MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® review

Apr 9, 2025

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Overall rating

First year value

$860

Get this card if you:

  • want to earn rewards on everyday purchases such as groceries
  • value flexible redemption options
  • want to avoid paying any annual fees

Scores by category

No Annual Fee 4.0

Rewards 2.2

Groceries 2.1

Welcome Bonus 2.0

At a glance

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that allows cardholders to earn rewards points on everyday purchases, with accelerated rates in categories such as groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships, and household utilities. These points can be redeemed flexibly for travel, merchandise, gift cards, or cash back, providing versatility to suit various spending habits and preferences.

Highlights

$860

First year value

up to 10,000 points

Welcome bonus

Interest Rates

19.99%

Purchase APR

22.99%

Balance transfer APR

24.99%

Cash advance APR

Eligibility

Good

Recommended credit score

Quick overview of the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® stands out as a no-fee rewards card offering accelerated points on everyday purchases and a solid flat rate on everything else. With a generous welcome bonus and flexible redemption options, this card provides exceptional value for Canadians looking to earn rewards without changing their spending habits or paying annual fees.

Who’s the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus card for?

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is ideal for a wide range of Canadians, including those who:

  • Want to earn rewards without paying an annual fee
  • Regularly spend on groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships, and utilities
  • Prefer flexible redemption options, particularly for travel
  • Value simplicity in their rewards structure

Pros and cons

Pros

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Accelerated rewards on groceries, restaurants, and more

  • Simple point structure with flexible redemption options

  • Generous introductory bonus of up to 10,000 points

  • No cap on total points earned

Cons

Cons

  • Lower cash back redemption rate compared to designated cash back cards

  • Limited benefits beyond rewards

  • Points system may not appeal to cash back enthusiasts

  • Higher earning categories have a spending cap of $10,000 annually

  • Better suited for travel rewards than cash back

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® welcome bonus

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus credit card's welcome bonus is pretty great, with new accounts able to earn up to 10,000 bonus MBNA Rewards points†† and more.

  • Full welcome bonus details

    +

    For the first 90 days of account opening, new cardholders will earn an additional 2 points/$1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases (on top of the regular earn rate of 2 points/$1 spent) until $10,000 is spent annually in each category.

    Plus, new cardholders can get up to 10,000 bonus MBNA Rewards points †† when they sign up for paperless e-statements (5,000 points†) and make $500 or more in purchases within the first 90 days (another 5,000 points†).

How to earn MBNA Rewards points with the Platinum Plus Mastercard

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® allows cardholders to earn points on all eligible purchases, regardless of location:

  • Earn 2 MBNA Rewards points for every $1 spent†† in several categories, including groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships, and household utilities.
  • Earn 1 MBNA Rewards point for every $1 spent†† on any eligible purchase made with the card.

It's important for cardholders to note that there is an annual spending cap of $10,000 per year for each of these accelerated earning categories. This spending limit is quite high, considering the card has no annual fee. 

After reaching the $10,000 annual cap in any accelerated category, earnings revert to the base rate for the remainder of the year.

How to redeem MBNA Rewards points

MBNA Rewards points can be redeemed on whatever cardholder wants, including cash back against a statement, travel rewards (airfare, hotels, rental cars), gift cards, merchandise, and more. 

MBNA Rewards offers remarkable flexibility:

  • Travel redemptions: 100 points = $1 (best value)
  • Cash back statement credits: 200 points = $1• Gift cards and merchandise: Varied rates  

*Note that a better cash back redemption rate is available on points earned from the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®.

"Combine quarterly promotions with partner redemptions for up to 40% more value, and reserve points for travel bookings at or below market rates."

Cory Santos, Money.ca credit card expert

Key benefits of the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus card

Despite having no annual fee, this card provides valuable protections:

  • Purchase protection on items within the first 90 days
  • Mobile device coverage up to $1,000 annually
  • Extended warranty protection (doubles manufacturer's warranty up to 1 additional year)
  • 24-hour fraud monitoring
  • Emergency card replacement services
  • Zero liability protection against fraudulent transactions
  • Rental car discounts with Avis (10% off in Canada, 5% off in U.S.) and Budget

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® insurance coverage

While the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard does not have an annual fee, it still provides the everyday protections and insurance benefits Canadians have come to rely on from MBNA.

Protection Coverage
Purchase protection On items purchased with your MBNA credit card within the first 90 days from the date of purchase.
Extended warranty: Enjoy an additional 1 year of warranty protection when using your card to purchase eligible products
Mobile device If your eligible mobile device is lost, stolen, or damaged, you cover at least 75% of the purchase price to pay for the phone. Value: $1,000 per year

Extra benefits of the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard has a slate of additional benefits designed to reduce the stresses of ordinary life, including:

  • Rental car discounts with Avis and Budget
  • MBNA and Mastercard cardholder support

There are also benefits for travellers, including savings when booking rental cars through select partners in Canada and the U.S. When you use the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus card to book rental cars through Avis or Budget, you'll receive up to a 10% discount off the base rate (10% off in Canada and 5% off in the United States). Quote your discount code (#C078405 for Avis or #A331704 for Budget) at the time of reservation and charge the full rental to your MBNA credit card.

Other notable benefits of the Platinum Plus credit card include:

  • Mastercard contactless payments
  • Card verification codes (CVC) and chip & pin technology for an extra layer of security

How does the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus compare?

$484

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
Annual fee:
$0
Annual fee:
$0
Welcome bonus:
Earn 4 points per $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $10,000 is spent annually. Plus, earn up to 10,000 bonus points†.
Welcome bonus:
Rewards:
Earn 2 MBNA Rewards points for every $1 spent†† in several categories, including groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships, and household utilities.; Earn 1 MBNA Rewards point for every $1 spent†† on any eligible purchase made with the card.
Rewards:
Earn 2% cash back on two categories of your choice (e.g. groceries, recurring bills, gas, drug stores, etc.); Earn 0.50% on all your other everyday purchases.
Apply Now Read Review

Disclosures:

  • *Terms and Conditions apply

5% cash back

Welcome Bonus

$393

First Year Value

$243

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Earn 5% Cash Back†† on eligible gas and grocery purchases for the first 6 months (until the total gas and grocery purchases in the applicable month reaches $500).

Learn More Apply Now On MBNA Credit Cards' Secure Site
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
Annual fee:
$0
Annual fee:
$$0
Welcome bonus:
Earn 4 points per $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $10,000 is spent annually. Plus, earn up to 10,000 bonus points†.
Welcome bonus:
Earn 5% Cash Back†† on eligible gas and grocery purchases for the first 6 months (until the total gas and grocery purchases in the applicable month reaches $500).
Rewards:
Earn 2 MBNA Rewards points for every $1 spent†† in several categories, including groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships, and household utilities.; Earn 1 MBNA Rewards point for every $1 spent†† on any eligible purchase made with the card.
Rewards:
Earn 2% on gas and groceries; Get 0.5% Cash Back on all other eligible purchases
Apply Now Apply Now

Disclosures:

  • ‡, ††, ✪, Terms and Conditions apply.
  •  ‡, ††, ✪, Terms and Conditions apply. 

    This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here. 

    Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.

    The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Is the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® card worth it?

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® could be thought of as a jack of all trades, and a master of none. This means that for cardholders who prefer cash back, for instance, there are stronger, more focused alternatives. Its point redemption value for cash back makes the card more useful for those who plan to redeem for travel.

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® may not excel in any particular area. Still, it offers a range of benefits that can provide value to anyone who wants a fuss-free credit card to earn rewards in key everyday categories. Cardholders who prioritize cash back may find better options available. However, if you plan to redeem points for travel, this card can be more advantageous.

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® eligibility requirements

  • Age: 18+
  • Residency: Canadian resident
  • Income:  N/A
  • Credit needed: Good

FAQs about the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus card

  • Does MBNA offer instant approval?

    +

    Yes. MBNA provides instant approval for most applicants, meaning you likely won't have to wait to see if you're approved for the card.

  • Which credit bureau does MBNA check when applying?

    +

    TransUnion

  • What is the MBNA 5/6 rule?

    +

    MBNA has a rule called the "5/6 rule," which states that if you have had more than five new credit inquiries from TransUnion in the last six months, your current application will likely be rejected.

  • Does MBNA provide automatic credit limit increases?

    +

    Yes, MBNA may increase your credit limit. The bank will give you notice 30 days before the increase.

, ††, , ***, Terms and Conditions apply.

This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.

Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Cory Santos Credit card expert

Cory Santos is a finance writer, editor and credit card expert with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance. Cory joined Wise Publishing from BestCards, with bylines in numerous print and digital publications across North America, including the Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Debt.ca, AOL, MSN and Medium as well as financial podcasts like KOFE Talk.

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†Terms and Conditions apply.