Sasha M.Toronto, ON · Mar 2026
★★★★★
Use it as my travel backup. No fee + no FX is unbeatable for that purpose. Wouldn't use as primary card — 1% earn is too low.
Overview
The Brim Mastercard is one of Canada's only two no-fee credit cards with 0% FX markup (Rogers Red being the other). Brim Financial is a Canadian fintech that built this card specifically for budget-conscious travellers who want FX-free purchases without the $60-150 annual fee of Rogers Red or Scotia Passport.
Earn rate is modest: 1% cash back on all purchases (no category bonuses). What you save in fees and FX markup more than offsets the lower earn rate for typical travellers.
A Canadian household spending $3,000 USD abroad per year saves $75 in FX fees alone vs a standard 2.5% card. Combined with no annual fee, that's ~$200/year in savings vs a typical premium card setup.
Welcome bonus
★ NEW CARDHOLDER OFFER
Earn 2,000 Brim points
Modest welcome bonus matching the no-fee positioning.
2,000 pts
First purchase within 60 days
≈ $20
Rewards & earn rates
Here's exactly what you earn per dollar across every category — and where this card pulls ahead of the field.
1%x
All purchasesNo category bonuses — flat 1% everywhere
Benefits & perks
Beyond the rewards, here are the perks worth knowing about.
💱0% FX markup
No foreign currency conversion fee on international purchases.
🛡️Travel insurance
Emergency medical, trip cancellation, baggage delay coverage.
📱Mobile device coverage
Up to $1,000 on cellphones paid via card.
Fees & rates
The numbers that show up on your statement.
ANNUAL FEE$0Truly no-fee
PURCHASE APR19.99%Below average
FX MARKUP0%★ The reason to get this card
MIN INCOME$15,000/yearLow bar for approval
Pros and cons
✓ PROS
- No annual fee + 0% FX markup is rare
- Universal Mastercard acceptance
- Lower APR than most cards
- Easy approval
- Solid mobile device insurance
✗ CONS
- Only 1% cash back is low
- No category bonuses
- Modest welcome bonus
- Brim is a smaller fintech (less brand recognition)
Who it's for
★ APPLY IF
- Budget travellers wanting FX-free without paying fees
- Backup card for occasional international purchases
- Newcomers building Canadian credit
- Students traveling abroad
✗ SKIP IF
- Households wanting category bonuses (use Cobalt)
- Travellers who want lounge access (use Scotia Passport)
- High-spend households (low 1% cap is suboptimal)
How it compares
We pitted this card against its closest rivals.
How to apply
The eligibility checklist before you hit the application button.
MIN CREDIT SCORE650+ recommended
MIN INCOME$15,000/year
OTHER ELIGIBILITYCanadian resident · 18+
DECISION TIME5-7 business days
Editor's verdict
7.6/10
★★★½★
FINAL VERDICT
The cheapest way to get FX-free.
Brim is the right card if you want FX-free purchases and refuse to pay an annual fee. For light international travellers and backup card use, it's perfect. For high-spend users, Rogers Red ($60/yr) earns more rewards.
Apply for Brim Mastercard ↗User reviews
What current and former cardholders are saying. Aggregated from Trustpilot, Reddit (/r/PersonalFinanceCanada), and our own community comments.
3.9 / 5 ★
312 reviews
Tim R.Vancouver, BC · Feb 2026
★★★★★
Solid no-fee card. App could be better. Stick with bigger banks for primary, Brim for international trips.