Getting a bonus for opening a brokerage account can provide an initial boost to your portfolio. Canadian trading platforms often offer investment account promotions to help you choose them when deciding between providers.
Some brokers offer cash promotions to new customers, while others offer discounted fees on select trades. Bonuses are usually dependent on how much cash you deposit or how much in assets you transfer in to your new account.
The following is a compilation of brokers offering investment account promotions, transfer promotions and referral bonuses and the important details to secure these promotions. We regularly review and update this list as brokerage account bonuses change.
We’ve compiled this list of investment account promotions and brokerage bonuses available in Canada here:
| Platform | Trading promo | Get offer |
|---|---|---|
Enjoy a 6% cash rebate plus up to $2,200 in trading perks. Offer ends April 21, 2025. | ||
 Questrade |
Get $50 cash back when you open a self-directed account and fund it with at least $250. Use code FINDER50. | |
Get $50 upon opening and funding a new account, up to a maximum of $150 for 3 accounts. Use code OFFER2025. Valid until October 31, 2025. | ||
No promotion available | ||
Get 100 free online equity trades when you open a CIBC Investor’s Edge account using promo code EDGE100. Valid until September 30, 2025. | ||
No promotion available | ||
No promotion available | ||
Get up to $3,500 cash back (use BMO promo code SDCASH). | ||
No promotion available | ||
Get commission-free trades and free real-time streaming quotes. | ||
No promotion available | ||
No promotion available | ||
No promotion available |
Yes, many trading platforms in Canada offer promotional bonuses when you open a new brokerage account. These promo offers can include anything from a select number of free trades, discounted trades or cash back.
The best brokerage account bonuses are most typically offered by online brokerages including Moomoo, CIBC Investor’s Edge and Qtrade.
Here is a summary of some of the best brokerage account bonuses available now:
You can compare more brokerage account bonuses in our list of trading promos available now in our list above.
The best trading promos and brokerage account bonuses will typically be offered by online brokerages in Canada as opposed to traditional physical brick-and-mortar brokers. Most online brokerages are designed to give you the tools to manage your investments yourself, which is why they will often offer new brokerage account bonuses with free or discounted trades.
There are a few investment platforms that consistently offer some of the best trading promos on the market, including CIBC Investor’s Edge, Moomoo and RBC Direct Investing. These brokerages also made our list of the best trading platforms in Canada.
Trading promos and brokerage bonuses come with attractive perks, but opening a new investments account may not be right for you. Here are a few things to think about:
To qualify for any trading promo offers, be aware that bank promos aren’t available for accounts you already have. Some specialized offers will also sometimes require you to complete specific actions, like the following, before you can receive the bonus:
Trading platforms in Canada sometimes offer trading promos or discounts for young investors looking to build their portfolios. Platforms offer those incentives to help young adults begin investing even if they have little money. Current young investor promos and discounts include:
| Trading platform | Investor age | Perks |
|---|---|---|
18 to 30 |
| |
Under 25 |
| |
Scotia iTRADE | Up to and including the year investors turn 26 |
|
National Bank Direct Brokerage | 30 or younger on May 31 of each year |
|
Desjardins Online Brokerage (Disnat) | Under 30 |
|
Stock trading platforms will also often offer incentives and referral bonuses to encourage their current customers to get their friends and family to sign up for a trading account with the platform. These stock trading referral promos can often earn you anywhere from $25 to over $200.
Here is a breakdown of referral bonuses currently available from stock trading platforms in Canada:
Trading promos can be an attractive perk, but whether they’re worth it depends on your investment goals and habits. These brokerage bonuses may come with conditions, such as minimum deposit requirements or maintaining a minimum account balance, which can be challenging for some investors.
While a cash bonus or free trades might be tempting, it’s essential to consider the overall costs of the brokerage, including fees and commissions, and whether the platform meets your long-term needs.
In some cases, you might find that the benefits of a bonus are outweighed by higher ongoing costs or limitations on investment options, so it’s important to evaluate the full picture before deciding.
Importantly, you can always transfer your account to a different broker if it doesn’t end up working for you. Just check whether the broker charges an outgoing account transfer fee and if the broker to which you’re moving your account will reimburse these fees.
Trading brokerages offer different bonuses and promotions to incentivize potential customers to sign up for a new investment account. Whether you’re interested in buying stocks online for the first time or simply want to earn cash back or free stock, see which brokers offer a promotion before you sign up. Compare promotions but also consider its tools, features and fees to find the best stock trading app for you.
Having two brokerage accounts may be worth it if you don't find that one broker offers all the features you're looking for. It also lets you take advantage of multiple brokerage account bonuses.
Yes, investment income is typically taxable in Canada. The Canada Revenue Agency taxes investment income differently based on whether the income is from interest, dividends or capital gains. Read our full guide to investment taxes to learn more.
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