Best Mastercard credit cards in Canada | June 2026

Q: Are Mastercards accepted at Costco in Canada?

Yes. Costco Canada exclusively accepts Mastercard credit cards in-store and at gas stations. All Mastercards, whether no-fee (Tangerine, Rogers, PC Financial) or World Elite (BMO Ascend, National Bank, BMO CashBack, RBC Rewards), can be used at Costco. Visa and American Express cards are not accepted at Costco, making Mastercard a popular choice for its members.

Q: What is the difference between Mastercard, World Mastercard, and World Elite Mastercard?

These are three benefit tiers within the Mastercard network:- Mastercard standard : protections de base (responsabilité zéro, paiement sans contact).; - World Mastercard : ajoute des avantages voyage et expériences (Mastercard Priceless, certaines assurances).; - World Elite Mastercard : niveau supérieur incluant l’accès Mastercard Travel Pass par DragonPass, des assurances voyage complètes (incluant l’assurance soins médicaux d’urgence), et des avantages premium comme les nuits Hotel Stays ou des concierges.; The required income and credit score increase as you move up the tiers.

Q: How does Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass work?

Mastercard Travel Pass provides access to the DragonPass network of over 1,300 airport VIP lounges worldwide. A World Elite Mastercard holder receives complimentary annual visits (typically 4 to 6 depending on the card) and pays a preferential rate for additional visits (approximately US$32 per visit). Registration is done via the Mastercard Travel Pass app, where you obtain your personal QR code to present at the entrance of partner lounges.

Q: Do Mastercard cards offer good travel insurance?

World Elite Mastercard cards generally offer the best Mastercard insurance in Canada. The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is among the best on the market with up to 60 days of emergency medical coverage. The BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* offers emergency medical coverage of up to $5 million for 21 days. Standard Mastercards offer less travel insurance; aim for the World Elite level if protection is a priority.

Q: Mastercard or Visa: which is more widely accepted?

In Canada and internationally, both networks have nearly equivalent coverage. The main difference lies with certain Canadian merchants: - Costco Canada accepte uniquement Mastercard.; - Certains commerces et services en ligne peuvent privilégier l’un ou l’autre.; - À l’étranger, certains pays favorisent davantage Visa, mais les zones touristiques acceptent normalement les deux.; If you shop at Costco, Mastercard is essential. Otherwise, the choice depends on the benefits offered by the card rather than the network itself.

Q: Which Mastercards offer the best cash back?

For no-annual-fee cash back, the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card offers 2% in 2 (or 3) categories of your choice. The Rogers Red Mastercard® offers 2% on US dollar purchases and 1.5% at Rogers/Fido/Comwave/Shaw, which is attractive for USD purchases. With an annual fee, the BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* and the National Bank Visa Infinite* Card offer up to 5% cash back on key categories (grocery, restaurants, transportation).

The Best Mastercard Credit Cards – June 2026

These credit cards are among the best Mastercard credit cards in Canada!

Here is a table summarizing the different offers. For more details, read on or click on the name of a card.

BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best World Elite Mastercard credit cards with travel points in Canada.

With our exclusive welcome offer, you can earn up to 115,000 BMO Rewards points (worth $770 for travel).

Here’s how to earn the welcome offer points:

60,000 points after $5,000 in net purchases within the first 110 days*
20,000 points after $10,000 in net purchases within the first 180 days*
35,000 points after $20,000 in net purchases within the first 365 days*

Plus, there is no annual fee for the first year for the primary cardholder and additional cardholders.

You can also take advantage of a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months, with a 2% balance transfer fee.

With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you get:

5 points per dollar on eligible travel*
3 points per dollar on eligible dining, entertainment, and recurring bill payments*
1 point per dollar on all other purchases*

The card also offers:

4 complimentary airport lounge accesses per year via Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass*
comprehensive travel insurance, including emergency medical coverage up to $5 million for 21 days*
A NEXUS statement credit in the first year*
Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

With Milesopedia, enjoy an exclusive offer to get up to 50,000 points with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available through the Milesopedia network and allows you to quickly earn points by following these steps:

10,000 reward points upon enrollment in your credit card payment protection, for a minimum of 3 months of membership.
10,000 points when you make $5,000 in net purchases within the first 3 months.
20,000 points when you reach $20,000 in purchases within the first 12 months.
10,000 points when you combine your credit card with the opening of your first current account within 7 days of your credit card application.

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
Flight 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.

Tangerine^® Money-Back World Mastercard^®*

If you have an individual income of $60,000 or a household income of $80,000, you can choose the Tangerine^® Money-Back World Mastercard^®*.

This credit card has no annual fee and allows you to earn cash back on your everyday purchases. With the current offer, you can get $100 when you spend $1,500 within your first three months^††.

You get 2% unlimited cash back in 2 categories of your choice and 0.5% on all your other purchases. Plus, you can unlock a third 2% category when your cash back is deposited into a Tangerine Savings Account.

Choose from 13 spending categories (groceries, gas, restaurants, and more) and change them every 90 days to match your habits^◊.

The card also includes useful protections, including purchase assurance and extended warranty⁵, as well as mobile device insurance and coverage for rental vehicles⁵.

Finally, you can transfer high-interest credit card balances and enjoy a promotional rate of 1.95% for 6 months (a 1% transfer fee applies)¹¹.

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 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 :

90 days purchase insurance
One year extended warranty

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.

MBNA Rewards World Elite^® Mastercard^® (Quebec)

With the MBNA Rewards World Elite^® Mastercard^®, you can earn 5 points per dollar of purchases for:

Dining
Grocery purchases
Digital media purchases (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
Memberships
Household utility purchases (electricity, etc.)

Everywhere else, you will get 1 point per dollar.

Enough to make the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard the best MBNA credit card for restaurants, groceries, digital media, subscriptions and household utilities.

Knowing that Mastercard recognizes Walmart Supercenters as grocery stores, this is the best credit card for Walmart customers!

Plus, depending on your province of residence, you’ll get a welcome bonus of between 20,000 and 30,000 points, a value of $200 to $300!

And each year, you will receive Birthday Bonus Points equal to 10% of the total number of Points the Account earned in the 12 months before the month of your birthday, to a maximum Birthday Bonus each year of 15,000 Points.

PC^® World Elite^® Mastercard^®

The PC World Elite Mastercard currently offers a 20,000 PC Optimum points welcome bonus after spending $50 in the first two months, with no annual fee. With this Card:

4.5% back in points at Shoppers Drug Mart^{^®} and Pharmaprix^{^®5}
Get 3% back in points at Loblaw banner grocery stores including Loblaws^{^®}, No Frills^{^®}, Real Canadian Superstore^{^®}, Maxi^{^®} and at Joe Fresh.
At least 3¢ per litre back in points on fuel at Esso and Mobil
1% back in points per dollar spent everywhere else

This means you get between 1% and 4.5% back on your purchases made at PC Optimum stores. You can then use your points for discounts at checkout or convert them into $7 credit per 10,000 points directly on your card balance.

Additionally, this card includes travel medical insurance, rental car collision insurance, a concierge service, and 90-day purchase assurance—rare benefits for a no-annual-fee card.

RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard

With the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, earn 12% cash back for the first three months^{^}, on up to $2,000 in purchases.

Thereafter, earn 1.5% cash back² on all your eligible purchases, including at Costco.

In addition, you benefit from several practical everyday advantages:

Instant fuel savings at Petro-Canada⁵
A 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription with DoorDash⁷
Additional Be Well points at Rexall⁶

Finally, the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard also offers attractive insurance protections for your purchases and travel.

Purchase Security⁹ coverage for 120 days against theft or damage
Extended Warranty⁹ that triples the original Canadian manufacturer’s warranty for up to two additional years
Rental vehicle collision/loss damage insurance¹⁰

BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*

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.

Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard

The Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard is one of the best no annual fee cash back credit cards in Canada.

With the Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard, you get 2% cash back on all your eligible purchases (including at Costco) if you have at least one eligible service with Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw.

Otherwise, earn 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases in currencies other than U.S. dollars.

Receive 3% cash back on all eligible purchases in US dollars (this credit card is therefore particularly suitable for snowbirds) and 1.5 times more cash back each time you redeem it for Rogers, Fido, or Shaw eligible purchases.

Furthermore, Rogers customers get 5 Roam Like Home days at no cost, every year, with an eligible Rogers mobile plan.

As the Rogers Red World Elite^® Mastercard is a World Elite Mastercard, you receive a complimentary Mastercard Travel Pass membership (powered by DragonPass) providing access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide (US$32 per person per visit).

Finally, you’re protected by a wide range of insurance coverages, such as :

Extended Warranty and Purchase Protection
Rental Car Collision/Damage
Out-of-province/country emergency medical care
Trip Interruption Insurance
Trip Cancellation Insurance

Rogers Red Mastercard

The Rogers Red Mastercard is one of the best no-annual-fee credit cards in Canada, especially for Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw customers.

With the Rogers Red Mastercard, and by having at least one eligible service with Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw, you can earn 2% cash back on all your eligible purchases.

Additionally, you get 1.5 times more cash back every time you redeem for eligible Rogers, Fido, Comwave or Shaw purchases, which represents cash back valued at 3%.

Furthermore, as a Rogers Red Mastercard holder, you will get access to Roam Like Home for 5 days free, every year, for eligible Rogers mobile plans.

If you are not a Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw customer, you will get 2% cash back on your eligible purchases in U.S. dollars and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

Mastercard Credit Cards Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions from the milesopedia community regarding Mastercard credit cards in Canada.

What is the best Mastercard in Canada?

Depending on your needs, several Mastercards stand out. The BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* and the National Bank World Elite Mastercard are among the best travel points Mastercard cards in Canada.

For no-annual-fee options, the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card and the Rogers Red Mastercard^® offer the best cash back. For Costco, several Mastercards work (BMO Ascend, NBC, PC Financial, BMO CashBack, RBC Rewards).

Are Mastercards accepted at Costco in Canada?

Yes. Costco Canada exclusively accepts Mastercard credit cards in-store and at gas stations. All Mastercards, whether no-fee (Tangerine, Rogers, PC Financial) or World Elite (BMO Ascend, National Bank, BMO CashBack, RBC Rewards), can be used at Costco.

Visa and American Express cards are not accepted at Costco, making Mastercard a popular choice for its members.

What is the difference between Mastercard, World Mastercard, and World Elite Mastercard?

These are three benefit tiers within the Mastercard network:

Mastercard standard : protections de base (responsabilité zéro, paiement sans contact).
World Mastercard : ajoute des avantages voyage et expériences (Mastercard Priceless, certaines assurances).
World Elite Mastercard : niveau supérieur incluant l’accès Mastercard Travel Pass par DragonPass, des assurances voyage complètes (incluant l’assurance soins médicaux d’urgence), et des avantages premium comme les nuits Hotel Stays ou des concierges.

The required income and credit score increase as you move up the tiers.

How does Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass work?

Mastercard Travel Pass provides access to the DragonPass network of over 1,300 airport VIP lounges worldwide. A World Elite Mastercard holder receives complimentary annual visits (typically 4 to 6 depending on the card) and pays a preferential rate for additional visits (approximately US$32 per visit).

Registration is done via the Mastercard Travel Pass app, where you obtain your personal QR code to present at the entrance of partner lounges.

Do Mastercard cards offer good travel insurance?

World Elite Mastercard cards generally offer the best Mastercard insurance in Canada. The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is among the best on the market with up to 60 days of emergency medical coverage.

The BMO Ascend™ World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* offers emergency medical coverage of up to $5 million for 21 days. Standard Mastercards offer less travel insurance; aim for the World Elite level if protection is a priority.

Mastercard or Visa: which is more widely accepted?

In Canada and internationally, both networks have nearly equivalent coverage. The main difference lies with certain Canadian merchants:

Costco Canada accepte uniquement Mastercard.
Certains commerces et services en ligne peuvent privilégier l’un ou l’autre.
À l’étranger, certains pays favorisent davantage Visa, mais les zones touristiques acceptent normalement les deux.

If you shop at Costco, Mastercard is essential. Otherwise, the choice depends on the benefits offered by the card rather than the network itself.

Which Mastercards offer the best cash back?

For no-annual-fee cash back, the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card offers 2% in 2 (or 3) categories of your choice. The Rogers Red Mastercard^® offers 2% on US dollar purchases and 1.5% at Rogers/Fido/Comwave/Shaw, which is attractive for USD purchases.

With an annual fee, the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* and the National Bank Visa Infinite* Card offer up to 5% cash back on key categories (grocery, restaurants, transportation).