Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards in Canada 2026

A no annual fee card costs nothing to hold, so every dollar of rewards it earns is a dollar ahead. For people with modest card spending, a no-fee card often returns more than a fee card once the fee is subtracted, and even heavy spenders keep one as a backup or for the categories their main card doesn’t cover. This roundup compares the no-fee cards worth considering in Canada by what they’re best at. It’s one of our credit card reviews and roundups.

No annual fee cards compared

Best for cash back

Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card. You choose the categories that earn its higher rate, and a third category is added when the cash back is paid into a Tangerine savings account. If your spending is concentrated in two or three categories, it returns more than a flat-rate no-fee card. Its income requirement is $12,000 personal. The Tangerine Money-Back review covers the categories in detail.

SimplyCash Card from American Express. A higher rate on gas and groceries up to an annual cap and a flat rate on everything else, with no categories to choose. It suits people who want one simple card, provided the places they shop take Amex; the guide to where Amex is accepted covers the gaps, which is one reason many people pair an Amex with a no-fee Visa or Mastercard.

BMO CashBack Mastercard. Its top rate is on groceries, on a monthly cap, and it has no income requirement, which makes it easy to get as well as useful for grocery spending.

Rogers Mastercard and Rogers Red World Elite. Both pay more to customers with a qualifying Rogers, Fido, Shaw or Comwave service, and both pay extra on U.S. dollar purchases. The World Elite version has a high income requirement.

For cash back cards with a fee, which pay higher category rates, see the best cash back credit cards.

Best for spending abroad and in U.S. dollars

No-fee cards almost all charge the standard foreign transaction fee. The exceptions and partial offsets: the Rogers cards pay extra cash back on U.S. dollar purchases, the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard pays cash back on foreign-currency purchases, and Tangerine lets you choose Foreign Currency Spend as a category. For cards that drop the fee entirely, mostly with an annual fee, see the no foreign transaction fee card roundup, and for travel cards generally the best travel credit cards.

Aeroplan without a big fee

TD and CIBC don’t offer a no-fee Aeroplan card; the lowest-cost TD option is the TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum at $89/year. The Aeroplan card comparison sets out the full lineup.

For students and first cards

Most no-fee cards suit a first card, and the bank student cards are no-fee by design. The student credit card roundup and the first credit card guide compare them.

For building credit

The no-fee options for a first card or a rebuild are secured cards such as the Capital One Guaranteed Mastercard and the Home Trust Secured Visa; the Neo Secured Mastercard has no card fee but needs a paid membership to use its limit. The secured credit card comparison covers deposits and fees for each.

What an annual fee buys, and when it’s worth paying

A card’s annual fee pays for higher earn rates and, on most fee cards, insurance (travel medical, trip cancellation, rental car cover), lounge visits or travel credits. The fee is worth paying when the extra rewards and the perks you’d actually use add up to more than the fee. The guide to credit card fees covers annual fees alongside interest and other charges.

A fee card such as the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite+ pays its higher rates on groceries and bills; the premium card roundup covers cards whose value is mostly in lounges and insurance.

Choosing by how you spend

Related Resources

• Best credit cards in Canada: one pick per category
• Credit card comparison table
• How welcome offers work