July 15 Update: The soon to re-open Park Hyatt Toronto jumps to Category 6 from Category 4 & free Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star elite status + MORE Jul 15th

 Thanks to some huge new bonus offers from American Express and Scotiabank plus some ongoing big time offers from TD, CIBC, and RBC for their airline co-brand cards we are now seeing a plethora of cards that bring big value from their welcome bonuses. If I can recall correctly in our 20 years of writing about credit cards and loyalty programs in Canada we have never seen this welcome bonus offers that are valued at $300 or more. Typically we may have 6 to 8 cards in that range but right now we have 15 cards whose true value of their welcome offers are $300 or higher. By true value we look at the value of the welcome bonus points earned in the first and subtract the first year annual fee. Some cards don’t have annual fees in the first year so that boosts that value while others have portions of their welcome bonuses that are awarded upon or after your first anniversary with a card. We don’t take those anniversary bonuses into account as you would now have to also take into account the annual fee for the second year…

Here’s your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more.  Much like last week’s update on new Marriott Hotels in Canada we have a mid-year update on new Hyatt Hotels in Canada. We now know the Park Hyatt Toronto will not remain a Category 4 hotel like they were before they closed for renovations. Unfortunately it is now confirmed to be a Category 6 hotel – that’s a big jump from the previous 15,000 points required to now needing 25,000 points per night for a free night award! The hotel also now has a set date for opening and that is September 15. We have also learned the opening date of the Hyatt Place Montreal Downtown will be October 27, 2021. They still have not published what category the hotel will fall into in the World of Hyatt programs. Learn more about these and all the other Hyatt openings in Canada here. Image via Hyatt — If you are not a member of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards yet now is the time to join the program as all new members will be provided Five Star Elite status upon joining…

Neo Financial is the newest player on the Canadian online banking scene. The company’s founders are the same people who brought you Skip The Dishes, the Winnipeg-based online restaurant food delivery company that enables users to order food from their iPhone or Android device.
According to Neo Financial’s website, the company’s mission is to “reimagine spending, savings, and rewards by using technology to simplify finances, create rewarding experiences, and build a community for all Canadians.”
It’s an ambitious goal and one that’s worth investigating in this review of Neo Financial. In this review I’ll take a closer look at Neo’s two main products – a rewards credit card with a twist and an online savings account to see how they stack up
Introducing Neo Financial
Neo Financial began in 2019, a startup effort by Skip The Dishes co-founders Andrew Chau and Jeff Adamson, along with Kris Read. They’ve partnered with two Canadian financial institutions – Concentra Bank and ATB Financial – to bring Canadians two primary products, a high-interest savings account and a no-fee rewards Mastercard…

Time for another bonus for your online shopping! This time we AIR MILES shops provide extra miles when you shop online at multiple retailers. The bonuses are awarded as follows:Receive 75 bonus miles when you spend $100 across 2 storesReceive 325 bonus miles when you spend $300 across 3 or more storesBased on the terms there is no minimum spend required per store so long as you spend that $100 across two stores or $300 at 3+ stores. Personally I would make sure your purchase meets the minimum requirement which is typically $20 for earning at least 1 AIR MILES Reward Mile via each retailer just to ensure you earn miles across each purchase. This offer is good for purchases made through to July 23, 2021.On top of that remember to earn the retailer’s loyalty points as well by logging in once you are that retailers site (ie Indigo Plum Rewards) and then use your miles or points earning card for the purchase.Learn more about the muliple retailer bonus offer here If you are looking to earn even more AIR MILES and a lot of them quickly check out the best ever welcome offer on the American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card of up to 7,500 bonus AIR MILES Reward Miles when you apply for the card by August 3, 2021!Amex AIR MILES ReserveTitle image via AIR MILES