If you’re a regular credit user, you understand the value that certain credit cards have. This is especially true for travel credit cards, which have become extremely popular among Canadians due to the rewards they can come with, such as travel points, hotel discounts, airport lounge access and complimentary travel insurance.
Because of this popularity, many airlines now sell their own travel credit cards, including Westjet. Find out which Westjet credit cards are right for you.
Best WestJet Credit Cards
For now, there are only two WestJet credit cards offered in Canada. Both are available through Royal Bank of Canada (RBC):
| WestJet RBC® Mastercard | WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard | |
| Annual Fee | $39.00 | $119.00 |
| Interest Rate | 20.99% | 20.99% |
| Earn Rate | 1% in WestJet dollars back on all eligible everyday purchase | 1.5 WestJet dollars per $1 spent on eligible everyday purchases |
| Special Earn Rate | 1.5% WestJet dollars back on eligible WestJet purchases | 2 WestJet dollars per $1 spent on eligible WestJet purchases |
| Travel Insurance Types | Travel Accident Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Emergency Purchases Hotel/Motel Burglary Purchase Security & Extended Warranty Balance Protection (Optional) | Out of Province/Country MedicalTravel Accident Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Trip Interruption Emergency Purchases & Flight Delay Hotel/Motel Burglary Purchase Security & Extended Warranty Balance Protection (Optional) |
| Lounge Access | None | $32 per visit to LoungeKey locations |
| Other Perks | Travel Insurance Credit Card Lock Travel Services Instant Fuel Savings at Petro-Canada Be Well Points at RexallDoorDash Benefits Annual Round-Trip Companion Voucher (Amount Varies) | First Checked Bag Free Free Boingo Wi-FiInstant Fuel Savings at Petro-Canada Be Well Points at RexallDoorDash Benefits Broad Insurance Coverage Credit Card Lock LoungeKey Access Annual World Elite Round-Trip Companion Voucher (Amount Varies) |
WestJet RBC® Mastercard
The WestJet RBC Mastercard is a low-fee credit card that offers numerous travel benefits. From the WestJet points you earn to the companionship voucher. Each WestJet point you earn is equal to 1 dollar. As a new primary cardholder, you can even score an annual round-trip companion voucher for $199 CAD (taxes, fees & charges not included) for round-trip travel within Canada or to/from the continental United States.
Features Of The WestJet RBC® Mastercard
Annual Fee: $39.00
Purchase Interest Rate: 20.99%
Cash Advance Interest Rate: 22.99% (Cash Advance Fee – $5.00)
Earn Rate:
- 1.0% back in WestJet dollars on qualifying everyday purchases.
- 1.5% back in WestJet Dollars on WestJet flights & Vacation Packages.
- A welcome bonus of 50 WestJet dollars with your first purchase.
- Up to 100 WestJet dollars, if you spend at least $1,000 in the first 3 months (this offer expires January 5, 2022) .
Eligibility: n/a
Extra Features
- Travel Insurance – This card gives you free travel insurance coverage (baggage delay/loss/theft, rental car theft/damage, hotel burglary, accident).
- Credit Card Lock – If your credit card gets lost or stolen, you can log into the RBC mobile app and lock your account with the “Used Credit Card Lock” feature.
- Travel Services – When you book hotels with this card, your reservations are guaranteed. You also get 24/7 Assured Assistance Customer Service.
- Instant Fuel Savings – If you use a WestJet RBC Mastercard at Petro-Canada fuel stations, you’ll save $0.03/litre on gas and earn 20% more Petro-Points.
- Be Well Points at Rexall Pharmacies – Link your Mastercard to your Be Well and get 50 Be Well Points for every $1 you spend on eligible Rexall purchases.
- DoorDash Benefits – By adding this card to your DoorDash account, you’ll get a free 3-month subscription to DoorDash (nearly a $30 value), along with zero delivery fees for that period and on orders over $15 for an unlimited time.
- Optional Perks – When activating your WestJet Mastercard, you can choose other Valued Added Services, like balance protection and RBC Road Assist.
WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard
The Westjet RBC World Elite Mastercard is an upgraded version of the WestJet RBC Mastercard. You’ll earn slightly higher points with your purchases and gain access to even more benefits. However, it does come at a cost of $119 a year. But this annual fee is offset by its flexibility and travel benefits. With this card you’ll have zero blackout periods, meaning you can use your points for travel at any time without restrictions. Moreover, you can use your points to reach higher with WestJet Rewards Status Lift (more airline privileges, services & savings).
Features Of The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard
Annual Fee: $119.00
Purchase Interest Rate: 20.99%
Cash Advance Interest Rate: 22.99% (Cash Advance Fee – $5.00)
Earn Rate:
- 1.5% back in WestJet dollars on qualifying everyday purchases.
- 2.0% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights & Vacation Packages.
Eligibility: You need a minimum personal income of $80,000 yearly or a minimum household income of $150,000 yearly to qualify for the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
Extra Features
- Annual World Elite Round-Trip Companion Voucher – When you book a full fare flight, you can get a companion voucher for a reduced price. For travel within Canada or the continental U.S., you can get a voucher from $119 and from $399 for the rest of the WestJet Network.
- First Checked Bag is Free – As the primary cardholder of a WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, the first checked bag is complimentary for you and 8 guests.
- Free Boingo Wi-Fi – You can also use this Mastercard to register for complimentary wifi at more than 1 million Boingo hotspots across the globe.
- Instant Savings At Petro-Canada – Once again, you’ll save $0.03/L on gas and collect 20% more Petro-Points when using this card at Petro-Canada.
- Be Well Points At Rexall – Like the basic WestJet RBC Mastercard, you get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on qualifying items from Rexall pharmacies.
- DoorDash Benefits – The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard gives you a complimentary 12-month DoorPass subscription (nearly a $120 value), no delivery fees for that period and unlimited free deliveries on orders over $12.
- Broad Insurance Coverage – This card also gives you extra types of travel insurance, like emergency medical/purchase and trip interruption coverage.
- Credit Card Lock – As with the WestJet RBC Mastercard, you can lock your World Elite card on the RBC mobile app. Watch out, you won’t be able to make purchases, withdrawals or cash advances until the card is unlocked.
- LoungeKey – If you register for the Mastercard Airport Experience, you become a member of more than 800 airport lounges worldwide and get special offers from high-class retailers. It costs $32 per visit to access a LoungeKey lounge.
How Much Do You Need To Spend To Make The WestJet RBC Credit Card Annual Fee Worth It?
To know if the annual fee for the WestJet RBC® Mastercard or World Elite Mastercard is worthwhile, factor in the amount you spend per month on regular purchases and per year on travel. Also, consider the number of round-trips you take, how many guests you have, whether you’ll use a companion voucher and your chosen destination.
According to the WestJet Credit Card Cost Calculator, in order to break even, you must:
- Spend approximately $200 yearly on eligible travel costs and $300 a month on eligible purchases to earn enough annual spend to break even on the WestJet RBC® Mastercard’s $39 annual fee.
- Spend approximately $300 a year on eligible travel costs and $600 a month on eligible purchases to earn enough annual spend to break even on the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard’s $119 annual fee.
However, these are just figures from the website. To truly know if you’ll break even on your WestJet credit card’s annual fee, you may also have to consider your WestJet dollars welcome bonus, your number of checked bags, and whether or not you’re buying a flight or vacation package. You may save more money once you apply your benefits, so make sure to do your own calculations if you want a more exact answer as to whether either of these cards is worth the price.
Looking for the best credit card options?
WestJet Rewards
WestJet is the second largest airline in the country (next to Air Canada) and can be the optimal choice if you’re looking for cheaper flights within North America, as well as places like Europe, Australia and South America. The WestJet Rewards loyalty program is also more user-friendly than those of many competing airlines.
With a WestJet Rewards membership, you can access these benefits and privileges:
WestJet Dollars
You can earn WestJet dollars on select purchases and use them to get discounts on the base portion of Economy, Premium and Business fares, as well as WestJet vacations. This allows you to travel anytime, with no blackout periods. You need to spend at least 15 WestJet dollars to qualify.
Numerous Tier Levels
With 4 different credit card tiers to choose from (Teal, Silver, Gold, Platinum), you can get as much as 8% WestJet dollars back on qualifying purchases and up to 2% on WestJet Vacation Packages. Platinum is the highest tier and offers the best discounts, rates and priority client perks.
Member Exclusive Fares
If you have enough WestJet Dollars to pay a full base fare, you can pick a Member Exclusive Fare. This comes with extra perks, like a better choice of seats on WestJet-specific flights. While you won’t earn WestJet dollars for the purchase, you’ll only pay the taxes, fees and charges on the flight.
Can credit card rewards be taxed? Find out here.
WestJet Membership Tiers
As mentioned, there are 4 tiers you can access with a WestJet Rewards membership.
Each tier has different rules, benefits, limits and rates on flights or vacations:
Teal
When you join WestJet Rewards, you’ll begin as a Teal member, which gives you up to $2,999 in tier qualifying spend and 0.5% WestJet dollars earned on eligible WestJet flights/vacation packages. You can earn WestJet dollars on partner flights too (rates vary according to distance and service class).
Silver
As a Silver member, you have a tier spend limit of $3,000 – $4,999 and a WestJet dollar rate of 3% on WestJet flights and 1% on WestJet vacations, with an extra 50% on partner flights. Additionally, you get:
- 2 free checked bags
- Zone 2 boarding privileges
- 4 advanced seat selection vouchers
- 4 airport lounge access vouchers (+ 2 guests)
- Complimentary upgrades before check-in on EconoFlex fares
- Complimentary upgrades at the gate on EconoFlex, Premium & PremiumFlex fares
Gold
If you upgrade to a Gold membership, your tier spend limit increases to $5,000 – $7,999. You also get 5% WestJet dollars back on Westjet flights and 1.5% on Westjet vacations, plus 75% on partner flights. Bonus perks include:
- 2 free checked bags
- Priority/Zone 1 boarding privileges
- 6 advanced seat selection vouchers
- Priority check-in, baggage, security screening & support number
- Unlimited airport lounge access (+ immediate family & 2 guests)
- Earlier admittance to buy upgrades
- Higher priority upgrades before check-in and at the gate on EconoFlex, Premium and/or PremiumFlex fares (complimentary)
Platinum
Once you gain Platinum status, you get the highest benefits, including a qualifying spend limit of $8,000+, 8% WestJet dollars on WestJet flights and 2% on Westjet vacations, plus 100% on partner flights. You also get:
- 3 free checked bags
- Priority/Zone 1 boarding privileges
- Unlimited advanced seat selection (+ 6 guest vouchers)
- Unlimited airport lounge access (+ immediate family & 2 guests)
- Same priorities as Gold membership, with early access to upgrades
- Same complimentary upgrades as Silver & Gold memberships, plus highest priority upgrades on Econo fares (different from EconoFlex)
WestJet Rewards Account
To join the WestJet Rewards program, access a WestJet RBC Mastercard or earn WestJet Travel Bank Credits, you must have an account and WestJet Rewards ID. You can then use your ID to earn WestJet dollars when making bookings and purchases online or with select partner airlines. This includes:
- WestJet Flights & Vacation Packages (regular or land-only)
- Travel Insurance
- Hotel Stays
- Car Rentals
To create your account, go to WestJet Rewards and click “Join”. Then, follow the instructions, enter your personal information and pick a password. If everything is acceptable, you should receive your 9-digit WestJet Rewards ID shortly after. This can be done via WestJet’s Service and Sales Centre too.
Considering WestJet Credit Cards?
Don’t forget to do research and compare several credit cards before you make your final choice. While the WestJet RBC® Mastercard or World Elite Mastercard may come with a lot of appealing benefits, there could be other credit cards that suit your travel needs better. Contact WestJet for more information about their credit cards today.
WestJet Credit Cards FAQs
Do WestJet dollars expire?
How much is a WestJet dollar worth?
Can I earn WestJet dollars on other airlines?
