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Discover how to maximize credit card benefits with our beginner’s guide to rewards. Learn how to choose the ideal card, understand loyalty programs, and optimize your spending to get the most out of it.
Points and miles can transform the way you travel, but the topic often feels intimidating at first. Programs, cards, welcome bonuses, transfers: the vocabulary is dense when you are starting out. The good news is that the basics are quick to learn, and a single good card is enough to begin.
This guide brings together everything you need to start on the right foot, step by step, from your first point earned to your first trip paid with points.
Since 2015, we have helped Canadians travel more while paying less, simply by using the right cards and the right programs. Our mission is to make this topic accessible to everyone, not just to experts.
To help you choose, we continuously analyze more than 353 credit cards from 57 issuers, against thousands of criteria. Our comparator is independent and our content is free. When you apply for a card through one of our links, we sometimes earn a commission at no cost to you, and that is what lets us keep this guide free and up to date.
A reward point is a currency you earn on your spending, most often with a credit card, and later redeem for flights, hotel nights or statement credits. Its value is not fixed: depending on the program, 1,000 points are worth anywhere from $5 to more than $20.
Before you apply for a card, keep a few simple principles in mind. Always pay your statement in full to avoid interest, which wipes out the value of your points. Aim for welcome bonuses, but check the minimum spending required and the deadline to reach it. And above all, proceed in the right order.
The best first card is the one that matches your goal and your real spending. Here are three cards we often recommend for getting started, based on what you are aiming for.
The American Express Cobalt Card strongly rewards groceries and dining, with up to 5 points per dollar. It is an excellent gateway into flexible points.
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card earns Aeroplan points, the most popular program in Canada for flights on Air Canada and its partners.
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card earns Marriott Bonvoy points, perfect for free nights at thousands of hotels around the world.
Points are built on your everyday spending. Groceries, restaurants, gas and subscriptions are the categories where cards offer the best multipliers. By directing each purchase to the card that rewards it best, you earn without spending a dollar more. Welcome bonuses, meanwhile, give your balance its biggest head start.
This is the most rewarding step: turning your points into travel. A round trip within North America often starts around 25,000 points, and an all-inclusive package can be paid entirely with points depending on the program. Always compare the value in points against the value in cash before booking, to get the most out of them.
A few traps come up often. Chasing the biggest bonus without checking the minimum spending required is one of them, as is missing the deadline to reach it. The costliest mistake is carrying a balance on your card: interest wipes out the value of every point earned in a single month.
Getting started with points comes down to four habits: understanding how points work, choosing a first card that matches your goal, earning on your everyday purchases, and using your points at the right time. Get these four right and you will quickly pull hundreds of dollars of value from your usual spending. We keep this guide updated to support you at every step.
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