Canada’s best credit card promotions and sign-up offers for 2022

The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite offers quite the sign-up bonus. The card’s $139 annual fee is waived in the first year (for primary and additional cardholders) and you can earn Earn up to 145,000 TD Points†. Apply by May 28, 2023.†

With TD’s partnership with Expedia (the world’s largest travel platform), you can use TD points to save on anything travel related through the Expedia for TD website - an exclusive portal for TD credit card holders. 

Offer expires May 28, 2023.

The HSBC World Elite Mastercard is currently offering a substantial welcome bonus where new users can earn up to 80,000 points* ($400 travel value) plus a full annual fee rebate for the primary cardholder for the first year* ($149 value) and receive a $100 annual travel enhancement credit*. Must apply by February 28, 2023.  Let's see how it breaks down:

• Welcome Bonus – 20,000 Points ($100 travel value)

• Earn 40,000 points when you spend $6,000 within 6 months of account opening ($200 travel value)

• Earn 20,000 points as an anniversary bonus ($100 travel value)

• First year annual fee rebate for the primary cardholder ($149 value)

• Receive a $100 annual travel enhancement credit

Outside of that, users can expect a standard rate of six points per dollar on all travel purchases and three points per dollar on everything else.

Offer expires on February 28, 2023.

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is perfect for frequent travelers looking for a high-earning, flexible travel rewards card to take abroad.

The card’s welcome bonus offers up to 70,000 points plus a waived annual fee for the first year.

The card’s regular point multipliers are also top-notch. With this card, users can earn:

• 5x the points on eligible travel purchases
• 3x the points on eligible dining, entertainment, and recurring bills
• 1x the points on everything else

And, of course, there are the travel perks. With the BMO Ascend World Elite, cardholders can enjoy airport lounge access with a free Mastercard Travel Pass membership provided by DragonPass - with four free passes per year - plus 25% off car rentals at National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car locations, 15% off Canadian Cirque du Soleil performances, and 20% off resident Las Vegas performances. While not as thorough as some other cards, it also offers a travel insurance package, covering travel medical, delayed/lost baggage and more.

When it comes to balance transfers, the MBNA True Line Mastercard is pretty much unmatched, and its excellent welcome bonus should get the attention of anyone in the market for a card of this type. 

Offering a promotional interest rate of 0% on balance transfers for the first 12 months, those with a solid repayment plan will get a massive head start when paying off a previous credit card debt. 

Aside from that, its regular interest rates are lower-than-average as well: 12.99% on purchases and balance transfers. Those looking to take out cash advances will get hit with a significantly higher rate of 24.99%, but that’s likely not something you’ll be doing while focused on getting your credit back on track. And, like many other balance transfer cards, the MBNA True Line has no annual fee and is easy to be approved for.

There’s no extra bells and whistles on this card, but it’s ultimately not designed for that. If you’re looking to climb out of debt as quickly and easily as possible, the MBNA True Line Mastercard (and its welcome bonus) could be your perfect match.

New customers who sign up for the BMO Cash Back World Elite Mastercard can enjoy up to 10% cash back in their first 3 months (up to $2600) and the $120 annual fee waived in the first year.

Outside of that, the card's regular point values are some of the most impressive on the market today. Cardholders can get a standard rate of 5% cash back on groceries (the only credit card in Canada to currently offer this), 4% cash back on public transit, 3% cash back on gas and 2% on recurring bills.

The card's flexibility is also a big drawing point, as there's no limit on how much cash back you can earn and you're free to redeem your rewards in increments as little as one dollar.

Offer expires on December 6, 2022.

New users who sign up for the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite can Earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases).

Even beyond the fantastic welcome bonus, the card's standard earn rates of 4% cash back on groceries and recurring payments, 2% on gas and local transit and 1% on everything else are solidly competitive. The card also comes with five different types of travel insurance, making it extra attractive to those looking to take it abroad.

Offer expires April 30, 2023.

The BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite lets you earn flexible BMO rewards at 5x the points on dining, groceries, gas and transit purchases. As a new cardholder, you can earn 70,000 bonus points, a $50 lifestyle credit and the $120 annual fee waived in the first year. The bonus points are broken down as follows: 

• Earn 30,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 2,500 points for each subsequent month in which you make at least $2,000 in purchases on your card, for 12 months.

The American Express Platinum Card is said to be one of the most powerful premium travel rewards credit cards in Canada. 

While its annual fee is steep ($699), the premium benefits, the $200 annual travel credit and the lucrative sign-up bonus it offers make it worth the hefty price tag for the right cardholder. The card currently offers a massive welcome bonus, allowing you to earn up to 80,000 welcome bonus points - that's up to $800 towards a weekend away.

For frequent travelers, The Platinum Card from American Express offers tons of exciting perks that will make any trip feel luxurious and easy. 

Cardholders can enjoy unlimited access to the Global Lounge Collection, getting you into a number of participating airport lounges both in Canada and internationally. You’ll also be automatically enrolled in the following hotel status upgrades: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, Hilton Honors Gold status, and Radisson Rewards Americas Gold status.  These upgrades offer benefits such as member discounts, additional points earned, room upgrades, free breakfast, early and late checkouts, and more. To normally qualify for these status upgrades, you would typically have to stay anywhere 20 to 40 nights per hotel.

New cardholders who sign up for the American Express Gold Rewards card can earn up to 40,000 points when they spend $3,000 in the first three months. Not only that, but you'll also get 10,000 points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of cardmembership. All told, that's a total possible earning of 50,000 bonus points (a $500 cash value).

The card will also get you two points per dollar on travel, gas, groceries and drugstore purchases in Canada, and one point per dollar on everything else.

The Scotiabank Platinum American Express is Scotiabanks premium travel credit card. New cardholder can Earn up to $2,250* in value in your first 14 months, including up to 70,000* bonus Scene+ points.Offer ends Jan 3,2023

Unlike most other cards, the Scotiabank Platinum American Express offers  2 Scene+ points per dollar spent on all purchases. While this is a fairly strong earning rate across all categories, the Scotiabank Gold American Express offers a 5x earning rate on grocery, dining and entertainment. 

Offer expires on January 3, 2023.

A quick glance at the American Express Cobalt and it’s easy to see who this credit card is made for: foodies, travellers, and millennials.

One of Canada’s best travel credit cards, the Amex Cobalt offers an earn rate of 5x on all food-related purchases (including food deliveries, restaurants, groceries, and cafes). For those who rely on public transit to get around, the card earns 2x the points on taxis, public transit, and rideshare services such as Uber. And they're now also offering 3x the points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada. The card’s desire to appeal to millennials extends to its unique fee structure, which is charged monthly at a rate of $12.99 instead of as an upfront $155.88 annual fee, mirroring the subscription pricing models of Netflix and Spotify.

The Amex Cobalt also has plenty of wide appeal thanks to its earn rate of 2x the points on gas and travel (including flight tickets and hotels) and its flexible rewards program with points that can be redeemed for flights on any airline or transferred 1:1 to select frequent flyer and other loyalty programs. The card also provides access to Amex’s lucrative Fixed Points Travel Program, early-bird tickets to concerts through American Express Invites, and top-notch travel medical insurance.

In terms of its sign-up bonus, the Amex Cobalt will offer you 2,500 bonus points for every month you spend a minimum of $500 on the card during your first year. If you don’t spend at least $500 in a particular month, you’ll lose out on 2,500 bonus points but you’ll still be eligible to earn bonus points in the next month. If you hit the $500 spending threshold for all twelve months in a row, you’ll rack up a total of 30,000 bonus points - that's $300 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.

The value of one Amex Membership Reward point tends to hover between 1 cent up to 1.75 cents, depending on whether you choose to redeem using Amex’s Flexible Points Travel Program (1,000 points equal $1 in travel rewards) or Amex’s Fixed Points Travel Program (rewards values fluctuate depending on which region of the world you’re flying to and from).

Offering 2% cash back on two categories of your choice (with the option of a third category should you choose to deposit your cashback into a Tangerine savings account), the Tangerine World Mastercard is almost identical to the Tangerine Money-Back Card with the exception of some exciting perks.

One unique factor of this card is that it comes with mobile device insurance – making it one of the few no fee credit cards in Canada to offer such coverage. As long as you use the card to purchase the device or consistently pay for its monthly plan, you’ll be covered in the event your device is lost, stolen, or damaged up to a maximum of $1,000. In addition, you'll also get a complimentary membership to Mastercard Airport Experiences by DragonPass, which offers access to a huge network of over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide. If you were to buy a similar type of membership from an equivalent lounge network, like Priority Pass, it would cost you about $99 USD annually.

The Tangerine World also offers the same basic coverage as its older brother, including purchase assurance and extended warranty protection. Additionally, it comes with the same 19.95% annual interest rate for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.

As a new cardholder, you can also take advantage of their welcome offer which gives you the opportunity to Earn an extra 15% back* (up to $150) when you spend up to $1,000 in everyday purchases within your first two months. Must apply by December 29th, 2022..

With the HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard, new users can Earn an additional 12.5% cash back* on all purchases for the first 180 days (up to $1,000 in total purchases). Must apply by February 28, 2023.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express is one of the most widely appealing rewards credit cards in Canada, offering between 3x and 5x the points on a range of common spending categories – from restaurants and groceries to gas and transit. That adds up to a ton of points on your everyday purchases. On top of all that, the card’s welcome offer gives you the opportunity to Earn up to $850* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 45,000 bonus Scene+ points and first year annual fee waived. Offer ends 30 April 2023.

Scotia points are extremely flexible and can be redeemed for free or discounted flights on any airline at a flat rate of 5,000 points for $50 (or 1 cent per point). The Scotia Gold Amex is also among the minority of cards to waive its foreign transaction fees, so you can avoid paying an extra 2.5% on top of the exchange rate whenever making purchases in a foreign currency – like when swiping your card across the border or shopping online from international websites that don’t accept payments in Canadian dollars.

For the first 10 months of card ownership, new users can earn a $40 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which they spend $750 in purchases (up to a possible total of $400 cash).

The CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite card is a great card with high-earning cash back potential with a low annual fee. This card is most known for its 4% cash back on gas and groceries, 2% on transportation, dining and recurring payments and 1% on everything else.

New CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite cardholders can Welcome Offer: Get a first-year annual fee rebate for you and up to three Authorized Users† and 10% cash back for the first 4 statements on net purchases of up to $2,500.†

For frequent travellers, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card provides not only a stellar welcome offer but an excellent standard point value as well.

As a new cardholder, you can earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your card in your first three months of cardmembership. Subject to change at any time..

On top of that, you'll also earn five points for every dollar spent in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and two points for every dollar spent in all other card purchases - an excellent point value when stacked up against other co-branded credit cards.

Other perks include: one free night each year on your card anniversary, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status (with a Gold upgrade option after you stay 10 nights or charge $30,000 to your card in one year), and 15 Elite Night credits each year. Plus, you'll get an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card.

New users who sign up by January 13, 2023 can get 30,000 rewards points for spending $5,000 in the first three months, plus an extra 10,000 points if they sign up for credit card payment insurance for a minimum of three months. And if that's not enough, you can also earn an additional 30,000 points for charging $12,000 to the card in the first twelve months. You'll also get your first year's annual fee refunded.

New applicants of the HSBC Travel Rewards Mastercard can earn Earn 25,000 points* ($125 travel value) if you spend $1,000 in the first 180 days. Must apply by February 28, 2023. Conditions apply.

After the promotional period ends, users will still get a competitive three points per dollar on eligible travel purchases, two points per dollar on eligible gas and daily transportation purchases, and one point per dollar on all other eligible everyday purchases.

Offer expires February 28, 2023.

For the first 10 months of card ownership, new users can earn a $10 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which they spend $300 in purchases (up to a possible total of $100 cash).

The entry-level BMO Cash Back Mastercard offers one of the top welcome offers for a credit card with no annual fee: 5% cash back on everything for the first three months up to $100, plus a $50 cash back bonus (when you spend $6,000) in your first year (a cash back value of $175) and an introductory rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for the first nine months (2% balance transfer fee applies).

Aside from the welcome offer, there are plenty of other reasons why the BMO CashBack Mastercard deserves a spot in your wallet. Firstly, at 3% cash back, the BMO Cashback Mastercard easily ranks among the highest-earning credit cards for groceries in Canada. Second, the fact it has no annual fee means there are no downsides to keeping the card and using it selectively (namely, for groceries). Finally, there’s BMO’s uber-flexible redemption system that lets you access your cash back rewards at any time of the year in increments of as little as $1.

The Scotiabank American Express card is currently offering up to 12,000 bonus Scene+ points to new cardholders. Here's how to qualify:

• Earn up to 12,000 bonus Scene+™ points in your first year (that’s up to $120 towards travel) - Offer ends April, 30 2023

Aside from that, the card has no annual fee and users can earn a standard rate of two points per dollar on eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food, drinking establishments, eligible entertainment purchases, eligible gas and daily transit and select streaming services.

The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus should be on the radar of anyone who’s looking for a travel card but wants to avoid paying an annual fee. Why? Simple. It offers some of the best returns on your everyday purchases for a no fee points card.

The fact MBNA points can be redeemed for a straight 1% for travel means you’ll earn between 2% and 1% back on all your spending on this card.

The card’s welcome offer is also great since it lets you easily rack up $100 worth of travel points just for making $500 in purchases and for signing up for e-statements within the initial 90 days of opening your account. The icing on the cake: you’ll earn double the points (4%) on your bonus categories for the first 90 days. The only drawback is the card’s travel medical insurance coverage isn’t as comprehensive as most other annual fee rewards cards (and coverage is important if you happen to travel a lot).

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card offers an impressive welcome bonus and high-tier perks, making it one of the best cards to own for Aeroplan members. 

New cardholders can earn up to 105,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Must apply online by January 3, 2023.. This includes:

• A welcome bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points upon making your first purchase on the card
• Earn an additional 30,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening
• Plus, earn an additional 55,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of account opening

Not only that, but the quality and quantity of its travel benefits make this card truly stand out amongst its competitors. Perks include:

• Access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges at airports across North America
• Priority boarding and baggage handling
• Priority airport standby
• Priority airport upgrades

Plus, if you enroll for NEXUS, you’ll get an application fee rebate every 48 months (up to $100 CDN). 

When it comes to standard point value, the card offers two points per dollar on purchases made directly with Air Canada (including Air Canada Vacations), 1.5 points per dollar on eligible gas, grocery, dining and travel purchases, and 1.25 points per dollar on everything else. While that’s not terribly competitive for a card of this calibre, the level of perks and benefits that come with it (plus the fantastic sign up bonus) may balance things out for frequent Aeroplan users.

The card's pricey $599 annual fee and minimum income requirement of $150,000 could be prohibitive to some users, but it’s fairly par for the course for Visa Infinite Privilege products. Those who can handle the cost will enjoy a card with plenty of fancy travel perks and huge earning potential.

Not all welcome offers are about points bonuses and accelerated cash back. Case in point: the CIBC Select Visa has an unbeatable balance transfer offer - Transfer your credit card balance - Get 0% interest for up to 10 months with a 1% transfer fee† and a first year annual fee rebate†

If you’re juggling balances on multiple credit cards and paying as much as 19.99% in annual interest charges, you can consolidate your debts on the CIBC Select Visa and clear off your balance while paying nothing in interest for a whole ten months. Even after the balance transfer offer ends, you’ll only be charged a 29% annual interest rate on any remaining transferred balance instead of the typical 19.99% or 22.99% charged by most rewards credit cards.

Depending on the size of your credit card debt, the CIBC Select Visa’s balance transfer offer can help you save several hundreds of dollars in interest.

If you’re an Aeroplan member seeking a mid-range option that still delivers a formidable welcome offer, the American Express Aeroplan Card may be worth looking into.

Its sign up bonus of a possible 50,000 Aeroplan points is impressive for this type of card, and it's also quite attainable when broken down:

•  Earn 35,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 in net purchases on your card within the first 6 months of cardmembership
• Plus, earn 2,500 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $500 in purchases on your card for the first six months of cardmembership. That could add up to 15,000 Aeroplan points

Altogether, that's up to $1,100 in cash value (spend applies to bonus point offers valued at up to $1,000).

If you plan on using the card for some bigger purchases right away, you can easily get the full bonus, which would go a long way to big savings on your next trip.

Outside of that, the American Express Aeroplan Card gives you two points per dollar on Air Canada purchases (including Air Canada Vacations), 1.5 points per dollar on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. That’s more bang for your buck than other Aeroplan cards in this range, so it’s a good choice if you’re a frequent Air Canada flier for that reason alone.

Competitive perks of this card include:

• One free checked bag for you and up to 8 companions on Air Canada flights
• 1000 Status Qualifying Miles and 1 Status Qualifying Segment for every $10,000 in eligible net purchases charged to the card, allowing you to reach Aeroplan Elite Status much faster
• A decent travel insurance package including flight delay, baggage delay, lost/stolen baggage, and more, plus purchase security and extended warranty protection on items bought with the card

All in all, the American Express Aeroplan Card offers one of the highest signup bonuses and standard point values around for a mid-range co-branded travel card. The $120 annual fee is sadly not waived for the first year, but there’s still enough earning power and benefits on this card to make the yearly charge worth your while.

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite offers a seriously stacked sign-up bonus provided in four tiers.

First, the card’s $139 annual fee is waived for the first year. Next, you can earnEarn up to 50,000 Aeroplan points when you sign up. They’ll also waive the annual fee for your first year. Must apply by January 3, 2023.†

The value of Aeroplan points is hard to pinpoint since they can fluctuate considerably based on the program’s dynamic rewards chart. That said, based on our calculations, the average value of 1 point hovers around 1.55 cents each when redeemed for economy flights on Air Canada and can climb to upwards of 2 cents or more when booking business class tickets or strategically using Aeroplan’s stopover policy.

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is one of the best airline travel cards in Canada, with comprehensive travel insurance, first free checked bags on Air Canada flights, and the ability to earn Miles that get you closer to achieving elite airline status with Air Canada.

The American Express Business Gold Rewards Card currently offers new users the ability to earn up to a staggering 110,000 Membership Rewards points. Broken down, here's what it looks like:

• Earn a welcome bonus of 70,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 within the first three months
• Plus, earn 10,000 bonus points each calendar quarter when you charge $20,000 to the card during that period (up to a possible 40,000 points every year)

That means, in the first year alone, you could earn up to 110,000 Membership Rewards points, which would translate to a sizable statement credit of $1,100.

The card's regular earn rate of 1x the points on all purchases isn't particularly compelling, but if used strategically, its bonus offer could end up saving you big.

New users of the BMO Air Miles No-Fee Business Mastercard can get up to 1,000 Air Miles Bonus Miles (a cash value of over $100).

Aside from that, you'll earn one mile for every $20 spent on the card, and 1.25 miles for every $20 spent at participating Shell stations. And, like the card's name says, there is no annual fee.