Best travel credit cards in Canada

Travel credit cards are ranked here by type, starting with cards that earn a provider’s own travel points, ordered by what those points would be worth in a year, less the annual fee, for a household spending $600 a month on groceries, $200 on gas, $200 eating out, $150 on recurring bills, $100 on transit, $50 at the drugstore, $100 on travel and $600 on the rest , a pattern assumed for the comparison and not an average. The first among the cards with a value at that spending is the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card. Airline, hotel and no-fee travel cards follow in their own sections, and welcome offers are not counted; how they work is on credit card welcome offers. The insurance lines in the entries give each cover’s amounts; the certificates attach conditions to the covers, such as charging the trip, rental or item to the card, which are set out on credit card travel insurance and rental car insurance.

Travel points cards ranked by yearly value

These are personal travel points cards with an annual fee in Canadian dollars; the no-fee ones are in the no-fee table, and the U.S.-dollar ones are on the no foreign transaction fee page.

A dash means this table shows no figure for that card. Yearly values use the spending assumed above and each card's published rates and caps. Welcome offers, first-year fee waivers and fee rebates tied to a bank account, banking package, profession or another card are not included.

Premium cards have their own table, and the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite has its full entry on the no foreign transaction fee page.

TD’s top rate is for travel booked through Expedia For TD, so the yearly value counts the profile’s travel spending at the card’s rate for other purchases. The middle rates stop at yearly spending caps, given in the earn line. Each point is valued at TD’s rate for travel bought through Expedia For TD, in the points line. How TD Rewards points work is in the program guide.

RBC pays a higher rate on travel-related purchases and a base rate on other eligible purchases. The value takes each point at RBC’s conversion for travel redemptions, in the points line. The Avion Visa Infinite has its own review, and Avion points are explained in the program guide.

American Express pays the higher rate on travel and at stand-alone gas stations, grocery stores and drugstores in Canada; the yearly value treats the profile’s spending in those categories as made at such merchants in Canada. Each point is valued at the statement-credit rate for eligible purchases, in the points line. The lounge line gives this card’s visits to lounges in Canada and its other lounge program, which needs enrolment and charges entry fees. How Membership Rewards points work is in the program guide.

CIBC’s top rate on this card is for travel bought through the CIBC Rewards Centre. The table shows no yearly value for this card. Its airport lounge visits are through the Visa Airport Companion Program, as the lounge line gives.

Airline credit cards

These personal airline cards earn an airline’s points; they are ordered by annual fee, lowest first, and the table gives no yearly value for them.

A dash means this table shows no figure for that card. Welcome offers, first-year fee waivers and fee rebates tied to a bank account, banking package, profession or another card are not included.

The benefits that come with an Aeroplan card on Air Canada flights, and the Aeroplan cards side by side, are on Aeroplan cards. What Aeroplan points can be redeemed for is on Aeroplan points.

Hotel credit cards

This card’s free night comes each year after the card anniversary, with the room and booking terms in its free night line, and its business version is on the business card ranking.

Hotel points can also come from a flexible points card. American Express’s Membership Rewards terms convert 1,000 points to 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points or to 1,000 Hilton Honors points, and a transfer can’t be reversed.

Marriott Bonvoy points can go the other way too: Air Canada converts them into Aeroplan points at 3 Marriott Bonvoy points = 1 Aeroplan point, with a minimum of 3,000 points for each transfer, and gives an extra 5,000 Aeroplan points every time you convert at least 60,000 points. Some Aeroplan cards also earn at participating Hyatt hotels, at the rates in the airline table above.

Travel credit cards with no annual fee

These personal cards, other than student cards, have no annual fee and carry a travel feature in this site’s card data: travel or airline points, no foreign transaction fee, or an airport lounge benefit. They are listed by provider.

A dash means this table shows no figure for that card. Welcome offers, first-year fee waivers and fee rebates tied to a bank account, banking package, profession or another card are not included.

The lounge lines in this table are Mastercard Travel Pass memberships. The Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard’s line states a discounted rate per person per visit, and the program’s terms add: Depending on the card type and country of issue, fees and charges may apply to the cardholder, and Mastercard can change them at any time without notice. Rogers Bank says that effective November 18, 2026, cash back rewards on the card increase to 5% on certain eligible Rogers purchases, subject to the card's annual limits. Insurance on cards with no annual fee is compared on the no-fee cards page and on credit card travel insurance. No-fee cards ranked by yearly value are on no annual fee credit cards, and cards for students on student credit cards.

Cards with no foreign transaction fee

Cards whose providers state no foreign transaction fee are on no foreign transaction fee cards, ordered by annual fee; the first there is the Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard, Capital One Quicksilver World Mastercard and Home Trust Preferred Visa, tied. The points and airline tables above have a foreign transaction fee column too.

Are travel credit cards worth it?

The value column answers part of the question. A figure there is what a card’s points would be worth at the assumed spending, at the redemption rate in its points line, less its annual fee, so a figure above zero means the points at that spending come to more than the fee.

Neither figure counts travel insurance, lounge visits, free checked bags or credits; their terms are on the pages in the next section.

What sets travel cards apart

Travel insurance. What card cover includes, and the conditions that decide a claim, are on credit card travel insurance, with the cover by card at cover by card.

Rental cars. The cover cards give on a rental car is on rental car insurance.

Airport lounges. Which programs cards use, and their visit and guest terms, are on airport lounge access.

Checked bags. The free first checked bag on the Aeroplan cards that include it, with the airline’s conditions, is on Aeroplan cards.

The foreign transaction fee. How the fee is added to a purchase, and the fees some providers state, are on no foreign transaction fee cards.

Redeeming travel points

The program guides cover redemption: Aeroplan points, Membership Rewards, Avion points, TD Rewards points and Scene+ points. How point values compare across programs is on credit card rewards.

How this ranking works

The points table holds personal travel points cards with an annual fee in Canadian dollars, ordered by yearly value at the assumed spending, with points valued at a fixed redemption rate their program publishes (given in the entry’s points line) and with a rate that depends on booking through the provider’s travel site or buying at named merchants counted at the card’s rate for other purchases in that category or, where it states none, at its rate for other purchases. The airline table holds personal airline cards, ordered by annual fee, lowest first. The no-fee table follows the rule in its section and is listed by provider. The orders leave out insurance, lounge visits, checked bags and welcome offers. How the site’s card tables choose cards and show values is on best credit cards.

Travel cards pages

• Aeroplan cards: the Aeroplan cards and their benefits on Air Canada.
• Airport lounge access: cards with lounge visits and the programs behind them.
• No foreign transaction fee cards: the cards, providers’ fees and U.S.-dollar cards.
• Credit card travel insurance: what card cover includes, by card.
• Rental car insurance: rental car cover on cards.