Which credit card to apply for in Canada?

Are you looking for the best credit card available at the moment? We wish we could say that there is a perfect credit card for everyone, but this is not the case, and fortunately so!

There is a multitude of credit card cards (there are more than 200 in our credit card comparator) to suit everyone’s profile.

Some want their credit card to open the doors of an airport lounge or take them on a trip to the end of the world. Others prefer to get a cash back on their purchases each month.

A single person with an income of $30,000 a year will necessarily have different needs than a family of four: the expenses will not be the same, nor will the desires and possibilities.

If it is possible to travel in business class with Aeroplan points, or to get to the end of the world when you are single, those plans become immediately complicated when you are a family with children!

This makes us rethink our use of loyalty programs (or the travel classes used)!

We all have different lifestyles!

• Do you shop frequently at Costco?
• Do you go to a restaurant a lot?
• Do you buy gift cards in your grocery store to collect as many points as possible?
• Do you check the flyers to get the best possible discount?

You can see it in the facebook group. Everyone has a different way of life, so it’s often impossible to say: this is the right credit card for you.

Ultimately, if there is no perfect credit card. It is however possible to set up a wallet of several credit cards that will meet all your needs.

You may not realize it because you’re swimming in it every day, but we’re lucky in Canada to have so many credit card options.

Of course, the offer is not as diversified as for our southern neighbours, who we look at with envy, but just have a look to see what’s happening in Europe! The choice is almost non-existent!

Most consumers trust the products their bank or credit union offers them because it’s easier that way. Your bank or credit union may not offer you a credit card that matches your profile. Simply because you are already a “captive” client, often taken for granted by these institutions.

However, it is not very complicated to go and compare elsewhere and apply for a credit card from another institution.

That’s why institutions compete with each other to win your customers. They do this by offering their best credit card offers to new customers.

Loyalty is therefore not rewarded. So allow yourself to be unfaithful!

We can’t say it enough:

• pay your credit card(s) on time
• keep away from the credit limits

If these two rules are followed, you don’t have to worry about your credit record by asking for credit cards.

Over the past ten years, Audrey and I have taken out many credit cards.

However, our files have remained excellent and we have had no difficulty in obtaining several mortgage financings. All the people we have met, especially in our reader meetings, tell us the same thing!

It cannot be said often enough: to enter the world of loyalty programmes, you need to have a short-, medium- and long-term objective. It is therefore more than necessary to build a strategy that makes sense!

You could of course take example on strategies that we have established.

In our monthly ranking of credit card offers, we show several types of cards offering:

• travel points to reduce the cost of airfares, hotels, car rentals, etc.
• hotel points for free hotel nights
• cashback
• AIR MILES miles
• Aeroplan points

Each credit card in Canada is linked to a type of program to cater to a specific consumer market.

And within each type of loyalty program, there are several competitors!

So, which card(s) do you need to apply for? Only you have the answer! We’re here – along with the milesopedia community – to help you decipher offers and programs, and let you know about welcome bonuses and other benefits offered by credit cards in Canada!

You don’t need to use this type of card every day: they give you a welcome bonus that you can use as you wish. This bonus can be in the form of travel points, miles, hotel points, cash back.

The most generous welcome bonuses are usually offered with the American Express cards.

Use the bonus and then keep the card or not depending on whether or not it meets your needs (you can cancel it before the first year to avoid paying the second year’s fee!).

Nothing prevents you from negotiating with the issuer when the time comes to renew, in order to earn points to keep you as a customer!

Here is a selection of the best cards with welcome bonus:

Want to cut the queues at the airport? Relax in a VIP lounge before your flight? Have a status in a hotel to get free breakfast every morning? There are credit cards offering you these types of benefits.

Like the cards offering you welcome bonuses, you could request these cards only for the benefits they provide! However, they are often cards high-end credit – and therefore high-contribution.

That would be your “good for everything” credit card.

In the best of worlds, it should be a card that gives you the best return on each of your expenses. You could look at cards offering cash back, or the equivalent of a 2% return in points or miles.

If you want to be smarter, focus on credit cards that offer bonuses by spending category.

An often overlooked category of cards: credit cards with no annual fee.

However, this type of credit card is very important in your credit wallet, even if you don’t use it at all or very little!

They allow you to increase your credit history from year to year without having to worry about cancelling them since they have no fees!

As you can see, you have a wide range of choices depending on your profile and your desires.

Don’t hesitate to join us on the Facebook group to discover many discussions about credit cards and savings with Reward Points!