The National Bank^® World Elite^® Mastercard^® is an excellent card for travel insurance, where it's in a class of its own. With annual credits to offset the annual fee, it's a great premium keeper card for paying the taxes and fees on award ticket bookings. This card will especially be of interest to those that are older or anyone who enjoys longer trips, due to its generous emergency medical coverage.

Bonuses & Fees

The National Bank^® World Elite^® Mastercard^® cardholders are eligible to receive a welcome bonus of up to 40,000 À la carte Rewards points, structured as follows:

• 5,000 À la carte Rewards points when you sign up for insurance payments for at least the first three months
• 5,000 À la carte Rewards points upon spending $5,000 in the first three months
• 10,000 À la carte Rewards points upon spending $10,000 in the first six months
• 20,000 À la carte Rewards points upon spending $20,000 in the first 12 months

The card has an annual fee of $150, and there's a $50 fee for each authorized user added to your account. It's worth noting that the points will be awarded at various intervals, upon completing the necessary tasks.

• 5,000 À la carte Rewards points when you sign up for insurance payments for at least the first three months: points awarded within five months of the minimum period of enrolment
• 5,000 À la carte Rewards points upon spending $5,000 in the first three months: at the end of the sixth month after enrolment
• 10,000 À la carte Rewards points upon spending $10,000 in the first six months: at the end of the ninth month after enrolment
• 20,000 À la carte Rewards points upon spending $20,000 in the first 12 months: at the end of the 15th month after enrolment

Earning Rewards

The National Bank^® World Elite^® Mastercard^® has a rewards structure that varies based on the amount of money you've spent on the card:

• Earn 5 À la carte Rewards points per dollar spent on grocery and restaurant purchases†
• Earn 2 À la carte Rewards points per dollar spent on gas, electric vehicle charging, recurring bills, and travel booked through À la carte Travel†
• Earn 1 À la carte Rewards point per dollar spent on all other purchases†

If your total gross monthly amount of purchases (regardless of category) is under $2,500, the 5x multiplier on groceries and restaurant purchases will apply. However, if your purchases in one month exceed $2,500, the earning rate on those food purchases will fall to 2 À la carte Rewards points per dollar spent.†

Redeeming Rewards

National Bank's À la carte Rewards points can be redeemed through their online travel booking portal. Through this method, points have a fixed value of 1 cent per point. In the portal, you can book travel, or you can redeem points for a statement credit against travel expenses booked directly with vendors. Note that offsetting the cost of travel not booked through rewards points reduces the value of the points. If you redeem fewer than 55,000 points, you'll get 0.83 cents per point, and if you redeem more than 55,000 points, you'll get 0.91 cents per point. While having to book through a portal isn’t the most flexible redemption option for maximizing value, it is a far better value than the 0.83cpp that National Bank provides on using rewards points for straight cash back. Your National Bank rewards points never expire as long as you remain a cardholder.

Perks & Benefits

The card provides a $150 annual travel credit, which can be applied to a range of travel expenses:

• Airport parking
• Baggage fees
• Seat selection
• Airport lounge access
• Airline ticket upgrades

These credits renew every year on January 1, but unused credits do not carry over. Cardholders also have unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport for themselves plus one additional guest per visit. The lounge is available for passengers departing from the international terminal.

Insurance Coverage

The National Bank^® World Elite^® Mastercard^® provides outstanding insurance coverage. In particular, the card can be used for insurance on award tickets. Coverage is valid for trip cancellation, trip interruption, or flight delays, as long as the ticket was paid at least in part on the card. The card also offers fantastic emergency medical insurance when travelling. Cardholders are covered for up to $5,000,000 in damages, for trips up to 60 days, up to age 75.

• Age 54 and under: trips up to 60 days
• Age 55 to 64: trips up to 31 days
• Age 65 to 75: trips up to 15 days

Likewise, the card's car rental insurance grants coverage for longer rentals of up to 48 days, which is longer than the industry standard. Additionally, the card has industry-leading purchase protection. The extended warranty and purchase protection periods are double what many competitors offer, with up to two additional years for extended warranty and up to 180 days of protection against stolen or damaged merchandise. Mobile device insurance is also a benefit of the card, as long the purchase and your monthly payments are charged to the card. You'll get coverage up to $1,000 in the event of breakage, loss, or theft for up to two years after the purchase date.