You've probably heard of Desjardins’s BONUSDOLLARS since it's one of the most popular credit card rewards programs. But do you really know about it? No matter, you can answer yes to this question after reading this article!
Before we discuss the benefits BONUSDOLLARS and what you can use them for, let's take a look at Desjardins credit cards and their different features. You can learn more about them and compare the benefits using Hardbacon's credit card comparison tool.
| Card (click on the card to apply) | Interest rate | Annual fee | BONUSDOLLARS Rewards |
| Bonus Visa | 19.9 % purchase interest rate and for cash advances | $0 | Restaurants, entertainment, transportation, recurring payments: earn 2% on your purchases. For all other purchases, earn 0.5% |
| Flexi Visa | 10.99 % purchase interest rate and for cash advances | 0 $ | None |
| Cash Back Visa or Cash Back Mastercard | purchase interest rate and for cash advances | $0 | Restaurants, entertainment, transportation, recurring payments: earn 2% on your purchases. For all other purchases, earn 0.5% |
| Cash Back World Elite Mastercard | 19.9 % purchase interest rate and for cash advances | $ 100
Supplementary cards: free for Desjardins members; $30 for non-members | Groceries: 4% Restaurants, entertainment, transportation: 3%
All other purchases: 1% |
| Odyssey Gold Visa | 19.9% purchase interest rate and for cash advances | $110
Supplementary cards: free for Desjardins members; $30 for non-members | Restaurants, entertainment, transportation, recurring payments: 2 %
All other purchases: 1% |
| Odyssey World Elite Mastercard | 19.9% purchase interest rate and for cash advances | $130
Supplementary cards: free for Desjardins members; $40 for non-members
Up to 30,000 Membership Rewards points*
American Express Cobalt Card - Amex
Rewards & Perks:
Offer:
Up to 30,000 Membership Rewards points (average value of $420)
*Conditions Apply
| Groceries : 3% Restaurants, entertainment, transportation: 2%
All other purchases: 1.5% |
| Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege | 9.9% purchase interest rate and for cash advances | $295 for members, $395 for non-members.
Supplementary cards: free for members, $ 95 for non-members | Restaurants, entertainment, and transportation: 44 % Groceries and travel : 3 % All other purchases: 1.75% |
Desjardins credit card requirements
Some cards have specific income requirements. Here are the main ones:
- World Elite Mastercard discounts: minimum annual income of $80,000 for an individual, $150,000 for afamily or $400,00 in assets under management
- Odyssey World Elite Mastercard: minimum annual income of $80,000 for an individual, $150,000 for a family or $400,000 in assets under management
- Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege: minimum annual income of $150,000 for an individual, $200,000 for a family or $400,000 in assets under management.
You can manage your accounts online by logging on to AccèssD, by downloading the mobile application from the App Store or Google Play or by calling 1-800-363-4345. Of course, you can also go to a Desjardins branch.
How do I redeem my BONUSDOLLARS?
You can redeem your BONUSDOLLARS on the site, through the mobile app, on AccèsD, by phone (1-800-363-4345) or at the Caisse. Each accumulated BONUSDOLLAR equals $1 for redemption.
The BONUSDOLLARDS redemption categories
Restaurants
Simply pay for your meal with your credit card and exchange your BONUSDOLLARS afterwards. If you're a foodie, check the best credit cards for restaurants.
Entertainment
Simply pay for your tickets to shows, tourist attractions or museum exhibits with your card and then redeem your BONUSDOLLARS.
Travel
Use your card to pay for your trip and exchange your BONUSDOLLARS to pay for it. You can also use your BONUSDOLLARS to access the Desjardins Odyssey Lounge at Montréal's Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport and take advantage of its benefits. If travel points are super important to you, check our list of the best travel rewards cards in Canada.
Financial products and services
Convert your BONUSDOLLARS into registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), registered education savings plans (RESPs), and Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs). You can also use your BONUSDOLLARS for service charges, insurance, personal loans, mortgages, savings products or Desjardins funds.
Donations
Use your BONUSDOLLARS to make a donation to a non-profit organization that is important to you
Public transit
Do you use public transportation? Things like commuter trains, buses, or subways? Use your BONUSDOLLARS for a credit to your account.
Discount to your account
Exclusive to Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders, you can redeem BONUSDOLLARS to pay off all or part of your balance
Rewards and gift cards
It's almost impossible to say that you can't find something you like in the BONUSDOLLARS catalogue! A minimum of 20 BONUSDOLLARS is required to earn a reward, but with 1500 items and gift card choices, there's sure to be something for everyone
You can choose from pet accessories, smart devices, home, kitchen and garage items, games, toys, fashion items and even motor vehicles, among other things.
The gift cards range from Air Canada to Indigo, Tanguay Furniture, Archambault, Cineplex, Marshall's, Petro-Canada and Apple, among many others.
Do BONUSDOLLARS offer other advantages?
Of course they do! And here are some of them, depending on the card. Let's analyze the advantages for each card.
Odyssey Gold Visa
- Full travel insurance for up to 60 days
- Protection on your purchases and material goods – coverage of up to $1,000 in case of loss, theft, damage or failure of a mobile device purchased with this credit card.
- Extended warranties (double the original) for up to one year on purchases made with the credit card
- Collision Damage Waiver for rental cars (up to 48 days in a row)
Desjardins Odyssey Mastercard
- Complete travel insurance for up to 60 days
- Personalized travel benefits with the Priceless Cities program
- Access to Boingo Wi-Fi
- Collision Damage Waiver for rental cars (up to 48 days in a row)
Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege
- Comprehensive travel insurance for up to 60 days
- 12 free accesses to the Salon Odyssée Desjardins de Montréal-Trudeau
- Concierge service
- Personalized travel attentions
- Collision Damage Waiver for rental cars (up to 48 days in a row)
- Mobile device insurance (up to $1,500) and enhanced extended warranties on purchases
Odyssey World Elite Mastercard
- Comprehensive travel insurance for up to 60 days
- Eight free visits per year to the Salon Odyssée Desjardins de Montréal-Trudeau
- Personalized travel attentions
- Cash back when travelling
- Relaxing moments in the airport
- Access to Boingo Wi-Fi
- Collision Damage Waiver for rental cars (up to 48 days in a row)
- Mobile device insurance (up to $1500) and enhanced extended warranties on purchases
Flexi Visa
- Mobile Device Insurance and Enhanced Purchase Protection
- Travel Insurance for three days or less
Bonus Visa
- Mobile Device Insurance and Enhanced Extended Purchase Protection
- Three-Day or Less Travel Insurance
- Identity Theft Insurance
Odyssey Gold Visa
- Full travel insurance for up to 60 days
- Access to the Desjardins Odyssey Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau Airport (50% discount)
- Insurance for mobile devices and extended warranties on purchases
- Protection on your purchases and material goods – coverage of up to $1,000 in the event of loss, theft, damage or breakdown of a phone or tablet purchased with this credit card and extended warranties on purchases
- Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance (up to 48 days in a row)
- Visa and Mastercard discounts
- Mobile Device Insurance and enhanced extended warranties on purchases
- Travel insurance for three days or less
World Elite Mastercard Rebates
- Three-Day or Less Travel Insurance
- Personalized travel attentions
- Cash back on travel
- Airport relaxation time
- Access to Boingo Wi-Fi
- Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance (up to 48 days in a row)
- Mobile device protection, extended warranties
Odyssey World Elite Mastercard
- Comprehensive travel insurance for up to 60 days
- Personalized travel attentions
- Airport relaxation moments
- Cash back on travel
- Access to Boingo Wi-Fi
- Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance (up to 48 days in a row)
- Protection for mobile devices, extended warranties
Also, during the pandemic, be aware that if you have the Odyssey Gold Visa or Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege card, you automatically have emergency healthcare coverage that includes COVID-19-related coverage. Travel insurance is a great credit card feature that is often overlooked. Check out our complete guide to credit card travel insurance to make sure you know how to take full advantage of it.
All the cards mentioned offer discounts for car rentals at Hertz, Thrifty or Dollar (discounts differ from one company to another) as well as Zero Liability for fraud.
Oh, and here are a few tips to help you earn even more BONUSDOLLARS:
- Pay all your daily expenses with your card (as long as you are able to avoid interest charges)
- Pay your direct debits with your card
- Add your life partner as a co-holder of the card, so that all household expenses can be accumulated with BONUSDOLLARS
About The Author: Arthur Dubois
Passionate about personal finance and financial technology, Arthur Dubois is a writer and SEO specialist at Hardbacon. Since his arrival in Canada, he’s built his credit score from nothing.
Arthur invests in the stock market but doesn’t pay any fees because he uses National Bank Direct Brokerage online broker and Wealthsimple’s robo-advisor. He pays for his subscriptions online with his KOHO prepaid card, and uses his Tangerine credit card for most of his in-store purchases. When he buys bitcoins, it’s with the BitBuy online platform. Of course it goes without saying that he uses the Hardbacon app so that he can manage all of his finances from one convenient place.
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