$130
Annual fee
Last updated: October 7, 2024
The Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard is a solid choice for a one-card wallet. It's got a mix of wide Mastercard acceptance, above average earning rates, very strong insurance coverage, and a reasonable annual fee.
Annual Fee
$130
Additional Card
$40/year
Zero welcome bonus is vanishingly rare among premium cards today, which signals Desjardins is filtering for long-term holders rather than bonus chasers. If you're not immediately using the travel perks and insurance coverage, year one will sting.
Without first-year fee relief or a sign-up incentive to offset costs, this card demands that its ongoing benefits – lounge access, comprehensive insurance, elevated earn rates – justify the freight from day one. Approach this as a multi-year commitment, not a试水试water play.
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Groceries | 3% |
| Dining | 3% |
| Transit | 2% |
| Everything Else | 1% |
Grocery and dining are the two highest-volume everyday categories for most Canadian households, and earning triple the base rate on both – with no caps or exclusions – makes this a strong everyday workhorse if you're not optimizing across multiple cards.
Reserve your Aeroplan or Avion cards for travel bookings where points deliver outsize value, and use this for the grocery store and restaurants where cash back simplicity wins out over transfer partner complexity.
Airport lounge access
GeneralDragonPass lounge access operates on a pay-per-visit model rather than unlimited entries, which works well if you fly infrequently but becomes expensive for regular travellers – compare the math against cards bundling Priority Pass before committing. The network includes Plaza Premium locations at Canadian hubs, so coverage is solid.
Travel insurance is comprehensive and covers dependants when you book with the card, which alone can justify the annual fee for families. Car rental collision damage waiver saves $20–30 per day when you decline agency insurance, and partner discounts through National and Alamo stack with promotions on longer trips.
Underwritten by Desjardins Insurance
| Coverage | Maximum | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medical | $5,000,000 | 60 days · 15 days (65+) · Cardholders and eligible family members (spouse, children/grandchildren) travelling outside home province/territory |
| Trip Cancellation | $2,500 | charge required |
| Trip Interruption | Not included | — |
| Trip Delay | Not included | — |
| Baggage Delay | $500 | 6-hour minimum |
| Baggage Loss | $1,000/person | — |
| Rental Car (CDW/LDW) | Not included | — |
Pre-Existing Conditions
90-day stability period required (182 days for 65+)
View Certificate of Insurance (PDF)
Coverage extends to award tickets and even grandchildren travelling with you – unusually inclusive for a cash-back card. The $85,000 car rental limit beats most competitors and pairs well with luxury rental discounts.
At $5 million emergency medical with a 90-day stability period, this handles most trips competently, though the $2,500 trip cancellation cap is modest for pricier itineraries.
Last updated: October 7, 2024
