Air Miles Credit Cards in Canada (2026): What Happened and What to Get Instead

No credit card in Canada earns AIR MILES any more. In June 2026 the AIR MILES program became Blue Rewards, a loyalty program run by a BMO subsidiary, and BMO’s AIR MILES Mastercards became BMO Blue Rewards Mastercards that earn Blue Points. Reward Miles balances were converted to Blue Points automatically with no loss of value, and existing cardholders kept the same card and card number. If you were looking for an AIR MILES credit card, the closest thing today is a BMO Blue Rewards card. If you’d rather not follow the program, a simple cash back or grocery card may suit you better.

This guide explains what changed, what the Blue Rewards cards earn, how much a Blue Point is worth, and the alternatives worth comparing.

What happened to AIR MILES

BMO announced the change in January 2026 and launched Blue Rewards on June 2, 2026. According to BMO’s AIR MILES transition page:

• January 25, 2026: Cash Miles and Dream Miles were combined into one balance.
• June 2026: the AIR MILES program transitioned to Blue Rewards.
• Your Miles are now Blue Points. Reward Miles converted to Blue Points “with no loss in value”, and your AIR MILES Collector number is now your Blue Rewards Member number.
• BMO AIR MILES credit cards keep working. BMO says your physical card and card number don’t change, there’s no interruption, and you now earn Blue Points instead of Miles.
• The AIR MILES Chequing Account became the Blue Rewards Chequing Account.

The old airmiles.ca website now redirects to bluerewards.ca. You don’t need a BMO product to join Blue Rewards: anyone can sign up and collect Blue Points with a member card at participating partners. BMO’s cards and accounts simply earn faster.

The cards that replaced the BMO AIR MILES Mastercards

BMO’s June 2026 announcement lists the new lineup:

Card	Who it’s for
BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard	No annual fee personal card
BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard	Premium personal card
BMO Blue Rewards Business Mastercard	No annual fee small business card
BMO Blue Rewards World Elite Business Mastercard	Premium small business card
BMO Commercial Card Blue Rewards	Larger businesses

The two personal cards are reviewed on this site. Our business credit cards guide covers the business versions.

What the personal cards earn

	Blue Rewards Mastercard	Blue Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee	$0	$150
Participating Blue Rewards partners, including Blue Rewards Travel	5 points per $1	10 points per $1
Groceries, gas, EV charging, wholesale clubs and alcohol	1 point per $1	2 points per $1
Everything else	0.5 points per $1	1 point per $1

BMO calls these “10x” and “2x” because they’re multiples of each card’s base rate. The partner rate has an annual cap: BMO’s terms say the bonus applies to up to $15,000 in combined partner purchases per calendar year on the no-fee card and up to $25,000 on the World Elite, after which you earn the base rate. The everyday categories are capped per statement period too; each review has the details. The World Elite card requires $80,000 individual or $150,000 household income.

Partners announced at launch include Porter Airlines, Instacart, Accor hotel brands such as Fairmont, and MTY Group restaurants such as Thai Express and Mr. Sub. Dollarama is listed among the new partners as well. Partners can be added or removed, so check BMO’s partner list before you count on a store.

What a Blue Point is worth

Blue Rewards publishes one simple anchor: 1,500 Blue Points = $10 when you redeem in store at participating partners or for eGift cards. That’s about 0.67 cents per point. Other redemptions, such as travel and merchandise, have their own terms.

At that rate, roughly:

• 10 points per $1 at partners on the World Elite is worth about 6.7 cents per dollar, before the annual cap.
• 5 points per $1 at partners on the no-fee card is about 3.3 cents.
• 2 points per $1 on groceries and gas (World Elite) is about 1.3 cents; 1 point (no-fee card) is about 0.67 cents.
• The base rate is about 0.67 cents per dollar on the World Elite and 0.33 cents on the no-fee card.

So the Blue Rewards cards are strongest when a real share of your spending goes to participating partners. On ordinary spending, their rates are similar to or below a basic cash back card.

Should you get a Blue Rewards card?

A Blue Rewards card makes sense if:

• You already have a Blue Points balance (from your old AIR MILES account) and want to keep adding to it.
• You shop regularly at participating partners or book through Blue Rewards Travel, where the 5x or 10x rate applies.
• You bank with BMO and will link your member number for extra offers.

It’s probably not the best fit if:

• Most of your spending is groceries at stores that aren’t partners. A grocery cash back card pays more there.
• You don’t want to learn a partner list. A flat cash back card is simpler.

If you hold an old BMO AIR MILES card, you don’t need to apply for anything: BMO says your card keeps working and now earns Blue Points. Ask BMO before switching products, because existing BMO cardholders who move into a Blue Rewards card are not eligible for the welcome offer, according to the terms in our Blue Rewards Mastercard review.

Alternatives to Blue Rewards

If you were collecting AIR MILES mainly for groceries, gas and everyday shopping, these programs cover similar ground. All of these cards are reviewed on this site:

• Cash back on groceries: the BMO CashBack Mastercard has no annual fee and lists 3% cash back on groceries (on up to $500 spent per statement period), 1% on recurring bills and 0.5% on everything else. It’s the simplest swap if you want to stay with BMO.
• PC Optimum: the PC Mastercard has no annual fee and earns 10 PC Optimum points per $1 everywhere and 25 points per $1 at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix. Our PC Optimum guide explains how the points work.
• Scene+: the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa is a no-fee way to earn Scene+, with 2 points per $1 at Sobeys-family grocers such as Sobeys, Safeway and IGA and 1 point per $1 elsewhere. See our Scene+ guide.
• Canadian Tire Money: the Triangle Mastercard has no annual fee and earns 4% in CT Money at Canadian Tire family stores.
• Flexible BMO Rewards points: the BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite earns 5 BMO Rewards points per $1 on groceries, dining, gas and transit, up to annual caps, for a $120 fee. BMO Rewards is a separate program from Blue Rewards.
• Porter flyers: the BMO VIPorter World Elite Mastercard earns VIPorter points and includes Porter perks such as a first checked bag.

If you’re not sure whether points or cash suit you, our cash back vs points guide walks through the trade-off.

FAQ

Is there still an AIR MILES credit card in Canada? No. The AIR MILES program became Blue Rewards in June 2026. BMO’s former AIR MILES Mastercards now earn Blue Points.

What happened to my AIR MILES balance? BMO says Reward Miles were converted to Blue Points automatically with no loss in value, and your Collector number became your Blue Rewards Member number.

Do I need a new card if I had a BMO AIR MILES Mastercard? No. BMO says your card and card number stay the same and keep working. You now earn Blue Points instead of Miles.

How much is a Blue Point worth? Blue Rewards lists 1,500 Blue Points = $10 when redeemed in store at participating partners or for eGift cards, about 0.67 cents per point. Other redemptions have their own rates.

Is Blue Rewards the same as BMO Rewards? No. BMO says they’re separate programs. BMO Rewards points are earned on cards such as the Eclipse and Ascend cards.

Can I earn Blue Points without a BMO card? Yes. Anyone can join Blue Rewards and collect points at participating partners with a member card. BMO’s cards and chequing accounts earn faster.

What to do next

If you want to keep collecting, compare the two Blue Rewards cards in their reviews, starting with the no-fee BMO Blue Rewards Mastercard. If you’d rather move on, the cash back hub and the best Mastercard picks are good starting points, and the credit card offers page shows which welcome offers are live this month.