Best Student Credit Cards – December 2024

Updated Dec 14, 2024

Discover the top student credit cards that offer rewards, low fees, and financial education. These cards are designed to help students build credit responsibly while enjoying benefits tailored to their needs. Explore options that enhance your financial journey today.

Best Student Credit Cards

These credit cards are for students. With these credit cards, you can earn rewards and build your credit report.

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

Rogers Mastercard®

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

Right now, you can earn $60 cash back by making one purchase with your mobile wallet in the first 90 days AND 6 automatic payments from your Rogers, Fido or Shaw postpaid service in the first 8 months.

With the Rogers Red Mastercard®, by having a single qualifying 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)

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

Plus, you get 1.5x more cash back on Rogers, Fido and Shaw purchases – that’s a 3% cash back value.

Plus, as a Rogers Red Mastercard® cardholder, you’ll get 5 days’ free access to Everywhere at Home, every year, on Rogers mobile plans (a value of up to $75).

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.

CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card for Students

The CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card for Students is one of the best cash back Visa credit cards for students in Canada. For a limited time, earn $50 cash back if you make a purchase within the first 4 months.

With this CIBC Student Credit Card, you get:

  • 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases
  • 1% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging, transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments
  • 0.5% cash back on all other purchases

What’s more, with this CIBC Student Credit Card, you benefit from a free free membership to SPC, for instant savings on over 450 in-store and online transactions.

And this CIBC Student Credit Card offers some insurance coverages:

  • $100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
  • Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance

KOHO Mastercard Prepaid Card

Special Offer:

  • Enter the code MILESOPEDIA when you apply for your card
  • Earn a $20 cash bonus when you sign up for a KOHO account with our link and make your first purchase within 30 days of registration

The features of the KOHO Extra Mastercard® Prepaid Card are as follows:

  • Earn 1% cash back on on groceries, eating & drinking, and transportation Plus, up to 50% extra cashback from select merchants.
  • Accepted at Costco
  • Earn 3.5% interest on your spending and savings account. Your funds will also be eligible for CDIC insurance. Interest rates are per year, calculated daily, paid monthly, and can change at any time without notice.
  • Choose from one of four exciting card colours. Receive both a physical and virtual card.
  • Start adding funds and shopping online while you wait for your physical card to arrive in the mail. No need to budge from your couch to make online purchases. Just use your virtual card!
  • Card Security – KOHO provides a different card number to help protect your physical card number when you’re shopping or booking services online
  • Add your KOHO card to Apple, Samsung or Google Pay
  • Automate your savings with Goals and RoundUps. Rounding up every purchase lets you stash away some savings, while Goals make it easier to save for whatever it is that makes you happy
  • Lock in savings with Vault that keeps the funds you don’t want to spend separate from your spendable balance
  • Create custom budgets and track your spending habits. Know where you’re at in real time with instant notifications every time you spend.
  • Build your credit history with a 6-month Credit Builder program at only $10/month and earn cashback with KOHO’s Credit Building & Pre-Paid Credit Cards
  • Get access to a cash advance of up to $250 at 0% interest with KOHO Cover

CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card for Students

The CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card for Students is one of the best travel rewards Visa credit cards for students in Canada.

Get up to 10,000 Aventura Points (up to $100 in travel value):

  • 2,500 Aventura Points when you complete all five activities within 60 days of your CIBC Aventura® Visa* account approval.
  • 7,500 Aventura Points after you make your first purchase within first 4 months.

With this CIBC Aventura Student Credit Card, you get:

  • 1 point for every $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre
  • 1 point for every $1 spent at eligible gas stations, EV charging, grocery stores and drug stores
  • 1 point for every $2 spent on all other purchases

What’s more, with this CIBC Student Credit Card, you benefit from a free free membership to SPC, for instant savings on over 450 in-store and online transactions. And this CIBC Student 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

BMO® CashBack® Mastercard®* for students

The BMO CashBack Mastercard for students is ideal for students. You can get 5% cash back in the first three months.

Also, this card comes with 90 days of protection for your purchases and an extended warranty of one year!

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, renovation, 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, in 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.

RBC ION Visa Card

With the RBC ION Visa card, you can get a welcome bonus of 6,000 Avion points on approval.

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

  • Groceries
  • Travel, fuel and recharging for electric vehicles
  • 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.

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

SimplyCash® Card from American Express

Do you want a cash back credit card with no annual fee and a great earning rate for everyday purchases? Here’s an option for you: the SimplyCash® Card from American Express.

With this no-annual-fee credit card, you earn:

  • 2% cash back on gas purchases
  • 2% cash back on grocery purchases
  • 1.25% cash back on all other purchases

And with this welcome offer, you can earn 5% cash back on all purchases (up to $2,000 in purchases) for the first 3 months (up to $100 in Statement credit).

You benefit from several types of insurance : $100,000 travel accident, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

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

BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®* For Students

With this offer for the BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard® for Students, you earn 800 AIR MILES miles after $1,000 in purchases. Besides, it’s a no-annual-fee credit card.

With this Card, you earn 3X miles for every $25 in purchases at participating AIR MILES Partners. And 1 mile for every $25 you spend, Costco included.

NBC mycredit Mastercard

With NBC mycredit Mastercard, you get:

  • 1% cash back on restaurant purchases and recurring pre-authorized debits
  • 0.5% cash back on all other purchases

And since it’s a Mastercard credit card, you can use it at Costco.

Cash back is automatically applied to your credit card account balance when each monthly statement is issued.

This is a credit card we recommend for those new to credit cards and want a no-fee credit card. What’s more, this credit card comes with a number of insurances for your purchases, including mobile device insurance (which is rare for a credit card with no annual fee).

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).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of obtaining..:

  • 10,000 Aeroplan points
  • 10,000 Avios points
  • 7,500 Flying Blue Miles
  • 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.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card

With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Credit Card, you can earn up to 20,000 Aeroplan points and a first-year annual fee rebate:

  • A welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card
  • an additional 10,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $1,000 within 90 days of Account opening
  • An annual fee rebate for the primary cardholder (instead of $89)

With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card, you earn 1 point per dollar of eligible purchases for:

There is no minimum income requirement for this TD Aeroplan credit card.

Frequent Asked Questions about credit cards

Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about credit cards in Canada.

How do I choose a student credit card in Canada?

When choosing a student credit card in Canada, it is essential to consider several factors to find a card that best suits your needs and financial situation. Here are some steps to help you choose the best student credit card:

  • Check your eligibility: Before applying for a credit card, ensure you are eligible. Banks and credit card issuers may require you to be a certain age, have a minimum income or be a full-time student.
  • Compare offers: Compare offers from different banks and credit card issuers to find the card that best suits your needs. Check out the interest rates, annual fees, rewards programs and benefits offered by each card.
  • Check out rewards programs: Rewards programs are additional benefits that can be offered with a credit card. Look for rewards programs that fit your spending habits, such as cash back for groceries or points for travel.
  • Check interest rates: Interest rates can vary significantly from one card to another. Look for cards with reasonable interest rates and avoid cards with high interest rates, which can be difficult to pay off.
  • Check the fees: Some credit cards have annual fees or hidden fees. Check the fees associated with each card and make sure they are reasonable.
  • Check credit limits: Credit limits may vary from card to card. Make sure the card you choose has a credit limit that matches your spending habits.

Ultimately, it’s important to choose a credit card that suits your needs and financial situation. Before applying for a credit card, take the time to compare the different options available and choose the one that best suits your spending habits and financial goals.

Also, if you’re a student shopping at Costco with other students, having a credit card that earns rewards might be helpful. Check out the best Costco credit card offers.

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