Best Credit Cards for Beginners – April 2024

Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card for free hotel nights.

With this exceptional limited-time welcome offer, you can earn up to 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:

• 65,000 Welcome Bonus points after you spend $3,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
• Plus, earn an additional 3 points for a total of 5 points on every $1 spent on eligible travel and gas purchases in your first 6 months (up to 15,000 points)

It’s the best time of year to get the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. Don’t wait, this offer ends on May 6, 2024!

It’s a Card we recommend keeping because each year at renewal, you get an Annual Free Night Award (for up to 35,000 points at hotels worldwide) and 15 Elite Night Credits per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite 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.

Finally, this Card comes with comprehensive insurance: baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, $500,000 travel accident, flight delay, hotel or motel burglary, rental car theft and damage, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection.

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

National Bank Platinum Mastercard

Unlike the other two National Bank travel rewards cards, the National Bank Platinum Mastercard® does not require a minimum income.

For a limited time, you can earn up to 30,000 points, and the annual fee is reimbursed for the first year for the primary cardholder and the first additional cardholder via our exclusive welcome offer.

With the National Bank Platinum Mastercard®, you can earn 2 points per dollar on grocery store and restaurant purchases, and 1.5 points per dollar on gas and electric vehicle charging, recurring bill payements and À la Carte Travel. And since it’s a National Bank Mastercard credit card, you can use it at Costco.

In addition, you get premium insurance usually dedicated for high-end credit cards:

• 180-day Purchase protection in the event of theft or damage
• Possibility of tripling the manufacturer’s warranty (up to 2 additional years)
• Trip Cancellation Insurance
• Trip Interruption Insurance
• Out-of-province hospital insurance
• Flight Delay Insurance
• Baggage insurance in case of delay, theft or loss
• Car rental insurance
• Mobile Device Insurance

We voted the National Bank Platinum Mastercard® as the best credit card for young professionals in 2024.

RBC ION Visa Card

With the RBC ION Visa card, you can earn 3,500 Avion points as a welcome bonus.

With this no-annual-fee RBC credit card, you can earn 1.5 Avion points per dollar for :

• Grocery
• Rides, Gas & EV Charging
• Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions

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

Rogers Mastercard^®

The Rogers Mastercard® is one of Canada’s best no-annual-fee credit cards, especially for Rogers, Fido or Shaw customers.

Right now, you can earn 10% cash back for the first 3 months, up to a maximum of $100.

With the Rogers Mastercard®, and if you are actively subscribed to only one eligible service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw, you can earn 2% unlimited cash back on all your purchases. Eligible services include :

• Rogers Mobile
• Fido Mobile
• Rogers, Fido, or Shaw Home (Internet, TV, home phone, home monitoring, or satellite)

So this card is now also available to Quebec residents with a mobile service with Rogers or Fido!

Plus, you get 1.5x redemption bonus on Rogers, Fido and Shaw purchases – that’s a 3% cash back value. Plus, as a Rogers Mastercard® credit cardholder, you’ll get five Roam Like Home days at no cost every year for Rogers mobile plans (up to $75 value).

If you’re not a Rogers, Fido or Shaw customer, you’ll earn 2% cash back on U.S. dollar purchases and 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.

American Express^® Green Card

Do you want a cash back credit card with no annual fee that earns travel points? Here is an option for you: the 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).

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.

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn up to 40,000 welcome bonus points (a $400 value) as well as a first-year annual fee waiver (a $150 value):

• 30,000 points after just $1,000 in purchases
• 10,000 points after $40,000 in annual purchases in the first year

Then, each year, if you make at least $40,000 in purchases on the card, you’ll earn an annual bonus of 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, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 2 points per dollar for:

• grocery purchases
• dining purchases
• Entertainment
• Transportation

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is an excellent Visa credit card for this type of purchase.

You can redeem your points for any travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card also offers:

• no foreign transaction fee
• 6 complimentary passes to airport VIP lounges
• Premium insurance for your travels or purchases
• Concierge services

We voted this credit card the Best No-FX Fee Credit Card of 2024. Knowing that the annual fee is waived in the first year, there’s never been a better time to get this credit card for your international travels over the next year!

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

With this exceptional offer for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can earn up to 55,000 Avion points:

• 35,000 Avion points on approval
• 20,000 Avion bonus points when you spend $5,000 in your first 6 months

This offer expires on April 30, 2024, and will not be renewed. Take advantage of it before it’s too late!

You can use your Avion Rewards points for travel or redeem them with other loyalty programs such as :

• American Airlines AAdvantage
• British Airways Executive Club (and Qatar Airways Privilege Club)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• WestJet Rewards

For example, with the current welcome offer, you can get 55,000 British Airways Avios Points or 550 WestJet Dollars.

With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you earn 1 point per dollar and 1.25 points for travel purchases.

And you’ll benefit from a wide range of insurance coverage: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, Out-of-Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance, Rental Vehicle Collision/Loss Damage Insurance, Mobile Device Insurance.

American Express Cobalt^® 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.

Or you can transfer them into Aeroplan points, Avios (British Airways/Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors.

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.

BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card

The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card is a no-annual-fee travel rewards credit card with no minimum income required.

With this offer, you can earn up to 25,000 points as a welcome bonus:

• 20,000 points after $1,500 in purchases in the first 3 months
• 2,500 bonus points for redeeming at least 12,000 points annually towards your statement balance with Pay with points
• 2,500 bonus points for paying your full credit card balance on time for 12 consecutive months

Moreover, you can get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months (a 2% fee applies to balance amounts transferred).

With the new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card, you get :

• 5 points for every two dollars spent on recurring bill payments
• 5 points for every two dollars spent at the grocery store
• 5 points for every two dollars in dining and takeout purchases
• 1 point per two dollars spent on everything else

You can use BMO Rewards points for all travel purchases made through the agency or website of your choice (flights, hotels, car rentals, all-inclusive resorts, Airbnb, etc.) or for rewards and gift cards on the BMO Rewards platform.

The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card also offers:

• Mobile Device Insurance
• Purchase Protection
• Extended warranty insurance

Scotiabank American Express^® Card

The 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, representing a $75 value for travel, including Airbnb.

With the 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:

• grocery stores
• Restaurants
• Entertainment
• Gas stations
• Transit
• streaming services

And 1 point per dollar of purchase for all other purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). Or with Scene+ partners for cash back.

American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Card

With this welcome offer for the Aeroplan®* American Express® Card, you can earn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points.

Here’s how:

• Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months.
• Plus, earn an additional 20,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in month 13

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.

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

BMO^® AIR MILES^® Mastercard^®*

With this exclusive offer for the BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®*, you earn 1,500 AIR MILES Bonus Miles after $1,000 in Card purchases, a $150 cash value. Besides, it’s a no-annual-fee credit card.

With the BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®*, you get 3x the Miles for every $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners. And 1 mile for every $25 you spend, Costco included.

Also, you can get a 0.99% introductory rate on balance transfers for 9 months (a 2% fee applies to the balance amount transferred).

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card

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 categories that interest you (groceries, gas, furniture, home improvement, recurring bills, pharmacy, etc.) to earn 2% cash back! And there is 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 :

• 90 days purchase insurance
• One year extended warranty

Finally, during your first 30 days, transfer balances and pay only 1.95% interest on the transferred balance for the first 6 months.