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Am I doing this credit card combo right? Tangerine MC + Amazon Visa + PCF World Elite MC

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Am I doing this credit card combo right? Tangerine MC + Amazon Visa + PCF World Elite MC

Hey guys,

I recently switched my main grocery store to a No Frills close to my place so I'll be closing my Scotiabank Momentum card.

The credit card combo I'm aiming towards is:

  • Tangerine MC - restaurants, recurring payments, entertainment
  • Amazon.ca Visa - all online purchases (most of them at US stores including Amazon.com so I'll be paying in USD), and foreign withdrawals at ATMs during travel
  • PCF World Elite MC - groceries at No Frills, gas, Shoppers Drug Mart, car rentals

The only weak area is no purchase protection / extended warranty for most of my online purchases since the Amazon card doesn't offer any. Could that be fixed?

Is there anything I'm missing in this combo? Any recommendations to improve it?
18 replies
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Aug 22, 2011
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How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
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vkizzle wrote: How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
I was thinking about doing that to simplify everything so I only have a couple of credit cards. But, won't I be getting less money back because I'll be getting 3% on my PCF World Elite card and 2% on my select categories with Tangerine MC all without any fees?
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Aug 22, 2011
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pkpower wrote:
vkizzle wrote: How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
I was thinking about doing that to simplify everything so I only have a couple of credit cards. But, won't I be getting less money back because I'll be getting 3% on my PCF World Elite card and 2% on my select categories with Tangerine MC all without any fees?
It's a trade-off for the MBNA WE benefits, but you should calculate your spending and see how much of a difference it will be.
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vkizzle wrote:
pkpower wrote:
vkizzle wrote: How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
I was thinking about doing that to simplify everything so I only have a couple of credit cards. But, won't I be getting less money back because I'll be getting 3% on my PCF World Elite card and 2% on my select categories with Tangerine MC all without any fees?
It's a trade-off for the MBNA WE benefits, but you should calculate your spending and see how much of a difference it will be.
I do most of my shopping online on Amazon.com and other American stores when it comes to tangible items so I would be using my Amazon.ca credit card anyways. Given that, MBNA WE's price protection / extended warranty won't help.

Thank you for your suggestion though.
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Apr 12, 2005
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pkpower wrote: Hey guys,

I recently switched my main grocery store to a No Frills close to my place so I'll be closing my Scotiabank Momentum card.

The credit card combo I'm aiming towards is:

  • Tangerine MC - restaurants, recurring payments, entertainment
  • Amazon.ca Visa - all online purchases (most of them at US stores including Amazon.com so I'll be paying in USD), and foreign withdrawals at ATMs during travel
  • PCF World Elite MC - groceries at No Frills, gas, Shoppers Drug Mart, car rentals

The only weak area is no purchase protection / extended warranty for most of my online purchases since the Amazon card doesn't offer any. Could that be fixed?

Is there anything I'm missing in this combo? Any recommendations to improve it?
You can buy Loblaw or RCSS gift cards from a RCSS or Loblaw store using your Scotiabank Momentum card. Then use the gift cards at No Frills.
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a_1_a wrote:
pkpower wrote: Hey guys,

I recently switched my main grocery store to a No Frills close to my place so I'll be closing my Scotiabank Momentum card.

The credit card combo I'm aiming towards is:

  • Tangerine MC - restaurants, recurring payments, entertainment
  • Amazon.ca Visa - all online purchases (most of them at US stores including Amazon.com so I'll be paying in USD), and foreign withdrawals at ATMs during travel
  • PCF World Elite MC - groceries at No Frills, gas, Shoppers Drug Mart, car rentals

The only weak area is no purchase protection / extended warranty for most of my online purchases since the Amazon card doesn't offer any. Could that be fixed?

Is there anything I'm missing in this combo? Any recommendations to improve it?
You can buy Loblaw or RCSS gift cards from a RCSS or Loblaw store using your Scotiabank Momentum card. Then use the gift cards at No Frills.
That's a lot of work to save 1% is it not? PC gift cards come in max denom. of $100 too.
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Aug 8, 2012
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pkpower wrote:
  • Amazon.ca Visa - all online purchases (most of them at US stores including Amazon.com so I'll be paying in USD), and foreign withdrawals at ATMs during travel
Is there anything I'm missing in this combo? Any recommendations to improve it?
martydxb wrote: Please consider Amazon vs Rogers (or Fido). There's a whole thread comparing this for your reading :)
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/rogers- ... f-1969993/
foreigncontent wrote:
martydxb wrote: Please consider Amazon vs Rogers (or Fido). There's a whole thread comparing this for your reading :)
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/rogers- ... f-1969993/
Rogers not a good option for ATM withdrawals
Ya, you are missing a card to use on foreign purchases if you are saving Amazon Visa for ATM withdrawals during the trip.

Rogers with 4% - 2.5% fee on foreign transactions would be good for spending abroad while you keep prepaid cash on your Amazon for 0% FX + 1% (min. $5) ATM withdrawals.

Tangerine's debit card can also access Scotia's Gobal Alliance ATMs fee-free for 1.5% FX, so that extra 0.5% may be a better deal than paying a local surcharge at the ATM to use the Visa.

Rogers is also better for online US purchases you don't intend to return. It's 1.75% in Canada and free if you have a Rogers/Fido/Chatr bill to pay on it. Otherwise Fido MC is free for all. Cashback is annual statement credit (like momentum, unless you have Rogers service to credit it towards monthly).
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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vkizzle wrote: How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
Not sure he'd be ahead. Lose 1% on groceries seems like a waste. So really he wouldn't replace that one. Then you are only gaining 1% after non-grocery/Esso/SDM/restaurants/entertainment/bills.

If CAD spending outside all above categories is >$742/mo then you would recover the $89 with the extra 1% and could replace just the Tangerine with MBNA.

If you want to replace both you need to spend more to make up for the lost 1% on No Frills/Esso/SDM.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
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Aug 22, 2011
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ace604 wrote:
vkizzle wrote: How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
Not sure he'd be ahead. Lose 1% on groceries seems like a waste. So really he wouldn't replace that one. Then you are only gaining 1% after non-grocery/Esso/SDM/restaurants/entertainment/bills.

If CAD spending outside all above categories is >$742/mo then you would recover the $89 with the extra 1% and could replace just the Tangerine with MBNA.

If you want to replace both you need to spend more to make up for the lost 1% on No Frills/Esso/SDM.
You're right about losing 1% on groceries, but I don't take it as a loss; considering it's the PCF WE and the full 3% is only when shopping at Loblaw stores.
He can likely make up that 1% loss using the MBNA WE at Costco.

The PCF WE is no longer attactive in my household, as both my wife and I have that card and we're not going to increase our grocery spending to get more points...LOL
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vkizzle wrote:
ace604 wrote:
vkizzle wrote: How about replacing the Tangerine and PCF MC with an MBNA WE?
At 2pts for everything, with no caps, plus the purchase warranty; you'll still be ahead despite the $89 yearly fee.
Not sure he'd be ahead. Lose 1% on groceries seems like a waste. So really he wouldn't replace that one. Then you are only gaining 1% after non-grocery/Esso/SDM/restaurants/entertainment/bills.

If CAD spending outside all above categories is >$742/mo then you would recover the $89 with the extra 1% and could replace just the Tangerine with MBNA.

If you want to replace both you need to spend more to make up for the lost 1% on No Frills/Esso/SDM.
You're right about losing 1% on groceries, but I don't take it as a loss; considering it's the PCF WE and the full 3% is only when shopping at Loblaw stores.
He can likely make up that 1% loss using the MBNA WE at Costco.

The PCF WE is no longer attactive in my household, as both my wife and I have that card and we're not going to increase our grocery spending to get more points...LOL
OP said he switched to No Frills. So he will get 3%.

If you don't shop at Loblaws/SDM/Esso then you obviously won't get 3% :)

PCF card supports Apple Pay, and it's free ... no reason to "replace" it at all IMO, keep it to use at those places and earn 3%.

Spend more on groceries? Perhaps you misread my last sentence: "If you want to replace both you need to spend more to make up for the lost 1% on No Frills/Esso/SDM."

I'm talking about the $742 non-category spend. If you lose 1% on groceries the break-even with $89 fee will be MORE than $742 on OTHER.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2011
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ace604 wrote:
vkizzle wrote:
ace604 wrote:

Not sure he'd be ahead. Lose 1% on groceries seems like a waste. So really he wouldn't replace that one. Then you are only gaining 1% after non-grocery/Esso/SDM/restaurants/entertainment/bills.

If CAD spending outside all above categories is >$742/mo then you would recover the $89 with the extra 1% and could replace just the Tangerine with MBNA.

If you want to replace both you need to spend more to make up for the lost 1% on No Frills/Esso/SDM.
You're right about losing 1% on groceries, but I don't take it as a loss; considering it's the PCF WE and the full 3% is only when shopping at Loblaw stores.
He can likely make up that 1% loss using the MBNA WE at Costco.

The PCF WE is no longer attactive in my household, as both my wife and I have that card and we're not going to increase our grocery spending to get more points...LOL
OP said he switched to No Frills. So he will get 3%.

If you don't shop at Loblaws/SDM/Esso then you obviously won't get 3% :)

PCF card supports Apple Pay, and it's free ... no reason to "replace" it at all IMO, keep it to use at those places and earn 3%.

Spend more on groceries? Perhaps you misread my last sentence: "If you want to replace both you need to spend more to make up for the lost 1% on No Frills/Esso/SDM."

I'm talking about the $742 non-category spend. If you lose 1% on groceries the break-even with $89 fee will be MORE than $742 on OTHER.
Oops, I mixed up OP with another member who was spending up to $600/month at Costco.
help-need-credit-card-combo-2045717/
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Sep 1, 2015
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maybe add a fee travel card to purchase/travel insurance
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I'm surprised at how often the Rogers card gets recommended to those who do not have any Rogers service. Calling in once a year is such a pain and feels almost like begging. Do people really don't mind this?
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Aug 22, 2011
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pkpower wrote: I'm surprised at how often the Rogers card gets recommended to those who do not have any Rogers service. Calling in once a year is such a pain and feels almost like begging. Do people really don't mind this?
People drive extra km just to save $1...
I'm a robbers customer and don't have this card.
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Dec 5, 2006
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Do I get 3% when I shop in T&T?. Can I redeem point in T&T?

Thanks
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pkpower wrote: I'm surprised at how often the Rogers card gets recommended to those who do not have any Rogers service. Calling in once a year is such a pain and feels almost like begging. Do people really don't mind this?
vkizzle wrote:
pkpower wrote: I'm surprised at how often the Rogers card gets recommended to those who do not have any Rogers service. Calling in once a year is such a pain and feels almost like begging. Do people really don't mind this?
People drive extra km just to save $1...
I'm a robbers customer and don't have this card.
This.

Did you forget what site you are on? LOL.

I personally hate any card with annual redemption but people seem to like some of them. If you don't mind waiting a year for Costco MC or Infinite Visa annual credit I see very little difference with calling Rogers MC once a year to request credit be applied to statement. Seems less work than taking a Costco "cheque" to Costco to use actually.

If you spend internationally a lot the extra 0.5% net benefit on this card over 1% Amazon card can make up for the $35 fee ($7000 CAD worth of foreign charges)... Of course if that's all you need the free Fido MC is a better deal. So really it's more about if you spend $14k/yr or more to make the extra 0.25% worth it.

Most of the time I see people mentioning both in the same breath. If you don't have Rogers service the Fido card is free. If you do, the Rogers card is free and 0.25% better domestically.

If you spend a lot ($3k/mo for Rogers customers, $1800/mo for non-Rogers customers) then the $89 MBNA for 2% is a better deal domestically.
POLL: How frequent is your RRSP-matching?
Plastiq: Pay any bill with credit card for 0-2.5% fee (help meet min spending and keep old cards active!)
Rewards program transfer times (e.g. SPG->Aeroplan, Marriott->SPG, Amex MR->SPG...)

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