New BMO Escape Card: Travel Perks for a $150 Annual Fee

BMO, the Canadian-founded bank, has added a new travel option to its portfolio of credit cards. Launched on Aug. 18, 2025, the BMO Escape Credit Card charges a $150 annual fee and features a metal design. Here’s what the card offers.

Welcome bonus: Earn 45,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months of opening your account.

The card earns the following ongoing rates, though the bonus categories are subject to caps*:

• 4 points per $1 spent on airfare and dining.

• 3 points per $1 spent on hotels, tours, travel agencies and cruises.

• 2 points per $1 spent on rideshare services, taxis and car rentals.

• 1 point per $1 on everything else. 

*NOTE: Cardholders can earn bonus rates up to $3,000 in purchases per bonus category per calendar quarter, and then 1 point per $1 after that. Point values vary depending on what you redeem them for. They can be redeemed for flights, hotels, cruises, vacation packages, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards and statement credit.

• Up to $240 hotel credit per year. You’ll get this credit as $20 statement credits each month you spend $200 on your card at any hotel worldwide.

• TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS statement credit of up to $100, once every four years after an application fee is charged to your card.

• Two complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits. After that, your BMO Escape Credit Card will automatically be charged the typical $35 member and guest fee every time you visit a Priority Pass lounge. 

The BMO Escape Credit Card is the highest-end card the bank offers — though with an annual fee of $150, it’s more affordable than some similar travel or metal cards (for those that value a “plunk” — that heavy-metal feel) on the market. And because it’s not tied to a specific airline or hotel brand, you can flexibly earn rewards in its 4x and 3x categories, up to a cap, at least.

However, the Escape’s more accessible price point means that you don’t get the same shiny perks that higher-end travel cards come with. For instance, other travel cards feature a higher $120 credit toward TSA PreCheck/Global Entry, not to mention much more robust airport lounge access. (Just two Priority Pass visits? Paltry indeed.) And while a hotel credit may sound nice, this one isn’t automatic: You’ll have to hit a minimum spending threshold each month to qualify for it, and even then, it’s doled out in small $20 increments, not all at once.