Best No-Fee Credit Cards in Canada
Are you looking for a no-fee credit card? These credit cards have no annual fee.
It is therefore advised to keep a card like that, year after year, to improve your credit history.
Here is a table summarizing the different offers. For more details, read on or click on the name of a card.
NBC Allure Mastercard
Support the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation’s cause by becoming an NBC Allure Mastercard credit cardholder with this exclusive offer!
For a limited time, National Bank is running an exclusive offer for milesopedia readers: $150 cash back after $1,500 in Card purchases during the first three months for this no-fee credit card. That’s a 10% return on your first $1,500 in purchases!
For every $2 in purchases charged to your NBC Allure Mastercard account, you earn 1 point. Once a year, in January, you earn a $10 cash back for every 1,000 points you’ve earned.
And for every $10 you spend with your card, the National Bank of Canada donates 10 cents to the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation! It can be as much as $750,000 per year for all cardholders!
For example, if you charge $1,000/month to your card, National Bank will donate $10/month to the foundation, or $120/year. Take advantage of this exclusive offer and help support the Foundation’s actions!
SimplyCash™ from American Express
Would you like a cashback credit card with no-annual-fee and a high earning rate on all your purchases? Here’s an option for you: the SimplyCash™ from American Express.
With this Card, you earn a 1.25% cashback on all purchases.
For the first 6 months, you can earn a 2.5% accelerated cash back with the SimplyCash™ from American Express (up to $150).
And you’ll get insurance with it: $100,000 travel accident insurance, Purchase Protection® Plan, Buyer’s Assurance® Protection Plan.
Best Western Rewards Mastercard
If you’re looking for a credit card with no annual fee but with a welcome bonus, the Best Western Rewards® Mastercard is the card for you!
You earn 20,000 Best Western points after your first purchase! It can get you at least one free hotel night.
With this card you earn:
- 5 points per dollar at Best Western properties
- 1 point per dollar anywhere else, including Costco
Choice Card from American Express™
Would you like a travel rewards credit card with no annual fee? Here is an option for you: the Choice Card from American Express™.
By applying for the Choice Card from American Express™, you could earn a welcome bonus of 12,500 Membership Rewards points after $1,250 in Card purchases in the first three months. That’s a $125 value for travel or 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
With this no-fee Credit Card, you will also have access to online promotional offers to get points or rebates on your purchases.
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, representing 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.
And until May 31, 2021, you earn 5x AIR MILES Reward Miles on groceries at Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland & Participating Co-op’s, Urban Fresh, Thrifty Foods, IGA, Les Marchés Traditions and Rachelle Béry.
You can also get a 1.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months (1% fee applies to balance amounts transferred).
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
The MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of Canada’s best no-fee cash back credit cards.
With this card you can get 2% for some purchases:
- gas
- grocery stores
Until the total gas and grocery purchases in the applicable month reaches $500. And 0.5% everywhere else.
For a limited time, you can get 5% cash back for the first 6 months, up to $150.
Scotia Momentum® No-Fee VISA* Card
With the Scotia Momentum® No-Fee VISA* Card, you earn 5% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases)
With this no-fee credit card you earn:
- 1% cash back on gas station, grocery store and drug store purchases and recurring bill payments
- 0.5% cash back on all other everyday purchases
Would you like more cash back? Consider the Scotia Momentum® VISA Infinite* card or Scotia Momentum® VISA* card.
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of the best no-fee credit cards in Canada.
With this card, you earn 2 points per dollar on some purchases:
- gas
- grocery stores
- restaurants
One caveat: there is a $5,000 max annual spend per category. And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.
For a limited time, you can get 10,000 welcome bonus points, a $100 value on travel purchases charged to your Card.
BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®*
The BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®* is a cash back credit card with no annual fee.
With this card, you can get 5% cash back in your first 3 months. It’s a maximum welcome bonus of $100.
Then you get:
- 3% cash back on grocery purchases, including at Walmart Supercenters
- 1% cash back on recurring bill payments
Finally, you can also get a 1.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months.
Other great offers
Frequent Asked Questions about credit cards
Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about credit cards in Canada.
What is the best credit card with no annual fee in Canada?
Most of the credit cards with no annual fee on this page are excellent to get started. If you want points for travel, you could apply for the A credit card with no annual fee is a useful card when you’re starting or don’t have a long credit history. As the name implies, you won’t pay any fee from year to year, and you can keep it for the long term. Be aware that although they are free, they are not the most rewarding. Many credit cards at $120, $399 or even $699 will save you a lot more on your trips than someone who swears by “no fee cards”. Thus this credit card will generally be the first one on your credit history, a significant asset for establishing your credit score, or allowing you to use it at a specific retailer. You can apply for it along with other credit cards. Depending on the institution, there is no minimum income required, and you could get welcome bonus points or cashback.Should I have a credit card with no annual fee in my wallet?
Can I earn reward points with no-fee credit cards ?
Of course, you do. You can earn a bonus with some no-annual-fee credit cards like cash back, travel rewards or even a free hotel night! But these offers are often less than those coming with a credit card with an annual fee.
Are there any disadvantages to choosing credit cards with no annual fee?
These credit cards may offer attractive bonuses, help you build your credit history, but the insurance, benefits and accrual rates on spending are not equivalent to those of credit cards with annual fees.
What is the best credit card in Canada?
There are more than 200 credit cards in Canada. There is no “one best credit card” in Canada.
Several credit cards can match your needs: