BMO Rewards Guide: Best Ways to Redeem BMO Rewards Points for Travel in Canada

What are BMO Rewards points?

BMO Rewards is BMO’s in-house points program for eligible BMO credit cards in Canada. You earn points on spending, then redeem them for travel, recent purchases, gift cards, merchandise, and certain financial rewards.

For most readers, BMO Rewards is best understood as a fixed-value bank points program. It is not an airline program like Aeroplan, and it is not a transfer-partner ecosystem like American Express Membership Rewards. Instead, the value comes from redeeming your points at a published rate against eligible purchases.

The main appeal of BMO Rewards is simplicity:

• You earn points on everyday spending.
• You can book travel however you want.
• You redeem points afterward against eligible purchases.

That makes the program easy to use, even if it does not have the same upside as more advanced airline-focused programs.

How much are BMO Rewards points worth?

BMO Rewards has two main redemption rates that matter.

Travel purchases: 150 points = $1

For eligible travel purchases, BMO Rewards points redeem at:

• 150 BMO Rewards points = $1 CAD

That works out to:

• 0.67 cents per point (0.67 CPP)

This is the best standard redemption rate in the program.

Examples:

• 1,500 points = $10
• 7,500 points = $50
• 15,000 points = $100
• 30,000 points = $200
• 75,000 points = $500

Non-travel purchases: 200 points = $1

For eligible non-travel purchases, BMO Rewards points redeem at:

• 200 BMO Rewards points = $1 CAD

That works out to:

• 0.50 cents per point (0.50 CPP)

Examples:

• 2,000 points = $10
• 10,000 points = $50
• 20,000 points = $100
• 40,000 points = $200

What this means in practice

BMO Rewards points are clearly more valuable when redeemed for travel than for non-travel purchases.

A simple rule:

• Use travel redemptions whenever possible to get the most out of your points.
• Use non-travel redemptions only when flexibility matters more than maximizing value.

The 4 main ways to redeem BMO Rewards points

1) Redeem against travel purchases

This is the main redemption option most readers should focus on.

BMO allows you to:

• Book with any travel provider of your choice, whether that is an airline, hotel, or travel agency.
• Then use Pay with Points to redeem against that eligible travel purchase after it posts to your account.

Eligible travel categories include:

• airlines
• car rental agencies
• hotels and resorts
• cruise lines
• vacation packages
• eligible vacation rentals
• passenger railways
• timeshares
• travel agencies
• tour operators

Because of this structure, BMO Rewards works more like a travel purchase eraser than a classic travel portal currency.

This is useful because you are not forced to:

• Book through a single travel portal with limited options.
• Search for airline award space on specific dates.
• Transfer points to another loyalty program before you can use them.

You simply book the trip you want and then apply points after the purchase posts.

2) Redeem against eligible non-travel purchases

BMO also lets you use Pay with Points against eligible non-travel purchases.

The rate here is lower:

• 200 points = $1

This is still useful if:

• You do not have any travel coming up in the near future.
• You want statement-style flexibility to offset recent everyday purchases.
• You prefer immediate value over saving points for a future trip.

From a value perspective, though, this is a weaker use of your points than travel redemptions.

3) Redeem for gift cards and merchandise

BMO Rewards also includes:

• Gift cards from a range of popular Canadian retailers.
• Merchandise available through the BMO Rewards catalogue.
• Special shop promotions that rotate periodically.

These can be convenient, but they are generally not the best-value redemptions in the program. For most readers, they are secondary options rather than the reason to collect BMO Rewards points in the first place.

4) Redeem for financial rewards

BMO also offers redemptions toward certain eligible financial rewards, such as contributions to eligible BMO savings or investment products.

This adds flexibility to the program, especially for people who bank and invest with BMO, but it is usually not the headline use case for a travel-focused site.

Why BMO Rewards is more flexible than it first appears

A lot of Canadian readers assume BMO Rewards is mainly a portal-based travel program. In practice, the current program is more flexible than that.

The key detail is that BMO lets you:

• Book with any travel provider you prefer, including direct with airlines and hotels.
• Then redeem your points afterward against the purchase once it posts to your statement.

That means you can shop around for:

• The best fare available across airlines and booking platforms.
• The best hotel rate, whether that is direct or through a third party.
• The most flexible cancellation policy for your trip.
• Direct booking benefits like loyalty points, upgrades, and perks.

This flexibility is one of the program’s strongest features.

Instead of being locked into a single booking engine, you can:

• Book direct with the airline to earn frequent flyer miles and access seat selection.
• Book direct with the hotel to unlock loyalty perks and best-rate guarantees.
• Use an online travel agency if it offers a better price or package.
• Book a cruise or tour through your preferred operator.
• Then redeem your points afterward as long as the purchase qualifies.

That makes BMO Rewards especially useful for readers who value straightforward travel savings more than advanced points optimization.

How to redeem BMO Rewards points

The process is simple.

Step-by-step

1. Make an eligible purchase using your BMO Rewards credit card.
2. Sign in to your BMO Rewards account.
3. Open the Pay with Points section.
4. Find the eligible purchase.
5. Choose how many points to redeem.
6. Apply the redemption to all or part of the purchase.

BMO allows redemptions for as little as $1, which makes the program easy to use even if you have a smaller balance.

Both travel and non-travel purchases can generally be redeemed within 90 days of the purchase date.

What counts as eligible travel?

BMO’s travel categories are broader than many readers expect.

Eligible travel purchases include merchants classified as:

• airlines
• car rental agencies
• hotels and resorts
• cruise lines
• vacation packages
• eligible vacation rentals
• passenger railways
• timeshares
• travel agencies
• tour operators

This gives BMO Rewards some practical advantages over programs that are mainly focused on flights and hotels.

It can be particularly useful for:

• Cruises booked through major cruise lines.
• Rail travel on passenger railways like VIA Rail.
• Vacation packages that bundle flights and hotels together.
• Organized tours booked through eligible tour operators.
• Mixed-itinerary trips that combine multiple travel categories.

For travellers who book beyond just flights and hotels, that flexibility can make the program more useful than its raw point value might suggest.

Best uses of BMO Rewards points

Flights

Flights are one of the cleanest uses of the program because you can book wherever the best price is and then redeem at the travel rate afterward.

Hotels

Hotels can also be a good use, especially if you want the flexibility of booking direct and still want to offset the cost later.

Cruises and vacation packages

This is an area where BMO Rewards stands out. Not every Canadian bank points program is as explicit about supporting these travel categories.

Rail and tour operators

If your travel patterns include trains or packaged tours, BMO Rewards can be more versatile than many people expect.

When not to use points

If you are chasing maximum value, avoid using BMO Rewards points for non-travel purchases unless you specifically want flexibility and do not expect to redeem for travel soon.

How BMO Rewards compares on value

The most important thing to understand about BMO Rewards is that it is a fixed-value program with moderate value.

Strong points

• The redemption structure is simple and easy to understand.
• There is no airline award chart learning curve to deal with.
• You can book with any travel provider you choose.
• The set of eligible travel categories is broader than most bank programs.
• You get decent flexibility to redeem against recent purchases within 90 days.

Weak points

• There are no transfer partners to airline or hotel loyalty programs.
• There are no major sweet spots that let you punch above the published rate.
• The overall value is lower than what advanced airline programs can deliver.
• The non-travel redemption rate is noticeably weaker than the travel rate.

Compared with more advanced Canadian programs:

• Aeroplan can offer much higher value on flight redemptions, especially in premium cabins.
• Amex Membership Rewards can be more powerful because of its transfer partners to airlines like Aeroplan and Flying Blue.
• RBC Avion can sometimes produce better value through its fixed-flight charts or partner transfers to programs like British Airways Avios.

BMO Rewards is not the best choice for squeezing out outsized value. It is better for predictable, uncomplicated redemption.

Best BMO credit cards for earning BMO Rewards points

BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

This is one of the most travel-oriented BMO Rewards cards.

Current earning structure:

• 5x points on eligible travel purchases
• 3x points on eligible dining
• 3x points on eligible entertainment
• 3x points on recurring bill payments
• 1x point on other purchases

At the travel redemption rate of 150 points = $1, the effective return looks like this:

• 5x = about 3.33% back toward travel
• 3x = about 2.0% back toward travel
• 1x = about 0.67% back toward travel

This card is a strong fit for readers who want BMO Rewards mainly for travel.

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege

This is the higher-end lifestyle and travel option in the BMO Rewards lineup.

Current earning structure:

• 5x points on groceries, dining, drugstore, gas, and travel
• 1x point on everything else

This card is stronger for people whose spending is concentrated in those bonus categories.

BMO eclipse rise Visa

This is a lower-cost way into the program.

Current earning structure:

• 5 points for every $2 spent on groceries, dining, takeout, and recurring bill payments
• 1 point for every $2 spent on everything else

It is not as strong as the premium cards, but it still gives access to the same core redemption structure.

Which BMO Rewards card is best?

Best for travel earning

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is the strongest fit for readers who want to maximize BMO Rewards primarily for travel.

Best for broad everyday category earning

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege is stronger if your spending is concentrated in everyday bonus categories like groceries, dining, gas, and drugstore.

Best lower-cost option

The BMO eclipse rise Visa is a simpler entry point into the ecosystem.

Do BMO Rewards points expire?

BMO’s public pages are much clearer on earn rates and redemption rates than on an easy-to-find points-expiry summary.

For that reason, the most cautious approach is:

• Check the current BMO Rewards terms and conditions and review your account details before planning a long-term points holding strategy.

If this matters for your content library, it would be worth doing a dedicated source check specifically on expiry language before making a hard statement in the article.

BMO Rewards vs other Canadian programs

BMO Rewards vs TD Rewards

Both are simple bank points programs. BMO’s big advantage is that it clearly allows you to book with any travel provider and redeem afterward against a broad set of travel categories.

BMO Rewards vs Scene+

Scene+ is generally stronger as a broader everyday rewards ecosystem. BMO Rewards is more of a straightforward bank-points tool built around fixed-value redemptions.

BMO Rewards vs Aeroplan

Aeroplan has much more upside for flight redemptions. BMO Rewards is much simpler.

BMO Rewards vs American Express Membership Rewards

Amex Membership Rewards is more powerful for people willing to learn transfer partners. BMO Rewards is easier, but its ceiling is lower.

Pro tips to get more value from BMO Rewards

1. Use your points on travel whenever possible, since that gives the best published redemption rate.

2. Book with the provider that offers the best real-world deal. BMO’s flexibility is one of the program’s biggest strengths.

3. Think in effective rebate terms. A card that earns 5x in a category is worth much more when redeemed for travel than when redeemed for non-travel purchases.

4. Use non-travel redemptions when convenience matters more than maximizing value.

5. Consider BMO Rewards more for simplicity than for outsized value.

Quick decision checklist

• Want a simple bank points program with clear, fixed-value redemptions? BMO Rewards is a reasonable fit.

• Want to book with any travel provider and erase the purchase later? BMO Rewards does this well.

• Want premium-cabin sweet spots or transfer partners? You will likely prefer Aeroplan or Amex Membership Rewards instead.

• Want the best value inside BMO Rewards? Use your points against travel purchases at 150 points = $1 for the highest return.

Bottom line

BMO Rewards is best understood as a simple, flexible Canadian bank-points program.

The key rates are straightforward:

• Travel purchases redeem at 150 points = $1, which is the best rate in the program.
• Non-travel purchases redeem at 200 points = $1, which is a decent fallback when you are not booking travel.

That means the program rewards simplicity and flexibility more than deep optimization.

For Canadians who want to:

• Earn points on everyday spending without worrying about bonus category complexity.
• Book travel wherever they want, with any provider, at the best available price.
• And redeem their points at a predictable rate afterward to offset the cost.

BMO Rewards is a practical option.

It will not usually beat the upside of Aeroplan or Membership Rewards transfers, but it offers something many readers prefer: a lower-effort way to turn credit card spending into real travel savings.