Best for
Low Rate
Best for
Rewards
Best for
No Annual Fee
Best for
Balance Transfer
Looking for the best credit card in Canada? The reality is that the “best” will depend on your spending habits and your finances – including your credit score and income. But you can find the right credit card for your needs by identifying the features you want, your spending habits and your financial history. To help you find the best credit card, we’ve narrowed down a few of our top picks below.
Compare more of the best credit cards in Canada
Best credit card for low interest rate:
Scotiabank Value Visa Card
670
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$29
ongoing
Annual fee
Annual fee
9 months
0.99% intro transfer APR
0.99% intro transfer APR
Up to
x
N/A
N/A
The Scotiabank Value Visa Card comes with a low annual fee of $29, a low interest rate of 13.99% and rewards for recreational spending. Get an on-going low interest rate of 13.99% on eligible purchases. You'll also get a nice sign up bonus. Get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months. Plus, pay no annual fee in the first year. Apply by October 31, 2025.
- Low interest rate. The Scotiabank Value Visa Card comes with a standard low interest rate of 13.99%.
- Signup Bonus. Get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months. Plus, pay no annual fee in the first year. Apply by October 31, 2025.
- Save on car rentals. Get up to a 25% discount at participating Budget and AVIS car rental locations in Canada and the US.
- Balance transfer fee. You'll have to pay the standard 13.99% interest rate on balance transfers, but unlike other cards, the balance transfer fee is 2%.
- Annual fee. The annual fee for this card is $29.
- No insurance coverage.
| Annual fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($29 thereafter) |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 13.99% |
| Balance transfer APR | 0.99% intro for the first 9 months (then 13.99% ) |
| Balance transfer fee | $3.50 or 2% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Rewards | Get an on-going low interest rate of 13.99% on eligible purchases. |
Best credit card for entertainment:
Scotiabank SCENE+ Visa Card
660
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$0
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
2x
Points
Points
5,000
Points welcome offer
Points welcome offer
If you've have no credit history and are looking for a rewards card with a $0 annual fee, the Scotiabank SCENE+ Visa Card is worth taking a look at – especially if you're a big movie buff. Earn up to 4X Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia.
Earn 2x Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Cineplex theatres, cineplex.com, Home Hardware and participating grocery stores like Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and Foodland & Participating Co-ops. Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
Redeem your SCENE points for movie tickets or take advantage of discounts at participating restaurants.
Earn 2x Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Cineplex theatres, cineplex.com, Home Hardware and participating grocery stores like Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and Foodland & Participating Co-ops. Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
Redeem your SCENE points for movie tickets or take advantage of discounts at participating restaurants.
- Annual fee. This card has a $0 annual fee.
- Rewards points. Earn up to 4X Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia.
Earn 2x Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Cineplex theatres, cineplex.com, Home Hardware and participating grocery stores like Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and Foodland & Participating Co-ops. Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
Redeem points for free movies and discounts at participating restaurants. - Additional cardholders. Pay $0 to add another authorized user to your account, so you can rack up points faster.
- Earn more. Earn up to 5,000 Scene+ points in the first 3 months. Apply by October 31, 2025.
- Rental cars. Get a discount of up to 25% off at participating Budget and Avis car rental locations in Canada and the US..
- Extra insurance available. Optional insurance is available for a fee to help pay your balance in the event of death, critical illness, hospitalization, disability, job loss, strikes or lockouts. Depending on the type of coverage, your balance or repayments could be covered up to a maximum of $10,000 per month or $50,000. Terms apply.
- Missed payment fee. You'll be charged a rate on any missed payments.
- Foreign conversion fee. Every time you charge a purchase to your card in a foreign currency, you'll incur a 2.5% fee.
| Annual Fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 20.99% |
| Cash Advance Rate | 22.99% |
| Balance transfer APR | 22.99% |
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 5,000 Scene+ points in the first 3 months. Apply by October 31, 2025. |
| Rewards |
Earn up to 4X Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia. Earn 2x Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Cineplex theatres, cineplex.com, Home Hardware and participating grocery stores like Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and Foodland & Participating Co-ops. Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Best credit card for no annual fee:
Tangerine World Mastercard
600
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$0
Annual fee
Annual fee
6 months
1.95% intro transfer APR
1.95% intro transfer APR
Up to
2%
Cash back
Cash back
If you're looking for a $0 annual fee credit card with unlimited cash back rewards and a competitive balance transfer offer, then the Tangerine World Mastercard could be right for you. Earn unlimited 2% cash back in two Tangerine credit card categories of your choice (or three categories if you open a Tangerine Savings Account and directly deposit your cash back into the account), and unlimited 0.5% cash back on everything else. Conditions apply.
- Annual fee. This card has a $0 annual fee.
- Earn rewards. Earn unlimited 2% cash back in two Tangerine credit card categories of your choice (or three categories if you open a Tangerine Savings Account and directly deposit your cash back into the account), and unlimited 0.5% cash back on everything else. Conditions apply.
- Earn even more. You can unlock cashback offers while travelling outside of Canada and get rebates which you can apply to your statement with Mastercard Travel Rewards by using your card at select merchants.
- Balance transfer. Get a 1.95% interest rate on balance transfers for the first six months. You must request a balance transfer within 30 days of approval and activate your card within 45 days of approval. A 1% fee applies (waived for Quebec residents). Other terms and conditions apply.
- Travel perks. Enjoy exclusive dining, retail and spa offers in over 650 airports worldwide with a complimentary Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass. Get free car rental insurance, and access over 1,300 airport lounges for $32 USD per visit. Stay connected with access to more than 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots globally through Boingo.
- Minimum income requirement. You need a minimum personal income of $50,000 or a combined household income of at least $80,000 to apply for this card.
- Foreign transaction fee. You'll face a foreign transaction fee of 2.5% every time you use your card overseas or online with international retailers.
- Limited travel benefits. Though this card offers some nice travel perks, it doesn't come with many of the travel benefits offered by more premium credit cards such as complimentary travel insurance, free flight and hotel upgrades and discounted car rentals.
| Annual fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 20.95% |
| Balance transfer APR | 1.95% intro for the first 6 months (then 19.95% ) |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Rewards | Earn unlimited 2% cash back in two Tangerine credit card categories of your choice (or three categories if you open a Tangerine Savings Account and directly deposit your cash back into the account), and unlimited 0.5% cash back on everything else. Conditions apply. |
Best credit card for earning rewards:
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$120
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
6x
Points
Points
40,000
Points welcome offer
Points welcome offer
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card is a powerful everyday credit card as well as a strong travel companion. Earn 6x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland and more, 5x Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining and entertainment purchases, earn up to 4x Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia, 3x Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transportation and select streaming services, and 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere. Book and redeem any flight for any time through Scotia Rewards Travel Service, a full-service travel agency. Plus, take advantage of the Best Price Guarantee on airfare. Plus, enjoy peace of mind with a broad array of travel insurance options.
- Bonus rewards. Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points (that's up to $780 in value). Apply by July 1, 2025. To qualify for the 40,000 bonus Scene+ points offer, earn 20,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $2,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in purchases in your first year.
- Earn rewards. Earn 6x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland and more, 5x Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining and entertainment purchases, earn up to 4x Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia, 3x Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transportation and select streaming services, and 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere.
- Currency conversion. This card comes with a 2.5% foreign transaction fee.
- Travel coverage. Enjoy peace of mind with a broad array of travel insurance options including Emergency Medical, Travel Accident, Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Flight Delay, Delayed or Lost Baggage and Rental Car Collision Loss/Damage.
- Annual fee. This card has an annual fee of $120.
- Minimum income requirement. You'll need to earn a minimum income of $12,000 a year to be eligible for this card.
| Annual Fee | $120 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 20.99% |
| Cash Advance Rate | 22.99% |
| Balance transfer APR | 22.99% |
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points (that's up to $780 in value). Apply by July 1, 2025. To qualify for the 40,000 bonus Scene+ points offer, earn 20,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $2,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in purchases in your first year. |
| Rewards | Earn 6x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland and more, 5x Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining and entertainment purchases, earn up to 4x Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia, 3x Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transportation and select streaming services, and 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere. |
Best travel credit card:
American Express Cobalt Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$155.88
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
5x
Membership Rewards
Membership Rewards
15,000
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The American Express Cobalt Card offers a generous return on points for everyday purchases. You can collect points for every dollar you spend on dining out plus 2 points for gas and transit purchases, 2 points on travel and 1 point for everything else. This card also comes with up to a 15,000 points welcome bonus if you spend a certain amount of money each month. You'll also get a full suite of travel insurance and purchase protection when you sign up.
- Earn rewards. Earn 5x the points on eligible groceries, dining, drinks and food delivery in Canada (spend cap applies), 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions, 2x points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas, 1 extra point per dollar spent on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via Amex Travel Online and 1 point for every other dollar spent.
- Signup bonus. Earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year. Earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
- Protection. Enjoy peace of mind with complimentary protection against fraudulent charges to your card. Additionally, items charged to your card will be covered against theft and accidental physical damage, plus the original manufacturer's warranty will be extended by up to one additional year. Terms and conditions apply.
- Travel coverage. Get up to $5,000,000 in emergency medical coverage plus coverage for travel accidents, lost or stolen baggage, car rental theft and damage, flight delays and hotelburglary.
- Annual fee. You'll have to pay $155.88 per year to maintain this card.
- Currency conversion. You'll be charged a currency conversion rate of 2.5% when you spend overseas.
- Missed payment penalty. Missed payments will be charged a penalty interest rate of 25.99% - 28.99%.
| Annual Fee | $155.88 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 21.99% |
| Cash Advance Rate | 21.99% |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year. Earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets. |
| Rewards | Earn 5x the points on eligible groceries, dining, drinks and food delivery in Canada (spend cap applies), 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions, 2x points on eligible ride shares, transit & gas, 1 extra point per dollar spent on eligible hotel and car rental bookings via Amex Travel Online and 1 point for every other dollar spent. |
How to compare the best credit cards in Canada
To help you find the best credit card for you, there are a few factors to consider when you compare credit cards and your various options.
- Your income. This is one of the biggest factors as credit card providers want to know you’re able to pay back your debt. Generally speaking, the higher your income (not necessarily from employment), the more likely you are to get approved. Use our credit card limit calculator here to help you choose.
- Your credit score. Your credit score will play a big role in the type of credit cards available to you. The higher your credit score, the better the terms and rates that you’ll get. A score of 650 is often considered the “magic number” to get approved for a standard credit card.
- Your age. You need to be at least 18 (or the age of majority in your province or territory) to apply for a credit card. If you’re young, you’re likely to have a limited credit history. You could consider student credit cards that will improve your credit score over time and qualify you for better deals.
- Your personal interests. Some credit cards offer rewards that may compliment your lifestyle and interests. If you travel overseas, an Air Miles, Aeroplan or travel credit card might be a good choice. If you frequently buy gas at a specific gas station, you could take advantage of a credit card that offers discounts.
- Your financial situation. It’s not ideal to get credit cards just to fill the gap between income and expenses. Debt from credit cards can spiral out of control if the outstanding balance is not paid back regularly. Credit cards should instead be used to help you achieve your financial goals. For example, if you need to make a big purchase that you want to pay off over time, low purchase interest credit cards could help you do this without having to pay extra in interest.
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