The best Visa credit cards in Canada for 2024
This guide to the best Visa cards in Canada will help you narrow down the field and find a credit card that fits your lifestyle.
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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.
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The best Visa credit cards by category
As the largest credit card company in the world, Visa is a solid choice for any Canadian wanting the assurance of wide card acceptance both at home and abroad—Visa cards are accepted in more than 200 countries and territories. But which Visa should you choose? This guide to the best Visa cards in Canada will help you decide.
| Best cards by category | Why we love it |
|---|---|
| Best cash back Visa CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Annual fee: $120 | Between 2% and 4% cash back across five major spending categories, plus easy redemptions |
| Best no-fee cash back Visa Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Annual fee: $0 | Perfect for dining out, with 4% cash back on restaurant, bar and coffee shop purchases |
| Best travel rewards Visa TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card Annual fee: $139 | Strong return on spending when booking with Expedia for TD, plus an annual $100 travel credit |
| Best airline travel credit card (Aeroplan) TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card Annual fee: $139 | High earn rates on gas, groceries and Air Canada purchases, easy redemptions and a $100 Nexus fee rebate every 2 years |
| Best low-interest Visa RBC Visa Classic Low Rate Option Annual fee: $20 | A low 12.99% interest rate on purchases and cash advances, with a low annual fee |
Best cash back Visa
At a glance: Take the sting out of rising prices with the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite’s return of 4% cash back on gas, EV charging and groceries, and 2% back on daily transit (including rideshares and public transit), dining and recurring payments. You’ll also get perks like travel medical and rental car collision insurance.
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite
Annual fee: $120
- 4% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging and grocery purchases
- 2% on dining, daily transit and recurring payments
- 1% on everything else
Welcome offer: earn a 10% cash back welcome bonus of up to $300 (first 4 statements). Offer not available to QC residents. Terms and conditions apply.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | Personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000 |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
Pros
- Offers impressive bonus rates of between 2% and 4% cash back across five major spending categories.
- Get your cash back when you want it, using the CIBC app. With many other cards, rewards are deposited into your account once per year.
- Link your card to Journie Rewards to get deeper discounts on gas at participating Pioneer, Fas Gas, Ultramar and Chevron stations.
- Comes with travel, car rental and new mobile device insurance.
Cons
- The card’s emergency travel medical insurance covers the first 10 days of your trip, so you’ll have to buy additional insurance for longer journeys. Plus, there’s no lost and delayed baggage insurance.
- The caps on bonus earn rates are a bit stricter than those of some other cards. After reaching $20,000 in purchases within the bonus categories or $80,000 in total spending, any additional purchases will only earn 1% cash back. This resets the day after your December statement is issued.
Honourable mention
At a glance: The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite is our runner-up for the best cash back Visa for its robust purchase and travel protection, as well as its high earn rates—4% on groceries and recurring bills, 2% on gas and daily transit (including public transit, taxis and rideshares), and 1% on all other purchases.
Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite
Annual fee: $120
- 4% cash back on groceries, recurring bill payments and subscription services
- 2% on gas and public transit
- 1% on everything else
Welcome offer: earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases). No annual fee in the first year, including on additional cards. Offer ends October 31, 2024.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | Personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000 |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
Pros
- For cash back on recurring bill payments, this card is unmatched. The 4% earn rate on recurring bills and subscription payments—everything from phone bills to subscription services like Netflix and Spotify, and insurance premiums to gym memberships—is the highest in the country. And the same 4% bonus rate on grocery purchases ensures you’ll bank rewards quickly.
- Comes with new mobile device, travel and car rental insurance.
- Pay off larger purchases in installments through Scotia SelectPay.
Cons
- You can only access your cash back once per year, and only as a statement credit.
- You’ll only earn 4% back on the first $25,000 spent annually on groceries and recurring payments, and 2% back on the first $25,000 spent on gas, EV charging and daily transit—at which point you’ll earn at the base rate of 1%. But these limits are generous enough not to impact most cardholders.
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Best no-fee cash back Visa
At a glance: The no-fee Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa offers 4% cash back on purchases at restaurants, bars and coffee shops, making it a top pick for those who like to dine out. The 1.5% return on gas, groceries and drugstore purchases is also respectable.
Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa
Annual fee: $0
- 4% cash back on dining at restaurants, bars and coffee shops (up to $5,000 per year)
- 1.5% back on gas, groceries, drugstores and recurring bills (up to $15,000 per year)
- 0.5% on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn a $250 PRESTO Voucher and 10% cashback in your first 4 months on eligible restaurants, food delivery and bar purchases (up to $500 spend). Terms and conditions apply. Click “go to site” for complete details. This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | $15,000 per year |
| Credit score | 660 or higher |
Pros
- Most no-fee cash back cards offer no more than 2% back on restaurant, bar and coffee shop purchases—meaning your return on spending in this category is nearly double what you get with comparable cards.
- The low minimum annual income requirement makes it a super-accessible card.
Cons
- Though impressive for a no-fee card, the 4% earn rate on dining is capped at your first $5,000 in purchases (a cap that resets annually). For purchases beyond that threshold, the rate drops to 0.5%. So, if you spend $10,000 annually on dining out, you would earn $225 in cash back, the bulk of which ($200) would be on the first $5,000.
- You have to have a Simplii Financial bank account to get the card.
- Like most no-fee cards, this one doesn’t offer many extras or perks.
Best travel rewards Visa
At a glance: When used in concert with the Expedia for TD site, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card can help you rack up major travel points that can be redeemed easily for a wide range of travel rewards. This program keeps it simple with no blackout dates, no seat restrictions and no expiry for your points. As another solid perk, get a $100 annual travel credit when you spend more than $500 on Expedia for TD.
TD First Class Visa Infinite Card
Annual fee: $139
- Up to 8 TD Rewards points per $1 on travel
- 6 points per $1 on groceries and restaurants
- 4 points per $1 on recurring bills
- 2 points per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome offer: earn up to $700 in value, including up to 75,000 TD Rewards Points and no Annual Fee for the first year. Conditions Apply. Account must be approved by September 3, 2024.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | Personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000 |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
| Anniversary bonus | Get an annual birthday bonus of 10% of your previous year’s points (up to 10,000 points). |
| Point value | 1 TD Rewards point = $0.005 when redeemed for travel via Expedia For TD or $0.004 when redeemed through other providers and websites. |
Pros
- Your return on spending can be as high as 4%, when booking through Expedia for TD, which generally offers the same deals as the main Expedia site. Get 8 points per dollar spent on Expedia for TD, then redeem 200 points for $1 off your booking—no blackout dates or restrictions.
- Get a $100 annual travel credit when you spend more than $500 on Expedia for TD.
- Unlike some other travel programs, redemptions are straightforward—there are no complicated chart systems or blackout dates to be aware of.
- As a birthday bonus, receive 10% of the points you earned in the previous year (up to a maximum of 10,000 points.
- This card has a strong insurance package with up to $2 million in coverage for trips of up to 21 days.
Cons
- You’ll get less value for your points if you book outside of Expedia for TD. Whereas points are worth $0.005 when redeemed through the site, you’ll have to redeem 250 points to save $1 on other travel sites, reducing the value of each point to $0.004.
- The annual fee is slightly higher than those of comparable travel cards.
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Best airline travel credit card
For Aeroplan
At a glance: If Air Canada is your airline of choice, take a look at the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card. It gives you access to numerous airline perks, and with Aeroplan’s travel rewards chart and preferred pricing policy, you can get great value for your points—if you know how to play the points game.
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
Annual fee: $139
- 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 on gas, groceries and purchases
- 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 on purchases made directly through Air Canada (including vacation packages)
- 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome offer: earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card; earn 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 within 180 days of account opening. Conditions apply. Account must be approved by September 3, 2024.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | Personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000 |
| Credit score | 660 or higher |
| Anniversary bonus | Earn a one-time anniversary bonus of 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of opening the account. Conditions apply. Account must be approved by September 3, 2024. |
| Point value | Aeroplan points are worth $0.02 on average. |
Pros
- Use your Aeroplan points for every Air Canada seat without restrictions or blackout periods. Plus, unlike most airline loyalty programs, you can use points on multiple airlines in the Star Alliance program, including United Airlines and Lufthansa.
- Earn Aeroplan Status Qualifying Miles with your everyday purchases, allowing you to progress in Aeroplan status and get access to perks like priority seat selection, complimentary checked bags and airport lounge access.
- Get a rebate on your Nexus customs travel application once every 48 months (worth $100).
- Includes a comprehensive suite of travel insurance, including hotel and motel burglary insurance.
Cons
- Since the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card is an airline loyalty card, you can’t redeem points for flights on just any airline.
- You get a lot of value with Aeroplan, but points are redeemed according to a flight reward chart, including specific travel zones. Though this can help maximize the value of your rewards, it’s not the most intuitive program for beginner collectors.
- Having an Aeroplan credit card like this one gets you preferred pricing on flight redemptions. But you can technically earn points faster with the Amex Cobalt by transferring Amex Membership Rewards to Aeroplan. Learn more about why the Amex Cobalt is a strong option for Aeroplan members.
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Best low-interest Visa
At a glance: For those who are carrying debt, a lower-interest credit card is an excellent tool. The RBC Visa Classic Low Rate Option is a fairly no-frills card with a low 12.99% interest rate. It comes with some partner perks, such as discounts at Petro-Canada gas.
RBC Visa Classic Low Rate Option
Annual fee: $20
Low interest rate: 12.99% on purchases
Welcome offer: None
Card details
| Interest rates | 12.99% on purchases, 12.99% on cash advances, 12.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | None specified |
| Credit score | None specified |
Pros
- The low annual fee and no minimum income requirement mean this card is accessible to most Canadians.
- The card’s low interest rate applies to purchases and cash advances.
- Gain access to RBC Offers through RBC online banking or your mobile banking app, and receive savings offers or bonus Avion points on shopping, travel and more.
- Earn Petro Points and save on fuel at Petro-Canada.
Cons
- Primarily designed to help you save on interest, this card doesn’t come with travel insurance benefits.
- There’s no balance transfer promotion to move debt from a higher-interest card.
How we determine the best Visa cards
Our editors apply their credit card expertise and knowledge of Canadians’ financial goals to come up with selection criteria that matches the needs of the intended cardholder. To find the best Visa cards, we started with our list of the best credit cards overall—with each category having its own distinct methodology. When the best card overall is not a Visa card, we pull the highest-ranked Visa alternative. We do the same for Mastercard and American Express. The addition of links from affiliate partners has no bearing on the results. Read more about our selection process and about how MoneySense makes money.
More of Canada’s best credit cards:
- Canada’s best credit cards
- Canada’s best instant approval credit cards
- Canada’s best no fee credit cards
- Canada’s best no foreign transaction fee credit cards
- Canada’s best credit cards for people with bad credit
- Canada’s best travel credit cards
- Canada’s best Mastercard credit cards
What does the * mean?
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