Tims® Mastercard review

Dec 16, 2024

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First year value

$0

Get this card if you:

  • frequently dine at Tim Hortons
  • want to earn rewards on everyday purchases
  • want to avoid paying an annual fee

Highlights

$20 Tims gift card

Welcome bonus

Interest Rates

20.99% - 26.99%

Purchase APR

20.99%-24.99% for Quebec

22.99% - 27.99%

Cash advance APR

22.99%-25.99% for Quebec

Eligibility

Good

Recommended credit score

Quick overview

Quick overview of the Tims® Mastercard

The Tims® Mastercard is a retail rewards credit card from Tim Hortons, its financial arm, Tims Financial, and card issuer Neo Financial. The card rewards Tim Hortons lovers everywhere with up to 15 points on Tims purchases, up to 5 points on a variety of “everyday” categories, like gas, groceries, transit and more, for no annual fee. 

Who's it for?

Who can benefit most from the Tims® Mastercard

The Tims® Mastercard from Neo Financial is designed to appeal to a wide range of Canadians. Whether you're a frequent visitor to Tim Hortons or simply someone who enjoys earning rewards on everyday purchases, this card offers something for everyone. 

Pros and cons

Pros and cons

Pros

Pros

  • No annual fee: No fee for being a card member

  • Up to 15x points: Earn 15x points per $1 spent at Tim Hortons and up to 5x elsewhere

  • Welcome bonus: Simple, easy to reach $20 value welcome bonus for new accounts

Cons

Cons

  • Low base earn rate: 0.5x points per $1 spent is a very low base rate

  • Limited insurance: The card provides only basic insurance protections

Welcome bonus

Tims® Mastercard welcome bonus

The Tims® Mastercard comes with an easy-to-reach welcome bonus for new accounts:

  • New cardholders are eligible to receive a $20 CAD Tims Gift Card via email upon their first purchase with their new Tims Mastercard.

This welcome bonus requires meeting minimum spending requirements, but those are straightforward and the majority of applicants will have no trouble reaching the targets:

  • New cardholders are eligible to receive a $20 CAD Tims Gift Card via email upon their first purchase with their new Tims Mastercard. Offer valid from January 7, 2025, to April 30, 2025.

    To receive the Welcome Offer, your first purchase must be made within 30 days of your Tims Mastercard account activation. It can take up to 24 hours from the time of first purchase for the Welcome Offer to be processed and emailed. There is a limit of one Welcome Offer per person, per account, and it cannot be combined with any other offers. This Welcome Offer is subject to the Tims Rewards Terms and Conditions  and the Tims Rewards – Tims Mastercard Offer Terms and Conditions.


How to earn rewards

How to earn rewards with the Tims® Mastercard

The Tims® Mastercard by Neo is a versatile everyday rewards credit card. As such, it prioritizes giving you a robust selection of bonus categories in which to earn points. Beyond the points for your coffee, muffins or Timbits, Tims® Mastercard cardholders earn the following rewards on eligible purchases:

  • Earn 5 points per $1 spent on groceries, gas, and transit
  • Earn 15 points per $1 at Tim Hortons® restaurants when you scan for Tims® Rewards
  • Earn 1 point per $2 spent on all other purchases

The rewards with the Tims® Mastercard are generous when you compare it with other offers. The card’s up to 5x outside of Tim Hortons is double the top rewards of the MBNA Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard, for example. It’s a pretty similar rewards structure you’ll find with the premium tier of the Neo Credit Card, too, but Tims has added a few extra bells and whistles to make it just that little bit more exciting.

How to redeem

How to redeem

Redeeming Tims Rewards is a simple process. You can convert your Tims Rewards Points into your favourite items at Tim Hortons or apply them towards reducing the balance of your current billing cycle, with the potential to receive up to $45 in statement credit every week.

Key benefits

Key benefits of the Tims® Mastercard

  • No annual fee: The Tims® Mastercard charges no annual fee. For a card with quality rewards on everyday purchases, the no annual fee is a great perk that can save you money. 
  • Generous rewards: And the rewards with the card are generous, indeed. The ability to earn up to 5x on “everyday” categories like gas, groceries, taxis, rideshares and more, is exceptional. Getting up to 15x when getting your morning coffee at Tim Hortons is another great treat, though the baseline 1x earn rate is something of a disappointment.
  • Simple redemptions: If earning rewards is easy, redeeming them is even easier. You can use your Tims Rewards at the counter or drive-thru for any menu, or use the points to pay down your card account balance.
Insurance coverage

Tims® Mastercard insurance coverage

The Tims® Mastercard only provides the most basic insurance protections. Cardholders enjoy access to purchase protection and extended warranty coverage but lacks the travel and emergency insurance found with more premium card offer:

  • Extended warranty: 1 year
  • Purchase protection: 90 days

The Tims credit card is comparable to other no annual fee credit cards when it comes to insurance. Both the BMO CashBack Mastercard and Tangerine Money-Back Card provide the same insurance protection, meaning you likely won’t be missing out with insurance if you opted for the Tims® Mastercard.

Extra benefits

Other benefits of the Tims® Mastercard

The Tims® Mastercard, powered by Neo, is accepted anywhere Mastercard is accepted. Other benefits include real-time spending notifications, access to the Tims Financial mobile app, digital wallet compatibility through Apple Pay and Google Pay and more.

How it compares

How does the Tims® Mastercard compare?

Tims® Mastercard vs. Neo Credit Card

$153

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Learn More Apply Now On Neo's Secure Site

Tims® Mastercard vs. Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card

5% cash back

Welcome Bonus

$271

First Year Value

$171

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Earn 5% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases); Plus, get a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.

Learn More Apply Now On Scotiabank's Secure Site

The Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card is another $0 annual fee credit card that offers rewards on things like groceries, gas stations, drugstores, recurring bill payments and more. That bonus rewards rate is just 1% back on those categories, with 0.5% back on all other purchases, however.

Disclosures:

  • *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.
Is it worth it?

Is the Tims® Mastercard worth it?

So, is the Tims® Mastercard worth it? While it may not be the best credit card option compared to others in the market, it could be worth considering if you are a frequent Tim Hortons customer who visits multiple times a week. However, if you prefer more lucrative and flexible redemption schemes, there are likely other credit cards available that could better suit your needs.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements

The Tims® Mastercard is accessible to most Canadians. There is no stated minimum personal or household income required to qualify, although you'll need a Good credit score. If your credit isn’t at that level you can opt for the Secured Tims® Mastercard, also from Neo Financial.

Disclosures:

  • Conditions Apply

    The Tims® Mastercard is issued by Neo Financial™ pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Inc. Tims Financial is a registered trademark of Tim Hortons Canada.

FAQs

FAQs

  • How many points do you need to redeem for goods at Tim Hortons locations?

    +

    The amount of Tims Rewards you'll need to earn a free item at Tims depends on what you want, but generally speaking you'll need around 300 Tims Rewards points to get a baked good priced under $2.

  • Do Tims Rewards expire?

    +

    Tims Rewards points expire 12 months after the calendar month in which they were earned.

Cory Santos Finance editor

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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