Our Verdict
The BMO Eclipse Rise Visa Card earns strong marks for successfully bringing accelerated rewards to the no-fee segment, with its 2.5 points per dollar effective rate on essential spending categories matching or exceeding many fee-based competitors. The welcome bonus structure, rewarding both spending and account setup activities, provides accessible value worth approximately $175 without requiring excessive purchases. The 0.99% balance transfer offer for nine months adds significant utility for debt consolidation, while mobile device insurance provides practical protection rarely seen on no-annual-fee cards. Where the card stumbles is in its confusing "per $2" earning structure that unnecessarily complicates reward calculations and makes comparison shopping difficult. The base earning rate of 0.5 points per dollar on non-category spending disappoints, while BMO Rewards' typical redemption value of 0.7 cents per point means even the bonus categories yield only about 1.75% return. The lack of travel insurance and foreign transaction fee waivers limits its appeal for travelers. Despite these shortcomings, for Canadian households focused on maximizing rewards from everyday spending without paying fees, the BMO Eclipse Rise Visa Card provides compelling value that challenges the notion that good rewards require annual fees.
7.5 / 10
- No annual fee
- Get up to 25,000 bonus points in your first year
- 0.99% interest rate on balance transfers for 9 months
- Earn bonus BMO Rewards points on popular spending categories
- No minimum income requirement
- 2% balance transfer fee
- Check standard balance transfer rate once intro period ends
- Lower rewards earn rate in other categories
Requirements
Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident Be at least 18 years of age, or the age of majority in your province or territory of residence Have a good to excellent credit score of 660 or higher
