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.
HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard®
With the HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard®, you can earn $125 cash back as a welcome bonus with no minimum spending (for Quebec).
With this no annual fee credit card, you get:
- 1.5% cash back per dollar on online purchases
- 1% cash back per dollar on gas, grocery and drugstore purchases
- 0.5% cash back per dollar on all other everyday purchases
Plus, you get Mobile Device Insurance, Purchase Insurance and Extended Warranty Insurance.
RBC ION Visa Card
With the RBC ION Visa card, you can earn a welcome bonus of 6,000 Avion points.
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
Scotiabank American Express® Card
The Scotiabank American Express Card is one of the best no-fee credit cards in Canada.
For a limited time, you can earn up to 12,000 points in the first year, which is a $120 value for trips including Airbnb.
With the Scotiabank®* American Express® card, you earn 3X Scene+ points on every $1 you spend 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.
HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard
With the HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard®, you can earn 25,000 points as a welcome bonus with no minimum spending (for Quebec).
With this no annual fee credit card, you get:
- 3 points per dollar on travel purchases
- 2 points per dollar on gas and everyday transportation purchases
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
You can use your points to pay for travel or to get many other rewards.
In addition, you will get Trip Interruption Insurance, Baggage Delay Insurance, Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance, Extended Warranty Insurance and Purchase Insurance.
American Express® Green Card
Do you want a cash back credit card with no annual fee that earns travel points? Here’s an option for you: the American Express® Green Card.
By signing up for the American Express® Green Card, you can earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. It’s a $100 value, 10,000 Aeroplan points or 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.
BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®*
The BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®* is a cash-back credit card with no annual fee. With the BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®*, you can earn 5% cash back for the 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 0.99% introductory rate on balance transfers for nine months.
MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
The MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of the best cash back credit cards with no annual fee in Canada.
With this card, you can get 2% on:
- gas purchases
- grocery purchases
Until the total gas and grocery purchases in the applicable month reaches $500. And 0.5% everywhere else.
For a limited time, you can earn 5% cash back for the first six months, a $150 value. This is the best no-fee MBNA credit card with cash back.
CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card
The CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card is one of the best no-fee Visa credit cards with travel rewards in Canada.
Get up to 12,000 Aventura Points (up to $120 in travel value†):
- 2,500 Aventura Points when you complete all five activities within 60 days of your CIBC Aventura® Visa* account approval.†
- 9,500 Aventura Points after you make your first purchase.
With this no annual fee CIBC Aventura Credit Card, you get:
- 1 point for every $1 spent at eligible gas stations, grocery stores and drug stores
- 1 point for every $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre
- 1 point for every $2 spent on all other purchases
And this no-annual-fee CIBC Credit Card offers some insurance coverage:
- Auto Rental Collision and Loss Damage Insurance
- $100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
- Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance
Scotia Momentum® No-Fee VISA* Card
The Scotia Momentum® No-Fee Visa* Card is a great cash-back credit card in Canada. Currently, you can earn 5% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases).
With the Scotia Momentum® No-Fee Visa* Card, you get :
- 1% Cash back on all eligible gas station, grocery store, drug store purchases and recurring payments.
- 0.5% on all other purchases
This is a great no-fee Visa credit card to earn cash back.
Plus, you can enjoy an introductory rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for the first six months.
CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card
The CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card is one of the best no-fee cash back Visa credit cards in Canada. For a limited time, earn 5% cash back (up to $100 cash back)†.
With this no annual fee CIBC Credit Card, you get:
- 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases
- 1% cash back on eligible gas, transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments†
- 0.5% cash back on all other purchases†
And this no-annual-fee CIBC Credit Card offers some insurance coverage:
- $100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
- Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of Canada’s best no-annual-fee credit cards.
With this card, you can earn 2 points per dollar on:
- Dining purchases
- Grocery purchases
- Digital media purchases (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
- Memberships
- Household utility purchases (electricity, etc.)
And 1 point per dollar everywhere else. This is the best MBNA credit card with no annual fee.
For a limited time, you can get 10,000 welcome bonus points, a $100 value on travel purchases charged to your Card.
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has no annual fee and offers cash back.
Through May 2, 2023, you can earn an additional 10% 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.
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: