American Express · American Express · Amex Membership Rewards
Reviewed 2026-07-05 · By The Points Standard editorial team
Amex Cobalt Card
The strongest everyday earner in Canada for food spend. If you can work around Amex acceptance, the Cobalt out-earns nearly every premium card at a fraction of the fee.
Standard Score breakdown — Excellent
Six weighted components, each rated 0–10. "Contributes" is the rating × weight — add all six and you get the 8.30/10 Standard Score above.
See how the Standard Score works or re-weight it to your priorities.
The numbers
| Annual fee | $191.88 |
| Welcome bonus | Up to 15,000 MR points (1,250/month for 12 months of qualifying spend) |
| Est. bonus value | ≈ $300 |
| First-year net value | ≈ $714 |
Earn rates
| Eats & drinks (groceries, restaurants, food delivery) | 5x |
| Streaming subscriptions | 3x |
| Gas, transit, travel | 2x |
| Everything else | 1x |
Why it earns its score
- Highest practical grocery and dining earn rate in Canada (5x on up to $2,500/month)
- MR points transfer to Aeroplan and other airline partners at strong ratios
- Monthly fee structure lowers the commitment barrier
Where it loses points
- Amex acceptance gaps at Costco, Loblaws banners, and some independents
- 5x earn capped at $30,000 of eats-and-drinks spend per year
- Welcome bonus is drip-fed monthly rather than granted upfront
Who it's for
People who spend heavily on groceries, restaurants, and delivery and want maximum transferable points per dollar.
Who should skip it
Your main grocery stores don't take Amex, or you want a simple card with no monthly-fee bookkeeping.
Included insurance
Mobile device insurance · Travel accident insurance · Baggage and flight delay coverage
Source: issuer card page · Last reviewed 2026-07-05. Details change often — confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.