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Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer)

Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer)
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Wealthsimple is an investment management company founded in 2014 in Canada. It offers five different financial services: Wealthsimple managed investing, Wealthsimple Chequing, Wealthsimple Trade (formerly self-directed investing), Wealthsimple Crypto and Wealthsimple Tax.

Wealthsimple has since launched Wealthsimple Family to manage household finances.

Their recently enhanced Wealthsimple Chequing product offers a hybrid between a chequing account, a savings account and a prepaid Mastercard with rewards. Let’s explore its features in detail.

Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer) - ws auto invest

What is a Wealthsimple Chequing account?

The Wealthsimple chequing account is much more than just a bank account. It’s a comprehensive financial platform designed to simplify and optimize your money management. Whether you are managing your daily expenses, saving for short-term goals, or planning your long-term financial future, the Wealthsimple chequing account has everything you need.

For travellers, this account and its associated prepaid Mastercard represent an excellent option to avoid conversion fees on foreign currency expenses and to withdraw money from international ATMs at a lower cost.

Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard

WealthsimpleCash Back
Annual fee
$0
Our valuation
$25
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$25Total$25Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
$25
Apply Now

on Wealthsimple's website

With the Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard, you can access your available funds in your Wealthsimple Cash account.

With this welcome offer, you can get $25 cash back as a new Wealthsimple client. To do this, you simply need to open an account and then deposit at least $1 within 30 days.

You can invest your money in an investment account or a cryptocurrency of your choice. Also, you earn interest on your Wealthsimple Cash account balance! Wealthsimple Generation clients can earn an interest rate of up to 2.25%.

In addition, there are no foreign transaction fees for any purchase made in a currency other than the Canadian dollar and no annual fees.

Annual fee

Primary card$0

Value

1st Year Value$295

Benefits of the Wealthsimple Chequing account

Traditional Chequing Account Features

With a Wealthsimple Chequing account, you can:

  • Shop wherever Mastercard is accepted
  • Receive direct deposits like your payroll
  • Send and receive INTERAC e-transfers
  • Pay your bills
  • Pre-authorized debits (cell phone bills, for example)
  • Automatically invest your paycheck

Plus, there’s no limit to the number of transactions you can make in a month. Deposits are insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) up to $1,000,000.

A High-Interest Savings Account

In addition to all the functions of a traditional chequing account, the Wealthsimple chequing account is also a high-interest savings account.

The interest rate offered in the Wealthsimple checking account varies between 1.25% and 2.25% annually. All clients receive a minimum of 1.25% interest, then may qualify for higher rates based on their assets under management across all their combined Wealthsimple accounts.

Here are the eligibility requirements for each Wealthsimple tier:

Wealthsimple LevelAssets with WealthsimpleInterest rate
EssentialLess than $100,0001,25 %
BenefitBetween $100,000 and $499,9991,75 %
GenerationMore than $500,0002,25 %

These current rates are not promotional. They will remain as such until Wealthsimple decides to change them, in accordance with the recommendations and policy interest rate of the Bank of Canada.

Interest is calculated daily and deposited monthly (on the first day of the month) into your Wealthsimple Chequing account.

A Bonus for Direct Deposits

Since 2023, the interest rate is increased by 0.5% (up to a total rate of 2.25%) if you choose the Wealthsimple chequing account as the account for your direct deposits.

  • Direct deposits can take many forms, such as a paycheck, pension, government income or others;
  • To be eligible for the bonus, you must receive direct deposits totalling $2,000 over a 30-day period;
  • The minimum amount can be reached in a single deposit or in several;
  • This is not a limited-time promotion. The premium rate will remain in effect until Wealthsimple decides to withdraw it.

The offer is also valid for clients who already use the Wealthsimple chequing account to receive their direct deposits. Upon the next deposit, Wealthsimple will check if you have received more than $2,000 in the last 30 days and will automatically adjust the interest rate.

Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer) - wealthsimple cheque

Wealthsimple Chequing Account for Travellers

When travelling outside Canada, the prepaid Mastercard offers valuable benefits.

Carte Mastercard prépayée Wealthsimple

Avec la Carte Mastercard prépayée de Wealthsimple, vous accédez à votre argent disponible sur votre compte-chèques Wealthsimple.

Avec cette offre de bienvenue, vous pouvez obtenir 25 $ de remise en argent en tant que nouveau client chez Wealthsimple. Pour cela, il vous suffit d’ouvrir un compte, puis d’y déposer au moins 1 $ dans les 30 jours.

Vous pouvez investir votre argent dans un compte d’investissement ou une cryptomonnaie de votre choix. Aussi, vous bénéficiez d’intérêts sur le solde de votre compte Wealthsimple chèques! Les clients Wealthsimple Génération peuvent obtenir un taux d’intérêt allant jusqu’à 2,25 %.

De plus, il n’y a aucuns frais sur vos opérations à l’étranger pour tout achat effectué dans une devise autre que le dollar canadien et aucuns frais annuels.

Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard

WealthsimpleCash Back
Annual fee
$0
Our valuation
$25
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$25Total$25Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
$25
Apply Now

on Wealthsimple's website

With the Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard, you can access your available funds in your Wealthsimple Cash account.

With this welcome offer, you can get $25 cash back as a new Wealthsimple client. To do this, you simply need to open an account and then deposit at least $1 within 30 days.

You can invest your money in an investment account or a cryptocurrency of your choice. Also, you earn interest on your Wealthsimple Cash account balance! Wealthsimple Generation clients can earn an interest rate of up to 2.25%.

In addition, there are no foreign transaction fees for any purchase made in a currency other than the Canadian dollar and no annual fees.

Annual fee

Primary card$0

Value

1st Year Value$295

Free ATM Withdrawals

The Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard does not charge any fees for ATM withdrawals worldwide. Fees will be charged by the ATM provider (usually around $3 CAD), but Wealthsimple automatically reimburses them, with no maximum amount and no limit on the number of reimbursements, for clients who have a chequing account.

Unlike the Visa Wise prepaid card, there is no monthly limit on free withdrawals. ATM withdrawal limits are set at the equivalent of CAD $3,000 per day and CAD $10,000 per week.

The prepaid Mastercard is accepted worldwide, anywhere Mastercard is accepted. However, restrictions apply in certain countries. You will not be able to use the card in these destinations for either withdrawals or transactions. The full list of excluded countries can be found here.

For these locations, the Wise card is a good alternative for ATM withdrawals. Since both Wise and the Wealthsimple Chequing account are free cards, I signed up for both. In addition, I carry both cards in my travel wallet (in addition to my Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card) in case I lose one or one of my accounts is blocked. The perfect trio for travel!

Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days
Sponsored
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$500
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 50,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

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.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000
Household$12,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 6xWith the partner brand
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xEntertainment
  • 5xRestaurants
  • 3xStreaming
  • 3xTransit
  • 3xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460
2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days
Annual fee
$0
Welcome offer
No current welcome offer
Apply Now

on Wise's website

With the Wise Card, a no-annual-fee card, you can hold and exchange over 40 currencies directly in your Wise account.

With the Wise Card, you can spend freely in over 150 countries and withdraw cash from 2.3 million ATMs. You get 2 free monthly ATM withdrawals.

You can also take advantage of currency conversions at market exchange rates, with transparent, low fees. These fees will be much lower than those your credit card charges (generally 2.5% of the transaction).

You can manage your account easily with the Wise application. Moreover, you can manage your card with complete peace of mind by freezing and thawing it instantly. The automatic currency conversion feature ensures that you always pay the lowest possible fees when using currencies not held on your account.

Keep an eye on your currency balances within the app and receive instant notifications for added security. As a debit card, the Wise Card helps you manage your budget without accumulating debt or incurring credit charges. Opt for the Wise Card and optimize your finances on a daily basis or when you travel abroad!

Annual fee

Primary card$0

Conversion fees

0%

How to Open a Wealthsimple Chequing Account

The features of the Wealthsimple chequing account are available in the mobile app and on the Wealthsimple website.

All account types with Wealthsimple are now unified in the same application with a single username and password. To open an account, you must be a Canadian resident, have reached the age of majority in your province and have a valid Canadian telephone number.

The process is fairly straightforward, and once you’ve created your Wealthsimple login and verified your e-mail address, you can open your first account. Verification of your phone number will also be required.

Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer) - ouvrir comptes cheque 3 FR
Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer) - ouvrir compte cheque 2 FR
  • Once your chequing account is open, you will have access to a virtual card to use with a virtual wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) and for online purchases.
  • To receive a physical card, you must request one from the app or website. You will receive it by mail within 10 to 14 business days.
Wealthsimple Chequing Account: A free alternative to traditional chequing accounts (+ $25 cash back with this offer) - carte prepayee mastercard FR

Conclusion

In summary, the Wealthsimple chequing account offers a complete and convenient financial solution, with a chequing account, a high-interest savings account, and a prepaid Mastercard.

It is a modern and fee-free option, ideal for all-in-one financial management, whether you travel or are looking to simplify your finances!

Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard

WealthsimpleCash Back
Annual fee
$0
Our valuation
$25
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$25Total$25Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
$25
Apply Now

on Wealthsimple's website

With the Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard, you can access your available funds in your Wealthsimple Cash account.

With this welcome offer, you can get $25 cash back as a new Wealthsimple client. To do this, you simply need to open an account and then deposit at least $1 within 30 days.

You can invest your money in an investment account or a cryptocurrency of your choice. Also, you earn interest on your Wealthsimple Cash account balance! Wealthsimple Generation clients can earn an interest rate of up to 2.25%.

In addition, there are no foreign transaction fees for any purchase made in a currency other than the Canadian dollar and no annual fees.

Annual fee

Primary card$0

Value

1st Year Value$295

Wealthsimple Chequing Account Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Wealthsimple Chequing account?

The Wealthsimple Chequing account is an all-in-one financial platform that combines the features of a chequing account, a prepaid Mastercard, a high-interest savings account, and an investment solution. The mobile app aims to simplify everyday money management.

What fees are associated with the Wealthsimple Chequing account?

The Wealthsimple Chequing account does not charge monthly account fees, annual fees for the prepaid Mastercard, or fees for ATM withdrawals. However, potential charges apply for additional services such as instant transfers to external accounts.

Will the prepaid Mastercard affect my credit score?

No, prepaid Mastercard cards are Mastercard Debit cards. Card membership won’t « hit » your credit report, and spending won’t be reported to the credit bureaus either.

Does the Wealthsimple Chequing account charge conversion fees for foreign currency transactions?

No, the Wealthsimple Chequing account does not charge the usual 2.5% fee for foreign currency transactions. The amount will be converted into Canadian dollars at the Mastercard rate of the day.

Can I withdraw cash with my prepaid Mastercard?

Yes, you can use your prepaid Mastercard to withdraw cash at ATMs anywhere Mastercard is accepted. These transactions are free of charge on the Wealthsimple side, but the ATMs charge their own fees.

Can I make Interac transfers to other people?

Yes, the Wealthsimple Chequing account offers Interac e-Transfers and instant transfers to other Wealthsimple Chequing accounts. Registration is required.

Can I open a joint account?

Clients can open joint chequing accounts through the Wealthsimple mobile app, with a limit of up to 8 joint accounts per person.

How does the automatic savings option work?

The Roundup feature was discontinued as of April 11, 2025

Is the Wealthsimple Chequing account safe?

Yes, data security is a priority for Wealthsimple. Your personal and financial information is encrypted and protected according to the same security standards as all Canadian banks.

Is the Wealthsimple Chequing account available in all countries?

To open a Wealthsimple Chequing account, you must be a resident of Canada. You can use the Mastercard in most countries, except for the exceptions listed here.

Terms and conditions apply. For the most up-to-date product details, please visit Wealthsimple.com.

Our featured card

Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard

WealthsimpleCash Back
Annual fee
$0
Our valuation
$25
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$25Total$25Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
$25
Apply Now

on Wealthsimple's website

With the Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard, you can access your available funds in your Wealthsimple Cash account.

With this welcome offer, you can get $25 cash back as a new Wealthsimple client. To do this, you simply need to open an account and then deposit at least $1 within 30 days.

You can invest your money in an investment account or a cryptocurrency of your choice. Also, you earn interest on your Wealthsimple Cash account balance! Wealthsimple Generation clients can earn an interest rate of up to 2.25%.

In addition, there are no foreign transaction fees for any purchase made in a currency other than the Canadian dollar and no annual fees.

Annual fee

Primary card$0

Value

1st Year Value$295

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.