The content of this page was last updated:
October 17, 2022
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what you should know
- Cashback cards have the easiest redemption process.
- Your earnings ratios generally vary by expense category.
- The best cashback card for you has the highest win rate in its main spending categories.
- There are many cards with and without annuity.
Cashback credit cards have the simplest reward system everCanada credit card. They are ideal for those who want a language that is easy to understandreward system. The refund rate varies by credit card, but generally ranges from 1% to 4%. In addition, you will receive a higher price on certain categories, e.g. For example, restaurants or travel. The best cashback card for you has the highest cashback rates in the categories you spend the most.
Cash back on credit cards explained
With each purchase, you receive a certain percentage of your money back. The percentage is called the refund rate, which varies by credit card. While some cards offer a fixed cashback rate on all purchases, most offer varying rates depending on what you're buying.
You want a card that offers the highest rates in your most common spending categories. You can get a credit card that offershigh food rewardswhether you spend big on groceries every month or get a credit card that offers great food rewards if you eat out often. For example, the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite Card offers 4% cashback on gas and groceries, 2% on food, transportation and recurring bills, and 1% on everything else. If youoften buys gasolineand groceries, this is an excellent card. However, if you spend most of your income in restaurants, you should look for another card with a higher rate in this category. Essentially, the best cashback card depends on your current spending habits.
Best cashback credit cards in Canada
We've created the table below to help you compare cashback credit cards based on their main spending categories. By clicking on each column heading, you can sort by the highest winning cards in that category. Also, you can filter cards with annual fees.
Reimbursement Rate | |||
---|---|---|---|
Map | |||
Scotland Momentum® Visa Infinite-Karte | 4,00% | 1,00% | $ 120,00 |
TD Cash Back Visa Infinite*-Karte | 3,00% | 1,00% | $ 120,00 |
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite-Karte | 4,00% | 1,00% | $ 120,00 |
Meridian Visa Infinite Cash-Back-Karte | 4,00% | 1,00% | $ 99,00 |
BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard® | 5,00% | 1,00% | $ 120,00 |
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa*-Karte | 3,00% | 1,00% | $ 99,00 |
Brim World Elite Mastercard | 2,00% | 2,00% | 199,00 $ |
American Express SimplyCash™ Preferred Card | 2,00% | 2,00% | $ 99,00 |
Scotia Momentum® Visa Card* | 2,00% | 1,00% | $ 39,00 |
Brim World Mastercard | 1,50% | 1,50% | $ 99,00 |
CIBC Cashback Credit Card
The CIBC Cashback Credit Card is an excellent choice for a hassle-free rewards scheme. You can redeem your CIBC Cashback Credit in $25 increments at any time. CIBC offers a wide range of cashback credit cards, from premium to free cards. Additionally, CIBC is Costco's new credit card partner. ForLearn more about CIBC, you can visit our linked site.
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite
Annual fee:
$ 120
Income requirements:
$60,000 personal, $100,000 domestic
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Signup Bonus:
- First year discount
Refund rate:
- 4% on groceries and gasoline
- 2% on transportation, meals and recurring payments
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Comprehensive insurance (mobile device, purchase security, travel medical insurance, traffic accident and rental car collision)
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visualization
Annual fee:
$ 99
Income requirements:
$15,000 budget
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Signup Bonus:
- First year discount
Refund rate:
- 3% on groceries and gasoline
- 2% on transportation, meals and recurring payments
- 1% off everything else
CIBC Dividend® Visualization
Annual fee:
$ 0
Income requirements:
$15,000 budget
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Refund rate:
- 2% on groceries
- 1% off everything else
CIBC Costco® Mastercard
Annual fee:
$0 (with Costco membership)
Income requirements:
$60,000 personal, $100,000 domestic
Zinc rate:
19.75% on purchases, 21.49% on cash
Signup Bonus:
- $20 credit on first purchase
Refund rate:
- 3% at restaurants and Costco Gas
- 2% off other gas stations and Costco online
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Competition insurance (mobile device, purchase security and extended warranty)
RBC cashback credit card
RBC offers a premium credit card with free cashback. You can redeem your cashback rewards starting at $20. RBC is the only major bank to offer a flat rate card, which means that each category earns the same cashback rate. Notably, RBC has partnered with DoorDash to offer a free DashPass subscription that offers free deliveries. We also publish a guide onRBC mortgage rates.
RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee:
$ 99
Income requirements:
$80,000 personal, $150,000 domestic
Zinc rate:
19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash
Refund rate:
- 1.5% off everything
Additional benefits:
- Save an additional 3¢/L in Petro-Canada
- Earn 50 Be Well points for every dollar spent at Rexall
- Free DoorDash deliveries for 12 months (DashPass subscription)
RBC-Cashback-Mastercard
Annual fee:
$ 0
Income requirements:
none
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Refund rate:
- 2% on groceries
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Save an additional 3¢/L in Petro-Canada
- Earn 50 Be Well points for every dollar spent at Rexall
- Free DoorDash deliveries for 12 months (DashPass subscription)
TD Cash Back Credit Card
TD offers two cashback redemption options. Initially, with redemptions over $25, you can redeem whenever you want. However, there is also the option to redeem every January with no minimum requirement.
TD offers two types of cards. Premium Visa infinite includes a comprehensiveinsurance set. This card gives you travel assistance and various types of travel health insurance. Plus, you can link your card to your Starbucks membership to earn 50% more stars at participating locations.TD interest ratesare comparable to other credit cards.
TD Cash Back Visa Infinite
Annual fee:
$ 120
Income requirements:
$60,000 personal, $100,000 domestic
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Signup Bonus:
- 10% cashback on all purchases in the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in spend)
- First year discount
Refund rate:
- 3% on groceries, gas, and recurring payments
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Breakdown Assistance (TD Auto Club Deluxe Membership)
- Competition insurance (travel medical insurance, delayed and lost luggage, rental car collision)
- Earn 50% more stars at participating Starbucks locations
TD Cash-Back-Visum
Annual fee:
$ 0
Income requirements:
none
Zinc rate:
19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash
Refund rate:
- 1% on groceries and gasoline
- 0.5% on everything else
Additional benefits:
- Earn 50% more stars at participating Starbucks locations
BMO Cashback Credit Card
BMO's Cashback World Elite offers the highest grocery cashback rate in Canada. At 5%, it's a great card for parents or anyone who likes to cook. This is also one of the few cashback cards that offers free airport lounge access.
BMOit also has one of the most flexible redemption programs. You have the option to redeem your cashback anytime with a minimum of $1. Additionally, you can set up automatic deposits starting as low as $25. Your automatic deposits can be forwarded to a bank statement, BMO bank account or investment account .
BMO CashBack® World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee:
$ 120
Income requirements:
$80,000 personal, $150,000 domestic
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 23.99% Cash
Signup Bonus:
- 10% cashback on all purchases in the first 3 months (up to $2,600 in spend)
- First year discount
Refund rate:
- 5% on groceries
- 4% no transportation
- 3% on charging gasoline and electric vehicles
- 2% on recurring payments
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Roadside Emergency Services (BMO Basic Roadside Assistance Program)
- Travel insurance (8 days travel outside the province and health insurance)
BMO CashBack® Mastercard
Annual fee:
$ 0
Income requirements:
none
Zinc rate:
19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash
Signup Bonus:
- 5% cashback on all purchases in the first 3 months (up to $2,500 in spend)
- Introductory 1.99% credit transfer fee for 9 months (additional 1% transfer fee)
Refund rate:
- 3% on groceries
- 1% on recurring payments
- 0.5% on everything else
Scotiabank cashback credit card
Scotiabankis the only major Canadian bank to offer an intermediate cashback credit card. This card costs just $39 per year and offers 2% cashback on many categories. Categories include gas stations, groceries, recurring bills, and 1% off everything else.
Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite
Annual fee:
$ 120
Income requirements:
$60,000 personal, $100,000 domestic
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Signup Bonus:
- First year discount
- 10% cashback on all purchases in the first 3 months (up to $2,000 spent).
Refund rate:
- 4% on groceries and recurring payments
- 2% on gasoline and transport
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Comprehensive insurance (mobile device, trip cancellation/interruption, travel emergency medicine, travel accident, flight delay, luggage delay/loss, rental car collision/damage, purchase protection/extended warranty)
Scotland Momentum®-View
Annual fee:
$ 39
Income requirements:
none
Zinc rate:
19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash
Signup Bonus:
- Introductory 0.00% balance transfer fee for 6 months (additional 2% transfer fee)
Refund rate:
- 2% on groceries, gas, and recurring payments
- 1% off everything else
Additional benefits:
- Purchase of security and extended warranty insurance
Scotia Momentum® Toll Free Visa or Mastercard
Annual fee:
$ 0
Income requirements:
none
Zinc rate:
20.99% Purchases, 22.99% Cash
Registration Bonus (Visa):
- 5% cashback on all purchases in the first 3 months (up to $2,000 spent).
- Introductory 0.00% balance transfer fee for 6 months (additional 2% transfer fee)
Sign-up Bonus (Mastercard):
- Introductory interest rate of 7.99% for 6 months
Refund rate:
- 1% on groceries, gas, and recurring payments
- 0.5% on everything else
More considerations
While you should primarily consider the repayment rate for your main spending categories, some additional benefits can help you decide on the best card. This includes welcome bonuses, cashback restrictions, annual fees and much more. This section provides more information to strengthen your decision making.
Cash back welcome bonus
It's also worth comparing cashback cards based on their welcome bonuses. These are typically three-month periods where your repayment rates increase by a certain amount. For example, Simplii Cashback Visa offers 10% cashback on purchases at restaurants, bars and cafes. The promotion is valid for four months and up to $500 in spending. Below are the best May 31, 2022 cashback welcome bonuses:
Map | welcome bonus | Requirements |
---|---|---|
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard | 10% back on eligible categories for three months. First year free. | A maximum of $2,600 in category spend ($500 cashback). Apply by December 6, 2022. |
American Express SimplyCashTM Preferred Card | 10% back on all purchases for four months. | $4,000 maximum spend ($400 reimbursement). |
Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite | 10% back on all purchases for three months. | Maximum spend of $2,000 ($200 refund). Apply by August 31, 2022. |
TD Cash Back Visa Infinite | 10% back on all purchases for three months. First year free. | Maximum spend of $2,000 ($200 refund). Apply by September 5, 2022. |
Simple Financial™ Refund | 10% off restaurant purchases for four months. | $500 max spend ($50 refund). |
Reimbursement Limits
Most cashback credit cards in Canada have no cap on the cashback you can earn. However, some may limit how much money you can earn in certain categories. For example, the Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa offers 4% cashback on restaurant purchases of up to $5,000. Your response rate drops if you spend more than $5,000 in that category each year.
Any amount above this threshold will receive a refund fee of 0.5% in this scenario. In general, cards with a higher win rate tend to limit the amount of cashback you can get after spending a certain amount.
annual fees
Most credit card companies offer both free and premium cashback cards. While premium cashback cards can cost anywhere from $39 to $120 a year, there are some outliers. In general, the more you pay for a card, the more benefits you can expect. First, paid cards offer a higher average cashback rate. You can refer to the chart below to see this.
Average cash-back rate after annual expenses
In addition to the quantitative benefits, they can offer access to lounges, exclusive events, etc. However, it's up to you to decide whether these benefits are ultimately worth the cost.
annual costs | standard services | notable maps |
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$ 0 |
|
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$ 39 |
|
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$ 99 |
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$ 120 |
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redemption frequency
The other thing you need to understand is how to get your refund. Each card has different mechanisms. While most cards automatically deduct the refund from your credit statement each month, this is not always the case. For example, the Brim Cashback card requires you to "redeem" cashback on qualifying purchases. Simplii Cashback Visa, on the other hand, collects the cashback and applies it to your bill every December.
interest rates
Canada cashback card interest rates vary, but are generally lower than travel reward cards. For example, the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite has an annual interest rate of 19.99%, while the CIBC Costco® Mastercard has a slightly lower interest rate of just 19.75%.
This is because travel rewards cards come with a lot of features. To cover part of the cost, banks charge higher interest rates for train tickets.
However, credit card interest rates are often significantly higher than credit card interest rates.mortgage rates in canada. Currently a5 year fixed mortgage rateis about 4%. When it comes to credit products, credit cards have some of the highest interest rates. That's why it's important to pay your bill in full and keep a low balance each month.
network acceptance
Another consideration is your credit card network. There are three main credit networks – Mastercard, Visa and American Express. Depending on where you choose to spend your card, they may only accept certain networks. For example, American Express is not widely accepted outside of North America and the UK. Likewise, Canadian Costcos only accept Mastercard, while American locations only accept Visa.
Cashback vs travel credit cards
Benefits | Disadvantages | |
---|---|---|
money back |
|
|
Trip |
|
|
Cashback credit cards are ideal if you:
- Don't travel often
- Prefer a simpler redemption process
- Do you want a lower annual fee?
DespiteThe best travel credit cardsdeserve a bigger return, they have a learning curve. To get the best return on your points, you need to know the best ways to redeem them. For example, travel points are more valuable when redeemed for travel-related purchases rather than gift cards. If you don't travel often, you won't get the best value for your points.
Additionally, there may be blackout periods and fluctuating scores. In comparison, cashback credit cards allow you to understand the value of your points and redeem them quickly.
Next, most travel credit cards have a personal income requirement of $60,000 or a family income requirement of $100,000. If you don't reach that limit, you're limited to a handful of tickets. Interestingly, American Express credit cards have no income requirements, so you may still qualify for one.
Finally, travel credit cards have a high annual fee to pay all benefits. The best Canada cashback credit cards have annual fees ranging from $0 to $120. The best travel rewards credit cards, on the other hand, have annual fees in excess of $200. offer perks like lounge access and travel insurance, you won't benefit much from the higher cost unless you're a frequent traveler.
the end result
There is no best cash back credit card in Canada. The best cashback credit card depends on how you spend. You can use our interactive chart at the top of this article to find the card that maximizes your current spending habits. Also, it's best to consider welcome bonuses and redemption frequency.
Common questions
What is the best cashback credit card in Canada?
It depends on your spending habits. You can use our interactive chart at the top of this article to find the best cashback credit card.
How do I redeem my cashback?
Each card has different redemption requirements. For example, some cards automatically deduct the refund from your credit account each month, while others require you to "redeem" the refund on eligible purchases.
Do cashback credit cards have annual fees?
Most cashback credit cards have an annual fee. However, there are many premium cards with an annual fee.
Are there income requirements for cashback credit cards?
Most cashback credit cards have no income requirements. However, premium cards with annual fees over $99 typically have income requirements of $60,000 per person or $100,000 per family. Additionally, some cards require more than $80,000 in personal income or $150,000 per household.
Should I get a refund or a travel rewards credit card?
It depends on your spending habits and how often you travel. Travel Rewards credit cards are best when you can spend big on travel and reap the benefits. Cashback credit cards are ideal if you don't travel often or prefer a less complicated redemption.
Do cashback credit cards incur foreign transaction fees?
Most cashback credit cards have a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. However, there are some cards that do not charge this fee. For example, Brim credit cards have no exchange fees and refund fees range from 0.5% to 2.00%.
In addition, theRogers World Elite Mastercardget 3% cashback on your purchases atAmerican dollar. Although Rogers World Elite has a 2.5% exchange rate, you can consider it a 0.5% net cashback purchase in USD. Be careful with refunds when using this card, as you will forfeit the refund amount and will be charged a full 5% exchange fee.
How do cashback credit cards work?
Cashback credit cards work by accumulating cash back on every purchase you make. This refund can be redeemed by statement credit, gift card, or direct deposit into a bank account. The best cashback credit cards have high win rates, flexible redemption options, and valuable perks.
How can I compare cashback credit cards?
When looking for the best cash back credit card, it is important to compare all the features and benefits of each card. This includes the win rate, redemption options, annual fee and valuable perks. You can use our interactive chart at the top of this article to compare cashback credit cards side by side.
The calculators and content on this site are for general informational purposes only. WOWA does not guarantee the accuracy of the displayed information and is not responsible for the consequences of using the calculator.