Best Credit Cards to Build Credit History

With the Neo Secured Credit, you can easily obtain a secured credit card:

• Guaranteed approval*
• No hard credit check
• Only $9.99 per month

Get unlimited cash back from thousands of partners. Earn up to 15% boosted cash back at thousands of Neo partners across Canada.

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

• 30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
• 20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

• Grocery stores
• Restaurants
• Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

The CIBC Aventura^® Visa* Card is one of the best no-fee Visa credit cards with travel rewards in Canada.

With this offer, get up to $200 in value, with no annual fee:

Get up to 12,500 Aventura points (a value of up to $125 toward travel^†):

• 2,500 Aventura Points when you complete all five activities within 60 days of your CIBC Aventura^® Visa* account approval.^†
• 10,000 Aventura points after making your first purchase during the period covered by your first 4 monthly statements^†
• A free Skip+ membership as an eligible CIBC cardholder (a $110 first-year value)^†

With this no annual fee CIBC Aventura Credit Card, you get:

• 1 point for every dollar spent at gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, and eligible grocery 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 no-annual-fee CIBC Credit Card offers some insurance coverage:

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

The Capital One Smart Rewards^™ Mastercard^® is the first Canadian card to reward you for paying down your balance. You earn 5 points per dollar paid towards your balance, making it an attractive option for building good credit habits while accumulating rewards, with no annual fee.

Your points never expire and are easily redeemed online, with no minimum amount, for gift cards or account credits. For example, 10,000 points accumulated over two months allow you to get a $25 gift card. You can track the number of points accumulated directly from online banking and from the mobile app.

Before applying, you can check if this card is pre-approved for you using the QuickCheck tool, with no impact on your credit score.

The card includes all Mastercard benefits, including Zero Liability and Mastercard Global Services, as well as a range of everyday protections, such as Purchase Assurance, Extended Warranty and Price Protection, plus certain travel coverage. You can also add an authorized user for free.

The annual interest rate ranges from 21.9% to 29.9% for purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.

The Capital One Guaranteed Mastercard is designed for those looking to build or rebuild their credit score without paying annual fees. Approval is guaranteed if you meet the basic eligibility criteria, and you can check your pre-approval without affecting your credit score using the Quick Check tool.

By using your card responsibly and making your payments on time, you demonstrate your ability to manage credit to credit reporting agencies, which helps gradually improve your credit history. Capital One regularly reports your file to the credit bureaus.

You get a credit limit of $300 to $7,000 (security funds may be required) along with all Mastercard benefits: Zero Liability, Mastercard Global Services, and 24/7 customer service. The card also includes a range of everyday protections, such as purchase assurance, extended warranty, and price protection service, as well as some travel coverage.

You can add an authorized user for free. The annual interest rate is 29.9% (21.9% for Quebec residents) for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.

The Capital One Guaranteed Secured Mastercard is the secured version of Capital One’s guaranteed-approval card: it is designed for people who want to build or rebuild their credit score, with approval guaranteed as long as you meet the basic eligibility criteria. Unlike the standard version, security funds are required to open this account.

By using your card responsibly and making your payments on time, you show the credit bureaus that you can manage credit, which helps gradually improve your credit history. You can check whether you are pre-approved using the QuickCheck tool, with no impact on your credit score.

The card has no annual fee and gives you access to Mastercard benefits along with everyday protections such as Purchase Assurance and Extended Warranty. You can add an authorized user for free. The annual interest rate is 29.9% (21.9% for Quebec residents) on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.