Navigating the world of credit cards can be daunting for beginners. This guide highlights the best credit cards tailored for newcomers, focusing on features like low fees, rewards programs, and user-friendly applications. Discover how to build your credit score effectively while enjoying valuable benefits.
These credit cards are ideal for beginners.
We therefore recommend keeping them, year after year, toimprove your credit history.
Here is a table summarizing the different offers. For more details, read on or click on the name of a card.
Rogers Red Mastercard® is one of the best no-annual-fee credit cards in Canada, especially for Rogers, Fido and Shaw customers.
Right now, you can earn $60 cash back by making one purchase with your mobile wallet in the first 90 days AND 6 automatic payments from your Rogers, Fido or Shaw postpaid service in the first 8 months.
With Rogers Red Mastercard®, and having a single eligible service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw, you can earn 2% unlimited cash back on all eligible purchases.
Eligible services include :
This card is therefore also available to Quebec residents who have mobile service with Rogers or Fido!
Plus, you get 1.5 times the cash back every time you use it for eligible purchases at Rogers, Fido or Shaw – that’s 3% cash back!
Moreover, as a Rogers Red Mastercard® cardholder, you’ll get 5 Roam Like Home days at no cost every year for Rogers mobile plans (up to $80 value)
If you’re not a Rogers, Fido or Shaw customer, you’ll earn 2% cash back on eligible U.S. dollar purchases and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
With the RBC ION Visa card, you can earn a welcome bonus of 7,000 Avion points on approval.
With this no-annual-fee RBC credit card, you can earn 1.5 Avion points per dollar for :
And 1 Avion point per dollar for all other purchases. Plus, save 3¢/L on gas at Petro-Canada and earn 20% more points when you pay with a linked RBC card.
The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.
The welcome bonus is distributed monthly for the first 12 months. You’ll earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for every $750 in purchases charged to your card during the month (whether in the 1X, 2X, 3X or 5X category). That’s up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points.
You can easily use these points as statement credits for everyday or travel purchases. The value is the same for both: 1,000 points = $10.
Alternatively, transfer them to Aeroplan points, Avios (British Airways/Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, or 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 up to:
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you can earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:
This is a 1 to 5% return on all these purchases.
For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or restaurants and/or food delivery, you’ll earn $50 cash back per month, or $600 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!
And if you decide to transfer your points to other programs like Aeroplan, you could get even more value!
In addition, this card provides excellent insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, flight delay, $250,000 travel accident, hotel or motel burglary, Mobile Device Insurance, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection Insurance.
Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.
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:
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.
With this offer for RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can earn up to 55,000 Avion points:
You can use your Avion Rewards points for travel or convert them to other loyalty programs such as:
The current welcome offer, for example, gives you the equivalent of 55,000 British Airways Avios or 550 WestJet Dollars.
With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you earn 1 point per dollar and 1.25 points for travel purchases.
What’s more, you’ll benefit from a wide range of insurances: trip cancellation and interruption insurance, out-of-province or out-of-country emergency medical care insurance, collision and damage insurance for rental vehicles, and mobile device insurance.
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card for free hotel nights.
With this welcome offer, you can earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by spending $1,500 in the first 3 months after joining.
It’s a card we recommend you keep, because each year at renewal, you’ll get an annual one-night free certificate worth 35,000 points, plus 15 Elite nights per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy status.
With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Last but not least, this Card comes with a wide range of insurances : baggage delay, baggage loss or theft, $500,000 travel accident, flight delay, hotel/motel burglary, rental car theft and damage, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection.
With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, you’ll receive up to 40,000 Scene+ points in welcome bonus (a $400 value):
Then, each year, if you make at least $40,000 in purchases on the card, you’ll earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 points, a value of $100.
With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, and Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.
You’ll also earn 2 points for every dollar you spend, including on foreign purchases, in the following categories:
The Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport is an excellent Visa credit card for this type of purchase.
These points can be used against any travel purchase at the rate of1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb). You can also redeem your points for cash back at Scene+, for example, at your local grocery store checkout at the same rate of 1,000 points = $10.
The Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport also offers :
We voted this credit card the Best No FX Fee Credit Card of 2024 and 2025.
With this offer for the National Bank Platinum Mastercard®, enjoy a rebate on the first year’s annual fee (a $70 value) and receive up to 25,000 bonus points distributed as follows:
Unlike the other two National Bank travel rewards cards, the National Bank Platinum Mastercard® does not require a minimum income.
With the National Bank Platinum Mastercard®, you can earn 2 points per dollar on grocery and restaurant purchases, and 1.5 points per dollar on gas, electric recharges, recurring bills and À la carte Travel. And since it’s a Mastercard credit card, you can use it at Costco.
What’s more, you can take advantage of a wide range of insurances usually reserved for high-end credit cards:
We voted the National Bank Platinum Mastercard® as the best credit card for young professionals in 2024.
The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card is a no-annual-fee credit card with travel points, requiring no minimum income.
With this offer, you can earn up to 25,000 points as a welcome bonus:
What’s more, you can benefit from an interest rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for nine months (a 2% balance transfer fee applies).
With the new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card, you earn :
You can use BMO Rewards points for all travel purchases made through theagency or website of your choice (airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, all-inclusives, Airbnb, etc.) or for rewards and gift cards on the BMO Rewards platform.
The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card also offers:
Scotiabank American Express® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee credit cards in Canada.
For a limited time, you can earn up to 7,500 points in the first three months, which represents a value of $75 for travel (including Airbnb) :
With Scotiabank American Express® Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.
Also, you get 2 points per dollar for:
And 1 point per dollar of purchase for all other purchases.
These points can be used against any travel purchase (air tickets, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb) or with Scene+ partners for cash back.
With this welcome offer for the Aeroplan American Express Card, you can earn up to 40,000 Aeroplan points. Here’s how:
With this Card, you earn 2X the points on purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations.
And 1.5x the points on Dining and Food Delivery purchases 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.
With this exclusive offer for the BMO AIR MILES Mastercard, earn 1,600 AIR MILES miles after $1,500 in purchases within the first 110 days of account opening. That’s a $160 cash value. Plus, save up to 32¢/L at Shell for a limited time only!
This credit card has no annual fee.
With the BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®*, you get 3x the Miles for every $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners.
Plus, you earn 2X miles for every $25 you spend at any eligible grocery store, wholesale club (warehouse like Costco) and liquor retailer*.
For everything else, you earn 1 AIR MILES for every $25 in purchases.
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has no annual fee and offers cash back.
With this limited-time welcome offer, you can earn an additional 10% cash back (up to $100) when you spend up to $1,000 on everyday purchases during the first 2 months.
You can choose two to three purchase categories that interest you (groceries, gas, home furnishings, renovations, recurring bills, pharmacy, etc.) to earn 2% cash back ! And there’s no annual cash-back limit. It is one of the best credit cards for renovations.
In addition, the Tangerine Mastercard offers several insurance coverages for your purchases :
Finally, during the first 30 days you hold the card, transfer credit card balances and pay only 1.95% interest on these balances for the first 6 months.
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
