Triangle World Elite Mastercard review

How the Triangle World Elite earns CT Money

The Triangle World Elite Mastercard pays its rewards in CT Money. Purchases at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Mark’s, Party City and other Triangle partner stores earn 4%. Groceries earn 3% on the first $12,000 a year, then 1%, though Costco and Walmart don’t count as grocery stores for this rate. Everything else earns 1%.

Gas earns 1% plus 5 cents per litre in CT Money, or 7 cents per litre on premium, at Gas+, Essence+ and participating Husky stations. At any pump price below $5 a litre, those 5 cents earn more per dollar than the 1% rate itself; at $1.60 a litre, for example, they work out to about 3.1%.

A worked example

Take a household spending $600 a month on groceries, $150 at Canadian Tire family stores, $200 on gas and $800 on everything else. Groceries earn $18, the Canadian Tire spending earns $6, and gas and other purchases earn $10, for $34 a month, or $408 a year in CT Money.

If that household buys 120 litres of regular fuel a month at participating stations, the per-litre bonus adds $6 a month, or $72 a year. That brings the total to $480 a year, with no annual fee. Its grocery spending of $7,200 a year stays well under the $12,000 limit.

Spending CT Money

CT Money redeems like cash, at $1 for $1, at Canadian Tire family stores. That’s simple, but it only helps if you shop there regularly. CT Money expires after 18 months of account inactivity, so keep the account in use.

The Triangle app offers personalized bonus offers that stack on top of the card’s base rates. A Bill Pay feature also lets you earn CT Money on payments such as tuition and property taxes, bills that normally can’t be put on a credit card.

Roadside assistance

The card includes a free Canadian Tire Roadside Assistance Gold plan, normally $100 a year, with towing of up to 250 km. Membership also gives you Perkopolis discounts. For drivers who would otherwise buy a separate roadside plan, this perk is a real saving.

Fees, interest and the fine print

There’s no annual fee. Purchases in a foreign currency carry a 2.5% foreign transaction fee, so $1,000 spent abroad or with US online stores adds about $25. Purchases are charged 21.99% interest and cash advances 22.99%; paying the full balance by the due date avoids purchase interest.

Insurance coverage

Coverage is limited to purchases and rental cars, and there’s no travel insurance. Read the certificate for limits and exclusions before you rely on it.

• Purchase security (90 days)
• Extended warranty
• Rental car collision and loss damage waiver

Who it suits, and how it compares

The Triangle World Elite suits drivers and regular shoppers at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Mark’s who want strong no-fee rewards and would use roadside assistance. If you rarely shop in the Canadian Tire family, CT Money will be hard to spend, and a card whose rewards you can use anywhere is the better choice.

The PC World Elite Mastercard is another store-branded option, with no annual fee, 45 PC Optimum points per dollar at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix, and a welcome offer of up to 20,000 points. For roadside assistance with cash back you can use anywhere, the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite pays 3% on groceries, gas, transit, bills and streaming and includes a Deluxe TD Auto Club membership, for a $139 fee.

Before you apply

The recommended credit score is 720 or higher, and Canadian Tire Bank makes the final decision based on your full credit profile. Confirm current earn rates and partner stores on the Canadian Tire website before you apply.