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Best Credit Cards for Quebec Residents

Best credit cards for Quebec residents

Sandra MacGregor

By Sandra MacGregor

Fact Checked: Cory Santos

🗓️

Updated: January 24, 2025

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Did you know that credit card rules can vary depending on your location within Canada? This is particularly noticeable for residents of Quebec, who may experience different interest rates, welcome offers, and fees compared to credit card users in other provinces. In some instances, certain credit cards may not be accessible to those living in Quebec.

To ensure Canadians living in “la belle province” can pick the perfect plastic for their needs, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best credit cards for residents of Quebec. While there are other credit cards on the market for Quebecers, we think our picks are particularly outstanding — read on to find out why (and don't forget to check out our Best Credit Cards Canada list when you're done).

  • Why you can trust Money.ca's best credit cards in Quebec list

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    Money.ca rates all credit cards on a numeric scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest rating, respectively. Money.ca’s proprietary scoring formulas break down the confusing language, complex points, rewards and earn rates to give you the real data that caters to your needs first, not ours.

    Our partnerships have no impact on our ratings, which are solely determined by the merits of each card. To learn more about how we researched and ranked these cards, read our full credit card review methodology.

Compare our picks

Best credit cards for Quebecers compared

Card Name Biggest Perk Get started
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card Best for cash back
◦ New cardholders get a bonus 10% cash back for the first 2 months – up to $100. Offer ends Jan. 31, 2025
Read Review
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card Best for travel
◦ Up to $1,300 in value† including up to 40,000 Aeroplan points† and no Annual Fee for the first year†. 		Apply Now
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card Best for No foreign transaction fees
◦ 0% foreign trans. fees on overseas purchases
◦ Earn up to $780* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points.
Apply Now
BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* for Students Best for students
◦ Earn 3% (up to a monthly max of $500) cash back on groceries. 		Apply Now
BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* Best for rewards
◦ 4 annual airport lounge passes* 		Apply Now

†Terms and conditions apply.

Best cash back

Best credit card for cash back in Quebec

$484

First Year Value

$384

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Get a bonus 10% cash back for the first 2 months – up to $100. Plus, a 1.95% promotional balance transfer interest rate for the first 6 months.

Learn More

Yes, that’s right! The top cash back credit card in Canada comes with $0 annual fee. The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card consistently rewards you with 2% cash back on purchases within three categories of your preference, chosen from a selection of 10 categories. Additionally, you earn 0.5% cash back on all other purchases. Cash back rewards are issued monthly, and there's no cap on spending within any category, ensuring your earnings remain limitless. Moreover, the card provides purchase insurance and extended warranty coverage.

The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card currently features some amazing welcome offers: 

New cardholders get a bonus 10% cash back for the first 2 months – up to $100. Offer ends Jan. 31, 2025* .

*Terms and Conditions apply

Runner up for cash back: SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express

up to 10% back

Welcome Bonus

$892.12

First Year Value

$642.12

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Earn a bonus 10% cash back on purchases in your first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases).

Learn More Apply Now On American Express' Secure Site

The SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express is a contender for best cash back card because of its super bonus offer: 

  • Earn a bonus 10% cash back on purchases in your first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases). That’s on top of your everyday cash back earn rates.

    Plus, earn a $50 statement credit* when you make a purchase in month 13.*

    This could add up to $250 in bonus value in your first 13 months.

    *Current or former Cardmembers with this Card are not eligible for this offer. Other terms apply.

And if you dig the Tangerine card’s 2% cash back offered in a few categories, it might be worth it to pay a fee of $119.88 annual fee ($9.99 per month. Additional cards are free.) for the SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express, which gives you 4% cash back on eligible gas station purchases in Canada, 4% cash back on eligible grocery store purchases in Canada (up to $1,200 cash back) and 2% cash back on all other purchases. You’ll earn enough cash back to cover the annual fee and then some if you charge about $5,000 or more to the card each year, which is very realistic for the average Quebecer.

Best travel

Best credit card for travel

up to $1,300

Welcome Bonus

$436

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Earn up to $1,300 in value† including up to 40,000 Aeroplan points† and no Annual Fee for the first year†. Conditions Apply.

Learn More Apply Now On TD's Secure Site

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is one of the most outstanding credit cards for frequent fliers because it makes it easy to earn Aeroplan points.

Best Offer yet for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card. Earn up to $1,300 in value† including up to 40,000 Aeroplan points† and no Annual Fee for the first year†. Conditions Apply.:

  • Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card†
  • Earn 40,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $5,000 within 180 days of account opening†
  • Plus, earn an anniversary bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 within 12 months of Account opening†
  • Enroll for NEXUS and once every 48 months get a partial application fee rebate††
  • Plus, share free first checked bags with up to eight travel companions†.

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card earns 1.5 Aeroplan points† on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®)† made with your card. You earn 1 Aeroplan point on all other purchases†. The card also comes with extensive travel insurance like hotel/motel burglary†, Travel Medical Insurance†, and rental car insurance†. Extra perks include a NEXUS fee rebate† and a free checked bag for cardholders and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation for Air Canada-originated flights†.

Runner up for travel: Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card

up to $1,300* value

Welcome Bonus

$926

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Earn up to $1,300* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points*

Learn More Apply Now On Scotiabank's Secure Site

The Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card has a very different set of benefits compared to the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, starting first and foremost with its basic rewards system. The Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* earns Scene+ points, which may be less widely known than Aeroplan points, though they’re just as valuable.

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is also distinct from the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card in that it offers 6 free annual airport lounge visits (the most of any credit card in Canada with an annual fee of under $200) and it’s one of the few Canadian credit cards that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Finally, it has high earning potential, at 3X Scene+™ points on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland and Participating Co-ops, and more eligible grocers. Earn 2 Scene+™ points on every $1 you spend on other eligible grocery stores, dining, entertainment purchases, and daily transit purchases (including buses, subways, taxis and more), and earn 1 Scene+™ point on every $1 you spend on all other eligible purchases. The annual fee is $150.

  • Rates, fees and other information are effective as of January 3, 2025. Subject to change.

    Conditions Apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card to learn more.

    *See Card Provider's website and Card Application for complete card details, terms and current offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.

Best no FTX fee

Best credit card with no foreign transaction fees in Quebec

up to $780 in value

Welcome Bonus

$1,382

First Year Value

$602

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: up to $780* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points

Learn More Apply Now On Scotiabank's Secure Site

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card is one of the few credit cards in Canada that doesn’t charge a foreign exchange fee when you make purchases in foreign dollars, which can save you money when you travel outside Canada or shop online at non-Canadian sites. 

With one of the top earn rates in the country for these categories, the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card earns 5X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD you spend on eligible grocery, dining and entertainment purchases. Get 3X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on gas, eligible daily transit and select streaming services. You’ll earn 6X Scene+ points for each $1 CAD charged to your account on all eligible purchases¹ 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. All other purchases earn a single point per dollar. The card also comes with strong travel insurance, a discounted Priority Pass membership and concierge service.

  • Conditions Apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card to learn more.

    *See Card Provider's website and Card Application for complete card details, terms and current offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.

Best student

Best credit card for students in Quebec

5% cash back

Welcome Bonus

$326

First Year Value

$261

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Get 5% cash back in your first 3 months.*

Learn More Apply Now On BMO's Secure Site

The student version of the BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* has $0 annual fee and a welcome offer of up to 5% cash back. The card earns you 3% cash back on groceries (up to a monthly max of $500 on grocery spending; the max resets each month) and 1% (to $500 per month)* on recurring bill payments like streaming services or subscriptions. You net 0.5% (no max) on all other purchases*.

The BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* has a flexible redemption policy whereby you can deposit your cash back into a BMO account (chequing, savings or InvestorLine) or put it toward a statement credit. The card comes with lots of student-focused benefits like getting a free credit score via CreditView, as well as extended warranty* and purchase protection*. Save up to 20% on National Car Rental®†† and Alamo Rent A Car®†† and up to 5% on Enterprise Rent-A-Car®†† at locations worldwide using BMO's Car Rental Booking tool.* You will also get 15% off admission to Cirque du Soleil shows in Canada and 20% off resident shows in Las Vegas*.

  • *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.

Runner up for students: KOHO

$20 sign-up bonus

Welcome Bonus

$0

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Get a 30-day free trial for any KOHO plan. Get a $20 sign-up bonus on your first $20 transaction.

Learn More Apply Now On Koho's Secure Site

Unlike the BMO CashBack® Mastercard®, the KOHO card is not a credit card, it’s a prepaid card. But that’s why it’s a good alternative student card, because with KOHO you don’t have to worry about getting into trouble with credit card debt. KOHO Essential offers a reloadable, prepaid card that’s connected to your KOHO no-fee spending account. The card works like a debit card in some ways, but you can also earn cash back. With KOHO Essential, earn 1% cash back on groceries, eating & drinking, and transportation; up to 5% extra cash back when shop with partnered merchants. Best of all, you can earn 2.5% interest on your account balance.

Best rewards

Best rewards credit card in Quebec

up to 90K pts

Welcome Bonus

$671.6

First Year Value

$0

Annual Value

Welcome Bonus: Get up to 90,000 points and the annual fee waived on your first anniversary for both the primary cardholder and authorized users.*

Learn More Apply Now On BMO's Secure Site

The BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* allows you to rev up your rewards points, starting with its lucrative sign-up bonus: Get up to 90,000 points and the annual fee waived on your first anniversary for both the primary cardholder and authorized users.*.

The card earns rewards on spending at a respectable rate, with 5x the points for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases,* 3x the points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and entertainment purchases and recurring bill payments,* 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else.* The card’s flexible redemption program means you can redeem points for flights, hotels and vacation packages with no black-out periods. You can also apply points to pay for purchases or build up your savings by putting them towards a BMO savings or investment account.

But the standout feature of the BMO Ascend™ World Elite®* Mastercard®* is its lucrative lounge access package. The card gives you complimentary membership in Dragon Pass,* with 4 annual complimentary passes. And unlike most lounge access deals, BMO lets you use your four free annual passes for yourself or for a guest to accompany you.

  • *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.

Why Quebec is different

Why is Quebec different than the rest of Canada when it comes to credit cards?

Credit card rules regarding fees, interest rates, minimum payments and more are often different for residents of Quebec due to the fact that the province has different laws governing credit cards. One of the main laws that affect credit cards is Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act. The act governs things like what is allowable in contracts (such as a credit card agreement) between a merchant (like a credit card company) and a consumer (a credit card user).

One of the best examples of how Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act affects Quebec credit card users differently than the rest of Canada is to take a look at a new law the province instituted affecting credit card minimum payments. In August of 2020, a new rule went into effect that Quebecers must pay at least 2.5% of their credit card balance each month; previously, credit card users in Quebec only had to make a minimum payment of 2%. The mandatory minimum payment will continue to rise until 2025 when Quebec residents will be required to pay at least 5% of their outstanding balance each month. (Note that this gradual increase only pertains to credit card accounts that already exist. New credit card accounts in Quebec will immediately be subject to the 5% minimum payment requirement.) In the rest of Canada, most credit card providers only require that a cardholder pay 2.5% of the amount owing or make a minimum payment of $10. Quebec’s new law is designed to help Quebec credit card users not spend beyond their means and prevent credit card debt from ballooning out of control.

To emphasize the importance of the new 5% rule, an example on Quebec’s consumer protection website shows how a $1,000 purchase charged to a card with 19.9% would take almost 26 years to pay off and cost an extra $3,001 in interest charges if the cardholder only made the 2% minimum payment. With a 5% minimum payment, the card would be paid off in 6 years and only cost an additional $442 in interest. If you want customized information about how long it would take you to pay off credit card debt, check out our credit card calculator.

FAQs

FAQs

  • I live In Quebec. How do I know what special interest rates and fees might apply to me when I apply for a credit card?

    +

    Unfortunately, not all credit card companies make it obvious when there are different rules for applicants in Quebec. Sometimes a website may ask you to choose which province you reside in and then adjust the credit card information if you select Quebec as your place of residence. Otherwise, you may sadly have to read the fine print (often there will be a symbol or number beside some text, which signals that there is additional information you should read) to know what rules and fees do or do not apply to you.

  • What happens if I move away from Quebec to another province — is my credit card still valid?

    +

    While your credit card will still be valid outside of the province, it’s possible that your credit card issuer may update your terms of service once you tell them of your new address. It’s best to contact your credit card company to see if any elements of your credit card agreement (like fees or interest rates) will change if you leave the province.

  • Why do residents of Quebec have to make a larger minimum payment toward their credit card debt each month than the rest of Canada?

    +

    In an effort to ensure that citizens of Quebec keep spending under control and don’t experience financial fallout from credit card debt, Quebec is forcing credit card companies that operate in the province to require that already existing cardholders make a minimum payment of 2.5% of their balance owing. New credit card applicants will have to pay a 5% minimum balance immediately. By 2025, all cardholders in the province will have to pay at least 5% of their balance each month.

  • Can temporary residents in Quebec get a credit card?

    +

    Credit cards in Quebec are similar to cards from the rest of Canada in terms of eligibility. Temporary residents of Quebec that are at the age of majority of their province or territory, or 18. Additionally, applicants need to meet the credit score and income requirements of the card in question.

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. 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.

Sandra MacGregor Freelance Contributor

Sandra MacGregor has been writing about finance and travel for nearly a decade. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications like the New York Times, the UK Telegraph, the Washington Post, Forbes.com and the Toronto Star.

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†Terms and Conditions apply.