Best Credit Cards for Beginners in Canada - September 2026

With the RBC ION Visa card, earn up to 14,000 Avion points^{^}, a value of up to $100 in gift cards^†.

This RBC credit card with no annual fee lets you earn 1.5X Avion points per dollar in the following categories¹:

• Groceries
• Transit, gas, and electric vehicle charging
• Streaming, digital games, and subscriptions

You also earn 1 Avion point per dollar on all other eligible purchases¹.

Plus, save 3¢ per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada and earn 20% more Petro-Points and Avion points when you pay with an eligible linked RBC card⁴.

Do you want a cash back credit card with no annual fee that earns travel points? Here’s an option for you: 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 earning:

• 10,000 Aeroplan points
• 10,000 Avios points
• 10,000 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.

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of the best no-annual-fee credit cards in Canada.

With this card, you can earn 2 points per dollar on:

• Dining
• 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 earn 10,000 bonus points as a welcome bonus, a $100 value for travel purchases charged to your account.

Depending on your province of residence, the terms vary slightly: in Quebec, the first 5,000 bonus points are awarded after your first eligible purchase, with no minimum spend required.

The Scotiabank American Express® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee credit cards in Canada.

For a limited time, you can earn up to 10,000 Scene+ points in the first three months, a value of up to $100 in travel (including Airbnb):

• 2,500 Scene+ points after $250 spent in the first three months
• 7,500 Scene+ points after $1,000 spent in the first three months

With the Scotiabank American Express® Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent 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.

You also earn 2 points per dollar on:

• Grocery stores
• Restaurants
• Entertainment
• Gas stations
• Local transportation
• Streaming services

And 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb) or with Scene+ partners.

Are you looking for a cash back credit card with no annual fee and an excellent cash back rate for your everyday purchases? Here is 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 your purchases (up to $2,000 in purchases) during the first 3 months (which is up to $100 in statement credits).

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.

The Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* is a no-annual-fee credit card that turns your everyday spending into real cash back.

With this limited-time offer, earn 20% cash back for your first 3 months on up to $500 in spending on gas, groceries, drugstore purchases and pre-authorized payments — that’s up to $100 back in your pocket.

After the welcome period, the Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* continues to reward you with competitive cash-back rates on your most frequent purchases:

• 4% cash back on restaurants, bars and coffee shops (up to $5,000 per calendar year)^†
• 1.5% cash back on grocery stores, gas stations, drugstores and pre-authorized payments (up to $15,000 per calendar year)^†
• 0.5% cash back on all other purchases, with no annual spending limit^†

With no annual fee and strong rewards on everyday categories, the Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* is a smart choice for anyone looking to get more value from their daily spending.

The PC World Elite Mastercard currently offers a 20,000 PC Optimum points welcome bonus after spending $50 in the first two months, with no annual fee. With this Card:

• 4.5% back in points at Shoppers Drug Mart^® and Pharmaprix^®5
• Get 3% back in points at Loblaw banner grocery stores including Loblaws^®, No Frills^®, Real Canadian Superstore^®, Maxi^® and at Joe Fresh.
• At least 3¢ per litre back in points on fuel at Esso and Mobil
• 1% back in points per dollar spent everywhere else

This means you get between 1% and 4.5% back on your purchases made at PC Optimum stores. You can then use your points for discounts at checkout or convert them into $7 credit per 10,000 points directly on your card balance.

Additionally, this card includes travel medical insurance, rental car collision insurance, a concierge service, and 90-day purchase assurance—rare benefits for a no-annual-fee card.

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 BMO CashBack Mastercard for students is ideal for students. You can earn 5% cashback during the first three months.

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

Finally, enjoy three months of Instacart+ membership and a $5 monthly Instacart credit when you sign up with your eligible BMO credit card.

The CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card for Students is one of the best cash back Visa student credit cards in Canada. Apply for the card and get up to $125 in value:

• $25 cash back after you make your first purchase within the first 4 monthly statements^†
• A 10% cash back welcome bonus for the first 4 monthly statements, up to $100^†

With this CIBC Student Credit Card, you get:

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

What’s more, with this CIBC Student Credit Card, you get a free SPC+ membership, plus over 450 deals on everyday purchases, bigger discounts, special experiences and exclusive giveaways^†.

And this CIBC Student Credit Card offers some insurance coverages:

• Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance