BMO debit card review

The BMO Debit Mastercard comes automatically with most BMO chequing or savings accounts that you open. It comes with a handful of features from Mastercard. Access your funds from your BMO account quickly and easily when you shop in-store or online wherever Debit Mastercard is accepted. You can also link it to your mobile wallet so that you can pay your bill by swiping your phone.

BMO Performance Chequing Account

• Earn up to $1,100 in cash bonuses from BMO
• Exclusive: Get an extra $175 reward from Finder + a $25 BMO referral boost
• Get up to 5.00% promo interest with a linked savings account

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Quick take: BMO debit card

BMO debit card Basics

If you’re looking for a multi-purpose debit card, you can get a BMO Debit Mastercard automatically included with almost every chequing or savings account you sign up for with BMO.

• Tap and go payments. Pay for purchases quickly and easily when you tap your card at Interac Flash-enabled terminals.
• Shop online or overseas. Use your BMO debit card to pay for purchases online or abroad wherever Debit Mastercard is accepted.
• Pay for recurring bills. Sign up for recurring bill payments with participating merchants using your BMO Debit Mastercard.
• Link to your mobile wallet. The BMO debit card is compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay so you can pay with in-store merchants by tapping your mobile phone at the till.
• Free BMO ATM withdrawals. Use your BMO debit card to withdraw cash at BMO ATMs or pay a fee to take money out at non-BMO ATMs across Canada and overseas.
• No additional fees or interest. Avoid paying extra BMO debit card fees or interest unless you exceed the monthly limit for your BMO bank plan.

How to make purchases online with a BMO debit card

With your BMO Debit Mastercard, you can shop online from both Canadian and international retailers. You can use your debit card to pay for online purchases up to $3,000 from Canadian retailers who accept Debit Mastercard, and for international retailers, use your debit card on any international website where Mastercard is accepted.
To use your debit card online, enter your 16-digit debit card number, the expiry date and the three digit CVV code on the back of your card. You may also need to enter your name if required under ‘name on card’.

Where to find the BMO debit card CVV

You can find the 3-digit CVV (also referred to as a security code, CVV2, CVC2 or CID) written on the back of your BMO debit card beside the signature box.

BMO Debit Mastercard perks

• Easy mobile banking. Manage your money on the go with BMO’s simple online and mobile banking platform.
• Overdraft protection. Pay a small monthly fee to protect yourself from charges for non-sufficient funds (NSF) if your bank balance dips into the red.
• Security features. Protect the items you buy on your BMO debit card with security features such as encrypted chip technology and Mastercard identity check.
• Zero liability coverage. Rest easy knowing you’re protected against fraudulent charges on your BMO debit card with BMO’s 100% electronic banking guarantee.
• BMO alerts. Sign up for BMO alerts and get notified when any transactions are carried out using your BMO Debit Mastercard.
• Good for pre-authorizations. Use your BMO debit card to pre-authorize travel bookings as long as you have an available balance to secure your reservation.

What to watch out for with BMO debit cards

• No rewards. You won’t earn cashback or points whenever you spend money on your BMO debit card.
• Transaction limits. You may be required to adhere to BMO debit card daily spending limits for online, mail order, telephone order and recurring payment transactions.
• Foreign transaction fees. You’ll pay an additional fee of 2.5% when you make purchases overseas, in addition to a mark-up on the currency exchange rate.
• No access to credit. You can only spend money that’s already in your account, which means that the BMO debit card isn’t suitable if you’re looking for access to credit.

Get a BMO Debit Mastercard with these BMO chequing accounts

What is the BMO debit card limit?

The BMO debit card limit on in-app and online purchases is $3,000 per transaction. BMO debit card purchases using your mobile wallet cannot exceed $250 per transaction. When you use your physical BMO debit card for tap-to-pay purchases, the limit is $250.

What should I know before I apply?

Eligibility requirements

You won’t need to apply for a BMO debit card because you’ll get one automatically if you meet the following criteria:

• You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or temporary resident of Canada.
• You are applying for a BMO chequing or savings account that qualifies for this card.

Required documents and information

To sign up for a bank account that comes with a BMO debit card, you’ll need to provide the following:

• Your name, residential status and contact information
• Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and date of birth
• Your email address and phone number

How to apply for a BMO Debit Mastercard

1. Choose a BMO account on this page and hit the green Go to site button.
2. Complete the application, which includes providing your name, email address, Social Insurance Number and birth date.
3. Review and submit your application.
4. Your BMO Debit Mastercard should come automatically included with your account once you sign up (so you won’t need a separate application).

Bottom line

The BMO Debit Mastercard is an everyday debit card that comes with a handful of credit card features. These include various payment options such as tap and go, online payments and mobile wallet payments. The BMO debit card comes automatically included with almost every BMO chequing or BMO savings account you sign up for and can be easily linked to your BMO online and mobile banking.

Dive deeper: Comprehensive guide to debit cards

BMO Performance Chequing Account

• Earn up to $1,100 in cash bonuses from BMO
• Exclusive: Get an extra $175 reward from Finder + a $25 BMO referral boost
• Get up to 5.00% promo interest with a linked savings account

Go to site

• Is the BMO Debit Mastercard a credit card?

  No. It's a debit card with certain features that are similar to a credit card. For example, it allows you to input your BMO debit card details to make recurring bill payments or online payments. The main difference is that any money you pay from this card will come directly from your bank balance (not from a pool of credit that you'll have to pay off at a later date).

• What are the BMO debit card daily spending limits?

  That depends on what type of BMO banking plan you have. To find the daily spending limit of your BMO debit card, sign in to your account and click "View your daily debit card limits" under "Bank Accounts" in "My Account Summary." You should also be able to figure out your BMO debit card withdrawal limits using the same function.

• Can I use my BMO debit card online?

  You can indeed. You can use your BMO debit card to make purchases at any online retailers that accept BMO Debit Mastercard as payment. Find out how to use your BMO debit card online and check out the full list of available vendors in Canada.

• Can I use my BMO debit card in the USA?

  You definitely can, though it will cost you more to make purchases. This is because you'll have to pay for currency conversion, and you'll also have to pay an additional 2.5% in foreign exchange fees to use your BMO debit card to make purchases in the USA.

• Will my BMO debit card work in Europe?

  That depends on where you try to use it. You should be able to use your BMO debit card to pay for purchases wherever Mastercard is accepted in Europe. You should also be able to use it to withdraw money at Cirrus or Maestro ATMs.

• Can I use my BMO debit card for PayPal?

  You definitely can. All you need to do is link your BMO Debit Mastercard to your PayPal account in the same way that you would a credit card. From there, any PayPal purchases you make will be withdrawn directly from your bank account.

• Can I apply for a BMO debit card online?

  There's no need to apply for a BMO debit card as this card will be automatically included when you sign up for most BMO chequing and BMO savings accounts. To sign up for a BMO account, you can compare BMO accounts here.