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How MBNA Rewards Points Work

How MBNA Rewards Points work and how to maximize your points

Barry Choi Contributor

Fact checked by Cory Santos

MBNA Rewards are easy to redeem and the credit cards offer a good earn rate and strong welcome bonuses. Breakdown the program, how to earn and how to maximize points in our helpful guide.

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

MBNA Rewards are easy to redeem and the credit cards offer a good earn rate and strong welcome bonuses.

While most Canadians gravitate toward the big five banks for rewards credit cards, MBNA Rewards is a valuable alternative that often flies under the radar. This loyalty program from MBNA (a division of TD Bank) offers flexible redemption options, including travel, merchandise and gift cards, making it ideal for anyone who wants versatility with their points.

Quick overview

The MBNA Rewards program has evolved significantly over the years:

  • 2023: Major transition when MBNA discontinued their Alaska Airlines co-branded credit cards and converted cardholders to MBNA Rewards cards
  • 2024: Limited-time opportunity for former Alaska Airlines cardholders to convert MBNA Rewards points to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (August-October 2024)
  • 2025: Enhanced the Birthday Bonus Points feature and strengthened the program's position as one of the leading rewards programs in Canada

While MBNA doesn't publicly disclose its exact membership numbers, the program has grown substantially in popularity, particularly after winning multiple industry awards in 2024 and 2025, including several honours in our Credit Card Awards. 

How to earn MBNA Rewards points

If you want to earn MBNA Rewards, you need an MBNA credit card that specifically earns you MBNA Rewards points. Currently, there are only two credit cards available that earn you MBNA Rewards:

MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®

up to 30,000 points

Welcome Bonus

$972

First Year Value

$672

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Earn up to 30,000 bonus MBNA Rewards Points†† for cash back, gift cards and more. Conditions Apply.

Apply Now On MBNA Credit Cards' Secure Site

The MBNA Rewards World Elite is MBNA's flagship product. And while the card does charge an annual fee, it comes with a generous earn rate in multiple shopping categories and comprehensive travel insurance benefits.

Annual fee: $120

Earning structure:

  • 5 MBNA Rewards points on groceries, restaurants, digital media, memberships and household utilities ($50,000 annually per category)
  • 1 MBNA Rewards point on all other purchases

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®

up to 10,000 points

Welcome Bonus

$860

First Year Value

$360

Annual Value

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†.

Apply Now On MBNA Credit Cards' Secure Site

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Card is an entry-level credit card with no annual fee. It's a popular choice for people who want something simple or are looking to build their credit history.

Annual fee: $0

Earning structure:

  • 2 MBNA Rewards points on groceries, dining, streaming, memberships and recurring bills ($10,000 per year)
  • 1 MBNA Rewards point on all other purchases

Disclosures:

  • 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†).

  •  ††, ‡, ✪, ***, ††††, 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.

READ MORE: MBNA credit cards in Canada

Bonus earning categories

Both MBNA Rewards credit cards offer bonus points on several everyday spending categories:

  • Groceries: Including major chains like Adonis, IGA, Maxi, Metro, Provigo, Super C, and Walmart Supercentres
  • Restaurants: All dining establishments
  • Streaming: Netflix, Crave, Disney+, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube Premium
  • Recurring bills: Videotron, Fido Mobile, Fizz, Koodo, and utility bills

Birthday Bonus Points

A unique feature of the MBNA Rewards program is the Birthday Bonus. Each year, cardholders receive bonus points equal to 10% of the total points earned in the 12 months before their birthday month, up to a maximum of 15,000 bonus points annually. These bonus points are automatically added to your account before the end of your birthday month.

How much are MBNA Rewards points worth?

Here's a quick breakdown of what your MBNA Rewards points are worth per redemption type:

Reward
Value per point
Travel
$.01
Gift cards
$.0085 - $.0098
Merchandise
$.0075 - $.0090
Cash
$.005 - $.0083

The best use of your MBNA Rewards points is travel where you’ll get a value of one cent per point. Unfortunately, there’s no way to get an increased value for your points since MBNA Rewards doesn’t have any transfer partners. That said, one cent per point value is similar to what many other bank travel rewards programs offer.

Like all loyalty programs, the value of your points varies depending on how you choose to redeem them. 

How to redeem MBNA Rewards points

There's no minimum points requirement when making a redemption, and you can even add cash if you don't have enough points to make a full redemption. This gives you flexibility as you can claim what you want regardless of the number of points you currently have.

Most of your MBNA Rewards redemptions will be done via onlinetravelandrewards.com. That's where you'll find the online travel portal and product catalogue. After you log in, you'll be able to search for redemptions that interest you.

If you want to use your points for travel redemptions, you must use the MBNA Rewards travel portal. This portal is fully flexible and allows you to book:

  • Flights (no blackout dates)
  • Hotels
  • Car rentals
  • Vacation packages
  • Cruises

Even though you can only use the travel portal for your redemptions, MBNA Rewards does price match on select airfare and vacation packages. Points are worth a fixed 1.0 cent each for all travel bookings.

Key benefits of travel redemptions:

  • No blackout dates or booking fees
  • Points can cover taxes and fees
  • No minimum redemption amount
  • Can book travel for others

The MBNA Rewards redemption site has a category specifically for e-gift cards. They have dozens of partners including Apple, DoorDash, The Keg, Esso, Walmart, Home Depot, Cineplex and Nintendo.

What's interesting about gift card redemptions is how the value can change depending on the merchant and denomination. For example:

  • A $50 Keg Steakhouse + Bar gift card costs 5,210 points (value: 0.96 cents per point)
  • A $100 Keg Steakhouse + Bar gift card costs 10,035 points (value: 0.997 cents per point)

Cashing in for gift cards can be a good way to save on everyday purchases, especially if you choose higher-denomination cards that offer better values.

If you prefer merchandise as your reward, you won't be disappointed as there are hundreds of brand-name items available. Redemptions start at just 2,500 points, so it won't take long before you get something for free.

Some popular merchandise options include:

  • Laptops and electronics
  • Small appliances
  • Fitness equipment

Items are shipped directly to you for free, but the value varies quite a bit. Generally speaking, it's best to avoid redeeming your points for merchandise since the value is typically lower than travel or gift cards.

For statement credits or cash:

  1. 1 Minimum redemption of 6,000 points ($50)
  2. 2 Redeem for statement credit, deposit to bank account, or check
  3. 3 Points are worth 0.83 cents each (120 points = $1)

While getting cash is always great, MBNA does make it a bit more complicated than it needs to be, and the redemption value is not the best at 0.5-0.83 cents per point.

How to maximize your MBNA Rewards points

MBNA Rewards is a very basic rewards program, so there are only a limited number of ways to maximize your points. However, if you stick to the following tips, you can find good value in the program.

  • Sign up when there’s a good welcome offer. Both MBNA Rewards cards typically have a decent welcome bonus, so you can earn a lot of points right away just with an account opening.
  • Take advantage of the increased earn rate. MBNA Rewards cards do have generous earn rates on specific merchant categories where you can earn more points. Of particular interest are the earn rates with the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®. Earn 5 MBNA Rewards points on 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..
  • Get maximum value for your points. Try to only use your points on travel redemptions where you’ll get a value of one cent per point. Some gift cards that have a similar value are also worth it.

How MBNA Rewards compares to other rewards programs

Feature
MBNA Rewards
Scene+
TD Rewards
BMO Rewards
Point value
0.83¢-1.0¢
0.70¢-1.0¢
0.25¢-0.5¢
0.67¢-1.0¢
Point expiry
Never expire while account is open
Never expire with active account
Never expire with active account
Never expire while account is open

The most comparable program to MBNA Rewards is BMO Rewards since both programs require you to use their own travel portal to make a redemption. Admittedly, MBNA does give some good value for gift card redemptions, but other programs have similar value with select gift card partners.

One area where MBNA Rewards falls short is its lack of transfer partners.  American Express Membership Rewards lets you transfer your points to numerous travel partners, including Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, various international carriers, and hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. 

Is MBNA Rewards worth it?

There's nothing that really makes MBNA Rewards stand out dramatically from the crowd. That said, the rewards program is very easy to use, and the credit cards offered have a good earn rate and typically come with a strong welcome bonus.

The program is particularly worthwhile if:

  1. 1 You spend significantly in the bonus categories (groceries, dining, digital media, etc.)
  2. 2 You value the simplicity of a fixed-value redemption system
  3. 3 You want the flexibility to redeem for travel or gift cards
  4. 4 You can qualify for the World Elite card to maximize earnings with 5x points categories

There’s nothing that really makes MBNA Rewards stand out from the rest of the crowd. That said, the rewards program is very easy to use and the credit cards offered have a good earn rate and typically come with a strong welcome bonus. MBNA may not be a brand that immediately comes to mind, but what they offer in terms of perks can be useful.

READ MORE: Best Canadian credit cards

MBNA Rewards FAQs

  • How to check your MBNA reward points?

    +

    You can check your MBNA Rewards points balance by logging into your MBNA account or onlinetravelandrewards.com. The points you’ve earned will also appear on each month's statement.

  • Do MBNA Rewards expire?

    +

    MBNA Rewards points don’t expire as long as you have an MBNA card that earns you MBNA Rewards points and is in good standing.

  • Can MBNA reward points be converted to cash?

    +

    You can redeem your MBNA Rewards points for cash via a credit statement, cheque, or direct deposit.

  • What can I use my MBNA reward points for?

    +

    Your points can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, merchandise, or cash.

Barry Choi Contributor

Barry Choi is a Toronto-based personal finance and travel expert who makes frequent media appearances. When he's not educating people on how to be smarter with money, he's earning and burning miles and points for luxury travel.

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