Welcome Bonus Value Estimated dollar value of the credit card welcome bonus

Annual Fee The annual fee on a credit card is a fee you pay each year to use the card

Purchase APR The interest Percentage Rate applied to all purchases you make with your credit card.

Cash Advance APR The Annual Percentage Rate applied if you used your card to get funds via ATM.

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Credit Score Recommended credit score range required to be eligible for approval for the credit card

MBNA Credit Cards

If you’ve never heard of MBNA Mastercards, you’re probably not alone. It is one of the lesser known credit cards available, despite the fact they offer what adds up to a very impressive range of credit cards. They are also owned by TD Bank, one of Canada’s “Big Five” which might give you a little more confidence to look into what they offer. Here we look at the top MBNA credit cards, their benefits, and drawbacks in hand with how they compare to other cards out there.

MBNA Credit Cards Overview

MBNA offers many Mastercards in total covering all of the categories you expect:

Low Interest
No Annual Fee
Cashback
Rewards
Travel
Retail

Once people discover MBNA they are sold thanks to their suitability for a wide number of needs and highly flexible rewards programs. They also offer instant approval when you apply online.

MBNA Credit Card Benefits and Perks

Here are some of the top-rated MBNA Mastercards:

MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®

This is a winner thanks to its high rewards with a lot of different redemption options. Add to this the exceptional insurance and the fact there’s no annual fee and you can’t go wrong. Benefits include:

Welcome bonus up to 14,200 bonus points
2 points per $1 spent on gas, groceries, and restaurants (up to $5,000 annually on each category)
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Double your points for the first three months on bonus categories
Earn 10,000 bonus points after making one purchase if you sign up for e-statements within 90 days
7 types of travel and purchase protection insurance

MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard®

What is really attractive about this card is the welcome bonus of 5% cashback on gas and groceries for the first 6 months. The other perks of the card include:

2% cashback on eligible gas and grocery purchases, up to a combined spend of $500 per month
5% cashback on all other eligible purchases
7 types of complimentary travel insurance
Purchase protection
3 types of rental car insurance
No annual fee

MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® credit card

If you’re looking for a low interest rate and no annual fee this is the card for you. At just 8.99% on both purchases and balance transfers, you can start to pay down your high-interest credit card debt faster while also enjoying less interest on any new purchases you make.

MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®

Combine flexible rewards with this long list of premium perks and it’s difficult to find a better credit card than the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard®:

2 points for every dollar spent
No tiers or caps
Cash value is increased to 0.83 cents per point
20,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
10,000 bonus points when you sign up for e-statements within 90 days
8 types of insurance
Price protection coverage

MBNA Credit Card Drawbacks

There are a few drawbacks with MBNA credit cards including a limited premium MBNA credit card offering. With just two to consider, you might find better choices from competitors depending on what you are looking for. Also, pay close attention to your return rates for rewards cards because some can be as high as 2.3% but others are quite low at around 0.5%.

Looking at specific cards, while the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® offers some perks, if you tend to take cash advancements more often, you’ll be paying a high 24.99% interest rate. The same applies to their low interest rate card the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® credit card. One last card-specific drawback is the $120 annual fee for the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®.

How do MBNA credit cards compare to other banks?

All in all, they stand up quite well. However, when you look at the drawbacks you get a feel for where they might pale in comparison. One of the worst areas is how high their interest rates are for cash advances. While most credit cards are about 19.99% for purchases and around 22.99% for cash advances, their cash advance can jump to 24.99%.

How to choose the right MBNA credit card for your need?

There really is never a best card when you look at credit cards from an overall standpoint, because there are just too many variables to consider. You have to consider not only what you want feature-wise in your credit card, but also things like the credit score or income required to qualify. This helps narrow down your choices so you can choose the right card for your personal needs.

However, our overview here recommends the MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard® credit card for low interest, transfer balance seekers and the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® if you’re looking for high rewards. For travellers you should consider the Alaska Airlines Platinum Plus® Mastercard® and for flexibility, it’s all about the MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®.

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