Ranking of the Best Credit Cards in Canada in 2022

The CIBC Dividend^® Visa Infinite* Card is one of Canada’s best Visa cash back credit cards.

With this offer, get up to $350 in value:

• A 10% cash back welcome bonus of up to $200 on net purchases up to $2,000 (first 4 statements)
• A $50 cash back when setting up a pre-authorized payment (first 4 months)
• A first year annual fee rebate (worth $120)

With this CIBC cash back credit card, you earn:

• 4% cash back on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, and grocery purchases^†
• 2% cash back on eligible transportation and dining purchases and on eligible recurring bill payments^†
• 1% cash back on all other purchases^†

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or gas and/or electric vehicle charging, you’ll earn $40 cash back per month or $480 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

This CIBC cash back credit card offers many insurance coverages:

• Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
• $500,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
• Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance
• Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* is one of Canada’s best cash back Mastercard credit cards.

Right now, you can get up to $650 in value, including $40 cash back each month in your first year. Plus, you won’t have to pay the $139 annual fee in the first year.

Additionally, you benefit from a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, as well as a 2% balance transfer fee.

With the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*, you get great cash back rates in the categories that matter most:

• 5% on groceries*
• 4% on transit including ride sharing, taxis and public transportation*
• 3% on gas and electric vehicle charging*
• 2% on recurring bill payments*
• 1% cash back on all other purchases, with no limit on the amount of cash back you can earn*

You also enjoy practical benefits like free membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, free roadside assistance services, discounts on car rentals with National, Alamo and Enterprise, as well as comprehensive travel and purchase insurance coverage.

Finally, enjoy six months of Instacart+ membership and a monthly $10 Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Do you want a cash back credit card with no annual fee that earns travel points? Here’s an option for you: American Express^® Green Card.

By signing up for the American Express^® Green Card, you can earn 10,000 Membership Rewards Welcome Bonus Points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. This is a $100 value for travel or any purchase on the Card.

You can also transfer your points to airline partners (Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue, etc.) and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning:

• 10,000 Aeroplan points
• 10,000 Avios points
• 10,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 12,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

That’s a nice welcome bonus for a credit card with no annual fee.

You’ll also have access to online promotional offers to earn points or rebates on your purchases with this no annual fee credit card.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

The BMO CashBack Mastercard is a no-annual-fee, cash-back credit card. With the BMO CashBack Mastercard, you can earn 5% cash back for the first three months. This represents a maximum welcome bonus of $125 :

• 5% cash back on up to $500 in eligible grocery purchases, for a $25 bonus
• 5% cash back on up to $500 in eligible recurring bill payments, for a $25 bonus
• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in all other eligible purchases, for a $75 bonus

Then you get a cash back rate of:

• 3% cash back on grocery purchases, including at Walmart Supercenters
• 1% cash back on recurring bill payments

You can also get a 0.99% welcome interest rate on balance transfers for nine months.

Finally, enjoy three months of Instacart+ membership and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

The CIBC Dividend^® Visa* Card is one of the best no-fee cash-back Visa credit cards in Canada.

Get 5% cash back on net purchases for the first 4 statements, on up to $2,000 in purchases (up to $100 cash back)^†.

Plus, get :

• 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases^†
• 1% cash back on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, transportation, and dining purchases and on eligible recurring payments^†
• 0.5% cash back on all other purchases^†

This no-annual-fee CIBC credit card offers certain insurance coverages:

• Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

The BMO CashBack Mastercard for Business is one of the best cashback Mastercard credit cards in Canada.

You can get a 10% discount for three months on purchases:

• gas purchases
• office supplies
• cell phone/internet payments

After that, you’ll get 1.5% on these purchases and 1.75% at Shell.

You can also benefit from a welcome interest rate of 0% on balance transfers for nine months (a 3% transfer fee applies).

The CIBC Dividend^® Visa Infinite* Card is one of Canada’s best Visa cash back credit cards.

With this offer, get up to $350 in value:

• A 10% cash back welcome bonus of up to $200 on net purchases up to $2,000 (first 4 statements)
• A $50 cash back when setting up a pre-authorized payment (first 4 months)
• A first year annual fee rebate (worth $120)

With this CIBC cash back credit card, you earn:

• 4% cash back on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, and grocery purchases^†
• 2% cash back on eligible transportation and dining purchases and on eligible recurring bill payments^†
• 1% cash back on all other purchases^†

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or gas and/or electric vehicle charging, you’ll earn $40 cash back per month or $480 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

This CIBC cash back credit card offers many insurance coverages:

• Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
• $500,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
• Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance
• Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* is one of Canada’s best cash back Mastercard credit cards.

Right now, you can get up to $650 in value, including $40 cash back each month in your first year. Plus, you won’t have to pay the $139 annual fee in the first year.

Additionally, you benefit from a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, as well as a 2% balance transfer fee.

With the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*, you get great cash back rates in the categories that matter most:

• 5% on groceries*
• 4% on transit including ride sharing, taxis and public transportation*
• 3% on gas and electric vehicle charging*
• 2% on recurring bill payments*
• 1% cash back on all other purchases, with no limit on the amount of cash back you can earn*

You also enjoy practical benefits like free membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, free roadside assistance services, discounts on car rentals with National, Alamo and Enterprise, as well as comprehensive travel and purchase insurance coverage.

Finally, enjoy six months of Instacart+ membership and a monthly $10 Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

The CIBC Dividend^® Visa Infinite* Card is one of Canada’s best Visa cash back credit cards.

With this offer, get up to $350 in value:

• A 10% cash back welcome bonus of up to $200 on net purchases up to $2,000 (first 4 statements)
• A $50 cash back when setting up a pre-authorized payment (first 4 months)
• A first year annual fee rebate (worth $120)

With this CIBC cash back credit card, you earn:

• 4% cash back on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, and grocery purchases^†
• 2% cash back on eligible transportation and dining purchases and on eligible recurring bill payments^†
• 1% cash back on all other purchases^†

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or gas and/or electric vehicle charging, you’ll earn $40 cash back per month or $480 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

This CIBC cash back credit card offers many insurance coverages:

• Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
• $500,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
• Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance
• Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* is one of Canada’s best cash back Mastercard credit cards.

Right now, you can get up to $650 in value, including $40 cash back each month in your first year. Plus, you won’t have to pay the $139 annual fee in the first year.

Additionally, you benefit from a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, as well as a 2% balance transfer fee.

With the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*, you get great cash back rates in the categories that matter most:

• 5% on groceries*
• 4% on transit including ride sharing, taxis and public transportation*
• 3% on gas and electric vehicle charging*
• 2% on recurring bill payments*
• 1% cash back on all other purchases, with no limit on the amount of cash back you can earn*

You also enjoy practical benefits like free membership in Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass, free roadside assistance services, discounts on car rentals with National, Alamo and Enterprise, as well as comprehensive travel and purchase insurance coverage.

Finally, enjoy six months of Instacart+ membership and a monthly $10 Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

The BMO CashBack Mastercard for students is ideal for students. You can earn 5% cashback during the first three months.

Also, this card comes with 90 days of protection for your purchases and an extended warranty of one year!

Finally, enjoy three months of Instacart+ membership and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

The CIBC Dividend^® Visa* Card for Students is one of the best cash back Visa student credit cards in Canada. Apply for the card and get up to $125 in value:

• $25 cash back after you make your first purchase within the first 4 monthly statements^†
• A 10% cash back welcome bonus for the first 4 monthly statements, up to $100^†

With this CIBC Student Credit Card, you get:

• 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases^†
• 1% cash back on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, transportation, and dining purchases and on eligible recurring payments^†
• 0.5% cash back on all other purchases^†

What’s more, with this CIBC Student Credit Card, you get a free SPC+ membership, plus over 450 deals on everyday purchases, bigger discounts, special experiences and exclusive giveaways^†.

And this CIBC Student Credit Card offers some insurance coverages:

• Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

Are you looking for a cash back credit card with no annual fee and an excellent cash back rate for your everyday purchases? Here is an option for you: the SimplyCash^® Card from American Express.

With this no-annual-fee credit card, you earn:

• 2% cash back on gas purchases
• 2% cash back on grocery purchases
• 1.25% cash back on all other purchases

And with this welcome offer, you can earn 5% cash back on all your purchases (up to $2,000 in purchases) during the first 3 months (which is up to $100 in statement credits).

You benefit from several types of insurance : $100,000 travel accident, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

The Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege Card is a credit card offering BONUSDOLLARS.

With this card, you can earn:

• 4% in BONUSDOLLARS for your purchases in the Restaurant, Entertainment, Public Transit categories
• 3% in BONUSDOLLARS for your purchases in the Travel category (up to $25,000 in purchases per year – beyond that, the accumulation rate decreases to 1.5%)
• 3% in BONUSDOLLARS for your purchases in the Grocery category
• 1.5% in BONUSDOLLARS for your other purchases

In addition, this card offers several insurance coverages for your purchases:

• 180-day purchase insurance
• Two-year extended warranty
• Mobile Device Insurance

As well as comprehensive travel insurance.

The Desjardins World Elite Mastercard is a cash back credit card.

With this card, you can earn:

• 4% cash back on grocery purchases (up to $10,000 in annual purchases – thereafter, the earn rate decreases to 1%)
• 3% cash back on restaurant purchases (up to $6,000 in annual purchases – thereafter, the earn rate decreases to 1%)
• 3% cash back on purchases in the Entertainment and Public Transit categories
• 1% cash back on your other purchases

In addition, this card offers several purchase insurance coverages:

• 90 days purchase insurance
• One year extended warranty
• Mobile Device Insurance

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card ^+* Card^MC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

• No fees for foreign currency transactions
• 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
• Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
• Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

With this welcome offer for the American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Card, you can earn up to 45,000 Aeroplan points. Here’s how:

• Earn 35,000 Aeroplan points after charging $7,500 to your Card within the first 6 months.
• Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $1,000 in the 13th month.

The annual fee goes from $120 to $150 on January 12, 2027. Only fees charged on or after that date follow the new price. Sign up now and your first year is billed at $120. The Additional Card goes from $50 to $59, and the Additional No Fee Card becomes the Companion Card at $25.

With this Card, you earn 2x the points on purchases with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations.

And 1.5x the points for dining and food delivery services in Canada. Anywhere else, you will earn 1X the points.

Enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada^®* flights.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

With this offer for the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 50,000 Aeroplan points^† as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year^†.

• Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first Purchase with your new Card^†
• Earn 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of Account opening^†.
• Plus, earn a one-time anniversary bonus of 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of Account opening^†

This card also allows you to enjoy travel benefits, such as a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation^†, as well as a rebate on the NEXUS program application fee (up to $100 CAD per eligible cardholder) every 48 months^†.

With the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 1.5 points^† per $1 spent on:

• Grocery purchases
• Gas and electric vehicle charging purchases
• Purchases made directly with Air Canada^® (including Air Canada Vacations^®)

You also earn 1 point^† per dollar on all other eligible purchases made with your card.

With Milesopedia, take advantage of an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fees are refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available on the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

• Refund of the first-year annual fee (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. This fee is charged to your new card account, then refunded as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

• 5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
• 2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
• 2 points per dollar on recurring bills
• 2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
• 1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

• Airport parking
• Baggage fees
• Seat selection
• Access to airport lounges
• Airline ticket upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

For a limited time, by signing up for the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card, you can earn up to 100,000 Scene+ points, worth up to $3,000 in value over the first 14 months (including about $1,000 in travel rewards from the bonus points).

With the Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card, you earn 2 points per dollar spent on all purchases. These points can be used against any travel purchase (plane tickets, hotels, all-inclusives, and even Airbnb), and you can also use them for other rewards in the Scene+ program, like cash back.

Plus, with this card, you pay no foreign transaction fees, and you get 10 free accesses to VIP airport lounges (Priority Pass).

And you benefit from excellent insurance for your trips and purchases, premium concierge service, and exclusive American Express Invitations offers.