AIR MILES: Earn up to 3,000 Miles with BMO AIR MILES Business Cards!
Apr 26, 2025
To the point
Here are the 12 best no-annual-fee credit card offers to build your credit history year after year!
When you’re just starting or don’t have a great credit history, it’s best to apply for a credit card with no annual fee that you’ll keep from year to year! Thus, this credit card will be the basis of your credit history, a major asset in establishing your credit score!
To help you find your way around, we have divided them into dozens of categories such as Aeroplan, AIR MILES, Airbnb, Business, Grocery, Cash back, No annual fee, No foreign transaction fee, Scene+, Travel, etc.
And to simplify your choice, we’ve compiled the best no-annual-fee credit card offers of the month in this article.
If you want more information about a card, click on the card’s name or image!
RBC ION Visa Card
With the RBC ION Visa card, you can earn a welcome bonus of 7,000 Avion points on approval.
With this no-annual-fee RBC credit card, you can earn 1.5 Avion points per dollar for :
- The grocery store
- Travel, fuel and recharging for electric vehicles
- Streaming, digital games and 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.
Rogers Mastercard®
Rogers Red Mastercard® is one of the best no-annual-fee credit cards in Canada, especially for Rogers, Fido and 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 Rogers Red Mastercard®, and having a single eligible service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw, you can earn 2% unlimited cash back on all eligible purchases.
Eligible services include :
- Rogers Mobile
- Fido Mobile
- Rogers, Fido, or Shaw Home (Internet, TV, home phone, home monitoring, or satellite)
This card is therefore also available to Quebec residents who have mobile service with Rogers or Fido!
Plus, you get 1.5 times the cash back every time you use it for eligible purchases at Rogers, Fido or Shaw – that’s 3% cash back!
Moreover, as a Rogers Red Mastercard® cardholder, you’ll get 5 Roam Like Home days at no cost every year for Rogers mobile plans (up to $80 value)
If you’re not a Rogers, Fido or Shaw customer, you’ll earn 2% cash back on eligible U.S. dollar purchases and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
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No annual fee
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Accepted at Costco
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2% cash back on all purchasesIf you have an eligible service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw.
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of Canada’s best no-annual-fee credit cards.
With this card, you can earn 2 points per dollar on:
- Dining purchases
- 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 get 10,000 welcome bonus points, a $100 value on travel purchases charged to your Card.
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No annual fee
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Accepted at Costco
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Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard® is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back credit cards in Canada.
With Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®, you get 2% cash back on all eligible purchases (including Costco) if you have an eligible service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw.
Alternatively, earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on all eligible purchases in currencies other than U.S. dollars.
Receive 3% cash back on all eligible purchases in U.S. dollars (making this credit card particularly suitable for snowbirds) and a 50% bonus on the value of your cash back every time you redeem it for Rogers, Fido or Shaw products.
Moreover, Rogers customers get 5 Roam Like Home days at no cost every year for Rogers mobile plans (up to $80 value).
As Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard® is a World Elite Mastercard, you benefit from a free subscription to Mastercard Travel Pass (offered by DragonPass) giving access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide (US$32 per person per visit).
Finally, you’re protected by a wide range of insurance coverages, such as :
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protection
- Rental Car Collision/Damage
- Out-of-province/country emergency medical care
- Trip Interruption Insurance
- Trip Cancellation Insurance
Neo Mastercard®
With the Neo Mastercard, you get $25 cash back as a welcome bonus.
You get unlimited cash back from thousands of partners. On average, you can earn up to 5% cash back at over 10,000 Neo partners across the country.
Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa* Card
Are you looking for a Scene+ credit card with no annual fee? The Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa Card is ideal for students or those who don’t want to pay an annual fee.
For a limited time, you can earn up to 5,000 Scene+ points after spending $1,000 in the first three months. That’s enough to buy $50 worth of travel or groceries.
With the Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa Card, you earn 2 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’ll also earn 2 points for every dollar you spend at Home Hardware stores!
And you get 1 point Scene+ on all your other purchases.
It’s a great Visa credit card with no annual fee to get Scene+ points.
BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card
The new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card is a no-annual-fee credit card with travel points, requiring no minimum income.
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 points when you redeem 12,000 points with the Pay with Points option over a 12-month period
- 2,500 points when you pay the balance on time for 12 months
What’s more, you can benefit from an interest rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for nine months (a 2% balance transfer fee applies).
With the new BMO eclipse rise Visa* Card, you earn :
- 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 spent at restaurant and for takeaway
- 1 point per two dollars of purchases for all other purchase categories
You can use BMO Rewards points for all travel purchases made through theagency or website of your choice (airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, all-inclusives, 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
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No annual fee
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Purchase Insurance
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Mobile Device 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.
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2% cash back on grocery purchases
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2% cash back on gas purchases
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No annual fee
CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card
The CIBC Dividend® Visa* Card is one of the best no-fee cash-back Visa credit cards in Canada.
For a limited time, earn 5% cash back (up to 100 $) during the period covered by your first 4 monthly statements.
Plus, get :
- 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases†
- 1% cash back on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, transportation and restaurant purchases and eligible recurring payments†
- 0.5% cash back on all other purchases†
This no-annual-fee CIBC credit card offers certain insurance coverages:
- $100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
- Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance
CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card
The CIBC Aventuraᴹᴰ Visa* Card is one of the best no-fee Visa credit cards with travel rewards 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 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:
- Auto Rental Collision and Loss Damage Insurance
- $100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance
- Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance
MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard® is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back credit cards in Canada.
With this card, you can get 2% on:
- gas purchases
- grocery purchases
Up to a monthly purchase limit of $500, and 0.5% cash back everywhere else.
For a limited time, you can earn 5% cash back for the first 6 months, a value of $150. It’s the best no-annual-fee MBNA credit card with cash back.
BMO AIR MILES®† Mastercard®*
With this exclusive offer for the BMO AIR MILES Mastercard, earn 1,600 AIR MILES miles after $1,500 in purchases within the first 110 days of account opening. That’s a $160 cash value. Plus, save up to 32¢/L at Shell for a limited time only!
This credit card has no annual fee.
With the BMO® AIR MILES® Mastercard®*, you get 3x the Miles for every $25 spent at participating AIR MILES Partners.
Plus, you earn 2X miles for every $25 you spend at any eligible grocery store, wholesale club (warehouse like Costco) and liquor retailer*.
For everything else, you earn 1 AIR MILES for every $25 in purchases.
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No annual fee
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Purchase Insurance
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Accepted at Costco
Who can benefit from no-annual-fee credit cards?
No-fee credit cards, also known as no-annual-fee cards, are aimed at various groups of people, including:
- Beginners and students: Those new to the world of credit cards, such as university students or young adults, can opt for a no-fee card to establish and build their credit history without incurring additional costs.
- People on a Limited Budget: Those who don’t want to or can’t pay an annual fee for a credit card may prefer a no-fee card. These cards avoid unnecessary costs for people who don’t use their cards regularly or who don’t spend enough to justify an annual fee.
- Occasional users: Those who don’t use their credit card frequently or have another main card with fees may opt for a no-fee card as a back-up or for specific expenses.
- People looking for Simple Rewards: Many no-fee cards offer simple rewards programs. These programs can be interesting for those who want to accumulate points or cashback without the hassle of complex reward structures or limitations.
- Travellers: Some travellers opt for no-annual-fee cards with no foreign transaction fees. These cards are ideal for occasional travellers who don’t want to pay extra for purchases abroad.
- People looking for a Complementary Card: Some credit cardholders choose a no-fee card as a complementary card for specific spending categories not covered by their primary card.
- Individuals in Transition: For those who have just closed another credit card or are looking for a temporary solution, a no-annual-fee card may be an attractive option while they determine their long-term credit card needs.
It’s always important to note that even if a credit card has no annual fee, other costs may be associated, such as high interest rates on outstanding balances or payments for different types of transactions. It is, therefore, essential to read the terms and conditions carefully and understand all the features and potential charges before applying for a credit card.
