

Updated on Oct 24, 2017: Just FYI, I am not a fan of fake news, and I do NOT make fake news. I did not get paid for this post, and I did not pay any other people for the information. I just posted what I heard from my friends. Up to now, I still 100% believe that these BMO changes will happen soon.

Updated on Oct 26, 2017: Just FYI, some updates from RFD.

Updated on Nov 17, 2017: now it is official...

Get another $5 when you first time sign in to the Amazon App

Expiry: Dec 2, 2017

Compared with the previous Amazon Cash $5 credit, this one is much easier. All you need to do is download the Amazon app to your smartphone and sign in for the 1st time before Dec 2.

Get a $5 Amazon Credit

Deal Link: https://www.amazon.ca/www.amazon.ca/b/?node=17321486011
Expiry: Dec 16, 2017

Amazon Cash is the fast, no fee way to add cash to your Amazon Balance and is currently available at thousands of Canada Post locations => This is just a ads from Amazon... From my understanding, this service is mainly for those people who don't like to use credit card for online shopping, and Amazon/Canada Post help them buy Amazon gift cards with cash.

Try Amazon Cash for the first time by adding CAD$20 or more to your Amazon Balance and earn a CAD$5 Amazon Credit towards your next purchase on Amazon.ca. Your discount will automatically be applied at checkout. This is a limited time offer, one per Amazon customer account. The promotional credit expires on December 31, 2017.

Note:

• Amazon Cash transaction must occur between 12:01 am (PT) on Novmber 14, 2017 and 11:59 pm (PT) December 16, 2017.
• Offer limited to the first time a customer uses Amazon Cash.
• Offer only applies to products sold by Amazon.ca (look for "sold by Amazon.ca" on the product detail page). Products sold by third-party sellers or other Amazon entities will not qualify for this offer, even if "fulfilled by Amazon.ca" or "Prime Eligible".
• Shipping charges and taxes may apply to the full value of discounted and free promotional items.
• Offer limited to one per customer and account.
• The maximum benefit you may receive from this offer is $5 off products sold by Amazon.ca.
• You will receive an e-mail from Amazon that indicates the dollar amount of the promotional credit and that the dollar amount of the credit has been added to your customer account.
• Promotional credit expires at 11:59 p.m. (PT) December 31, 2017.
• Offer discount will be allocated proportionally among all promotional items in your order.
• If any of the products or content related to this offer are returned, your refund will equal the amount you paid for the product or content, subject to applicable refund policies.
• If you violate any of these terms, the offer will be invalid.
• Unless an Amazon Gift Card is the stated benefit of the promotion, promotional codes (including those placed directly in accounts) may not be redeemed for Amazon Gift Cards. Offer good while supplies last.

Paytm: Win an iPhone X contest

Deal Link: https://www.paytm.ca/iphonex/
Expiry: Nov 27, 2017

You can win an iPhone X from Paytm by Nov 27, 2017. If you don't know Paytm, you can read this: http://www.canadianrewards.net/2017/07/paytm-pay-bills-with-credit-cards.html

This contest is open to all new and existing users. New users can qualify to win an iPhone X by making a bill payment of at least $25 through a linked bank account, or by using Paytm Cash.
Existing users can qualify by making a bill payment of at least $25 to a new biller through a linked bank account, or by using Paytm Cash. The more new billers that you pay, the more you’ll increase your chances of winning. Note: payment through credit cards is not eligible.

You can also attend this contest by following Paytm on Twitter (@paytmcanada) and Tweeting – “@paytmcanada is giving away an iPhone X. Check out http://www.paytm.ca”; or by following Paytm on Facebook (facebook.com/paytmcanada) and posting “Paytm Canada is giving away an iPhone X. Check out http://www.paytm.ca”; or by hand printing your name, verified email address and phone number as per the information you provide in the Paytm Canada mobile app, either on a postcard or on a separate piece of paper no larger than 8½ x 11 inches, and mail the postcard or paper to Paytm Labs (iPhone Contest), 220 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1W7, Canada. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by November 27th, 2017, and received no later than December 1st, 2017 in order to be eligible for the contest draw. Incorrect, illegible, and incomplete entries will be void.

AmEx SPG: is the END near?

We always hear news regarding SPG-Marriott merger. It seems that the merger will be completed in 2018. So, recently I got many similar questions from our readers:"Should I apply the AmEx SPG now?"

This is a simple question and please let me answer it here: you should apply the AmEx SPG if you don't have one now. The value of the 20000 SPG welcome bonus is around $600, and the annual fee is only $120. It may be discontinued soon, so what? You should apply it before it is gone. In today's Canadian market condition, one Hard Pull for $480 is not a bad deal.

Also, one of my friends in Japan told me today that he got an email from AmEx, which indicates that the AmEx SPG (Japan) could be available till Dec 31, 2018. So, from my point of view, there is nothing to worry about for now.

BTW, if you want to apply AmEx SPG, please use our referral link below. Thanks.

Apply Now

Air Miles: 2017 Shop the Block

Deal Link: https://shoptheblock.ca/en/home
Expiry: Dec 14, 2017

Air Miles Shop The Block promo is back. You can get up to 2000 Air Miles bonus miles when you use partner offers between Nov 14 to Dec 14, 2017.

I checked Alberta, only 3 offers right now. I think new offers will be added in the future. From my last year experience, it should be easy to achieve 3 to 5 different offers.

Get 10X Miles at AirMilesShops.ca

Expiry: Nov 10, 2017 (ONLY)

You can get 10X AIR MILES Reward Miles on qualifying purchases of $20 CDN or more, excluding shipping, duty and taxes, made in a single transaction from 00:00:01 AM to 23:59:59 PM ET on November 10, 2017.

Collectors must sign in at airmilesshops.ca before purchasing in order to collect Reward Miles. Offer can be combined with other Bonus Mile offers. Offer is valid on the purchase of gift cards only at online stores who regularly offer Miles on gift card purchases.

For travel online stores (including travel bookings, car rentals, and hotels), travel must be booked on November 10, 2017 and completed by February 28, 2018. Bonus Miles will be posted to your Collector Account within 75 days after the promotional period.

PC Optimum Points

A good news: PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum will finally become one program: PC Optimum. On Feb 1, 2018, your points will be converted to PC Optimum points at their FULL value. I will try to earn more Shoppers Optimum points with 20X bonus now and keep them until the conversion.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/HalifaxReTales/photos/a.642800749079794.1073741825.356656137694258/1944080485618474/?type=3&theater

Best Western: Get a FREE night for 10,000 points

Deal Link: https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/offers/hotel-discounts/special-offer/fall-burn-17.html
Expiry: Jan 31, 2018

Best Western Rewards members can redeem 10,000 points (or less) for a FREE night. Redemption offer runs between November 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018. The discounted FREE night offer is valid for stays at Best Western branded hotels in North America. Registration not required.

Rewards for Costco.ca purchases

Currently Aeroplan is one of the partners with Costco Canada. You can earn one Aeroplan miles for every dollar spent on Costco.ca (sometimes, up to 3X).