BMO Bank N.A. traces its U.S. roots to Chicago’s Harris Bank, founded in 1882 and acquired by Bank of Montreal in 1984. It operated as BMO Harris Bank until it dropped “Harris” in 2023, the same year it completed its acquisition of Bank of the West. Its U.S. card portfolio is small compared with issuers like Chase and Citi, with 9 cards across consumer, business, and private wealth.
This guide covers each card and BMO’s Flex Rewards program.
Quick Overview: Best BMO Credit Cards
Consumer Cards
|
Card Name |
Best For |
Annual Fee |
Key Benefits |
|
BMO Cash Back Credit Card |
Cash-back on streaming and everyday spend |
$0 |
5% on streaming, cable, and satellite; 3% on gas, EV charging, and groceries ($1,500 combined quarterly cap) |
|
BMO Platinum Credit Card |
Balance transfers and low APR |
$0 |
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers; no rewards program |
|
BMO Platinum Rewards Credit Card |
No-annual-fee rewards on gas and groceries |
$0 |
2x points on gas, EV charging, and groceries; 15% anniversary bonus after $15,000 in annual spending |
|
BMO Premium Rewards Credit Card |
Mid-fee rewards with a travel booking bonus |
$95 |
4x points on gas, EV charging, groceries, and dining; 25% more value on travel booked through the Flex Rewards portal |
|
BMO Escape Credit Card |
Frequent travelers who want lounge access and travel credits |
$150 |
4x points on airfare and dining; Priority Pass membership with 2 complimentary visits; up to $240 in annual hotel credits, 25% more value on travel booked through the Flex Rewards portal |
|
BMO Boost Secured Credit Card |
Building or rebuilding credit |
$25 |
$300 minimum deposit; cell phone protection; unsecured Mastercard benefits |
Small-Business Credit Cards
|
Card Name |
Best For |
Annual Fee |
Key Benefits |
|
BMO Business Platinum Credit Card |
Financing new business purchases |
$0 |
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; up to 20 employee cards |
|
BMO Business Platinum Rewards Credit Card |
Small businesses with technology and office spend |
$0 |
5x points on internet and phone; 4x points on office supplies and printing |
Private Wealth Management Card
|
Card Name |
Best For |
Annual Fee |
Key Benefits |
|
BMO Wealth Management Premium Rewards Mastercard® |
BMO U.S. Private Wealth clients |
Not publicly disclosed |
5x points on airfare; $100 annual travel credit; Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS reimbursement |
BMO Consumer Credit Cards
BMO Cash Back Card
The BMO Cash Back card is a no-annual-fee product with bonus earnings on everyday spending.
Earning structure:
- 5% cash-back on eligible streaming, cable TV, and satellite services
- 3% cash-back on gas, EV charging, and grocery purchases (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter, then 1%)
- 1% cash-back on all other eligible purchases
Cash-back is redeemed as a statement credit through the BMO Cash Back Flex Rewards program, with a $15 minimum balance and $5 increments after that. Additional benefits include up to $400 in cell phone protection when the monthly bill is paid with the card, an extended warranty, and Master RoadAssist.
The variable APR is 19.49% to 27.49% based on creditworthiness, with a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 12 months from the date of the first transfer.
BMO Platinum Card
The BMO Platinum card has no rewards program. Its main benefit is balance transfers or low-cost financing, with a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases. This introductory APR offer is valid for 15 months from account opening, then a variable APR of 16.49% to 26.49% applies. Balance transfers must be completed within 90 days of account opening to qualify.
The card has no annual fee and includes standard Mastercard security features such as zero liability for unauthorized purchases and ID theft protection.
BMO Platinum Rewards Card
The BMO Platinum Rewards card earns BMO Flex Rewards points on everyday spending.
Earning structure:
- 2 points per $1 spent on gas, EV charging, and grocery purchases (up to $1,500 per calendar quarter, then 1x)
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Cardholders receive a 15% anniversary bonus when annual spending reaches $15,000, plus up to $400 in cell phone protection, extended warranty, and Master RoadAssist. The card has no annual fee, a variable purchase APR of 19.49% to 27.49%, and a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 12 months.
BMO Premium Rewards Card
The BMO Premium Rewards card carries a $95 annual fee and earns higher category multipliers than the no-annual-fee cards.
Earning structure:
- 4 points per $1 spent on gas, EV charging, grocery, and dining purchases
- 2 points per $1 spent on hotels and airfare
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Bonus categories are capped at $2,000 in combined spend per quarter
Additional benefits include a 10% anniversary bonus, up to $600 in cell phone protection, no foreign transaction fees, and access to Mastercard Priceless Experiences. Points redeem for 25% more value when used to book travel through the BMO Flex Rewards portal (Source: BMO).
BMO Escape Card
The BMO Escape card is BMO’s travel-focused product issued on a metal card with a $150 annual fee.
Earning structure:
- 4 points per $1 spent on airfare and dining
- 3 points per $1 spent on hotels, tours, travel agencies, and cruises
- 2 points per $1 spent on rideshares, taxis, and car rentals
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Bonus categories are capped at $3,000 in spend per bonus category per quarter
The BMO Escape card includes a Priority Pass membership with 2 complimentary lounge visits per year, a $240 annual hotel credit ($20 monthly statement credit when spending at least $200 at hotels), and up to $100 in Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application reimbursement once every 4 years. It offers 25% higher redemption value on travel booked through BMO Flex Rewards. There are no foreign transaction fees.
BMO Boost Secured Card
The BMO Boost Secured card is a secured product for consumers building or rebuilding credit. It requires a minimum security deposit of $300 and has a $25 annual fee.
The card includes benefits typically found on unsecured Mastercards, including up to $400 in cell phone protection, MasterRental car rental coverage, MasterTrip Travel Assistance, and extended warranty coverage.
BMO Business Credit Cards
BMO Business Platinum Card
The BMO Business Platinum card has no rewards program and no annual fee.
It offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, followed by a variable APR of 15.49% to 24.49%. The card supports up to 20 additional employee cards. Cardholders receive up to $600 in cell phone protection, discounts on Intuit QuickBooks and TurboTax, and Mastercard Easy Savings, which delivers automatic rebates at more than 40,000 participating merchants.
BMO Business Platinum Rewards Card
The BMO Business Platinum Rewards card offers the business version of BMO’s Flex Rewards points program.
Earning structure:
- 5 points per $1 spent on internet and phone services
- 4 points per $1 spent on office supplies and printing
- 3 points per $1 spent on gas and EV charging
- 2 points per $1 spent on dining
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Bonus categories are capped at $750 in spend per category per calendar quarter
The card carries no annual fee and offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 9 months, followed by a variable APR of 18.74% to 27.74%. Additional benefits include up to $600 in cell phone protection, Mastercard Easy Savings, and QuickBooks and TurboTax discounts.
BMO Private Wealth Management Credit Card
BMO Wealth Management Premium Rewards Card
The BMO Wealth Management Premium Rewards card is a metal, World Elite Mastercard available only to BMO U.S. Private Wealth clients, including former Bank of the West wealth management clients who transitioned to BMO (Source: BMO Financial Group).
Earning structure:
- 5 points per $1 spent on airfare
- 4 points per $1 spent on dining
- 3 points per $1 spent on hotels
- 2 points per $1 spent on personal transportation services
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
The BMO Wealth Management Premium Rewards card includes a $100 annual travel credit, up to $100 in reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS once every 4 years, travel medical insurance, and access to Mastercard Priceless Experiences.
Because eligibility is restricted to private wealth clients, the current annual fee and full terms are not publicly disclosed; interested clients should contact their BMO wealth advisor.
What Is BMO Flex Rewards?
BMO Flex Rewards is BMO’s U.S. points program.
Points are earned on the BMO Premium Rewards card, BMO Platinum Rewards card, BMO Escape card, BMO Business Platinum Rewards card, and BMO Wealth Management Premium Rewards card. Cash-back on the BMO Cash Back card is administered through a separate program called BMO Cash Back Flex Rewards.
Points and cash-back do not expire while the account is open and in good standing. If the account is closed in good standing, cardholders have 90 days to redeem before the balance is forfeited (Source: BMO Flex Rewards Program Rules).
Points cannot be transferred to airline or hotel loyalty partners, which limits point value compared with transferable rewards programs from Chase, American Express, Wells Fargo, Capital One, and Citi.
How To Redeem BMO Flex Rewards
Points can be used for:
- Travel: Flights, hotels, cruises, vacation packages, and car rentals booked through the BMO Flex Rewards portal
- Shop: Merchandise, experiences, and gift cards
- Credit: Statement credit applied to the card account
Statement credit redemptions start at $1 and can be made in increments of 1 cent.
Statement credits typically post within 7 to 10 business days and do not reduce the minimum payment due. Redemptions can be made online at bmoflexrewards.com or by phone at 800-610-8987.
BMO Cash Back Flex Rewards has a separate redemption threshold: A $15 minimum balance is required, with subsequent redemptions in $5 increments. The sole exception to the flat statement credit value is the 25% travel booking bonus on the BMO Premium Rewards card and BMO Escape card, which lifts the effective value to roughly 1.25 cents per point when redeemed through the Flex Rewards portal.
Final Thoughts
BMO’s U.S. credit card lineup now covers most core needs, from secured credit through premium travel and small business. The Flex Rewards program is simple to use but has no airline or hotel transfer partners. For everyday spending, the no-annual-fee BMO Platinum Rewards card and BMO Cash Back card are competitive. For travel, the BMO Escape card carries the strongest benefits outside of the invite-only private wealth card.