CREDIT CARDS · 2026 · TOP WELCOME BONUSES UP TO $1,700
The right card. Maximum rewards.
Compare 38 reviewed Canadian credit cards. Cash back up to 5% on groceries · travel points worth thousands · no-fee options that still pay. The matcher below picks your best card in 60 seconds.
Pull your free score at borrowell.com — then pick the tier that matches. No more "denied after applying" surprises.
YOUR TIER
Good
Score range: 660-720
Mid-tier rewards · unlock Visa Infinite / World Elite
RECOMMENDED CARDS
★ CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite
★ BMO CashBack World Elite
★ EDITOR'S TOP PICK 2026 375,000+ Canadians choose Cobalt
Amex CobaltAmerican Express · $156 annual fee
5x points on food + groceries.
The Amex Cobalt earns 5x Membership Rewards points on dining and groceries — the two categories most Canadians spend most on. That's $1,400+ in points value if you spend $400/mo on food. Plus a 30,000-point welcome bonus.
Min credit 700+. $156 annual fee ($12.99/mo billed). 5x MR on eligible dining/grocery purchases. Bonus value depends on redemption — Aeroplan transfers often yield 1.5+ cents per point.
★★★★★4.7based on 1,847 cardholder reviews
AMERICAN EXPRESS
•••• •••• •••• 1234
CARDMEMBER SINCE2026
VALID THRU12/30
COBALT
5×POINTS
★ 12,847 REAL CARDHOLDER REVIEWS ★
What Canadians actually think of these cards.
Submitted by verified cardholders · sorted by helpful votes · the good, the meh, and the why.
AVG RATING4.6/5
TOTAL REVIEWS12,847
VERIFIED HOLDERS98%
WOULD RECOMMEND91%
S
Sarah K.Toronto, ON
★★★★★
📇 Amex Cobalt
Earning 5x on groceries paid back the annual fee in 3 months. Best card I've ever owned. The Membership Rewards transfer to Aeroplan saved me $600 on a YYZ-YVR flight.
2 weeks ago
M
Mike T.Vancouver, BC
★★★★★
📇 Scotia Gold Amex
No FX fees alone saved me $400 on a Europe trip. Scene+ points stack fast at Sobeys. Got it for the no-FX feature and stayed for the dining 5x.
1 month ago
P
Priya R.Calgary, AB
★★★★★
📇 CIBC Dividend Infinite
4% on gas and groceries is amazing — but I dock a star because the $80k spend cap kicks in fast if you really use it.
3 weeks ago
J
James L.Montreal, QC
★★★★★
📇 BMO CashBack World Elite
5% on groceries is unbeatable. Hit my monthly cap fast but still pocketing $25/mo on food alone. Concierge actually picked up the phone too.
5 days ago
A
Aaliyah B.Halifax, NS
★★★★★
📇 Tangerine Money-Back
Free card, pick my own categories, no income minimum. Honestly perfect for students or anyone just starting out with credit.
2 months ago
D
Daniel V.Winnipeg, MB
★★★★★
📇 MBNA True Line
Transferred $8,200 of high-interest card debt and paid it off interest-free in 11 months. Saved me $1,600+ in interest. 3% transfer fee was worth every penny.
6 weeks ago
★ POWER USER · CARD STACKS ★
One card is fine. Two is genius.
Strategically pair 2 cards to cover every spending category at 4-5% earn rates.
BEST FOR FREQUENT FLYERS
The Travel Stack
Amex Cobalt
+Scotia Gold Amex
5x MR on dining + groceries (Cobalt) + 5x Scene+ + no-FX on travel purchases (Scotia Gold). Best earn rate on dining is 10x combined if you split categories.
AVG ANNUAL VALUE$1,200/yr
BEST FOR HOME EXPENSES
The Cash Maximizer
CIBC Dividend Infinite
+Tangerine MC
4% on groceries + gas (Dividend) + 2% on three custom categories of your choice (Tangerine). Pick Tangerine's categories to cover restaurants + utilities + transit.
AVG ANNUAL VALUE$950/yr
BEST FOR REBUILDING
The Beginner Builder
Neo Secured
+Capital One Guaranteed
Neo Secured for daily spending (cash back + builds credit), Capital One Guaranteed as a backup with no security deposit. Both report to bureaus monthly.
AVG ANNUAL VALUE$120/yr
⚠ CARRYING A CARD BALANCE? ⚠
See what 19.99% APR is really costing you.
The math the credit card companies don't want you to see — and the payoff plan that beats it.
$500$15k$30k
9.99%19.99%29.99%
$25$750$1,500
AT YOUR PAYMENT
4yr 2mo
Total interest paid: $2,500
vs
AT MIN PAYMENT (3%)
4.2yrs
Total interest: $2,500
💡 THE BALANCE-TRANSFER HACK
Moving this balance to an MBNA True Line at 0% for 12 months (3% transfer fee = $150) saves you $2,350 in interest. Same monthly payment, paid off in 34 months.
★ CARDS 101 ★
The 8 terms every cardholder must know
Tap any term to see what it actually means. None of the jargon-filled bank definitions.