Best credit cards in Canada
Compare Canadian credit cards, ranked by what each one is worth to you in a year, after fees. Pick your spending and the numbers update.
Card details updated November 10, 2026 How we rank
What’s in each?
- Light:
- Groceries $400, restaurants $100, gas $100, recurring bills $100, everything else (base rate) $250, foreign currency $50
- Typical:
- Groceries $800, restaurants $250, gas $250, recurring bills $250, travel $150, everything else (base rate) $650, foreign currency $150
- Big:
- Groceries $1,200, restaurants $500, gas $400, recurring bills $400, travel $500, everything else (base rate) $1,600, foreign currency $400
- Yours:
- Your own amounts, saved on this device only
Not sure which kind of card you need? Help me choose
176 credit cards, ranked for you
Ranked by value in year one at $5,000 a month, after fees. How we rank
-
Ranked 161. KOHO Extra Prepaid Mastercard
KOHO · Mastercard
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $144 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 162. Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card
Peoples Trust · Visa
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $0 No annual fee
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 163. TD Emerald Flex Rate Visa
TD · Visa Expert Score 7.7 out of 10. Good
Earns no rewards Built for a lower interest rate: 8.95% on purchases. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- $25 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 164. American Express Essential™ Credit Card
American Express Expert Score 7.6 out of 10. Good
Earns no rewards Built for a lower interest rate: 12.99% on purchases. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- $25 a year
Needs $15,000 personal income
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
Read the full review: American Express Essential™ Credit Card
-
Ranked 165. Laurentian Bank Visa Reduced Rate
Laurentian Bank · Visa Expert Score 6.6 out of 10. Fair
Earns no rewards Built for a lower interest rate: 12.49% on purchases. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- $30 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 166. National Bank Syncro Mastercard
National Bank · Mastercard Expert Score 7.6 out of 10. Good
Earns no rewards Built for a lower interest rate: 8.9% on purchases. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- $35 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 167. Scotiabank® U.S. Dollar VISA Card
Scotiabank · Visa Expert Score 7.6 out of 10. Good
Earns no rewards Built for a lower interest rate: 19.99% on purchases. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- US$35 a year
Needs $12,000 personal income
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 168. Home Trust Secured Visa Card
Home Trust · Visa Expert Score 7.5 out of 10. Good
Earns no rewards Builds credit with a $500 deposit. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- $59 a year
Approval is easier with a deposit
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 169. CashPassport Prepaid Mastercard
Peoples Trust · Mastercard
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $0 No annual fee
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 170. BMO® U.S. Dollar Mastercard®
BMO · Mastercard Expert Score 6.7 out of 10. Fair
Earns no rewards Built for a lower interest rate: 21.99% on purchases. See it ranked under Low interest
- Annual fee
- US$49 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 171. Koho Everything Prepaid Mastercard
KOHO · Mastercard
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $177 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 172. PayPower Reloadable Prepaid Mastercard®
Peoples Trust · Mastercard
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $36 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
Read the full review: PayPower Reloadable Prepaid Mastercard®
-
Ranked 173. Nextwave Titanium Plus Prepaid MasterCard
Peoples Trust · Mastercard
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $78 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
Read the full review: Nextwave Titanium Plus Prepaid MasterCard
-
Ranked 174. MyVanilla® Prepaid Mastercard®
Peoples Trust · Mastercard
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $59.40 a year
Income rule not listed
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
-
Ranked 175. Canada Post Prepaid Reloadable Visa Card
Peoples Trust Company · Visa
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $36 a year
Closed to new applicants
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
Read the full review: Canada Post Prepaid Reloadable Visa Card
-
Ranked 176. We Financial™ Visa Prepaid
Scotiabank · Visa
Earns no rewards
- Annual fee
- $59.40 a year
Closed to new applicants
Loading the details…
The details didn’t load. See the full review
Showing 16 of 176 cards
Filters
Your spending a month
Your balance
How we rank cards
The list is math only: one set of rules, worked out for the choices you made.
What Year one and Every year mean
Year one is what a card is worth in its first year at your spending: the rewards it earns, plus any welcome offer your spending would reach, minus the first year’s annual fee.
Every year after leaves out the welcome offer and takes off the full annual fee, so a big offer can’t hide a weak earn rate.
We rank by the one you pick. When two cards come out the same, the one with the higher score goes first. Values are estimates, rounded to the dollar.
What’s in each spending choice
Each choice is an example month of spending, split across the kinds of spending cards reward differently. Pick the one closest to yours.
- Light, $1,000 a month: Groceries $400, restaurants $100, gas $100, recurring bills $100, everything else (base rate) $250, foreign currency $50
- Typical, $2,500 a month: Groceries $800, restaurants $250, gas $250, recurring bills $250, travel $150, everything else (base rate) $650, foreign currency $150
- Big, $5,000 a month: Groceries $1,200, restaurants $500, gas $400, recurring bills $400, travel $500, everything else (base rate) $1,600, foreign currency $400
How we value points
Each points program gets one value per point, taken from the program’s own valuation. Cards in the same program use the same value, so two cards that earn the same points are judged the same way.
- Aeroplan: 2 cents a point
- American Express Membership Rewards: 1.7 cents a point
- BMO Rewards: 0.67 cents a point
- British Airways Club: 2 cents a point
- Cathay Asia Miles: 1.5 cents a point
- CIBC Aventura: 1 cents a point
- Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS: 100 cents a point
- Flying Blue: 1.9 cents a point
- Marriott Bonvoy: 0.8 cents a point
- moi Rewards: 0.8 cents a point
- More Rewards: 0.2 cents a point
- National Bank a la carte Rewards: 0.9 cents a point
- PC Optimum: 0.1 cents a point
- RBC Avion: 1.7 cents a point
- Scene+: 1 cents a point
- TD Rewards: 0.5 cents a point
- Triangle Rewards: 100 cents a point
- United MileagePlus: 1.6 cents a point
- VIPorter: 1.5 cents a point
- WestJet Rewards: 1 cents a point
A card whose points we can’t value yet shows its points and sorts after the cards we can value.
What Low interest adds up
Low interest ranks by what a year of carrying a balance would cost: interest at the card’s purchase rate, plus the annual fee. It assumes the balance stays the same all year and leaves out rewards and welcome offers.
A balance transfer offer shows on the card when it has one, but it doesn’t change the order.
Does pay change the order?
No. The order comes only from the math above. We get paid when you apply through some links, and a bank can pay to show a card in a spot marked Sponsored. Pay never moves a card in the ranked list or changes its score.
Help me choose
Four quick questions, then a list that fits. Your answers only set the list. We don’t keep them.
Show the questions as a form
Help me choose
Mr. Loonie is typing
Which kind of card fits you?
Start with what you want the card to do. Each one has its own ranked list.
- Cash back Good if you want money off your bill with no points to learn. Watch for the top rate usually covering a few kinds of spending, often with a yearly cap.
- Travel points Good if you fly at least once a year and will use points for flights. Watch for higher annual fees. Points are worth less on merchandise.
- No annual fee Good if you spend under about $1,500 a month or want a backup card. Watch for lower earn rates and fewer insurance perks.
- Low interest Good if you sometimes carry a balance from month to month. Watch for little or no rewards. Paying in full each month saves more than any rate.
- Balance transfer Good if you have card debt to pay down over several months. Watch for a transfer fee and the regular rate once the promo ends.
- No foreign fee Good if you shop in US dollars or travel outside Canada. Watch for an annual fee on most of them. The fee you save abroad can cover it.
- New to Canada Good if you’ve just arrived and have no Canadian credit history yet. Watch for lower limits at first. Some need a Canadian bank account or a deposit.
- Build credit Good if you’re rebuilding your credit after missed payments. Watch for the deposit, which sets your limit. Rewards are small or none.
- Students Good if you’re in school with little or no income. Watch for low limits. Pay on time and the card builds your history.
Cards by bank
Cards by network
Questions people ask
What’s the best credit card in Canada?
It depends on how you spend. At $2,500 a month, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business is worth the most in year one on our list, and the American Express Cobalt™ is worth the most after that. Pick your own spending above to see your order.
Which card has the best welcome offer right now?
At $2,500 a month, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business offer is worth about $1,275 and the American Express® Aeroplan® Reserve Card offer about $1,200. Offers change often, so check the date on each card.
What income do I need for a credit card?
No-fee cards that list a minimum most often ask for $15,000 or $80,000 a year. Cards with an annual fee most often ask for $60,000 or $80,000 personal income. Use the income filter to hide cards that ask for more than you earn.
Does comparing cards here affect my credit score?
No. Comparing is free and we never check your credit. Your score can change when you apply, because the bank checks your credit then.
Rates, fees and offers come from the card issuers and change often. We work to keep this page accurate and current, but it may contain mistakes, so always check the issuer’s terms before you apply. Values are estimates for the spending you picked, rounded to the nearest dollar.
Spot something wrong? We’ll check it with the bank. Suggest a correction