The best credit cards in Canada for online shopping 2023
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If you collect points or cash back on your in-store purchases, you may be well-versed in your spending categories. But sometimes (not always) an online purchase doesn’t “reward” you as you’d expect—with some cards, you’ll only get the generic, “everything else” earn rate on purchases made online. That’s not the case with our picks for the best credit cards for online purchases in Canada.
Best credit cards for online purchases
- SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express – 2% cash back
- Rogers World Elite Mastercard – 1.5% cash back and US forex savings
- Meridian Visa Infinite Travel Rewards – 1.5% in travel rewards and forex savings
- Home Trust Preferred Visa – 1% cash back and no forex fees
- Amazon Rewards Mastercard – 2.5% cash back and forex savings
Why trust us
MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helping Canadians navigate money matters since 1999. Our editorial team of trained journalists works closely with leading personal finance experts in Canada. To help you find the best financial products, we compare the offerings from over 12 major institutions, including banks, credit unions and card issuers. Learn more about our advertising and trusted partners.
SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express*
At a glance: With a base cash back rate of 2% on everything—including online purchases—plus a stellar 4% cash back on gas and grocery purchases, the SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express card will accelerate your earnings.
- Annual fee: $120
- Earn rate: 4% cash back on eligible gas and grocery purchases up to $1,200 annually; 2% cash back on everything else
- Welcome offer: earn a $40 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases on your card.
- Annual income requirement: None specified
- Recommended credit score for approval: 660 or higher
- Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances
Rogers World Elite Mastercard
At a glance: The Rogers World Elite Mastercard is a no-fee cash-back card that delivers an impressive 1.5% cash back on every purchase and 3% on website purchases made in U.S. currency. You’ll need to spend at least $15,000 per year on the card in order to continue qualifying to use it.
- Annual fee: $0
- Earn rate: 1.5% cash back; and 3% back on purchases in U.S. dollars (which nets you 0.5% back after foreign exchange fees)
- Welcome offer: Earn $25 cash back when you make your first purchase within three months of having the card.
- Annual income requirement: Personal income of $80,000 or household income of $150,000
- Recommended credit score for approval: 760 or higher
- Interest rates: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances
Meridian Visa Infinite Travel Rewards
At a glance: Meridian Visa Infinite Travel Rewards cardholders earn 1.5 points per dollar (1.50% in travel rewards) on all purchases, including online, and 3 points per dollar on purchases made in foreign currencies— which covers the foreign transaction fee with a little left over.
- Annual fee: $99 (waived for the first year)
- Earn rate: 1.5 points per dollar; 3 points per dollar on purchases made in foreign currencies
- Welcome offer: Earn 6 points per $2 spent on purchases made outside Canada in foreign currencies, and 3 points per $2 on all other purchases.
- Annual income requirement: Personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000
- Recommended credit score for approval: 725 or higher
- Interest rates: 19.50% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances
Home Trust Preferred Visa*
At a glance: Home Trust Preferred Visa is a good, basic cash-back card that carries no annual fee. With this card, you’ll receive 1% cash back on all Canadian purchases. Even better, purchases made in another currency on this card aren’t charged a foreign transaction fee—this is an automatic savings of 2.5 to 3% and super-valuable for those who shop at online retailers from the United States.
- Annual fee: $0
- Earn rate: 1% cash back per dollar on Canadian purchases. No foreign transaction fee on international purchases
- Welcome offer: None
- Annual income requirement: $15,000
- Recommended credit score for approval: 300 or higher
- Interest rates: 21.99% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances
Amazon Rewards Mastercard
The Amazon Rewards Mastercard is ideal for frequent Amazon Shoppers who have a Prime Membership, as Prime account holders earn boosted rewards when shopping at the online retail giant. Plus, Prime members benefit from having the card’s foreign transaction fees offset by cash back rewards, which is handy if you’re travelling or shopping online in different currencies. The drawbacks? While the card technically has no annual fee, if you’re not a paying Prime member (the membership costs $99 annually or $9.99 monthly), you’ll get a serious downgrade with just 1.5% on Amazon purchases and will lose the benefit of no foreign transaction fees. Plus your rewards can’t be used for cash back and can only be redeemed for gift cards at Amazon.
- Annual fee: $0
- Earn rate: 2.5% back for Amazon Prime members on Amazon.ca spends, 2.5% back on eligible foreign currency transactions, 1.5% back on Amazon.ca spends for non-members, and 1% back on everything else
- Welcome offer: 5% back at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market stores, grocery stores, and restaurants for 6 months up to $3,000 in eligible purchases (for a value of $150)
- Income requirement: None specified
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