MBNA Smart Cash Credit Card – The New Cash Back King?
I’ve written about credit cards many times before listing my favorite cash back credit cards to my favorite rewards or points based credit cards. Some people may consider credit cards to be “evil” but really, credit cards don’t have a bias. They are a simply tool and they are only as “useful” as the person holding the card. I try to use a credit card for every purchase possible for the free points, but I make sure to pay off the full balance every month.
To get back to the topic at hand, I’m a big fan of cash back credit cards with my current favorite being the MBNA 1% PremierRewards Platinum Plus card. It offers 1% cash back from the first dollar spent with no maximum rebate along with a comprehensive insurance package. Of course, as I’m frugal, there is no annual fee. However, there is a new cash back star in town, and it’s another card from MBNA.
The credit card is called the MBNA Smart Cash MasterCard, and it offers all the perks of the PremierRewards platinum card but offers more cash back! To put the icing on the cake, this card also has no annual fee.
The Rewards
- 3% cash back on the first $600 spent on groceries and/or gasoline each month, 1% afterward.
- 5% cash back on groceries and/or gasoline for the first 6 months.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases with no maximum rebate.
- Can request cash back after $50 accumulated.
- No Annual Fee.
Comprehensive Insurance Package
- Travel Accident Insurance – $1,000,000 common carrier travel accident insurance.
- Car Rental Insurance – Collision damage waiver.
- Purchase Protection – 90 days insurance in case of theft or damage (up to $4,500).
- Extended Warranty – Doubles warranty up to 1 yr.
The Downside
As this card is for existing MBNA customers only, it can be a bit of a pain to obtain for non MBNA clients. They don’t even have a website up for this card (yet). However, there is a way around this, see below on how to apply.
How to Apply
For non MBNA card holders:
- Apply for an existing MBNA credit card like the 1% cash back PremierRewards (another favorite of mine).
- After receiving the new MasterCard, activate the credit card.
- After activating, call 1.800.404.1319 and ask to transfer your existing account to the MBNA Smart Cash MasterCard. If they ask for a promotion code, try CGLE.
Existing MBNA card holders:
- Simply call 1.800.404.1319 and ask to transfer your existing account to the MBNA Smart Cash MasterCard. If they ask for a promotion code, try CGLE.
Final Thoughts
The pain of applying for this no annual fee cash back credit card may be worth the rewards! With 3% cash back on groceries and/or gasoline (up to $600 in spending /month), it really kicks the cash back credit card space up a notch or two. If you spend up to the maximum on gasoline/groceries (like we would), it would be $216 cash back per year in addition to 1% cash back on other regular expenses.
With the generous cash back along with comprehensive insurance benefits, the Smart Cash MasterCard may be the best no fee cash back credit card out there in Canada. What do you think?
Update (Feb 10, 2010): Here is a list of previous cash back credit cards I have recommended. Smart Cash card is not available online, however, others have reported that you can sign up by threatening to cancel your existing MBNA card.
89 Comments, Comment or Ping
1. Cash Instinct
I was able to get Smart Cash card directly by calling, without having a MBNA card in the first place.
It seems it is easier now to get this card, after the first few weeks being difficult because of the number of people getting the card.
The advantage to apply for PremierPlus or SPG card first is to get a $40 bonus from GreatCanadianRebates. There is no such rebate for SmartCash, so it is “smart” to apply to another card first and then switch.
For people who care, Smart Cash card also has PayPass.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 10:24 am
2. Ray
3% is a great cashback rate! and the 5% cashback for the first fix months definitely is a big win…….over the long term I think the scotia momentum may still come out a little better….
2% cashback on all grocery, gas and recurring bill payments up to $25,000/yr and 1% after….
1% cashback on everything else…
it also has the extended warranty, no auto coverage……..
the only downside is $39 annual fee….although we get it waived because spouse is an employee
depending on your spending habits over the long term I think the momentum can come out on top again the downside is the annual fee
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 10:37 am
3. Daniel Morel
I have applied for and received the Amex and got the points. I will cancel it before the year’s end and avoid the fee. I have the MBNA World points and I am going to switch. Is there a danger to your credit rating if you are constantly changing cards and chasing rewards?
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 10:54 am
4. Ray
You will get constant hits on your credit which can hurt your score but if everything else is good (no missed payments, no excessive debt load etc) it shouldnt be much of a pain……….
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 11:12 am
5. casey5
I was also able to apply for the card as a new MBNA client, just call the MBNA customer care #, ignore the prompt for your card number, after a few seconds it will give you a menu option, select new card application and proceed.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 11:44 am
6. Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog
Looks like an interesting card, might be worth signing up!
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 11:59 am
7. Charles in Vancouver
These must be the type of cards that independent grocery stores are complaining about because they charge the retailer such high fees and eat into their profit margins.
I don’t blame consumers for making the rational choice of opting for a high-benefits card (and I would myself), but at the same time I would like to see better regulations on merchant fees in order to even the field. As long as these stores are forced to accept credit cards at a steep discount to cash and debit, it effectively becomes a tax on people with bad credit who don’t qualify for these cards – they pay the same price tag at the same store and get zero benefits.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 12:26 pm
8. Lana
I currently have the MBNA 1% PremierRewards Platinum Plus card and have been holding back on the Smart Cash card because I’m not sure if I would lose all the points I’ve earned on the 1% card so far, if I make the swtich.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
9. mojo30
Once they get a slew of new customers the 3% will become 1..not worth the effort in my opinion.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
10. fifi
Just switched over; been waiting for something more appealing, as an existing MBNA customer. Process took less than 10 mins on the phone, no hassles/promo code, etc. Thanks alot for the tip!!
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 4:53 pm
11. Martin
never pay a fee to own a credit card. if there’s fee, there’s a scam.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 9:42 pm
12. Jack
Martin,
Not necessarily a scam but I agree with you, I don’t like the idea of paying a fee to own a credit card.
Jun 8th, 2009 @ 11:38 pm
13. $1,600 Gold by 2011
Paying a fee for a credit card can be worth it. For example, I signed up for the $120 annual fee TD Travel card and received $100 worth of points automatically. Then, I receive the equivalent of 1.5% cash back through normal purchases and 4.5% cash back for purchasing flights through TD travel center. I’ve used the TD travel center and you can find the same deals with their travel center that you’d find elsewhere EXCEPT you can’t use promo codes. Very easy to redeem points as well.
Before the next annual fee is due, I plan to switch to the lower fee option, $19/year, and will receive equivalent to 3% cash back for flights. Doing the math, if you spend more than $967 on flights in a year, you’ll be gaining >1% from this card overall.
So I plan to get the TD travel card and this MBNA Smart Cash card for 3% off groceries, gas, and flights. Then both cards give equivalent to 1% cash back on other purchases.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:29 am
14. BFM
I have just been looking for a good cash back credit card. I was thinking about the CIBC one. But I believe this one is a better deal. Thanks for the post. Nothing is better than extra money going into our pockets. A big thumb’s up!
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:36 am
15. sneeker
I’m thinking about going to this credit card, but my current credit card just charged me the annual fee on April 1, 2009. Should I ignore this ’sunk cost’ and just move over to this MBNA one? I figure I will qualify pretty easily and don’t have a problem moving my credit around. what do you guys think? (my current card doesn’t even give 1% back, it’s a little less) Thanks.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 10:26 am
16. Little Ms.Scrooge
I have HSBC master card and it gies back 2% (until Dec. 09) towards my mortgage principle. All my banking is thru HSBC and I don’t pay annual fees. Until I have paid off my mortgage completly (3-4 years) no other cards for me.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 10:49 am
17. LuLu
Please note that “1% on everything else” is not entirely correct. If you look at the Welcome Letter, it says “1% on net retail purchase”. I received my first statement in mail last week and noticed some items (dentist charge, Rogers bill) did not receive any cashback. I called the MBNA rep, and I was told Rogers bill and dentists are not retail purchases. Examples of retails are Walmart, Canadian Tires, etc.
However, some people on other forums have called the rep. Some reps confirmed it’s “NET purchase”, not necessarily retails. I guess this card is so brand new that it’s the policy is unclear. Keep this in mind and don’t transfer everything onto this card yet.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 1:35 pm
18. ethan
Is superstore or save-on-foods included in the grocery stores that can get 3% ?
What if I buy some gift cards from these grocery stores ? would that get the 3% back ?
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
19. LuLu
Merchant code 5411 (Grocery Stores) and 5541/5542 (Gas station) qualify for 3% (or 5% in first 6 month)
http://scotiabank.com/images/en/filespersonal/19993.pdf
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
20. Dk
sneeker,
You can get back most of your annual fee. By law (at least in Ontario) the credit card company has to refund a pro-rata share of the annual fee when you cancel the card, so if you cancel now you would get back approx. 10/12’s of the fee. Just make sure that when you call to cancel, you tell them that you want the annual fee refunded, as I don’t know if the reps on the phone will know enough to do it automatically.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:21 pm
21. LisainSK
We’re switching ASAP…I spoke with Clair and she said that the WorldPoints are a product of MBNA and will transfer over to Smart Cash Dollars at a rate of 100 WorldPoints = 1 Smart Cash Dollar. 1 Smart Cash Dollar = 1 CDN Dollar. (Keep in mind that 100 WorldPoints = 1 CD Dollar). Yes, this card is soo new that not all the details are well known by all reps as the first rep I spoke with said that the WorldPoints would not transfer over. But not the case. Also I like that the interest free grace period to pay back the balance every month stays the same as our current MBNA Platinum Mastercard at 28 days. This is better than ScotiaBank’s Momentum card where I believe is 21 days interest free…the longer the pay back period interest free the better for Manulife One customers like we are. The only downside is to inform any businesses of our new account number if we have automatic monthly payments (WorldVision for example). We are switching ASAP.
THANKS MDJ and Frugaltrader!
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
22. Ms Save Money
Martin,
So long as the credit card company’s policy is transparent to the consumer, even if they do charge fees it wouldn’t be a scam. But nevertheless, it’s not cool to pay any type of fees. :)
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:37 pm
23. personne
I think these schemes are kind of sleazy. The cost of goods should be the real costs. End of story. They’re basically bribing you to force more stores to support their credit cards. I’m hoping this becomes illegal soon, in the meantime it’s a personal, ethical question.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
24. Finance Guy
I have a Discover card that offers 5% back on gas/auto purchases. Being a huge car guy, this helps a lot. There are all kinds of cards for a number of interests, you just have to know where to look. And yes, I agree that credit cards are not evil. If you borrow money, pay it back period.
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 2:57 pm
25. Narajin
But isnt that Discover card only for US and not available for Canada?
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
26. Spudman
Just applied and “hopefully” approved. I am not a current card holder. Used the promo code and then had no problem with application.
Although the 1-800-404-1319 number gave me the run around and switched me to 4 different account managers. I got this number from someone else and got through after waiting through the prompts 1-888-876-6262.
Cheers, Spudman
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
27. Terri
Just a note, if you switch an old MBNA card over to this new card, you’ll only be able to get 3% cashback on groceries and/or gasoline for the first 6 months, not 5%. The 5% cashback offer is only for new applications.
Thanks for the tip MDJ! I switched over today. Love your blog!
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 10:54 pm
28. Ryan
So is this card better than the MBNA Starwood Preferred Guest Mastercard?
Jun 9th, 2009 @ 11:59 pm
29. ken
is the 3% on gas apply for any gas station?
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 12:02 am
30. PAC
Has anyone heard of paying for your mortgage, utilities, and taxes using a credit card. That would be great if you got rewards.
Thoughts?
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 12:40 am
31. cannon_fodder
PAC,
Tried it over and over and over. Never been able to make it happen (except for my cable bill and cellphone bill).
I thought it was great when grocery stores started to allow you to pay with credit cards.
But, car payments, mortgage payments, property taxes – not in my experience.
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 9:20 am
32. FrugalTrader
ken, as LuLU stated above, the credit card companies go by “merchant code”. Here the list again: http://scotiabank.com/images/en/filespersonal/19993.pdf
ryan, depends on what you are looking for. When I claim my SPG points, they usually range from 2%-4% return on my spending, however I only use them for hotel points. Cash back can be used anytime. Personally though, I’m keeping my SPG card.
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 9:21 am
33. LisainSK
Okay…so I called MBNA last night (we currently carry an MBNA Manulife One Platinum Mastercard) and the third rep said that they will not transfer my world points. So I did not immediately switch. I first redeemed my worldpoints online for cash (super easy…now just wait for the cheque) and will do the transfer tonight. All three reps stated that I will get the 5% cash back on groceries and gas up to $600 per month for the first six months. So there are conflicting reports here…but this card is soo new that all the reps don’t even know the latest. So a bit of a runaround but hopefully worth it in the long run…
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
34. Agaver
Hey,
Just found this website yesterday! and it made my day!
I’ve been always mad with my current card since it does not give me anything not even candies.. but I guess it was my fault.. since I haven’t done anything to get a better card!
So trying to help any other readers here… this is the way I got connected with an MBNA representative and applied for my first MBNA cc ever. Hope it will work :)
Called: 1-888-876-6262
Press French (it does not matter if u don’t speak french, I don’t, but if u press english u will end up in india and god knows what might happen…)
Then wait for the options, even though you press french the next menu is in english and press 1. When the canadian agent answered (in english) I asked to apply for a new cc – So the agent transferred me to someone in Canada
who spoke english. I applied.. hopefully it will work.. if not I’ll keep looking! :)
Even though I selected French I never talked in french, neither the agent and avoided talking to Indians that don’t care, don’t know and really are not of help at all. Hope it helps someone else. The process was very easy and straight forward, just remember to select french in the first option.
Hope it helps.
Thanks for all the info / commentaries on this website, it’s helping me a lot and I’m sure it will keep doing it in the future as well!! :)
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 1:43 pm
35. RFD
First sited in rfd:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=722828
Jun 10th, 2009 @ 10:58 pm
36. cko64
If you are an existing MBNA card holder, you don’t need to transfer your existing MBNA MC to this Smart Cash card. You can just apply for this card.
I called in and applied for this Smart Cash MC and kept my existing MBNA SPG MC as well back in early May, 2009.
Jun 11th, 2009 @ 3:56 am
37. Blogging Banks
I like the 3% cash back on gas. Do you know if that credit card has any annual fees?
Jun 11th, 2009 @ 11:15 am
38. Spudman
My AMEX Gold 2% Cash Back card, may just get bumped to the #2 Position for most of my purchases!
I can’t wait for my new card.
Cheers,
Jun 11th, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
39. dlm
Google who is MBNA and there’s an epinion saying MBNA is evil and treats customers terribly etc
Jun 23rd, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
40. FrugalTrader
dlm, there will be complaints about every company if you look hard enough. I’ve been with MBNA for years and I’ve yet to have any issues with them. Of course, I’ve never had any need to work with customer service.
Jun 23rd, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
41. John S.
Interesting. I just called the 1.800.404.1319 number and asked to sign up for the new card and got transferred twice…the last time I was sent to India..asked to sign up for the “MBNA Smart Cash Credit Card” and was told that they don’t know anything about this card.
Some folks have been able to sign up for the card directly…others are not able to. These 800 numbers are always a pain. So much inconsistancy.
Jul 3rd, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
42. agaver
John,
It’s simple… you need to avoid as much as possible to be transferred to India.
As I said, select french menu and you will see you will end up talking to someone in Canada in English and who won’t give u any trouble at all with the card. If you get transferred to India just hang up, don’t waste your time.
It was the first time I was applying for the card, and hopefully I should get it.. in about 20 days. That’s what I had to do, select French in order to talk to someone in English in Canada… funny a? check post 34.
Good Luck.
Jul 4th, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
43. agaver
Hi again,
Just got my smart cash card.. today.
Will start using right away! :)
Have a good one!
Jul 7th, 2009 @ 10:45 pm
44. agaver
Hi can someone provide some feedback about the 1% cashback on everything else? I’m reading my Terms and Conditions paper that I’ve received with the card and it says “d) Every one hundred dollars ($100) in Net Purchase other than Gas and Groceries Purchases shall earn one (1) MBNA dollar.”
Then on the welcome letter it says:
“Purchase means the use of your card or Account number to buy or lease good or services”
If I understand correctly telephone and internet charges should be considered services and therefore MBNA should honor the 1% cashback.
Can anyone provide any information regarding this?
Thanks a lot.
Jul 9th, 2009 @ 6:10 pm
45. Henry
agaver: There seems to be some confusing about the 1% cashback on other purchases. Some people on redflagdeals said that they did not get 1% cashback on dentist visit, online purchase, recurring charges, etc. CSRs at MNBA tell you different things.
At this moment, you might consider not using Smart Cash Mastercard on items that may be interpreted as non-retail purchases. If there has been charges made already on Smart Cash Mastercard, try to argue for 1% cash back.
Jul 20th, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
46. sneeker
Got my card! Yay!
thanks so much to the peeps here at milliondollarjourney. i would have never known this card existed. love the site and hope to share a successful retirement story in the future.
Jul 20th, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
47. Mike
I had a deactivated MBNA account since I had a univ credit card a long time ago, so I was able to use that to get a Smart Cash card, but before that I tried to contact the french CSRs and when I tried the Smart Cash priority code or subsequently I spoke english I got immediately disconnected.
Is it possible they’re onto us? It was the evening so its possible it was a skeleton crew? Not trying to discourage but wanted to mention! GL!
Jul 22nd, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
48. kuku
I called the #, got english menu and pressed 1 – to apply for a new card,
the csr was very nice and was speaking from Ottawa. my application
‘auto approved’ on the spot.
Jul 24th, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
49. Renaud
This card is no longer available.
Sep 11th, 2009 @ 9:54 am
50. FrugalTrader
Renaud, how do you know this?
Sep 11th, 2009 @ 9:58 am
51. S Kiegerl
I just tried to get one too, and was told they are no longer available.
Sep 18th, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
52. Jordan
Thought I’d make my first post here:
http://www.mbna.ca/smartcash_cardList.html
The card is listed on the website. Looks to me that it is once again available. Still a good card?
Sep 27th, 2009 @ 7:52 pm
53. FrugalTrader
Great to see it online! I assume that it’s good to go again. However, users are still having trouble getting their cash back.. stay tuned.
Sep 27th, 2009 @ 8:02 pm
54. agaver
I should be getting my first 50 dollars by the end of this cycle.. will provide details later.
Sep 27th, 2009 @ 8:42 pm
55. FrugalTrader
agaver, from what i’ve heard, customers are getting their first $50 cheque, but subsequent cheques are being delayed. Keep us up to date on the issue.
Sep 28th, 2009 @ 9:52 am
56. Peter B
Just called a CSR and I cannot switch my card from the World Points Platinum Plus to the Smart Cash Card without losing all my points. He suggested that I apply for the new card online then consolidate my account.
So going to redeem my points now, and after I get my rewards, call and close my account. When you do it this way they can offer you the Smart Cash Credit Card without having to apply online :-)
Oct 4th, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
57. PK
How long do you people think this Smart Cash Credit Card promotion will be going on?
Oct 4th, 2009 @ 9:23 pm
58. Mike
Careful. You don’t actually get 5% back for the first 6 months and you don’t get 3% back after that.
For the gas and groceries purchases first they give you 1% off, then they subtract that amount from the total, then they give you 2% the remaining amount and subtract that amount from your remaining total, then the give you 2% the remaining total. That does NOT = 5%. To make matters worse they calculate the cash back separately for each purchase by rounding down. They are very tricky and because of this you are loosing a huge percentage of your cash back each month. It’s borderline false advertising.
I wonder if anyone has actually done these calculations.
Nov 16th, 2009 @ 2:40 pm
59. Anis
What is considered retail purchases when it comes to recurring monthly bills and charges?
I am thinking household bills (phone, internet, cable, power bills) but also insurance coverage payments…
Do these count?
Nov 16th, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
60. Agaver
Frugal trader, sorry for the delay this is my experience so far… 1st week of october I got my statement, and I had accumulated my first 50 dollars. To my surprise the check had not been sent with the statement… so I called them up right away :) . They told me I should get it the week after. I finally got it by the end of the 3rd week of october. This month I should be getting my second check. I guess I’ll have to call them up again… but let’s see :) I promise I’ll post again :).
Mike I know what you mean… but… compared to my other credit cards this is the only one it actually sent me a 50$ check! I couldn’t be happier for now! ;)
Thanks to million dollar journey!
Nov 16th, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
61. RamL
Mike, I do not think your interpretation is accurate. According to you, we should be getting only 4.384% cashback not 5%. I calculate my MBNA dollars every month and my final number has never exceeded more than 10 to 15 cents (per month) than what they give. So I recommend you double-check your cash back calculations. I have seen some people have reported that they get less cash back and their problems appeared to have been solved by a phone call. I read this on RFD forum.
Nov 16th, 2009 @ 11:48 pm
62. Mike
RamL,
I did call them and that is the answer I got, but after reading the terms and conditions I’m not satisfied what what they told me.
I think this is what they should be doing:
Lets say the item is $8.32, then 5% cash back is calculated like this:
8.32 * 0.01 = 0.0832
8.32 * 0.02 = 0.1664
8.32 * 0.02 = 0.1664
Add the total up (up to 2 decimal places) (0.08+0.16+0.16) = $0.4
But I’m getting even less than that, so I think it’s time to call them again.
Thanks,
Mike.
So now the grand total cash back should I get is $1.68.
Where did my 9 cents go??
Mike.
Nov 18th, 2009 @ 2:30 am
63. newuser
-Does online payment for bills (phone, cable, power bills) count as 1% back?
-Does gov’t payment (passport payment) count as 1% back?
I called mbna customer service and got difference answers for these. Is anybody here paid these using smart cash card and got 1%?
Dec 1st, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
64. agaver
FrugalTrader, I’m reporting once again about the mbna cash back payment… and I could not be more satisfied… December 1st… I got my second 50$ check on the mail! I did not have to call this time, I went to check for mail and it was there… what can be sweeter than that? and to answer newuser up here, a month ago I got a flyer from MBNA asking me to add my recurrent bill payments to the credit card so they will count towards my 1% cashback… I added my phone bill and my internet bill. I haven’t check but it was on the flyer so I’m assuming they are giving me the 1%. I’m sorry but I don’t have the flyer with me anymore… :(
Hope it helps! :)
Once again, thanks milliondollarjourney and to mbna!
Dec 3rd, 2009 @ 10:27 am
65. newuser
Hi, agaver,
I am very happy for you. Thank you for deliver good news for all of us. Also thank you for answering my question about recurrent bill payments. I saw a mbna flyer too. it recommended us to pay the recurrent bills, but it did not mention the 1% at all. Maybe we saw the different flyer?
Since you have already added your phone bill and internet bill, I recommend you to watch it out closely. Hopefully you will get 1% back. Please kindly let us know the progress.
Thanks again.
Dec 5th, 2009 @ 3:36 am
66. agaver
Hi newuser and MDJ readers…
Newuser u were right. I got my statement closing in December today, and I noticed I haven’t earned the amount of dollars in cashback I was supposed to.
Not even the simply 1% was being awarded. So I called them up.
I find out that they did not even honored the 3% in groceries cashback they advertised everywhere. I do my groceries at Provigo (convenient location) and come on Provigo has to classify for groceries.. what else are you going to buy at Provigo? LCD TVs? It has to classify for my 3%. Period.
So I called them up, and talk to Dash I believe.. and he was kind enough to pull the % awarded for one provigo transaction from the montlhy statement and to my surprise his system was showing him that the Provigo purchase generated only 1,69 % instead of 3 %…. but he can’t go transaction for transaction… he told me they know they have some kind of “system bug”
and that they are working on it, that they will recheck all my transactions for the month and I should see some corrections for the next billing cycle on January 4th. When asked about the Bell and Internet bills the agent said they should qualify to the 1 % but due to this system problem at this time the information might not be correct.
You can be sure if I don’t see my 3% on Provigo purchases plus the 1% they advertised for Jean Coutu, bell, internet… I’ll be talking back to them.
I know I could call again and talk to another agent… since u get different stories from different agents… but I’ll give them some time for now until January…. promise I’ll write back.
Andy
Dec 8th, 2009 @ 3:04 pm
67. newuser
Thank you , Andy!
I hope they can correct their system mistake and give you the credit you deserved. To me, “network purchase” is a very general term. It is confusing. smart cash card give us good deals but we need to figure out the policy first.
Do online payments count as 1%?
Does car insurance payment count as 1%?
Does passport renew payment count as 1%?
Why do some grocery stores count as 1%?
We better figure out their policy before stop using our previous point system credit cards. my other cards has less rewards than smart cash card, but I am certain I can get some points. that’s the dilemma.
Dec 9th, 2009 @ 9:20 am
68. FrugalTrader
I just checked the MBNA website, and it appears that they have taken down the online application. I’ve heard rumour though that transfers from existing MBNA cards are still accepted. See the blog post above for more details.
Dec 26th, 2009 @ 10:23 am
69. Blitzkrieg
I just successfully applied for this card for both myself and my wife. Even though I already have an MBNA card, I had to apply for this card separately. FT, the promo code you provided did not show up in the CSR’s system. She had some trouble figuring out how to get me this card at first, but she did it in the end. It was quite painless. Once I was finished I just handed the phone over to my wife and she did her application too.
Jan 9th, 2010 @ 3:56 pm
70. natureboy
Just got my third $50 cheque…couldn’t be happier…so far so good.
Jan 21st, 2010 @ 2:08 am
71. agaver
Hello everyone,
One more time reporting on this card and to specifically answer newuser questions. Well newuser… I’m happy to report that mbna updated their website for the better! yeap. Now, once you log in, you can also see the awards point granted for every transaction you made. so it’s easy and pretty straight forward.
You have how much you paid, the date, which place and the % of points granted and also the amount of money you have earned! It’s simple, straight forward, spectacular and evacuates all of your doubts in 2 secs without having to call and fight for your well-deserved points. So to answer newuser..
Do online payments count as 1%? – yes, I got 1% from ncix and futureshop
Does car insurance payment count as 1%? My insurance haven’t switch yet.. even though we called them up… I guess another call must follow but it should work with 1%
Does passport renew payment count as 1%? I’ll tell u once I get mine! But the Metro/bus services monthly card purchase counted as 1%
Why do some grocery stores count as 1%? I don’t know I noticed that back in november, when I called them up since I noticed provigo and iga purchases were rewarded with only 1%. They told me they would have it fix by January and indeed they did ( I got my 3rd check or 4th? already in the mail) and on the new system all my purchases from iga/provigo read “bonus” and where granted 3% so basically every $100 in iga or provigo gave me 5$ back.. wich is great! :)
Hope that evacuates anyones doubts! I really love this card.
PS: Internet service, bell phone, restaurants, pet shops, walmart, zellers, jean coutu, pharmaprix are granted 1%.
Jan 23rd, 2010 @ 1:00 pm
72. Anis
I can confirm that car and home insurance count as 1%
Actually so far, I noticed that everything counts, regardless of the type of transaction, goods or services.
Jan 23rd, 2010 @ 1:09 pm
73. newuser
Thank you very much for the posts from agaver and Anis. We can tell that MBNA Smart cash credit card is such a great card that we can enjoy it so much!
Jan 23rd, 2010 @ 5:20 pm
74. Ian
Just talked to a rep today. He said that you have to open a new account for this promo – it is no longer possible to transfer an existing account.
Feb 1st, 2010 @ 7:20 pm
75. CalgarySimon
Too bad – I just called & was told the MBNA Smart Cash is discontinued. Lucky you, whoever got it already
Feb 2nd, 2010 @ 7:20 pm
76. FrugalTrader
I’m getting mixed messages, can anyone else confirm that the SC card has been discontinued?
Feb 2nd, 2010 @ 7:38 pm
77. Anis
One thing is for sure, it disappeared from the MBNA website.
Feb 2nd, 2010 @ 7:41 pm
78. Emeth
I called MBNA about a week ago to ask if I could get my worldpoints card changed to a smartcash account. The male rep (whose English was so heavily accented I had a hard time understanding him) told me that the smartcash was no longer available. I told him that since that was the case I wanted to cancel my worldpoints card. At that point he transferred me to a female rep who spoke much better English. When I told her I wanted to cancel my card she asked me why. After I told her she said the card was still available and it would be no problem for me to get it. She asked me a couple confirmation questions then told me it would be up to 5-6 weeks to receive the card.
So now I am waiting.
Feb 3rd, 2010 @ 2:40 am
79. nobleea
it’s still available for online applications. the link and promo code is on the red flag deals thread on this CC.
i just applied today in fact.
Feb 5th, 2010 @ 4:59 pm
80. Ray
A couple tidbits, I called up that number saying my SPG card expires soon, I want to get the ball rolling on getting the Smart Cash card as the replacement. She said no problem. I asked what’s the natural replacement to the SPG card, she said ChoicePrivileges which gives their own form of points system. She said they didn’t renew the contract with SPG because they “didn’t like the card”. I said that was my best card so now I’m “not happy with you (MBNA)”. I told her I’ll take the Smart Cash card and the AMEX SPG and then I’ll decide where to spend my $60,000 per year. She said no problem, use the SPG card until the end of the month sucking every last SPG point from it, then call and activate the Smart Cash card you received in the mail and everything will transfer over. Still pissed at this AMEX SPG crap, I was getting at least two trips a year all accommodations free and now I have to juggle $50 cheques and some SPG points on whereever will accept AMEX, blah.
Feb 13th, 2010 @ 8:37 pm
81. Dan
I’m not sure whether or not this is still the case, but I applied and received this card during the summer. I was a new MBNA customer.
The trick at the time was to call during regular business house on a weekday and speak to a Canadian rep. If you call and get an accent other than English or French, then hang up and call back. Eventually you’ll reach an actual Canadian.
The problem with not speaking to a foreign rep is that they have scripted responses and really have no idea about the Smart Cash card. Speaking to the Canadian rep they most certainly are aware of the card and are willing to help you out. In fact, the lady I spoke with was pleasant to speak with and did a little small talk while entering my application.
As recently as two weeks ago, this same procedure worked as someone else I know was successfully able to apply for the card. If you’re having problems, perhaps you’re just speaking to the wrong person.
Feb 16th, 2010 @ 5:05 pm
82. FrugalTrader
Nobleea, was your online application accepted? I’m reading reports of people getting the wrong card when using the code online.
Feb 20th, 2010 @ 5:59 pm
83. Chinstrap
Hi All,
I would love hear the latest on this card..
Actually, what is your preferred “setup” now with the SPG MBNA gone?
I was using my Costco Amex combined with my SPG MBNA… I guess the Costco cash back Amex is still a good one but what else should I use?
Thanks for your comments.
Strap
Feb 24th, 2010 @ 6:54 pm
84. Chinstrap
FYI.. I just talked to MBNA Canada and as of today, they are not accepting new applications for SmartCash. This can change in the future though as they are monitoring how things go. I was going to change my SPG card to the Premier Reward card but I was given the spiel on how my SPG card will change automatically into a Elite Travel Rewards which 1) give 2% equivalent on hotels and flights and 2) 1% back on cash whenever you hit 8000 points ($8000) or more. So she convinced me that this card was better than the Premier Rewards…
Feb 24th, 2010 @ 7:31 pm
85. SaverGirl
Called MBNA the day my SPG card would not earn points and explained that I did not want their new travel rewards card, that I was looking into cash back cards. The rep actually offered the Smart Cash, when I said I haven’t seen it on the website, she said, no, it’s so popular they don’t need to advertise it, mostly people are finding out about it from blogs. Sounds like a great card, should arrive in the next 2 weeks.
Mar 1st, 2010 @ 7:29 pm
86. Dustin
Just talked to MBNA and the first rep I spoke to said she couldn’t offer that card and there was no way to get it. So I said I wanted to cancel my account and was transfered to a “Senior” rep (basically a retentions rep) who promptly gave me the card to avoid losing my business. So it looks like the card is available to existing MBNA customers as long as you threaten to cancel…
Mar 9th, 2010 @ 5:30 pm
87. AI
Just converted my old MBNA SPG card to Smart Cash. The first rep said it wasn’t offered, so I had to say I wanted to cancel and I was forwarded on to a senior rep. I explained I wanted the Smart Cash and, after being put on hold for a while, I was able to change my account without any fuss.
Mar 16th, 2010 @ 6:15 pm
88. Greg
I used to have the old SPG reward program and was looking for something new. I called the existing MBNA cardholder number provided above. They answered on the first ring and were EXCELLENT to deal with… it was yes right away, no hassle. All done in about 2 minutes. Thanks for all the info on the Smart Cash card!
Mar 18th, 2010 @ 6:16 pm
89. Chinstrap
Confirmed! Threaten to cancel your card unless you get Smart Cash and it works. They don’t want to lose your business. It worked for my brother and I on the same day.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TWO OR THREE CARDS YOU USE?
For me:
1) Costco Platinum Cash Back
2) My new Smart Cash
I will use Amex as it gets up to 1.5% back except when I get gas or shop for groceries (those not at Costco) at say Loblaws to get 3% back.
Mar 19th, 2010 @ 1:26 pm
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