Rogers Red Mastercard Changes: 5% on Rogers Bills, 1.5x Bonus Gone
Rogers is raising the rate on Rogers purchases to 5% and removing the 1.5x redemption bonus. We ran the numbers: most cardholders lose money unless Rogers is more than a third of their spending.
Nicole Reynolds
Senior Rewards Analyst · August 22, 2026 · 7 min read
Rogers is raising the cash back rate on your Rogers bill from 2% to 5% — and taking away the 1.5x redemption bonus that applied to everything else you earned. Whether you come out ahead depends on one ratio, and most cardholders are on the wrong side of it.
Rogers Bank has written to Rogers Red cardholders setting out three changes. The headline looks like a straight upgrade. It isn't. Here is what changes, when, and what it does to the money.
What is changing and when
| Change | Before | After | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash back on eligible Rogers purchases | Standard earn rate | 5% | 18 Nov 2026 |
| 1.5x value when redeeming against Rogers purchases | 1.5x | Removed — all rewards redeem at 1 point = $0.01 | 18 Nov 2026 |
| Trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance | Included | No longer included | 18 Nov 2026 |
| Emergency medical trip length, ages 64 and under | 10 days | 15 days | 18 Nov 2026 |
| Pre-existing condition stability period, ages 65–74 | One year | 150 days | 18 Nov 2026 |
| Roam Like Home benefit | 5 complimentary days a year | $75 annual roaming credit | 12 Jan 2027 |
Annual spending caps on the accelerated rates arrived earlier, in August 2026, and are already in force. On the World Elite the cap is $61,000 a year.
The trade, in one line
You gain 3 points on Rogers spending and lose a third of the value of everything else — so this is an improvement only if Rogers is more than a third of what you charge.
The old 1.5x bonus was not a Rogers-purchase perk. It applied to all the cash back you had accumulated, wherever you earned it, as long as you redeemed it against a Rogers bill. Every dollar of cash back was worth $1.50. That is what is being withdrawn.
The new 5% applies only to eligible Rogers purchases — your Rogers, Shaw, Fido or Comwave bills and services. Everything else you buy keeps its ordinary rate and now redeems at face value.
Run your own numbers
Take an eligible 2% customer, under the cap, redeeming everything against their Rogers bill — the best case under the old rules.
| Rogers bills per year | Other spending per year | Old value (2%, redeemed at 1.5x) | New value (5% Rogers, 2% other) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,800 | $30,000 | $954 | $690 | −$264 |
| $1,800 | $12,000 | $414 | $330 | −$84 |
| $3,600 | $12,000 | $468 | $420 | −$48 |
| $6,000 | $12,000 | $540 | $540 | $0 |
| $9,000 | $12,000 | $630 | $690 | +$60 |
The crossover is at $6,000 of Rogers spending against $12,000 of everything else — Rogers being exactly half your other spending, or a third of the total. A household on a $150 monthly Rogers bill charges about $1,800 a year to Rogers. To reach the crossover they would need to put no more than $3,600 a year on the card in total, which is not how most people use a 2% card.
Most cardholders lose money on this change. The ones who gain are those whose Rogers services are large — several lines, internet, TV, financed devices — relative to their other card spending.
The rates after the change
Rogers Bank's notice sets out the earn table for the World Elite, and it depends on two things: whether you are an eligible 2% customer, and whether you are under the annual cap.
| Status | US dollar purchases | Everything else |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible 2% customer, below the $61,000 cap | 3% | 2% |
| Not an eligible 2% customer, below the cap | 3% | 1.5% |
| Any customer, after the cap | 1.5% | 1.5% |
The 3% on US dollar purchases is untouched, and it remains the reason many Canadians carry the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard. It is one of the few Canadian cards that pays you for spending in US dollars rather than charging you — see our no foreign transaction fee cards for the alternatives. If you use it mainly for US online shopping and cross-border travel, none of this changes your maths much.
The part nobody is leading with
Trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay coverage is being removed entirely. That is a real reduction in what the card is worth, and it is easy to miss beside a headline about 5%.
Rogers says trips booked and charged to the card before 18 November 2026 will still be assessed under the current coverage even if you travel after that date. If you have a trip booked, that matters.
Two medical changes go the other way and are genuine improvements:
- Maximum trip length for emergency medical rises from 10 days to 15, for cardholders aged 64 and under.
- The pre-existing condition stability period for ages 65 to 74 shortens from one year to 150 days, which makes coverage easier to qualify for.
What to do about it
- Rogers services are a big share of your spending — do nothing. You are one of the people this helps.
- You carry this as a general 2% card — the card just got worse. Compare what else pays a flat rate with no annual fee. The US dollar rate is still a reason to keep it in the drawer for cross-border purchases.
- You rely on the trip cancellation coverage — check what replaces it before November. Booking and charging travel before 18 November 2026 keeps the current coverage for that trip.
You can run your own numbers in the rewards calculator, or browse the best cash back credit cards in Canada. Every Rogers Bank card we cover is on the Rogers Bank page.
Rogers also notes that cardholders who do not accept the changes may close the account without cost or penalty by 18 December 2026, once any balance is paid.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Rogers Red Mastercard changes take effect?
Most of them on 18 November 2026 — the 5% rate on Rogers purchases, the removal of the 1.5x redemption bonus, and the insurance changes. The Roam Like Home replacement takes effect later, on 12 January 2027. The annual spending caps have applied since August 2026.
Is the Rogers Red Mastercard still worth it after the changes?
It depends on your mix. If Rogers services are more than about a third of what you charge, you come out ahead. If you use it as a general cash back card, you lose value, because the 1.5x bonus applied to everything you earned and the new 5% applies only to Rogers purchases.
What is happening to the 1.5x redemption bonus?
It is being removed on 18 November 2026. After that all cash back redeems at one point per cent, whatever you redeem it against. Redemptions posted before that date keep the old value.
What is the annual spending cap on the Rogers Red World Elite?
$61,000 of eligible purchases per annual spend period, confirmed in Rogers Bank's notice. Past that, every purchase earns 1.5% for the rest of the period, and the total resets at the start of the next one.
Is Rogers removing travel insurance?
Trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay coverage is being removed on 18 November 2026. Emergency medical coverage stays and in two respects improves. Travel booked and charged before that date is assessed under the current coverage.
What replaces the Roam Like Home days?
From 12 January 2027, the five complimentary Roam Like Home days become a $75 annual credit that can be applied to any eligible Rogers roaming service, including Travel Passes.
Can I cancel the card because of these changes?
Yes. Rogers Bank's notice says cardholders may terminate the account without cost or penalty by 18 December 2026, after any remaining balance is paid in full.