Looking for the best Balance Transfer Credit Cards in Canada? The right choice depends on your spending, annual fees and the benefits you will actually use.
Compare the 10 cards in our selection below. Interested in a card? Click Read review to read our full analysis.
The MBNA True Line® Mastercard® credit card is one of Canada’s best options for a low-cost balance transfer. It’s ideal for reducing interest charges and consolidating your debts onto one card.
With this card, you benefit from a 0% interest rate for 12 months on balance transfers made within 90 days of account opening. Transfer fees are a competitive 3%.
This card offers fraud protection, guaranteeing the security of your transactions.
If you want to transfer balances from high-rate cards, the MBNA True Line® Mastercard® credit card allows you to benefit from a 0% rate and pay off your debts at your own pace without high-interest charges during the promotional period.
In short, the MBNA True Line® Mastercard® credit card is an excellent choice for reducing debt and optimizing balance transfers.
The CIBC Select Visa* Card is one of the best Visa credit cards in Canada for balance transfers.
With this exclusive digital offer for this CIBC balance transfer credit card, you get:
- a 0% interest rate on balance transfers of at least $100, for up to 10 months
- a refund of the annual fee for two years†
You only pay a 1% balance transfer fee when transferring a balance from another credit card (balance transfer fees do not apply to Quebec residents). Once the promotional period ends, the card’s standard interest rate of 13.99% applies to any remaining balance. This interest rate is lower than those charged by many other credit cards.
For example, you could make large purchases on another credit card (such as renovations or furniture and appliance purchases) and then transfer the balance to the CIBC Select Visa* Card to benefit from its 0% interest rate on balance transfers for 10 months.
CIBC Select Visa* Card cardholders can also save on gas through the card’s partnership with Journie Rewards, which allows them to save up to 10 cents per litre at participating gas stations.
The CIBC Select Visa* Card has a $29 annual fee (refunded for the first two years) and requires a minimum household income of $15,000 to qualify. With CIBC mobile banking and online banking services, you can easily track your credit limit and balance transfers from your phone or by signing in online.
The Scotia minimum Visa Card is one of the best credit cards for balance transfers in Canada.
You can get an introductory interest rate of 0% on balance transfers for the first nine months (with a 1% transfer fee). You pay no annual fee for the first year with this Visa credit card.
What’s more, this Visa credit card offers a low interest rate: 13.99% on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.
The BMOMD Preferred Rate MastercardMD* is an excellent option for those who want to reduce interest charges or pay off a balance faster.
With this offer, you get a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 18 months, with a 2% transfer fee and no annual fee for the first year.
The card also offers one of BMO’s lowest interest rates, at 13.99% on purchases, which may be appealing if you occasionally carry a balance on your card.
With the BMOMD Preferred Rate MastercardMD*, you also get:
- Extended warranty insurance and purchase protection insurance*
- The option to add another cardholder for free*
- Zero Liability Protection, which protects you against unauthorized transactions*
- A card accepted at more than 30 million merchants worldwide*
- Three months of Instacart+ membership plus a $5 monthly Instacart credit with an eligible card*
The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best World Elite Mastercard travel rewards credit cards in Canada. With our welcome offer, you can get up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points, for a total value of up to $1,600.
Plus, there’s no annual fee in the first year for the primary cardholder and additional cardholders, and you benefit from 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*
The BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard is one of the best travel points-based Business Mastercard® credit cards in Canada. You can earn up to 100,000 points as a welcome bonus:
- 20,000 points on your first purchase within 75 days of account opening;
- 8,000 points per month when you spend at least $3,000 per monthly period, from the 3rd to the 12th month following account opening (for a total of 80,000 points).
Plus, there’s no annual fee for the first year! And you get 2 free annual visits to DragonPass airport lounges.
You can also benefit from a welcome interest rate of 0% on balance transfers for nine months (a 3% transfer fee applies).
With the BMO Ascend World Elite®* Business Mastercard, you earn 4 points for every dollar spent on:
- gas purchases
- office supplies
- cell phone/internet payments
And 1.5 points for every dollar you spend, including at Costco or for significant purchases at home improvement stores.
You can use BMO Rewards points for all travel purchases made through the agency or website of your choice (plane tickets, hotels, rental cars, all-inclusive packages, Airbnb, etc.) or for rewards and gift cards on the BMO Rewards platform.
Additionally, you can combine the points earned with the two other BMO Rewards cards to save even more on your travel.
With the BMO Rewards® World Elite®* Business Mastercard® for Business, you benefit from various travel protections:
- Collision Damage Waiver Insurance
- Personal and Business Effects in a Rental Vehicle
- Accidental Death or Dismemberment in a Rental Vehicle
- Baggage and Personal Effects
- Baggage insurance in case of delay
- Flight Cancellation
- Trip Interruption or Delay
- Flight delay
- Common Carrier Accident
And for your purchases :
- Extended Warranty
- Purchase Protection
The BMO CashBack Mastercard is a no-annual-fee, cash-back credit card. With the BMO CashBack Mastercard, you can earn 5% cash back for the first three months. This represents a maximum welcome bonus of $125 :
- 5% cash back on up to $500 in eligible grocery purchases, for a $25 bonus
- 5% cash back on up to $500 in eligible recurring bill payments, for a $25 bonus
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in all other eligible purchases, for a $75 bonus
Then you get a cash back rate of:
- 3% cash back on grocery purchases, including at Walmart Supercenters
- 1% cash back on recurring bill payments
You can also get a 0.99% welcome interest rate on balance transfers for nine months.
Finally, enjoy three months of Instacart+ membership and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.
The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card is an excellent cash back credit card in Canada.
With the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card, you get:
- 2% cash back on purchases at grocery stores and drugstores, and on meal delivery services and meal kit subscriptions
- 2% cash back on gas, electric vehicle charging, and public transit such as bus, taxi, and rideshare trips
- 2% cash back on eligible recurring bill payments such as utilities and fitness club memberships
- 2% cash back on eligible subscriptions such as video streaming services or music streaming
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
It is a very good Visa credit card for cash back. Also note that you can use your cash back at any time (the cash back balance must be at least $25).
In addition, you can benefit from an introductory rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for the first nine months (2% fee per cash advance).
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.
Save on fuel with Shell
All Tangerine cardholders can get savings and rewards on fuel with Shell and Scene+ when you link your cards to your Shell Go+ account. Get up to 8¢/L in value with a linked Money-Back World Mastercard or Money-Back Credit Card:
- Instant savings of 3¢ per litre on all grades of Shell fuel.
- Earn up to 3¢ per litre in cash back with fuel selected as a 2% category.
- Earn 1¢ per litre in Scene+ points value on all grades of Shell fuel, or 2¢ per litre in Scene+ points value on Shell V-Power® when you link your Scene+ Account to Shell Go+.
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.
Save on fuel with Shell
All Tangerine cardholders can get savings and rewards on fuel with Shell and Scene+ when you link your cards to your Shell Go+ account. Get up to 8¢/L in value with a linked Money-Back World Mastercard or Money-Back Credit Card:
- Instant savings of 3¢ per litre on all grades of Shell fuel.
- Earn up to 3¢ per litre in cash back with fuel selected as a 2% category.
- Earn 1¢ per litre in Scene+ points value on all grades of Shell fuel, or 2¢ per litre in Scene+ points value on Shell V-Power® when you link your Scene+ Account to Shell Go+.
Calculate the cost of a balance transfer
Compare transfer fees, the promotional interest rate and its duration. Estimate how much you can repay during that period and the cost of any remaining balance at the regular rate.
Assess costs beyond the welcome offer
When choosing a credit card in this category, distinguish temporary incentives from ongoing terms. Compare annual fees, transaction charges and benefit requirements.
Use the table for an initial comparison. Read the review of the card that interests you, then the issuer’s terms before applying.
Frequently asked questions — Balance Transfer
What should I check before transferring a balance?
Check eligible balances, transfer deadlines, required payments and the conditions for retaining the promotional rate. Read the rules for new purchases separately.
How should I choose from the Balance Transfer selection?
Start with your spending and priorities, then compare fees and benefits relevant to your situation. The ranking helps identify options; the best choice can differ from person to person.
Can terms change after publication?
Yes. Offers, fees and eligibility requirements can change. Before applying, check the issuer’s terms linked from the application button, including dates and exclusions.














