American Express® Essential™ Credit Card

Warning

This card is no longer offered by the provider.
Please click below to see the other balance transfer cards available.

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First year rewards (up to)

Gift card
Spending
bonus
Monthly
bonus
Based on the amount of spending you do each month, our tool determines how much you'll spend on an annual basis and calculates the potential rewards you could earn for doing so. Spending
rewards
Annual fee
Annual fee
(1st yr waived)
The total net reward is the dollar amount all your rewards will add up to, minus any annual fee you may have to pay. For a detailed explanation on how we calculated this number, check out the Points Calculator tab.
Cash advance: 12.99%
Balance transfer: 12.99%
%
Purchase interest rate
Cash advance: 12.99%
Balance transfer: 12.99%
%
Balance transfer
% after months
Annual fee
(Waived)
Monthly
interest fee
after months
Required deposit
Insurance
Benefits
Most credit cards come with at least some additional insurance policies. Here's what's covered with this credit card. Insurance
Travel accident insurance
Miscellaneous insurance items for purchases on your credit card. Miscellaneous
  • Zero liability
  • Extended warranty
  • Purchase assurance

Card details

Network: American Express
Provider: American Express
Card type: Balance transfer, Low interest, No annual fee

Fees & interest

This is the annual fee you have to pay, in order to use this credit card. The annual fee is charged once per year and is added to your credit card statement. Annual fee: $0
This is the annual interest rate you will pay on purchases, if/when you can't pay off the entire balance by the payment due date outlined on your credit card statement. Purchase interest rate: 12.99%
This is the interest rate you will pay on cash advances. Unlike regular purchases, which come with a grace period, interest on cash advances starts to accrue the day you complete the transaction. Cash advance: 12.99%
This is the interest rate you will pay on balance transfers. Unlike regular purchases, which come with a grace period, interest on balance transfers starts to accrue the day you complete the transaction. Balance transfer: 12.99%

Eligibility

This is the annual income requirement to be eligible for this credit card. Income: $15K / Year
This is the total annual family income requirement to be eligible for this credit card. Only applicable if the applicant does not meet the annual income requirement themselves. Household income: Any amount
  • Be a permanent Canadian resident
  • Have reached the age of majority in the province in which you live (18 yrs in AB, MB, ON, PE, QC, SK. 19 yrs all others)

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Earn 2% Money-Back Rewards on purchases in two 2% Money-Back Categories of your choice, and 0.50% Money-Back Rewards on all other purchases.

Welcome Offer: Get up to 5% cash back in your first 3 months. Get a 1.99% introductory interest rate on Balance Transfers for 9 months, 1% fee applies to balance amounts transferred.

Get 4 points†† per $1 on eligible gas, groceries and restaurants purchases and up to 10,000 bonus points. Conditions apply

Standard Annual Interest Rates of 12.99% on purchases, 12.99% on balance transfers✪and access cheques, and 24.99% on cash advances

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Get more details

  • Enjoy a low 12.99% interest rate on purchases
  • Balance Transfer option is only available at time of online application. There is no balance transfer fee at time of application*
  • Access to memorable experiences with American Express Invites™
  • Shopping coverage and 24/7 Customer Service
  • Have the flexibility to pay your balance in full or over time
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 2.5%
  • American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details, current product information and Terms and Conditions, click the Apply now link. Conditions apply.