Canadian Personal Credit Card Comparison
Compare 8 Canadian personal credit cards side-by-side — choose which cards to line up, filter by network, reward type, and perks, then click any card name for full details.
Showing 8 of 8 selected
| Attribute | Amex PlatinumAmerican Express Bank of CanadaDetails → | Scotia Gold AmexScotiabankDetails → | Rogers World EliteRogers BankDetails → | Triangle MCCanadian Tire BankDetails → | CIBC CostcoCIBCDetails → | TD AeroplanTDDetails → | Scotia PassportScotiabankDetails → | CIBC DividendCIBCDetails → |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network | AMEX | AMEX | MASTERCARD | MASTERCARD | MASTERCARD | VISA | VISA | VISA |
| Reward currency | Membership Rewards | Scene+ | Rogers cash back | Canadian Tire Money (Triangle Rewards) | Cash back (annual Costco coupon) | Aeroplan | Scene+ | CIBC Dividend cash back |
| Annual fee | $799 (weakest in row) | $120 | $0 (best in row) | $0 (best in row) | $0 (best in row) | $139 | $150 | $120 |
| Auth card fee | $250 | $29 | N/A | N/A | N/A | $75 | N/A | $30 |
| FX fee | 2.5% (weakest in row) | None (best in row) | 2.5% (weakest in row) | 2.5% (weakest in row) | 2.5% (weakest in row) | 2.5% (weakest in row) | None (best in row) | 2.5% (weakest in row) |
| USD spend | 1xBase rate | 1xBase rate | 4.5% at USD purchases when rewards are redeemed to Rogers/Fido/Shaw servicesFalls back to 3% on non-bonus spendcapped (best in row) | 0.5%Base rate (weakest in row) | 1%Base rate | 1xBase rate | 1xBase rate | 1%Base rate |
| Dining | 2xFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spend | 5x at Other groceries, dining, and entertainment merchants in CanadaFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped (best in row) | 3%Base rate | 0.5%Base rate (weakest in row) | 3%Falls back to 1% on non-bonus spend | 1xBase rate | 2x at Other groceries, dining, entertainment, and daily transitFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped | 2%Falls back to 1% on non-bonus spendcapped |
| Groceries | 1xBase rate | 6x at Scene+ grocery partner storesFalls back to 5x on Other groceries, dining, and entertainment merchants in Canadacapped (best in row) | 3%Base rate | 1.5%Falls back to 0.5% on non-bonus spendcapped | 1%Base rate (weakest in row) | 1.5xFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped | 3x at Scene+ grocery partner storesFalls back to 2x on Other groceries, dining, entertainment, and daily transitcapped | 4%Falls back to 1% on non-bonus spendcapped |
| Gas | 1xBase rate | 3x at Gas, daily transit and streaming services in CanadaFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped | 3%Base rate | 0.5%Base rate (weakest in row) | 3% at Costco gas stationsFalls back to 2% on Other gas stations and Costco.cacapped | 1.5xFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped | 1xBase rate | 4%Falls back to 1% on non-bonus spendcapped (best in row) |
| Travel | 2xFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spend (best in row) | 1xBase rate | 3%Base rate | 0.5%Base rate (weakest in row) | 1%Base rate | 1xBase rate | 4x at Scene+ Travel portal hotel and car-rental bookingsFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spend | 1%Base rate |
| Transit | 1xBase rate | 3x at Gas, daily transit and streaming services in CanadaFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped (best in row) | 3%Base rate | 0.5%Base rate (weakest in row) | 1%Base rate | 1xBase rate | 2x at Other groceries, dining, entertainment, and daily transitFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped | 2%Falls back to 1% on non-bonus spendcapped |
| Entertainment | 1xBase rate | 5x at Other groceries, dining, and entertainment merchants in CanadaFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped (best in row) | 3%Base rate | 0.5%Base rate (weakest in row) | 1%Base rate | 1xBase rate | 2x at Other groceries, dining, entertainment, and daily transitFalls back to 1x on non-bonus spendcapped | 1%Base rate |
| Base earn | 1x | 1x | 3% (best in row) | 0.5% (weakest in row) | 1% | 1x | 1x | 1% |
| Lounge | Unlimited (best in row) | None (weakest in row) | None (weakest in row) | None (weakest in row) | None (weakest in row) | None (weakest in row) | 6/yr | None (weakest in row) |
| Brand / partner perks | - | IGA 6x | Rogers / Fido redemption (applied to values above) 1.5% | Canadian Tire stores 4%; Petro-Canada +$0.05/L | Costco gas 3% | Air Canada 1.5x | - | Ultramar +$0.10/L |
| Redemption | Flexible — transfer partners & travel | Scene+ — travel, groceries, dining | Best value toward Rogers/Fido/Shaw bills | Canadian Tire family stores only (weakest in row) | Annual coupon, redeemed at Costco (best in row) | Air Canada & Star Alliance flights | Scene+ — travel, groceries, dining | Statement credit |
Cells show each card's actual earn rate (× for points, % for cash back). Green marks the best value in each numeric row and red the weakest; for fees, lower is better. Ranking is by estimated cash value — Amex MR and Aeroplan at 2¢/point, Scene+ at 1¢, cash back at 1¢ (Rogers 1.5¢ when redeemed toward Rogers/Fido/Shaw bills). The Redemption row rates how flexibly each reward can be used — separate from how much it is worth, and the tiebreaker when two cards earn the same estimated value.
What counts in each category?
Issuers bucket each purchase by how the merchant is coded, not by what you bought — so a category can miss purchases you would expect it to cover. Each definition below carries the one gotcha most likely to surprise you. Spending caps are card-specific and listed on each card's detail page.
- USD spend
Purchases charged in US dollars, online or while travelling.
e.g. US online stores, US-billed subscriptions, purchases in the US
Watch out: A ~2.5% FX fee applies on most cards and eats much of a USD bonus unless the card waives it.
- Dining
Restaurants, bars, cafés, fast food, and food delivery.
e.g. Sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, Uber Eats / DoorDash
Watch out: Food bought inside a hotel, store, or venue can code as that venue instead of dining.
- Groceries
Stand-alone grocery stores and supermarkets.
e.g. Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys / IGA, No Frills
Watch out: Walmart and Costco usually code as general merchandise or wholesale club, so most cards pay only the base rate there.
- Gas
Gas stations — and EV charging on many newer cards.
e.g. Petro-Canada, Esso, Shell, Ultramar
Watch out: Warehouse-club pumps (e.g. Costco gas) can code as the club rather than a gas station on some cards.
- Travel
Flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel bookings.
e.g. Airlines, hotels, car rentals, tour operators
Watch out: Some cards only pay their travel bonus on bookings made through the issuer's own travel portal.
- Transit
Daily public transit and local rides.
e.g. Bus / subway / commuter fares, taxis, rideshares
Watch out: Fares bought through municipal apps sometimes code as government services and miss the bonus.
- Entertainment
Movie theatres, concerts, and other entertainment venues.
e.g. Cinemas, theatres, concerts, attractions
Watch out: Streaming is usually a separate, narrower list of named services — not part of general entertainment.
- Base earn
Everything that doesn't fall in a bonus category — the card's default rate.
- Canadian Tire storesbrand-specific
The Canadian Tire family of stores — a brand perk, not a true merchant category.
e.g. Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Mark's, Atmosphere