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.

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 10,000 points in the first year, which is a $100 value on travel purchases including Airbnb.

With the Scotiabank American Express Card, you earn 2 points for every $1 in purchases at:

grocery stores
Restaurants
Entertainment
Gas stations
Transit
streaming services

Note that starting October 1, 2022, you will earn 3 points per dollar 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.

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 through Scene+ partners.

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

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

Would you like a travel rewards credit card with no annual fee? Here is 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.

With this no-fee credit card, you’ll also have access to online promotional offers that earn points or rebates on your purchases.

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, 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.

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.

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 activities within 60 days of your CIBC Aventura® Visa* account approval.†
9,500 Aventura Points after you make your first purchase.

With this Card, you earn:

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 card has valuable insurance:

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

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 purchases†

Would you like more cash back? Consider the Scotia Momentum^® VISA Infinite* card or Scotia Momentum^® VISA* card.

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 Card, you earn:

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 card has valuable insurance:

$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 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.

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card

The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has no annual fee and offers cashback.

Apply for a Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card by July 31, 2022, and earn an extra 10% back (up to $100) when you spend up to $1,000 in everyday purchases within your 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

Should I have a credit card with no annual fee in my wallet?

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.

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: