American Express® Aeroplan®* Card
This charge card is an excellent choice for frequent travellers who collect Aeroplan rewards.
Rewards: 2 points per $1 when you buy directly through Air Canada, 1.5 points per $1 on eligible dining and food delivery, 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.
Welcome Offer: Collect up to 50,000 Aeroplan points. Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, earn 20,000 Aeroplan points after spending $1,000 in purchases in month 13.
Annual Fee: $120
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: A handy charge card for travel rewards and benefits, but cardholders need to be mindful of the 30% interest rate.
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SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express
A high-earning cash back credit card without an earning cap on day-to-day spending.
Rewards: 4% cash back on gas and grocery (earning limit in place) and 2% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.
Welcome Offer: Earn a bonus 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases). Plus, earn a $50 statement credit after making a purchase in month 13. This could add up to $250 in bonus value in the first 13 months.
Annual Fee: $119.88 ($9.99/month)
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express makes it easy to earn cash back. On top of earning through spending, you can also earn up to $750 cash back by referring friends. However, the perks and benefits are lacking.
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American Express Cobalt® Card
High earn rates on daily spending categories.
Rewards: Earn 5 Membership Rewards per dollar spent on groceries (up to $30,000 annually), 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada, 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on rideshares, transit and gas in Canada, 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases and 1 additional Membership Rewards point for every dollar spent on eligible hotel or car rental bookings made with American Express Travel.
Welcome Offer: In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
Annual Fee: $155.88 ($12.99 per month)
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The accelerated earn rates are fantastic but benefits, especially travel benefits like lounge access, are lacking.
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RBC ION+ Visa Card
A low fee card allowing you to collect Avion points quickly.
Rewards: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on eligible grocery, food delivery, ride, gas, streaming, subscription, digital gaming service and 1 point for every $1 on everything else.
Welcome Offer: Get 14,000 Avion points upon approval1 – that’s $100 of value in gift cards!+ Apply by May 7, 2025.
Annual Fee: $48 ($4 paid monthly)
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The accelerated earn rate on multiple categories is great, however, Avion points under this card have less value than points collected with Avion-specific cards.
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SimplyCash® Card from American Express
A no-fee cash-back card.
Rewards: 2% back on gas and grocery and 1.25% back on everything else.
Welcome Offer: Earn a bonus 5% cash back on all purchases (up to $2,000 in purchases). That’s up to $100 in cash back.
Annual Fee: $0
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: There is no earning cap on the base rate (1.25%), however, statement credits are only applied once per year.
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National Bank Platinum Mastercard
Inclusive travel insurance for older travellers.
Rewards: Earn points for every $1 spent, 1.5 points for every $1 spent on gas, recurring bills, and a la carte travel, and 1 point for every $1.50 spent elsewhere.
Welcome Offer: 25,000 bonus rewards points when you sign up.
Annual Fee: $70 (waived first year)
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The travel insurance coverage is top-notch and we love that they have increased the age limit for coverage. However, the earn rates are quite low compared to other rewards cards.
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TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
A good travel card for frequent Air Canada flyers.
Rewards: Earn 1.5 Aeroplan Points for every dollar spent on gas, groceries and Air Canada-related purchases. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Welcome Offer: Earn up to $1,300 in value†, including up to 40,000 Aeroplan points† and additional travel benefits. Terms and conditions apply. This offer is not available to residents of Quebec.
Annual Fee: $139 (Get an annual fee rebate in the first year. Terms and conditions apply.)†
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: This credit card offers good value for Air Canada travellers, however, there are cheaper Aeroplan credit cards with similar benefits and earn rates on the market.
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Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard®
A handy no-fee cash back card offering decent value if you shop frequently at Amazon.ca.
Rewards: Prime members can earn 2.5% cash back from Amazon.ca and Whole Foods. Non-prime members will only get 1.5%. All other purchases earn 1%.
Welcome Offer: Earn 5% back on your first $3,000 spent on eligible purchases at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods, grocery stores, and restaurants within first 6 months.
Annual Fee: $0
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The no fee aspect is great, however, to get the best value from this card you need to be a Prime member which is $9.99 per month.
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CIBC Aventura Gold Visa
A solid travel credit card available to individuals with lower incomes.
Rewards: Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on travel purchased through CIBC Rewards, earn 1.5 points for every $1 on eligible gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases, 1 point for every $1 spent elsewhere.
Welcome Offer: 35,000 Aventura Points (earn 15,000 points when you make your first purchase and 20,000 points when you spend $3,000 or more in the first 4 monthly statement periods)
Annual Fee: $139 (rebated in the first year)
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: We love that this credit card is more accessible to Canadians, earn flexible rewards and has built-in travel perks like lounge access and travel insurance. However, it does have a pretty high annual fee and costs $50 for each additional card.
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BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card
A great everyday credit card that allows you to earn a high number of points on daily expenses.
Rewards: Earn 5 points for every $1 spent on eligible food, gas, and transit purchases. Earn 10% more points when you add an authorized user. Earn 1 point per dollar spent elsewhere.
Welcome Offer: Earn up to 60,000 points. Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months, then earn an additional 2,500 bonus points for each subsequent 30 day period in which $2,000 is spent.
Annual Fee: $120 (waived in the first year)
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: This credit card has one of the highest accelerated earn rates on the market. However, the spending cap is quite low at $50,000/year.
Data research and analysis by Debra Toews and Tia Duncombe.