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At Money.ca we want to give you the full picture when it comes to credit cards. We understand that there is no one-size-fits-all credit card, so we want to help you find the best card for your specific needs.
Our proprietary scoring system analyzes more than 100 data points covering all aspects of a credit card— from welcome bonuses and rewards to travel insurance, airport perks to interest rates and hidden fees— to identify the very best credit card offers across over 150 cards and 11 categories.
Also, our partnerships have no impact on our ratings, which are solely determined by the strengths of each card alone by our team of credit card industry experts. To learn more about how we researched and ranked these cards, check out our full credit card review methodology. For each category below, the gold, silver and bronze winners are displayed left to right in order. The Star Rating (out of 5) for each card is a overall score, not how it performed for that specific category.
Best credit cards Canada overall: Gold, silver and bronze
American Express Cobalt® Card
Earn up to 15,000 Welcome Bonus Membership Rewards® points* – that’s up to $150 in value.
$155.88 Annual Fee
Fair Recommended Credit Score
$0 Required Annual Personal Income
CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card
Join and get up to $1,350 in value† including a one-time annual fee rebate.†
$139 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived in the first anniversary*.
$120 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Compared to 125 cards using over 12,500 metrics, Money.ca's proprietary system scores the Amex Cobalt for:
- Well-above-average scores on most metrics
- Good points earn rates in a variety of categories
- High versatility of points
The Amex Cobalt is perfect for those with varied spending habits; in other words, most people. Here’s how the Amex Cobalt card breaks down across key credit card components: The Cobalt offers a very achievable welcome bonus for new accounts:
- Earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards® points* by earning 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 on your Card in your first year as a new Cardmember. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year.*
Amex Cobalt disclosures:
Contact American Express for the most up-to-date referral bonus figures.
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
Read more: How to choose a credit card by income level
Best credit cards in Canada for rewards: Gold, silver and bronze
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
Earn up to $3,000 in value† including up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Offer effective as of January 7, 2025.
$599 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$150,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scotiabank Gold American Express®
Earn up to $780* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points.
$120 Annual Fee
Very Good Recommended Credit Score
American Express Cobalt® Card
Earn up to 15,000 Welcome Bonus Membership Rewards® points* – that’s up to $150 in value.
$155.88 Annual Fee
Fair Recommended Credit Score
$0 Required Annual Personal Income
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* wins the best rewards card overall thanks to its impressive Aeroplan bonus categories on purchases, luxurious Air Canada perks and robust travel and purchase protection insurance benefits. Add a massive welcome bonus to that, and you have the makings of an exceptional rewards credit card. Read more in our TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege review.
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* disclosures:
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any TD product, please click the Apply Now button. Sponsored Content.
†Terms and conditions apply.
Read more: See Money.ca's list for best rewards credit cards
Best credit cards for cash back: Gold, silver and bronze
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card
Get a first-year annual fee rebate for you and up to three Authorized Users† and earn 10% cash back for the first 4 statements on net purchases of up to $2,000†.
$120 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived in the first anniversary*.
$120 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scotiabank Momentum® Visa Infinite*
Earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases). No annual fee in the first year, including on additional cards.
$120 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
If we could build the ideal premium cash back rewards card, it would pretty much look like this. As far as rewards credit cards go, the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card makes earning and redeeming cash back almost effortless. Here's why it's our best cash back credit card:
- High earn rate: Earn 4% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging, and grocery purchases†
- Cash back on everyday spend: Earn 2% cash back on eligible transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments†
- Comprehensive Insurance: Includes travel and purchase protection, out-of-province medical insurance, and auto rental collision/loss damage coverage
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite* disclosures:
- †Terms and Conditions Apply. This offer is not available for the residents of Quebec.
- The information for the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card has been collected independently by Money.ca. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Read more: See Money.ca's list for best cash back credit cards
Best credit cards for balance transfers: Gold, silver and bronze
MBNA True Line® Mastercard®
Get a 0% promotional annual interest rate (“AIR”)† for 12 months on balance transfers✪ completed within 90 days of account opening, with a 3% transfer fee.
$0 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card
0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months (2% fee per cash advance, 13.99% after that), plus no annual fee for the first year ($29 value)
$29 Annual Fee
Fair Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
CIBC Select Visa* Card
Transfer your credit card balance - Get 0% interest for up to 10 months with a 1% transfer fee† and a first year annual fee rebate‡
$29 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
You just can't beat a 0% balance transfer offer (even with a 3% fee) because it gives you a whole year, 365 days to pay down that balance. And there's no annual fee, so it's a credit card that really helps you pay down debt without costing you a big upfront payment. If you're looking for a new balance transfer card, the MBNA True Line is a great bet with its:
- No annual fee
- 0% APR for 12 months on transfers
MBNA True Line Mastercard disclosures:
†, ✪, Terms and Conditions apply.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Read more: See Money.ca's list of the best balance transfer credit cards
Best credit cards with no annual fee: Gold, silver and bronze
BMO CashBack® Mastercard®*
Get 5% cash back in your first 3 months*
$0 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$15,000 Required Annual Personal Income
MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
Cash Back†† on eligible gas and grocery purchases for the first 6 months (until the total gas and grocery purchases in the applicable month reaches $500)
$0 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
New cardholders get a bonus 10% cash back for the first 2 months – up to $100. Offer ends Jan. 31, 2025
$0 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
What's better than a credit card with no annual fee? One that rewards you with an impressive up to 3% (up to a monthly max of $500) cash back on groceries. Here are a few more reasons we like the BMO CashBack® MasterCard®*.
- Generous cash back
- Lucrative welcome bonus
- Balance transfer offer
- No annual fee
BMO CashBack Mastercard disclosures:
- *Terms and conditions apply.
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
Read more: See Money.ca's list of best no annual fee credit cards
Best low interest credit cards: Gold, silver and bronze
MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®
$39 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card
0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months (2% fee per cash advance, 13.99% after that), plus no annual fee for the first year ($29 value)
$29 Annual Fee
Fair Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card
Earn up to $2,500* in value in the first 14 months, including up to 80,000 bonus Scene+ points.
$399 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Well, if you're looking for a low interest rate credit card in Canada, it's not subjective, it's fact. So, if you're in credit card debt now, you can snap up the balance transfer offer with the MBNA True Line to pay off the debt and use the MBNA True Line Gold as your go-to card for new expenses. The MBNA annual percentage rate (APR) is a low 12.99% for purchases.
MBNA True Line Gold Mastercard disclosures:
†, ✪, Terms and Conditions apply.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For residents of Quebec, please click here.
Sponsored advertising. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and TD is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information on this MBNA credit card, please click on the “Apply Now” button.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank is the issuer of this credit card. MBNA is a division of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. ®MBNA and other-trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Read more: See Money.ca's list of best low interest credit cards
Best credit cards for groceries: Gold, silver and bronze
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived in the first anniversary*.
$120 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card
Get a first-year annual fee rebate for you and up to three Authorized Users† and earn 10% cash back for the first 4 statements on net purchases of up to $2,000†.
$120 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express
Earn a bonus 10% cash back on purchases in your first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases).
$119.88 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
While you might expect the PC World Elite Mastercard (great for Loblaws, No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart) or the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa card with rewards at FreshCo and Sobeys, the fact is, it's hard to beat the right 5% cash back on groceries with the premium BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* .
- High cash back rates on groceries: Earn 5% cash back on groceries
- Lucrative sign-up bonus: Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived in the first anniversary*
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* disclosures:
- *Terms and conditions apply.
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
Read more: See Money.ca's list of best grocery credit cards
Best credit cards in Canada for gas: Gold, silver and bronze
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Get up to 10% cash back in your first 3 months and the $120 annual fee waived in the first anniversary*.
$120 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$80,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scotiabank Gold American Express®
Earn up to $780* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points.
$120 Annual Fee
Very Good Recommended Credit Score
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card
Get a first-year annual fee rebate for you and up to three Authorized Users† and earn 10% cash back for the first 4 statements on net purchases of up to $2,000†.
$120 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Again?! Yup, the BMO CashBack World Elite credit card is our top pick for gas and EV charging rewards, too. Ok, so the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card or Amex Simply Cash Preferred credit cards have a higher cash back rate on gas compared to BMO card. However, if you're on the road enough where you value gas, you can save even more with roadside assistance with a free membership in the Dominion Automobile Association (DAA).
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* disclosures:
- *Terms and conditions apply.
- BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
Read more: See Money.ca's list of best gas credit cards
Best credit cards for travel: Gold, silver and bronze
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Join and get up to $1,100 in value in your first year!†
$139 Annual Fee
Very Good Recommended Credit Score
$60,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card
Earn up to $2,500* in value in the first 14 months, including up to 80,000 bonus Scene+ points.
$399 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card
Join and get up to $1,350 in value† including a one-time annual fee rebate.†
$139 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
Among all the best travel credit cards in Canada, we like the CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card for its exceptional welcome bonus, massive array of Air Canada travel perks and airport lounge access passes. Here's why it's our best credit card for travel.
- Great for Air Canada flyers: Maximize points on Air Canada purchases and frequent travel categories.
- Generous welcome bonus: Get up to 40,000 Aeroplan points in your first year.
- Travel insurance: Extensive coverage for flight delays, baggage, medical emergencies, trip cancellations, auto rentals, and more.
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card disclosures:
- The information for the CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card has been collected independently by Money.ca. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- †Terms and Conditions Apply. This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.
Read more: See Money.ca's best travel credit cards list
Best credit cards for welcome bonus: Gold, silver and bronze
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
Earn up to $3,000 in value† including up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Offer effective as of January 7, 2025.
$599 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
$150,000 Required Annual Personal Income
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card
Earn up to $2,500* in value in the first 14 months, including up to 80,000 bonus Scene+ points.
$399 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
The Platinum Card®
Earn up to 140,000 Membership Rewards® points* – that’s up to $1,400 in value.
$799 Annual Fee
Excellent Recommended Credit Score
It's the welcome bonus: Earn up to $3,000 in value† including up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Offer effective as of January 7, 2025. and how the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* earns its points:
- Earn 2 points† for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®)
- Earn 1.5 points† for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery, travel and dining purchases
- Earn 1.25 points† for every $1 spent on all other purchases made with your Card
- Earn points twice when you pay with your Card and provide your Aeroplan number at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and at 170+ online retailers via the Aeroplan eStore (www.aeroplan.com/estore)
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* disclosures:
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any TD product, please click the Apply Now button. Sponsored Content.
†Terms and conditions apply.
Read more: See Money.ca's best credit card offers
Best credit cards in Canada for students: Gold, silver and bronze
RBC ION+ Visa
Get 3,500 Welcome Points on approval and earn 3,500 bonus points when you spend $500 in your first 3 months.^ Apply by January 29th, 2025.
$48 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* for students
Get 5% cash back in your first 3 months.*
$0 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$0 Required Annual Personal Income
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
New cardholders get a bonus 10% cash back for the first 2 months – up to $100. Offer ends Jan. 31, 2025
$0 Annual Fee
Good Recommended Credit Score
$12,000 Required Annual Personal Income
The RBC ION+ Visa understands what students need. Here's why it's our best student card:
- Generous welcome offer
- High earn rate where it matters for students
- Annual fee waiver with an RBC Advantage Banking account for students
The welcome bonus is particularly generous and easy to reach for most Canadians: Get 3,500 Welcome Points on approval and earn 3,500 bonus points when you spend $500 in your first 3 months. Apply by January 29th, 2025.
RBC ION+ Visa disclosures:
Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read disclaimer for more info.Disclaimer: Money.ca may engage in affiliate marketing, which is done by embedding tracking links into Money.ca. If you click on a link for an affiliate partnership, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.
Read more: See Money.ca's best student credit cards list
What are the best credit cards networks in Canada by popularity?
The best credit cards by popularity vary depending on the type, such as travel rewards, cash back offers, or low-fee options. Recent insights from YouGov categorize the top cards by their payment networks, including Visa and Mastercard, with an additional analysis by age group to assist you in choosing the most suitable option for those within your age bracket.
Ages 18-24:
- Visa: 33% market share
- Mastercard: 16% market share
Ages 25-35:
- Visa: 41% market share
- Mastercard: 27% market share
Ages 55 and over:
- Mastercard: 37% market share (leads in this group)
- Visa: 33% market share
All age groups combined:
- Visa: 34.4% market share
- Mastercard: 33.44% market share (nearly equal to Visa).
What's the best credit card company for customer service?
Choosing the right credit card isn't just about rewards and fees—it’s also about customer service. This includes how easy it is to get help and the options for contacting support. At Money.ca, we know firsthand how important good customer service and short hold times can be. When we talk to our writers about their best and worst experiences, long wait times often come up as a common frustration.
To shore up our best credit card rankings, we charted J.D. Power’s Canada Credit Card Satisfaction Studies from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. In addition to some credit card issuers consistently performing better than others, like Tangerine, 2023 highlights a declining trend in customer satisfaction across Canadian issuers.
If customer satisfaction was the only determining factor, the best credit card issuers in Canada would continually be Tangerine, Canadian Tire Financial, and PC Financial. Traditional issuers like RBC credit cards and BMO credit cards consistently rank in the middle or the bottom with MBNA bringing up the rear.
Types of credit cards in Canada
How to choose the best credit card category for your needs
Your friends may want a travel credit card to book an upcoming vacation, while you'd rather earn cash back. Not to worry, there are hundreds of Canadian credit cards to serve each unique purpose. Here's what to look for in credit card categories.
Realistically, you probably won’t find one credit card that ranks #1 in every spending category, but you can cover all your bases by reading our guide: How many credit cards should I have?
Compare credit cards by network
In Canada, we have three major credit card networks: Amex, Mastercard, and Visa. Each network has its own requirements from income to credit score and offer a variety of perks to match your dreams and desires.
Compare credit cards by bank
FAQs: Best credit cards in Canada
Cory Santos is a finance writer, editor and credit card expert with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance. Cory joined Wise Publishing from BestCards, with bylines in numerous print and digital publications across North America, including the Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Debt.ca, AOL, MSN and Medium as well as financial podcasts like KOFE Talk.
Lisa Jackson is a freelance personal finance and travel journalist, editor, and blogger who contributes to various online and print media outlets in Canada and abroad, including The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Islands Magazine, Fodors, BRIDES, Huffington Post Canada, CAA Magazine, The Food Network, West Jet Magazine, NUVO Magazine, and many others. When she's not writing from her home office, she's busy globe-trotting to new destinations in search of her next story.
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Disclaimer
The content provided on Money.ca is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.
†Terms and Conditions apply.