Canada’s 10 Finest Journey Credit score Playing cards

With numerous journey bank cards obtainable to select from, every providing totally different rewards, bonuses, and perks, discovering the proper match can really feel overwhelming. 

Nonetheless, discovering the suitable bank card(s) can remodel your spending habits into dream holidays and luxurious journey experiences.

On this article, we’ll cowl our picks for the prime 10 journey bank cards obtainable in Canada, with suggestions for numerous kinds of travellers.

1. Canada’s Finest General Journey Rewards Credit score Card 

For years, the American Specific Cobalt Card has topped our record as the last word card for supercharging your incomes on on a regular basis purchases.

What makes it stand out? You’ll earn a formidable 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent at eating places, bars, cafés, meals supply companies, and grocery shops.

When you had been to max out the $2,500 month-to-month spending cap within the 5x class, you’d end the 12 months with a cool 150,000 Membership Rewards factors, which might carry you throughout the nation or around the globe in fashion.

American Specific Membership Rewards factors reign supreme as Canada’s greatest factors foreign money, as the actual worth of those Membership Rewards factors lies of their flexibility.

You’ll be able to switch them to 6 main airline loyalty packages and two resort loyalty packages, together with Aeroplan, The British Airways Membership, Air France KLM Flying Blue, and Marriott Bonvoy, unlocking super worth for journey lovers.

Plus, you possibly can unlock extra outsized worth by way of the American Specific Mounted Factors Journey program, or just redeem your factors in opposition to any buy at a worth of 1 cent per level.

When mixed, the versatile factors and the supercharged 5x incomes fee on key every day bills is solely unmatched in Canada.

Whereas the Cobalt Card could not supply essentially the most intensive journey advantages package deal, its unmatched incomes potential on on a regular basis spending makes it essential in any Canadian factors fanatic’s pockets.

2. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card for Air Canada Frequent Flyers

When you’re a frequent flyer with Air Canada, you need to significantly take into account including the American Specific Aeroplan Reserve Card to your pockets. 

Not solely does it supply the best incomes fee for Air Canada and Air Canada Holidays purchases in Canada (3 Aeroplan factors per greenback spent, whereas different playing cards supply at most 2 Aeroplan factors per greenback spent on this class), nevertheless it additionally earns a good 2 Aeroplan factors per greenback spent on eating and meals supply, and 1.25 factors per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases.

Apart from a strong incomes fee, this card actually shines with the Air Canada perks it gives:

• Free first checked bag for you and as much as eight companions on the identical reservation
• Limitless entry to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges throughout Canada and the US
• Annual Worldwide Companion Go (after spending $25,000 yearly)
• The flexibility to earn Standing Qualifying Miles and Segments by way of card spending
• An additional 12 months of eUpgrade validity, supplying you with entry to coveted eUpgrade house forward of everybody else

For frequent Air Canada vacationers, these perks simply justify the cardboard’s $599 annual payment, and since there’s no minimal earnings requirement (different premium Aeroplan co-branded bank cards require $150,000 private or $200,000 family earnings), it’s accessible to just about all people.

When you’re on the lookout for a card loaded with significant Air Canada and Aeroplan advantages, look no additional than the American Specific Aeroplan Reserve Card.

3. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card for Porter Airways Frequent Flyers

Earlier this 12 months, Porter Airways debuted its first-ever co-branded bank cards, permitting you to now earn VIPorter factors by way of on a regular basis bills.

When you fly with Porter Airways with any frequency – which is changing into a lot simpler for Canadians because the airline continues to develop its community and fleet – you need to take into account the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* as a superb choice.

This card comes with automatic VIPorter Enterprise Avid Traveller standing, which affords you with the next perks:

• Earn 6 VIPorter factors per greenback spent on all Porter Airways purchases (aside from government-imposed taxes and charges)
• Complimentary PorterClassic seat choice (rows 8 and above) for as much as two passengers
• Devoted check-in, precedence safety, and early boarding
• Precedence reaccommodation within the occasion of flight delays
• One complimentary carry-on bag and one complimentary checked bag for your self and as much as eight passengers travelling on the identical reserving

Moreover, this card is a superb choice for making purchases at Costco, which solely accepts Credit cards. When you’d like to show your carts full of products into journey redemptions, make sure you give the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®* an excellent look.

When you’re not conversant in the VIPorter loyalty program, it gives a few of the greatest charges for economy-class redemptions in North America, and with no center seats, free Wi-Fi, complimentary beer and wine, and extra, it’s an effective way to entry elevated financial system journey inside North America.

For my part, Porter Airways is an airline to maintain an in depth eye on within the coming years, because it’s set on a really attention-grabbing trajectory.

4. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card for WestJet Frequent Flyers

Editor’s word: WestJet Rewards is present process a change as of April 30, 2025. This part is written with the modifications considered. When you’d wish to study extra about them, head to our overview of the modifications.

When you’re a WestJet loyalist, you’ll need to ensure you’re maximizing your expertise with WestJet Rewards.

It’s essential to know that not like most different airline loyalty packages, WestJet Rewards is actually a fixed-value factors program, which signifies that there aren’t actually any significant alternatives to get outsized worth out of your factors as there are with, say, Aeroplan or VIPorter. 

When you worth simplicity, then realizing that you may get 1 cent per level (or perhaps barely extra) out of your WestJet factors is about as simple because it will get.

The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard comes with some significant WestJet perks, together with:

• An annual round-trip companion voucher, which may prevent cash if used strategically
• One free checked bag for the cardholder and as much as eight visitors on the identical reservation
• Spending counts in the direction of elite standing by way of Standing Elevate

This card generally is a nice one to carry onto for the long-term for the above perks, nevertheless it’s not essentially the very best one for enhancing your WestJet Rewards steadiness by way of every day spending (see under). 

If incomes WestJet factors is your main aim, take into account the RBC® ION+ Visa as a substitute. 

Whereas the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard gives a 1.5% return on most purchases or a 2% return on WestJet spending, the RBC ION+ Visa gives as much as a 3% return on many widespread bills:

• 3 Avion Premium factors per greenback spent on qualifying grocery, eating, meals supply, fuel, rideshare, every day public transit, electrical car charging, streaming, digital gaming and digital subscriptions†

RBC Avion Premium factors – that are earned on the RBC ION+ Visa – are transferable to WestJet Rewards. Till April 30, 2025, you’ll get 1 WestJet greenback for each 100 RBC Avion Premium factors, and after that, you’ll get 1 WestJet level per each 1 RBC Avion Premium level.

On this sense, you possibly can take into account your spending on the RBC ION+ Visa as a 3% return (for those who switch your factors to WestJet Rewards), which is nice.

Nonetheless, it’s possible you’ll need to take into account saving your RBC Avion Premium factors for a extra helpful redemption alternative – try quantity 9 on this record.

5. Canada’s Finest No-Payment Journey Credit score Card

In case your main aim is to earn journey factors with out paying any annual charges, then take into account the American Specific Inexperienced Card. 

This card gives a modest 1 Membership Rewards level per greenback spent on all purchases with no class bonuses, which supplies a no-cost and easily entry into the dear Membership Rewards ecosystem.

This simple card is ideal for these new to journey rewards or trying to construct credit score historical past with out annual charges. It’s additionally a superb “keeper card” that may assist set up a long-term relationship with American Specific, and when you’ve constructed up your credit score, you possibly can look to a few of the extra premium playing cards.

Plus, this card usually comes with a pleasant welcome bonus that’s comparatively simple to earn, which helps to kick begin your journey on the planet of Membership Rewards.

6. Canada’s Finest Resort Rewards Credit score Card

Upon getting your flights lined, it’s a good suggestion to enterprise into the resort ecosystem to spherical out your journey expertise. Marriott Bonvoy is essentially the most accessible resort loyalty program in Canada, and top-of-the-line worldwide.

Resort lovers ought to definitely take into account the Marriott Bonvoy American Specific Card. It earns 5 Bonvoy factors per greenback spent at Marriott properties and 2 Bonvoy factors per greenback spent on the whole lot else.

Past its incomes charges, the cardboard gives the next ongoing advantages:

• Automated Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite standing (which, to be trustworthy, doesn’t supply a lot by way of significant advantages, nevertheless it’s higher than no standing)
• 15 Elite Qualifying Nights yearly (making it simpler to achieve increased standing tiers, and to qualify for Lifetime Elite Standing with Marriott over the long-term)
• A Free Night time Award value 35,000 factors after your first card anniversary (which may be topped up with as much as 15,000 extra factors)

With an affordable $120 annual payment, the Free Night time Award alone can present super worth, usually overlaying stays at accommodations costing nicely over the annual payment.

Plus, Marriott has a strong footprint of accommodations throughout Canada (and around the globe, for that matter). It shouldn’t be too onerous to redeem your Free Night time Award for outsized worth, and we’ve bought loads of evaluations of accommodations in Canada and overseas that will help you select.

Use this card to pay for stays at Marriott accommodations in Canada, and maintain it round for the long run with its annual Free Night time Award and entry to Amex Affords. 

7. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card for Journey Insurance coverage

Journey insurance coverage is an usually missed a part of the journey expertise, nevertheless it’s an essential side to think about to ensure you have all your bases lined.

When you ebook journey with the suitable card, you’ll be lined for the whole lot from delayed baggage to emergency medical insurance coverage and past. 

In Canada, the Nationwide Financial institution® World Elite® Mastercard® excels on this class. Its complete protection extends to vacationers as much as 74 years outdated and, crucially, it additionally applies to award bookings – which means you’re lined even when redeeming factors for flights.

So long as you cost the taxes and charges from an award reserving to your card, you’ll profit from the cardboard’s following intensive protection:

• Emergency medical insurance coverage of as much as $5 million:
  • 60 days for cardholders aged 54 and youthful
  • 30 days for cardholders aged 54–64
  • 15 days for cardholders aged 65–75
• Journey cancellation/interruption 
• Flight delays
• Delayed and misplaced baggage
• Journey accidents
• Automotive rental insurance coverage
• Buy safety for theft and harm
• Prolonged guarantee
• Medical, basic, and authorized help
• Cell system insurance coverage

This mix of in depth journey and system safety makes it a superb selection for these searching for complete insurance coverage protection with out buying separate insurance policies.

8. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card for Premium Journey Perks

The American Specific Platinum Card would possibly include a considerable $799 annual payment, however its premium advantages can greater than justify the price for frequent vacationers:

Just like the Cobalt Card, the Platinum Card earns versatile Membership Rewards factors that may be transferred to quite a few airline and resort companions, serving to you ebook premium flights and luxurious resort stays at a fraction of the money value.

Plus, you’ll earn 15,000 Membership Rewards factors per referral you make to any card within the Membership Rewards household (as much as 225,000 factors per 12 months), which may be an effective way to unlock premium journey 12 months after 12 months

9. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card Combo for Incomes RBC Avion Factors

Apart from American Specific Membership Rewards factors, RBC Avion Rewards is the second most versatile and poweful factors foreign money in Canada.

That’s as a result of you possibly can switch them to The British Airways Membership and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles at a 1:1 ratio, American Airways AAdvantage at a 1:0.7 ratio, or WestJet Rewards.

The primary three airways supply significant entry to the oneworld airways ecosystem, which provides you the chance to redeem your factors for outsized worth with a wide range of top-notch airways.

To earn RBC Avion factors, you’ll need to look to the RBC® Avion Visa Platinum†, the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite†, or the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege†.

All three of those playing cards sometimes include a beneficiant and simply achieved welcome bonus, in addition to different significant perks.

One draw back to those playing cards is that they don’t have essentially the most aggressive incomes charges, and when you’ve earned the welcome bonus, your incomes slows down.

Nonetheless, recall that the RBC® ION+ Visa has a superb incomes fee of three RBC Avion Premium factors per greenback spent on qualifying grocery, eating, meals supply, fuel, rideshare, every day public transit, electrical car charging, streaming, digital gaming and digital subscriptions.†

When you occur to carry each an RBC ION+ Visa and any of the playing cards within the RBC Avion household, you possibly can have your RBC Avion Premium factors morph into RBC Avion Elite factors at a 1:1 ratio.

Certainly, that is what we discuss with because the optimized RBC bank card portfolio, because you leverage the strengths of each playing cards: highly effective incomes charges on the RBC ION+ Visa, and outsized redemption alternatives by means of an RBC Avion card.

10. Canada’s Finest Credit score Card for Incomes Mounted-Worth Factors

Scene+ stays our go-to fixed-value factors program in Canada, resulting from its flexibility.

Whereas fixed-value factors don’t supply the identical abundance of redemption alternatives as different factors packages, they’re very helpful to have in your journey arsenal to offset the price of journey that’s in any other case troublesome to ebook with factors.

We like Scene+ factors since you possibly can ebook journey immediately with any vendor (thereby incomes in the direction of airline or resort standing, or accessing airways or accommodations with out a loyalty program), and you may redeem your factors at a set fee of 1 cent per level in opposition to any journey buy.

Probably the most highly effective card for incomes Scene+ factors is the Scotiabank Gold American Specific® Card, which earns factors on the following charges:

• 6 Scene+ factors per greenback spent on Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, and extra
• 5 Scene+ factors per greenback spent on groceries, eating, and leisure
• 4 Scene+ factors per greenback spent on resort bookings, automotive leases, and issues to do with Scene+ Journey
• 3 Scene+ factors per greenback spent on fuel, transit, and streaming companies
• 1 Scene+ level per greenback spent on all different purchases

With as much as a 6% return on spending, this card is a points-earning machine, and it shouldn’t take lengthy so that you can earn a significant quantity of factors (particularly for those who take into account the cardboard’s welcome bonus, too).

Plus, it options no overseas transaction charges – which saves you cash on any purchases made in foreign currency – and likewise means that you can manually register for profitable Amex Affords.

Moreover, with a minimal private earnings requirement of simply $12,000, it’s an accessible journey bank card for many households.

It’s value noting that the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card is one other nice different within the Scotiabank lineup. Along with incomes Scene+ factors (together with class incomes charges on purchases made exterior of Canada), it gives no overseas transaction charges, six complimentary lounge visits, and a powerful suite of journey insurance coverage protection.

Both of those playing cards is a superb choose for incomes fixed-value factors – simply make sure you examine the 2 to see which one fits you greatest.

Conclusion

The very best bank card in the end is dependent upon your spending habits and journey objectives. Think about what enhances your way of life – whether or not that’s maximizing on a regular basis spending, leveraging airline-specific advantages, having fun with premium journey perks, or simply saving cash on journey.

Every card on this record gives distinctive benefits for several types of vacationers. By selecting correctly, you can begin turning your common spending into exceptional journey experiences.

When you’d like some extra personalised suggestions, be a part of us with a Prince of Journey Membership, which is the place you possibly can ebook a Factors Consulting name with considered one of our consultants.

Phrases and situations apply. Please refer to every card issuer’s web site for essentially the most present data. Affordable efforts are made to make sure content material accuracy.