TD Rewards: The Essential Guide for Canadians
Easy to earn, easy to understand, and useful when your other points do not work.
TD Rewards might not be the first program that comes to mind when you think about travel points in Canada, but I think they can be a really useful addition to your points strategy.
TD Rewards are easy to earn, easy to understand and can help pay for travel when your other points don’t work.
For many families, that will mean using them for hotels. But they can also be useful for flights, cruises and other eligible travel expenses. This guide will show you how TD Rewards work, what they’re actually worth and how I think they fit into a Canadian travel points strategy.
TD Rewards at a glance
Program Type: Fixed-Value Bank Rewards Program
Best For:
- Families
- Beginners to travel rewards
- Hotel bookings
- Road trips
- Independent and boutique hotels
- Travellers who want simple, flexible redemptions
How much are TD Rewards points worth?
TD Rewards are easy to value. When you redeem them for travel through Expedia for TD, they’re worth 0.5 cents per point. That means
- 10,000 points = $50 toward travel
- 100,000 points = $500
- 150,000 points = $750
The important thing to understand is that there is no outsized redemption value. Booking a more expensive hotel, a business class flight or a luxury cruise doesn’t suddenly make your points worth more. Through Expedia for TD, they’re still worth 0.5 cents each.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With programs like Aeroplan, you need to learn how to find the best redemptions to really maximize your points. TD Rewards are much simpler. You know what your points are worth and can decide exactly how you want to use them.
Don’t Confuse TD Rewards with Aeroplan
This is an easy mistake to make because TD offers credit cards that earn TD Rewards points and other TD credit cards that earn Aeroplan points.
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite earns TD Rewards points. TD Aeroplan credit cards earn Aeroplan points. These are completely different rewards currencies with very different redemption options and potential values.
So if you see a TD credit card advertising a huge welcome offer, don’t look at the number alone.
100,000 TD Rewards points and 100,000 Aeroplan points are NOT the same thing. Never compare welcome offers by the number of points alone.
Why I like TD Rewards
What I like about TD Rewards is that they’re simple and flexible. For most families, I think one of their most common uses will be hotels.
They’re great for things like an inexpensive hotel on a road trip, an independent or boutique hotel overseas, or simply a hotel where you’d rather pay with points than cash. They can also be useful for booking flights on airlines where Aeroplan, WestJet or Porter points aren’t a good option.
And you aren’t limited to flights and hotels. I used my TD Rewards to book a 3-day, 2-night luxury cruise on Ha Long Bay in Vietnam for my mom and me. Depending on how you redeem, you can also use TD Rewards for eligible travel expenses such as cruises and theme park tickets.
How to earn TD Rewards points
The main card I would look at for earning TD Rewards is the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite. Welcome offers are one of the fastest ways to build a TD Rewards balance, but these offers change frequently throughout the year.
Don’t choose the card based solely on the size of the welcome bonus. Look at the annual fee, minimum spending requirement, earning rates and benefits you’ll actually use. Most importantly, never spend more than you normally would just to earn points.
For everyday spending, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite earns bonus points in several categories, including travel booked through Expedia for TD, groceries, dining, public transit, recurring bills and select digital media purchases.
One thing to keep in mind is that TD Rewards points are worth up to 0.5 cents each toward travel through Expedia for TD. A high earning rate can look impressive, but 6 TD Rewards points are not the same as 6 Aeroplan points or 6 Amex Membership Rewards points. Always consider both the earning rate and what the points are actually worth.
Cardholder perks that add value
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite has a few additional benefits that can help offset the annual fee, particularly if you travel regularly.
You receive a $100 TD Travel Credit each year when you make your first eligible travel purchase of $500 or more through Expedia for TD in a calendar year. You’ll also receive a Birthday Bonus equal to 10% of the TD Rewards points you’ve earned with the card during the previous 12 months, up to 10,000 points. Welcome and promotional bonus points don’t count toward the Birthday Bonus.
The card also includes four complimentary airport lounge visits per membership year through the Visa Airport Companion Program. Registration is required, but this can add meaningful value if you normally pay for airport lounge access.
The best way to use TD Rewards
The best value for your TD Rewards points is generally through Expedia for TD, where your points are worth 0.5 cents each toward travel.
You don’t need to pay for the full booking with points. You can pay with a combination of TD Rewards points and cash, which can be very useful.
The alternative is TD’s Book Any Way option. This allows you to book eligible travel directly with a travel provider and then redeem your TD Rewards points against the purchase. With Book Any Way, your points are worth 0.4 cents each, slightly less than the 0.5 cents you’ll get through Expedia for TD.
My preference: Start with Expedia for TD to get the full 0.5-cent value. If you can’t find what you want or would rather book directly, Book Any Way gives you more flexibility. Just know you’re giving up a little value for that flexibility.
Who are TD Rewards best for?
TD Rewards are a good fit for travellers who value simplicity and flexibility over maximizing every point. You don’t need to understand airline partners, award charts or transfer bonuses. You know what your points are worth and can use them toward travel you were already planning to book.
I especially like TD Rewards for families who need flexible hotel options.
For most people, I wouldn’t make the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite their first travel card. I see it more as a third or fourth card in your points strategy, after you’ve started building some of the more valuable or transferable points currencies.
That’s where TD Rewards can be really useful. They can help fill in the gaps, covering hotels, excursions or other travel expenses that your airline and hotel points don’t easily cover.
If your main goal is finding high-value international business class redemptions, however, I would focus on a more flexible points currency or airline program.
How I’ve used TD Rewards
I used my TD Rewards points to book a 3-day, 2-night luxury cruise on Ha Long Bay in Vietnam for my mom and me. It was something I wanted to include in our trip, and using points meant I could cover another significant travel expense without paying the full cost in cash.
It’s also a good example of the flexibility of TD Rewards. Most people will probably use their points for hotels or flights, but eligible travel can extend beyond those traditional bookings. Cruises, theme park tickets and other travel expenses may also be options, depending on how and where you book.
Final thoughts
TD Rewards aren’t the most valuable travel points in Canada, and that’s okay. There are no incredible sweet spots or outsized redemptions here. What you get instead is a straightforward rewards program that’s easy to understand and flexible enough to cover a wide variety of travel.
I see TD Rewards as a complement to other points programs, rather than the only points I’d collect. Aeroplan, Avion or Amex Membership Rewards may give me opportunities for higher-value redemptions, while TD Rewards can help fill in the gaps, particularly for hotels and other travel expenses that are harder to cover with those programs.
For someone who wants a simple way to turn everyday spending and a good welcome offer into money toward their next trip, TD Rewards can absolutely have a place in your points strategy.
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View the Current TD First Class Travel Offer
Welcome offers change throughout the year. Use the link below to see the current offer, annual fee, spending requirements and card details.