2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST CREDIT CARDS IN CANADA
With So Many Needs & Options, How Does One Find the Top Credit Cards in Canada?
Finding the best credit cards in Canada can be difficult, especially if you do not have specific needs in mind. Some people travel a lot and want the best travel credit card in Canada.
Others just want to earn as they spend, so they are looking for the best cashback credit card in Canada. Ultimately, the best credit card in Canada is the one that has a decent APR and an annual fee that is fair in relation to the perks offered by the card.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Credit Cards in Canada
This credit card comparison in Canada will review six credit cards (including options for the best travel credit card in Canada and the best cashback credit card in Canada) to help you make your decision. We compare credit cards in Canada so that you don’t have to; finding the best credit card in Canada should not be a chore. Whatever your needs, this list will help you find Canada’s best credit card for you.
See Also: Top Best Credit Cards for Students with No Credit or Bad, Poor or No Credit History
AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Credit Cards in Canada
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the credit card names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that credit card):
- BMO® CashBack® MasterCard®
- RBC® Cash Back MasterCard
- Scotiabank Gold American Express
- Scotiabank SCENE® Visa
- TD Business Travel Visa
- WestJet RBC® World Elite MasterCard
Top 6 Best Credit Credit Cards in Canada | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Credit Card Names | Purchase APR | Purchase APR | Annual Fee | Annual Fee Intro Offer |
| BMO® CashBack® MasterCard® | 19.99% | None Offered | $0 | $0 |
| RBC® Cash Back MasterCard | 19.99% | None Offered | $0 | $0 |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | 19.99% | None Offered | $99 | $0 |
| Scotiabank SCENE® Visa | 19.99% | None Offered | $0 | $0 |
| TD Business Travel Visa | 19.99% | None Offered | $149 | $0 |
| WestJet RBC® World Elite MasterCard | 19.99% | None Offered | $99 | None Offered |
Table: Top 6 Best Credit Cards in Canada| Above list is sorted alphabetically
How Should I Approach My Search for the Top Credit Cards in Canada?
The best thing to do when deciding on any financial product is to take a look at your own lifestyle. What are your needs, and which features would be most helpful to you? Finding the best travel credit card in Canada is not going to do much in the way of rewards if you do not travel very often.
Consider what your lifestyle is like and find a card that fits those needs. If you are a business owner, you may want to sign up for the best credit card in Canada for businesses.
This will give you the flexibility to give the card to trusted members to use for company expenditures. It also allows you to keep your personal finances and personal credit separate from your business finances and credit.
If you could use a little extra cash at the end of the year, then find the best cashback credit card in Canada to earn while you spend.
Of course, you should also closely examine APR and annual fees. If you are just interested in a regular credit card, but there is a steep annual fee included, check to see what that annual fee is for. Chances are you’re looking at a premium card, like one of the best travel cards in Canada. In that case, the annual fee is likely for all the perks, like travel insurance and 24/7 concierge services that come with the card. Make sure you are not signing up and paying for a card with features you will not use. The best card in Canada can quickly become the worst card in Canada for you if it has little value for your lifestyle.
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AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
BMO® CashBack® MasterCard® Review
For some of you, looking for the best credit cards in Canada may be a confusing task. If you are searching for the best credit card in Canada, you will likely find a lot of articles that compare credit cards in Canada for things like travel rewards. But maybe you do not care much for travel rewards. Does that mean there are no top credit cards in Canada with great advantages for you?
Not at all. In fact, you can look for the best cashback credit card in Canada instead. Cash back credit cards in Canada, like anywhere else, allow you to earn your rewards in the form of straight money. That’s right. If you are not looking for the best travel credit card in Canada, earning a percentage of your spending back in the form of cash or a statement credit is likely the best option. You can do a credit card comparison in Canada of the best cash back cards in Canada.
Source: BMO® CashBack® MasterCard®
If you choose to search for the best cashback credit card in Canada, the BMO® CashBack® MasterCard® from BMO Bank of Montreal is a great place to start in your pursuit of cash back credit cards in Canada. You get 1 percent cashback on all card purchases without having to worry about any restrictions. You also receive a discount on car rentals and worldwide acceptance.
This is a no muss, no fuss credit card, which is the ideal situation for someone looking for the best cashback credit card in Canada. Instead of booking a trip you do not really want or watching points accumulate for things you do not want to purchase, you can use cash back credit cards in Canada to earn back cash that you can put toward anything. You choose how you receive this money: either deposited into a BMO checking or savings account or as a statement credit.
RBC® Cash Back MasterCard Review
The RBC® Cash Back MasterCard from RBC Royal Bank is another highly ranked best cashback credit card in Canada that we will include in this credit card comparison in Canada.
When you compare credit cards in Canada, you quickly notice that this card from RBC is one of the best cash back cards in Canada. By simply using your RBC Cash Back MasterCard to buy groceries, fill your gas tank, or treat yourself to a night out, you can earn money back that is yours to keep from a card that is considered the best cashback credit card in Canada offered by RBC.
Of course, the lack of an annual fee is a large reason why some would consider this to be the best credit card in Canada, particularly if they prefer cash back to the best travel credit card in Canada or other rewards. You can earn up to 2 percent cash back when you use this card, one of the best credit cards in Canada.
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Scotiabank Gold American Express Review
A number of the best credit cards in Canada that are among the best travel rewards credit cards in Canada are for West Jet, a budget airline that services select cities. But if you want to find the best travel credit card in Canada that does not service a single airline, there are options.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card from Scotiabank allows cardholders to earn points that can go toward their travels while they make purchases on their best travel rewards credit card in Canada. When you sign up for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, considered one of the best credit cards in Canada, you earn 20,000 bonus points and your annual fee on this top-rated best travel credit card in Canada is waived.
When using this card, ranked as one of the best credit cards in Canada, customers can earn rewards point for their travels — and they can do so exceptionally fast when they make select purchases with this best travel credit card in Canada. Purchases at participating gas stations, grocery stores, or on dining and entertainment using this card, a top rated best travel rewards credit card in Canada, customers earn 4x the points for every $1 spent.
Another thing our team was on the look out for when conducting this credit card comparison in Canada was an understanding of the support offered by the top credit cards in Canada aside from rewards that go toward airfare costs. As one of Canada’s best credit cards, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers exceptional support to cardholders with special discounts, a 24/7 full travel agency, access to Priority Pass lounges, and comprehensive travel insurance, among other perks.
Scotiabank SCENE® Visa Review
While many Canadians look for a credit card to make convenient purchases, book flights or hotels, and gain from rewards, there is another group of Canadians seeking credit cards for a more fundamental need: to build their credit score.
While securing the best travel card in Canada and the best cashback credit card in Canada are worthy pursuits, in order to be approved for the best credit cards in Canada you need a decent (or stellar!) credit score. This requires building up a credit history, so that banks have something to look at when they determine how responsible you are.
So, to qualify for the top credit cards in Canada, you need to build up your credit. But in order to build up your credit, you need to be approved for any credit card let alone the best credit card in Canada. One option is Canada’s best credit card for students, the Scotiabank SCENE® Visa Card offered by Scotiabank. (Note: This card is not exclusively for students. Many movie lovers in Canada who are not students use this card as well.)
You earn 1 SCENE point for every dollar you spend, and you earn 5 SCENE points for every dollar you spend at Cineplex theatres. You can redeem those points for a number of things, including free movies, entertainment items, and more from Cineplex. You can even earn SCENE points at places like Sportchek and other partner organizations of this company. While it is not technically the best travel credit card in Canada or the best cashback credit card in Canada, it is one of popular best credit cards in Canada due to the number of people who like to go out to the movies.
It is also relatively easy to get approved for this card, and you can use it to slowly build up your credit. Since there are a lot of partner restaurants and entertainment venues that are in partnership with this card, one of the best credit cards in Canada, you can enjoy all of the usual activities of being a student while using your credit card and building up a solid financial record.
When you apply for the SCENE® card, Canada’s best credit card for movie lovers and students, you receive 4,000 bonus SCENE points.
Popular Article: Top Best Corporate Credit Cards | Ranking | Compare the Best Company, Corporate, and Business Cards
TD Business Travel Visa Review
We would be remiss to forget a recommendation for a business credit card in this credit card comparison in Canada. While it is hard to compare credit cards in Canada precisely since there are cards for different needs, it is still possible to find the best credits cards in Canada based on a few factors like annual fees and rewards.
Source: TD Business Travel Visa
The TD Business Travel Visa from TD Canada Trust serves as one of the top credit cards in Canada for business and a contender for best travel credit card in Canada. This card is specifically tailored for businesses that include a lot of traveling and want a card that is designed for this need.
This card, one of the top credit cards in Canada for businesses, allows cardholders to earn points while they book trips and make business-related expenses. TD Points can go toward their next trip through whichever travel agency they prefer, or they can book through Expedia and earn triple the TD Points.
This highly rated best travel credit card in Canada also provides ample coverage for business owners. Cardholders receive travel medical insurance, flight/trip delay insurance, emergency travel assistance services, lost luggage insurance, and more. It certainly earns its place as one of the top credit cards in Canada.
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WestJet RBC® World Elite MasterCard Review
Let’s say you do a lot of your travel using WestJet to the destinations that this airline flies to, or you prefer to fly WestJet when you have the choice. In this case, the best travel card in Canada for you may be the WestJet RBC® World Elite MasterCard from RBC Royal Bank.
This premium card, considered the best travel credit card in Canada by RBC, offers tremendous opportunities to book heavily discounted flights using WestJet. Using this card, the best credit card in Canada for flying with WestJet, you receive WestJet dollars for everyday purchases, in addition to 250 bonus WestJet dollars when you sign up for the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard, one of Canada’s best credit cards.
Another sweet perk that makes the WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard one of the top credit cards in Canada is the companion travel voucher it offers once a year to cardholders. Cardholders can get a cheap voucher for a companion to come along on one of their flights to destinations in Canada and the Continental U.S. ($99), Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean ($299), or Europe ($399). Talk about sharing your spoils from one of Canada’s best credit cards!
And you can double down on your WestJet loyalty with this card, the best credit card in Canada for flying with WestJet. In addition to regular purchases, when you book WestJet flights or purchase WestJet vacation packages using your WestJet RBC® World Elite MasterCard, you receive 2% in WestJet dollars. As one of the top credit cards in Canada, this card from RBC ensures that you are earning as much as possible, wherever possible, for your next getaway.
Conclusion – Top 6 Best Credit Cards in Canada
Canada is a country famous for its diversity, and its credit cards are no exception. You can find the best credit cards in Canada easily by simply searching for the best credit card in Canada that fits your needs.
This credit card comparison in Canada was meant to give you an overview of the available cards for different kinds of needs. Whether you’re looking for the best travel credit card in Canada or the best cashback credit card in Canada, you are definitely covered.
AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer: Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info. Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.
