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Brim World Elite Mastercard Review (2024)

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The Brim World Elite Mastercard is a premium credit card issued by Brim Financial, a Canadian fintech company that aims to change how credit card rewards work.

While no-foreign transaction credit card options are rare in Canada, all three credit cards offered by Brim offer this perk, including the Brim Mastercard, a no-fee card.

Brim World Elite Mastercard Overview

  • $199 annual fee; waived in the first year
  • 2 points per $1 spent base rewards
  • 0% foreign transaction fees
  • Access to unlimited Brim Open Rewards
  • Free Global Wi-Fi
  • Mobile device insurance
  • Comprehensive travel insurance and benefits, including travel accident insurance and emergency medical insurance
  • Purchase protection and extended warranty
  • Event ticket protector insurance
  • Versatile mobile app with budgeting capabilities
  • Access to installment payments on all purchases exceeding $500
brim world elite mastercard

Brim World Elite Mastercard Benefits

The Brim World Elite Mastercard is a premium card with many features and benefits and a hefty $199 annual fee.

Brim Financial No Foreign Transaction Fee

All three Brim Mastercards waive the foreign transaction fee, which is easily a 2.5% add-on to all your foreign currency purchases.

The Brim World Elite saves you the surcharge, and your transactions are converted using the exchange rate set by Mastercard.

Brim World Elite Base Rewards

You earn 2 points per $1 spent for a 2% cash back rate. There is a cap of $25,000 for the 2% earn rate. After exceeding this threshold, your cash back rate falls to 1%.

Brim points are easy to redeem, and there are no restrictions on what you can spend your cash back on – groceries, travel, cash back to pay off your statement balance, and more.

The points are convertible at a rate of 1 point = $0.01 (1 cent), and you can cash out starting at $1 or 100 points.

Brim Open Rewards

In addition to the base rewards, cardholders get access to the Brim Open Rewards program, a loyalty platform to earn extra points on everyday purchases.

You can earn points at an accelerated rate from participating retailers and brands that are featured on the Brim marketplace.

Cash back points earned via Brim Open Rewards have no cap or limit, and you also enjoy redemption multipliers with some merchants. For example, 1 point can increase in value to 3 cents compared to the regular 1:1 conversion rate.

New members can earn $500 or more in first-time bonus points via inCard offers.

Brim Financial Rewards

Brim World Elite Mastercard Free Global Wi-Fi

The Brim World Elite Mastercard offers access to over 1 million free Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide. These hotspots are available in airports, hotels, airplanes, restaurants, and cafes and can come in handy if you do a lot of travelling.

The free Boingo Global Wi-Fi is worth $39 USD per month.

Brim World Elite Mastercard Lounge Access

This card comes with a complimentary membership in Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey and provides access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide.

No free passes are included in this offer; however, you save on the annual membership fee.

One credit card option that offers multiple free VIP airport lounge passes yearly is the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite.

Brim World Elite Mastercard Travel Insurance

The travel insurance coverage provided with this card is comprehensive. You get common carrier accident insurance and Out-of-Province emergency travel medical insurance of up to $5 million for up to 15 days (under 65) or 3 days (65 years).

In addition, you also enjoy flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, hotel/motel burglary, trip cancellation, and trip interruption insurance coverage.

The comprehensive rental car coverage benefits include car rental damage insurance, car rental accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and coverage for car rental personal effects that get damaged or stolen.

Other Insurance Benefits

This card also provides the following insurance coverage:

  • Extended warranty that doubles the manufacturer’s warranty up to one extra year
  • Event ticket protector insurance with reimbursement for tickets charged to your card up to $1,000 if you cannot attend for an eligible reason.
  • Mobile device insurance with coverage up to $1,000 for the damage, loss or theft of a smartphone or tablet.

Brim World Elite Mastercard Installment Pay

Brim’s installment pay feature is available with all their cards and can be applied to purchases of $500 or more. Installment payments can be set up for 12-24 months, and you can pay off the balance at any time.

While 0% interest is charged on installments, you will pay a 7% fixed installment fee and a monthly processing fee of 0.475% of the original purchase price. Simply put, the installment fees can easily become expensive.

Other Brim Financial Benefits

The Brim app and web portal offer a budgeting tool you can use to track your purchases, set your spending limits, and get alerts when you exceed the limits. If you added a family card for supplementary users, you can set spending limits for them as well.

Cardholders enjoy the wide acceptability of a Mastercard plus complimentary travel assistance.

Lastly, when your friends sign up for a Brim Mastercard using your referral code or link, you receive 2,000 points ($20) per referral.

Brim World Elite Mastercard Downsides

The $199 annual fee tag for the Brim World Elite Mastercard is huge. While the fee is waived in the first year, it applies in subsequent years and may leave a bitter taste in your mouth if you are not fully utilizing the benefits of the card that offsets its cost. Additional cards for family members each attracts a $50 fee.

There is a $25,000 annual limit on the regular 2% earn rate. After you exceed this purchase amount, your earn rate falls to 1%.

Finally, Brim Financial is a non-bank credit card issuer and is relatively new on the credit card scene.

Brim World Elite Mastercard vs. Rogers World Elite Mastercard

The no-annual-fee Rogers World Elite Mastercard was featured as a bonus credit card on my list of the best no-FX fee cards in Canada.

It offers 3% cash back on U.S. dollar purchases for a 0.50% return after factoring in the 2.5% FX conversion fees. You also get 1.5% in cash back on all other purchases.

To remain eligible for the Rogers World Elite card, you need to spend at least $15,000 every year.

For a no-fee card alternative, you could choose the basic Brim Mastercard; however, you would miss out on basic travel insurance benefits.

Alternative cards to consider are:

No-Fee Card Alternatives

1. Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card: Tangerine’s flagship cash back credit card has no annual fee and offers 2% unlimited cash back on purchases in up to three popular categories of your choice, and 0.5% on everything else.

In addition, you get access to a low-risk balance transfer rate, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage. Get more details in this Tangerine credit card review.

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card

Rewards: Earn up to 2% unlimited cash back in up to 3 spending categories and 0.50% on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Get an extra 10% cash back on up to $1,000 in spending in the first 2 months ($100 value); 1.95% balance transfer rate for 6 months.

Interest rates: 19.95% for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.

Annual fee: $0

2. Tangerine World Mastercard: Similar to Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card, the Tangerine World Mastercard has no annual fees. However, you will need an income of at least $60,000 to be eligible.

In addition to earning 2% unlimited cash back on these spending categories, this card also offers rental car insurance, mobile device insurance, complimentary membership in Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey, extended warranty, purchase protection, and access to free Boingo Global Wi-Fi.

Learn more about this card in this review of the Tangerine World Mastercard.

Tangerine World Mastercard

Rewards: Earn up to 2% unlimited cash back in up to 3 spending categories and 0.50% on all other purchases; VIP perks.

Welcome offer: Get an extra 10% cash back on up to $1,000 in spending in the first 2 months ($100 value).

Interest rates: 19.95% for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.

Annual fee: $0

3. SimplyCash Card from American Express: Earn a flat 1.25% cash back rate on all purchases, plus travel accident insurance benefits and no annual fees. Here’s a detailed overview.

SimplyCash Card from American Express

Rewards and benefits: Earn up to 2% cash back on gas and groceries; 1.25% cash back on all other purchases; travel accident insurance.

Welcome offer: NA

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $0

4. Home Trust Preferred Visa: This card has no annual fees and offers the coveted 0% foreign exchange fees. In addition, you earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases.

Learn more in this Home Trust Preferred Visa review.

Premium Credit Card Options

1. Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite:  This card is one of the best cash back credit cards in Canada. It offers up to 4% regular cash back plus comprehensive travel insurance benefits, mobile device insurance, and more.

The minimum income requirement for the card is $60,000, and you can learn more about it in this Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite review.

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card

Rewards: Earn 4% cashback on groceries & recurring bills; 2% cashback on gas & daily transit; 1% cashback on everything else.

Welcome offer: Earn 10% cashback in the first 3 months on up to $2,000 spent ($200 value).

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases; 22.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $120

2. American Express Cobalt Card: Here’s a detailed review.

American Express Cobalt Card

Rewards: Earn 5x pts per $1 spent on food & drinks; 3x pts on streaming subscriptions; 2x pts on travel; 1x pts everywhere else.

Welcome offer: Get up to 15,000 bonus points in the first year.

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $155.88

3. The Platinum Card from American Express: Here’s a detailed review.

The American Express Platinum Card

Rewards: Earn 2 pts per $1 spent on dining & food delivery; 2pts per $1 spent on travel; 1pt/$1 everywhere else.

Welcome offer: NA

Interest rates: N/A. Check card details for penalty APRs.

Annual fee: $799

Who is Brim Financial?

Brim Financial is a non-bank credit card issuer founded in Canada in 2015 by Rasha Katabi. As of this writing, the company has three credit cards in circulation, including the:

Brim Financial has a unique mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play. Using the app, cardholders can access multiple mobile wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, FitBit, and even Garmin Pay.

Best Credit Offers in March 2024

Get the top savings and spending account and stop paying costly bank fees ($20 Bonus)

Save on fees and access unlimited transactions, eTransfers & bill payments.

Get a $20 instant bonus after completing your first purchase.

Earn up to 5% unlimited cash back and up to 5% interest on your balance.

Guaranteed instant approval with any credit score + free budgeting app.

Get this guaranteed approval credit card for any credit score ($25 bonus)

Get an instant $25 welcome bonus.

Earn 5% unlimited average cash back at thousands of locations.

Guaranteed approval for poor and bad credit scores. Takes 3 minutes.

No monthly fees and up to 15% cashback on your first-time purchases.

Earn an average 5% cashback while growing your balance + $20 bonus

Best free prepaid reloadable Mastercard with $20 bonus (after adding $50+).

Earn an average 5% unlimited cash back at over 12,000 stores.

No credit check and free budgeting app with automatic savings features.

Earn 2.25% interest on your entire balance.*

Author

Gravatar for Enoch Omololu, MSc (Econ)
Enoch Omololu, MSc (Econ)

Enoch Omololu, personal finance expert, author, and founder of Savvy New Canadians, has written about money matters for over 10 years. Enoch has an MSc (Econ) degree in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Aberdeen Business School and has completed the Canadian Securities Course. His expertise has been highlighted in major publications like Forbes, Globe and Mail, Business Insider, CBC News, Toronto Star, Financial Post, CTV News, TD Direct Investing, Canadian Securities Exchange, and many others. Enoch is passionate about helping others win with their finances and recently created a practical investing course for beginners. You can read his full author bio.

About Savvy New Canadians

Savvy New Canadians is one of Canada's top personal finance platforms. Millions of Canadians use our site each year to learn how to save for retirement, invest smartly, maximize rewards, and earn extra cash. We have been featured in prominent finance media, including Forbes, Globe and Mail, Business Insider, CBC, MSN, Wealthsimple, and TD Direct Investing. Learn more about Savvy New Canadians.

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1 thought on “Brim World Elite Mastercard Review (2024)”

  1. Gravatar for JustMe

    Brim is somewhat of an unprofessional company. They are not a financial institution so if you have any complaints or negative experiences you have no means of escalating any issues with the Ombudsman’s Office for Financial Institution. While some users seem to be exempt, many are not when it comes to something so simple like trying to download your credit card statement which can take a minute or longer regardless of device or access point you’re using.

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