BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard vs KOHO Essential Mastercard

Compare these two credit cards side-by-side to see which one offers better value for your spending habits.

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard

Annual Fee: $29
Your Monthly Rewards: $0.00
VS
KOHO Essential Mastercard

KOHO Essential Mastercard

Annual Fee: $48
Your Monthly Rewards: $0.00
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Overview

When it comes to choosing the perfect credit card, you need clarity, precision, and insights you can trust. That's why Dollarwise rigorously evaluates every card across seven critical factors, ensuring you get a detailed and actionable review.

Below you'll find a table which shows you the estimated reward each card will earn, as well as the ratings we gave the cards for each category. We compared the cards based on their perks, fees, approval rate, insurance, acceptance by merchants, interest rates and the rewards you'll earn. Each score is out of a maximum of 5.

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Comparison
KOHO Essential Mastercard
$0
Rewards
Annual rewards estimate
$0
0/5
Perks
Travel benefits and extras
1.3/5
0/5
Fees
How competitive the fees are
2.6/5
0/5
Approval
How easy it is to get approved
5/5
0/5
Insurance
Insurance coverage and benefits
0/5
0/5
Acceptance
Where you can use the card
4.8/5
0/5
Interest rates
How competitive the interest rates are
5/5

Details and Eligibility

Compare the basic details and eligibility requirements for each card to see which one you qualify for.

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Details
KOHO Essential Mastercard
Mastercard
Card type
Mastercard
BMO
Issuer
KOHO
660
Min credit score
300
$0
Personal income
$0
$0
Household income
$0

Rewards

We estimate that spending $2,000 per month with the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard would earn $0 in rewards over the year and with the KOHO Essential Mastercard you would earn $0 in rewards.

When you spend using the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard you will earn points called .

When you spend using the KOHO Essential Mastercard you will earn points called .

We can also compare the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard vs KOHO Essential Mastercard based on the amount earned in each spend category:

Annual rewards by spend category

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Rewards
KOHO Essential Mastercard
$0
Gas
$0
$0
Bills
$0
$0
Pharmacy
$0
$0
Groceries
$60
$0
Restaurants
$24
$0
Specific Stores
$0
$0
Travel
$0
$0
Other
$0

First, let's look at the actual reward structure for each card:

Raw reward rates

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Reward structure
KOHO Essential Mastercard
N/A
Gas
N/A
N/A
Bills
N/A
N/A
Pharmacy
N/A
N/A
Groceries
1%
N/A
Restaurants
1%
N/A
Specific Stores
N/A
N/A
Travel
N/A
N/A
Other
N/A

We can also compare the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard vs KOHO Essential Mastercard based on the "earn rate", which shows in percentage terms how much you'll get back on your spend.

Rewards earn rate (converted to %)

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Rewards earn rate
KOHO Essential Mastercard
0.0%
Gas
0.0%
0.0%
Bills
0.0%
0.0%
Pharmacy
0.0%
0.0%
Groceries
1.0%
0.0%
Restaurants
1.0%
0.0%
Specific Stores
0.0%
0.0%
Travel
0.0%
0.0%
Other
0.0%

Fees

When it comes to fees, the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard is better than the KOHO Essential Mastercard.

The BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard charges an annual fee of $29, which is $19 less than the $48 annual fee for the KOHO Essential Mastercard. So, if annual fees are important to you, then the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard is the better choice.

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Fees
KOHO Essential Mastercard
$29
Annual fee
$48
$0
Extra card
$0
0%
Foreign exchange fee
1.5%

Perks

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Perks
KOHO Essential Mastercard
No
Lounge Access
No
No
Priority Boarding
No
No
Priority Security
No
No
Checked Bags
No
No
Concierge Service
No
No
Elite Status Acceleration
No

Neither BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard nor KOHO Essential Mastercard provides airline-specific travel perks like lounge access, priority boarding, expedited security, or a complimentary checked bag.

Concierge Service

Neither card offers concierge service.

Elite Status Acceleration

Neither card provides elite status acceleration. If climbing loyalty tiers is important to you, you might consider other options.

Interest Rates

The KOHO Essential Mastercard has better interest rates overall than the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard.

The BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard charges 13.99 on your credit balance for purchases, which is different from the interest rate on the KOHO Essential Mastercard.

It's worth noting that the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard has an interest rate of 15.99 on any balance you transfer to this card from another credit card. That rate is higher than the N/A that is charged on the KOHO Essential Mastercard. If you expect to transfer a balance to this card then the KOHO Essential Mastercard might save you a lot of money.

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Interest Rates
KOHO Essential Mastercard
13.99%
Purchases
N/A
15.99%
Cash advance
N/A
15.99%
Balance transfer
N/A

Insurance

Both cards offer similar insurance coverage.

The KOHO Essential Mastercard includes 6 types of insurance, whereas the BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard only gives you 2. In comparison, the average credit card gives you 5 types of insurance. So, if insurance is important to you, then the KOHO Essential Mastercard is the better choice.

BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
Insurance
KOHO Essential Mastercard
N/A
Emergency Medical
N/A
N/A
Extended Warranty
N/A
N/A
Mobile Device
N/A
N/A
Purchase Protection
N/A
N/A
Car Rental Theft/Damage
N/A
N/A
Travel Accident
N/A

Our Recommendation

Enter your monthly spending above to see personalized recommendations based on your actual usage patterns.

Related Comparisons

The BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard is often compared against other similar cards in the market. We've also compared it against various other options to help you make the best choice.

The KOHO Essential Mastercard is often compared with other premium cards in its category. We've also compared it against other cards to give you comprehensive insights.