MBNA True Line Gold Mastercard review

Apr 21, 2025

While we adhere to strict editorial guidelines, partners on this page may provide us earnings.

Overall rating

First year value

$0

Get this card if you:

  • want a low-interest rate on purchases and balance transfers
  • want to lower existing credit card debt
  • value purchase protection and extended warranty coverage

Scores by category

Low Interest 3.2

Balance Transfer 3.0

At a glance

The MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® is a low-interest credit card designed for individuals seeking to manage their credit card debt more effectively. It offers essential benefits such as purchase assurance, extended warranty coverage, and fraud protection.

Highlights

$39

Annual fee

$39

Interest Rates

10.99%

Purchase APR

13.99%

Balance transfer APR

24.99%

Cash advance APR

Eligibility

Good

Recommended credit score

Quick overview of the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®

The MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® stands out in the Canadian credit card marketthanks to its impressive tools for paying down credit card debt. While most credit cards entice consumers with flashy rewards and welcome bonuses, the True Line Gold takes a different approach—it offers what could be considered the most valuable feature for anyone carrying a balance: an exceptionally low interest rate.

Who is the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® for?

The MBNA True Line Gold is ideal for:

  • Canadians carrying a credit card balance who need a lower interest rate to reduce financing costs and manage debt more effectively
  • Budget-conscious consumers willing to pay a modest annual fee in exchange for one of the lowest standard interest rates available
  • Credit builders with fair credit scores looking for a card with more forgiving credit requirements compared to other low-interest options
  • Families managing household expenses who can benefit from adding up to 9 authorized users at no additional annual fee
  • Balance transfer candidates looking to consolidate debt at a reduced interest rate on balance transfers (though the True Line version offers better promotional balance transfer terms)
  • Shoppers who value purchase protection over rewards, with extended warranty and purchase protection benefits included

Those still bristling over the annual fee should consider the MBNA True Line® Mastercard® credit card, which features no annual fee, a slightly higher 12.99% APR.

Pros and cons

Pros

Pros

  • Low interest rate on purchases and balance transfers

  • Proactive fraud protection

Cons

Cons

  • $39 annual fee

  • Penalty interest rate if minimum payments are missed

MBNA True Line® Gold credit card welcome bonus

  • The MBNA True Line® Gold does not currently provide a welcome bonus to new accounts
  • However, it does provide an exceptionally low everyday APR that is significantly lower than most other options available in the Canadian market today.

Interest rates and fees

Ongoing APR:

  • Purchase APR: 10.99%
  • Balance transfer APR: 13.99%
  • Cash advance APR: 24.99%

Fees:

  • Annua fee: $39
  • Balance transfer fee: 3% of the balance transferred
  • Foreign transaction fee: 2.5% of the transaction in CDN

No. Unfortunately, the True Line suite of credit cards from MBNA do not offer rewards or cash back on purchases.

The True Line Gold Mastercard’s primary benefit is its impressively low 10.99% APR on purchases and 13.99% on balance transfers—rates that are roughly half of what most standard credit cards charge.

According to MBNA’s calculations, transferring a $5,000 balance from a typical rewards card charging 19.99% to the True Line Gold could save you approximately $500 annually in interest charges. That’s significant savings that can accelerate your debt repayment journey.

Beyond the low APR, the card includes:

  • Comprehensive fraud protection through the Mastercard network with real-time monitoring of suspicious activities
  • 24/7 customer service via phone and online chat for immediate assistance
  • Flexible payment options including automatic payments to help avoid missed payments
  • Purchase assurance covering items purchased with your card for the first 90 days
  • Extended warranty coverage adding up to one year beyond the manufacturer’s warranty

MBNA provides access to 24/7 Canada-based customer service via phone and online chat, so any issues a cardholder encounters during transfers or daily use can be addressed. They also offer all cardholders around-the-clock protection from fraud, a service similar to those that scan statement entries in real time and warn cardholders of suspicious activity.

MBNA True Line® Gold credit card insurance coverage

The MBNA True Line Gold Mastercard offers a range of essential insurance coverage, consistent with the standards expected from a Mastercard product. This includes:

Insurance
Coverage amount
Purchase assurance
Coverage for items purchased with your MBNA credit card within the first 90 days from the date of purchase.
Extended warranty
Cardholders can have an extended warranty of up to 1 year after the original manufacturer's Canadian warranty and the purchased service contract or extended warranty coverage period ends.
Mastercard Zero Liability
Cardholders are not held responsible for fraudulent transactions on their MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®.

The MBNA True Line Gold Mastercard offers an array of additional benefits aimed at providing you with peace of mind both domestically and internationally:

  • Additional rental car savings: Using the MBNA credit card to book rental cars through Avis or Budget, you can enjoy up to a 10% discount off the base rate (10% off in Canada and 5% off in the US). Quote your discount code (#C078405 for Avis or #A331704 for Budget) at the time of reservation and charge the full rental to your MBNA card.
  • Trip assistance: Enjoy comprehensive support for lost luggage, lost documents and ticket replacement, pre-trip information, and legal assistance.
  • Emergency card replacement: Gain access to emergency card replacement and emergency support.
  • Mastercard contactless payments: Experience the convenience of making contactless payments with your Mastercard.
  • Card Verification Codes (CVC) and chip & pin technology: Benefit from an extra layer of security provided by CVC and chip & PIN technology.

How the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® compares

Two Canadian credit cards that are worthy competitors of the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® are the CIBC Select Visa* Card and the Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card.

CIBC Select Visa* Card

2.7

Finalist: Balance Transfer

0% interest

Welcome Bonus

$0

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Transfer your credit card balance and get 0% interest for up to 10 months with a 1% transfer fee† and a first year annual fee rebate.‡

Learn More Apply Now On CIBC's Secure Site

The CIBC Select Visa* Card features a low Purchase Annual Interest Rate of 13.99%, a solid 5 points percentage higher than the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®. However, unlike the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®, the CIBC Select Visa* Card offers this low 13.99% Cash Advance Annual Interest Rate as well, compared to MBNA’s sky-high rate of 24.99%.

The CIBC Select Visa* Card also features a balance transfer promotion:  Transfer your credit card balance and get 0% interest for up to 10 months with a 1% transfer fee† and a first year annual fee rebate.‡.

The MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® allows you to transfer up to your full authorized credit limit whereas the CIBC Select Visa* Card only lets you transfer up to 50% of your credit limit. 

While the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® charges a $39 annual fee, the CIBC Select Visa* Card's annual fee is $29 and CIBC offers a first year annual fee rebate.

MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® CIBC Select Visa* Card
Annual fee:
$39
Annual fee:
$29 (First year annual fee rebate† $0 for up to 3 additional cards.†. (terms apply))†
Interest rates:
10.99% Purchase Annual Interest Rate; 13.99%† Balance Transfer Annual Interest Rate; 24.99% † Cash Advance Annual Interest Rate
Interest rates:
13.99%† Purchase Annual Interest Rate; 13.99%† Cash Advance Annual Interest Rate; 13.99%† Balance Transfer Annual Interest Rate
BT intro APR:
N/A
BT intro APR:
Transfer your credit card balance and get 0% interest for up to 10 months with a 1% transfer fee† and a first year annual fee rebate.‡
Perks:
Up to 10% discount on Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car
Perks:
$100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
Apply Now Apply Now

Disclosures:

  • †Terms and Conditions Apply. This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.
  • The information for the CIBC Select Visa* Card has been collected independently by Money.ca. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card

3.0

Runner-up: Balance Transfer

0.99% intro rate

Welcome Bonus

$0

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months (2% fee per cash advance, 13.99% after that), plus no annual fee for the first year ($29 value). Expires Oct 31, 2025

Learn More Apply Now On Scotiabank's Secure Site

The Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card charges a low interest rate of 13.99%. Where the Value Visa wins is the balance transfer bonus of 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months (2% fee per cash advance, 13.99% after that), plus no annual fee for the first year ($29 value). So if you're looking to pay down debt fast, the Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card may be your best bet. 

MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card
Annual fee:
$39
Annual fee:
$29
Interest rates:
10.99% Purchase Annual Interest Rate; 13.99%† Balance Transfer Annual Interest Rate; 24.99% † Cash Advance Annual Interest Rate
Interest rates:
13.99% for purchases, (13.99%) on balance transfers, and 13.99% on cash advances
BT intro APR:
N/A
BT intro APR:
[[ ribn.prod.scotiabank-value-visa.welcome_offer ]
Perks:
Up to 10% discount on Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car
Perks:
Discount of up to 25% off base rates at participating AVIS and Budget locations in Canada and the U.S
Apply Now Apply Now

Disclosures:

  • Conditions Apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card to learn more. *See Card Provider's website and Card Application for complete card details, terms and current offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.

MBNA True Line® Mastercard®

2.9

Winner: Best Balance Transfer

0% intro rate

Welcome Bonus

$0

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Get a 0% promotional annual interest rate (“AIR”)† for 12 months on balance transfers✪ completed within 90 days of account opening.

Learn More Apply Now On MBNA Credit Cards' Secure Site
MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® MBNA True Line® Mastercard®
Annual fee:
$39
Annual fee:
$0
Interest rates:
10.99% Purchase Annual Interest Rate; 13.99%† Balance Transfer Annual Interest Rate; 24.99% † Cash Advance Annual Interest Rate
Interest rates:
12.99% for purchases; 17.99% on balance transfers; 24.99% for cash advances
BT intro APR:
N/A
BT intro APR:
Get a 0% promotional annual interest rate (“AIR”)† for 12 months on balance transfers✪ completed within 90 days of account opening.
Perks:
Up to 10% discount on Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car
Perks:
Up to 10% discount on Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car
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 True Line® Gold Mastercard® worth it?

Those who are trying hard to reduce their credit card debt will naturally be averse to the idea of paying a $39 annual fee. In this case, they might instead be drawn to a no-fee balance transfer card, like the MBNA True Line® Mastercard® credit card. But before making that choice they should consider the likely possibility that the lower interest rates of the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® credit card will end up saving them far more than $39 in the long run.

MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®, you must:

  • Residence: Canadian resident
  • Age: Must have reached the age of majority in your resident province or territory
  • Credit score: Must have a credit score of at least "Good"
  • Income: N/A

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.

MBNA True Line Gold Mastercard FAQs

  • Which credit bureau does MBNA check when applying?

    +

    TransUnion

  • Does MBNA offer instant approval on credit card applications?

    +

    In most cases, MBNA provides instant approval for applicants, meaning you likely won't have to wait for a decision after applying.

  • What is the MBNA 5/6 rule?

    +

    MBNA's "5/6 rule" rejects applications if there are more than five new credit inquiries from TransUnion in the last six months.

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.

Disclaimer

The content provided on Money.ca is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.

†Terms and Conditions apply.