The Visa answer to the Aeroplan Reserve: same core perks with universal acceptance, traded against smaller peak bonuses.
Ranking basis: $2,208 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Air Canada regulars who want premium Aeroplan perks without Amex acceptance issues.
Skip if: Your spend can't reach the bonus tiers; the mid-tier TD Aeroplan VI keeps most of the useful perks.
$599 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,104 · Aeroplan · See offer
The Visa answer to the Amex Aeroplan Reserve: unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access and the same status-credit engine, on a card accepted everywhere. Compelling for CIBC clients who fly Air Canada often, but the income gate and $25,000 spend for the full bonus keep it a narrow-audience card.
Ranking basis: $2,208 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: High-income Air Canada loyalists who want unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access on a widely accepted Visa and will clear the spend thresholds.
Skip if: You don't clear the $150K/$200K income bar or won't spend $25,000 a year; the standard CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite covers the checked-bag basics for a fraction of the fee.
$599 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,104 · Aeroplan · See offer
A starter card that earns like a premium one: 3x Avion points on most everyday spending for $48 a year. The Avion Visa Infinite adds a bigger bonus and travel insurance, not a better everyday earn rate.
Ranking basis: $2,138 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Younger or newer-to-credit applicants who want an entry point into the Avion points ecosystem for a low fee.
Skip if: Most of your spending falls outside groceries, dining, gas, transit and streaming, or you want the Avion Visa Infinite's bigger bonus and travel insurance.
$48 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,181 · RBC Avion · See offer
Interchangeable with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite. Chase whichever has the better welcome offer or fee waiver this quarter.
Ranking basis: $2,105 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: CIBC clients who fly Air Canada and check bags: same case as the TD version, different bank.
Skip if: You bank elsewhere; pick the Aeroplan VI card from your own bank when offers are equal.
$139 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,122 · Aeroplan · See offer
The default Aeroplan card for most Canadians. Not a big earner, but the checked-bag benefit and redemption perks make it an easy hold for AC loyalists.
Ranking basis: $2,105 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Air Canada flyers who check bags and redeem through Aeroplan; the checked-bag perk alone can clear the fee.
Skip if: You rarely fly Air Canada; a flexible-points card earns Aeroplan indirectly with more options.
$139 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,122 · Aeroplan · See offer
A step-up card that mostly makes sense during elevated offers or for clients who value the lounge access; otherwise the standard Infinite is the smarter Avion play.
Ranking basis: $1,882 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: RBC premium clients who want lounge access and a bigger Avion bonus inside their existing bank.
Skip if: The standard Avion Infinite captures most of the program's value at 30% of the fee.
$399 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,021 · RBC Avion · See offer
A first-year-value play: the bonus plus fee waiver is genuinely large, but the ongoing program is portal-locked and mediocre.
Ranking basis: $1,861 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: TD clients who book travel anyway and want a large, simple first-year haul without learning points programs.
Skip if: You value flexibility; TD Rewards can't transfer anywhere.
$139 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,400 · TD Rewards · See offer
A dependable flexible-points program with sneaky-good chart redemptions. Strongest inside the RBC ecosystem; middling as a pure earner.
Ranking basis: $1,768 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: RBC clients who take short-haul North American flights and will use the redemption chart.
Skip if: You want maximum earn per dollar; Amex MR cards accumulate faster.
$120 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,204 · RBC Avion · See offer
A perk-forward card in an average points program. The lounge visits and NEXUS rebate carry the value; the points are the supporting act.
Ranking basis: $1,499 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: CIBC clients who want travel perks (lounge visits and NEXUS rebates) bundled into a mainstream card.
Skip if: You're optimizing point value; Aventura sits a tier below the majors.
$139 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,194 · CIBC Aventura · See offer
Good multipliers on a weak currency. Fine as a BMO client's everyday card; rarely the cross-market winner.
Ranking basis: $1,484 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Everyday spenders in the BMO ecosystem who want high multipliers on a Visa without a premium fee.
Skip if: You compare real cents per dollar: 5x at 0.67¢ is ~3.35%, which strong cash-back cards approach with none of the portal friction.
$120 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $903 · BMO Rewards · See offer
A specialist's card: the bonus is genuinely valuable in the right hands, and close to pointless in the wrong ones.
Ranking basis: $1,442 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Points hobbyists who want Avios for short-haul partner redemptions without transferring through Amex MR.
Skip if: You don't know what an Avios is worth; this card only pays off with deliberate redemptions.
$165 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $1,121 · British Airways Avios · See offer
The best widely-accepted cash-back card for grocery-and-gas-heavy households. Visa acceptance is its trump card over the Amex SimplyCash Preferred.
Ranking basis: $1,412 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Households with heavy grocery and gas bills who want top cash rates on a Visa accepted everywhere.
Skip if: Your spending is spread across categories; a 2% flat card beats the blended rate.
$120 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $866 · Cash back · See offer
The cleanest free on-ramp to RBC Avion. Upgrade to the ION+ once your spend justifies the fee.
Ranking basis: $1,266 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Anyone who wants to start earning transferable Avion points with zero annual fee.
Skip if: You spend enough to justify the ION+'s $48 fee; its higher earn rate and added perks pay for themselves quickly.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $745 · RBC Avion · See offer
The lounge access is real but capped at six visits a year, and Aventura's redemption ceiling doesn't improve much between tiers. Pay for this one only if you'll actually use the lounges often.
Ranking basis: $1,248 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: CIBC clients who travel often enough to use six lounge visits a year and want to stay inside the Aventura program.
Skip if: The standard Aventura Visa Infinite's four lounge visits already cover your travel frequency; save the $360 fee difference.
$499 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $749 · CIBC Aventura · See offer
An entry-level on-ramp to Aeroplan, not a destination card. Most flyers should graduate to the Visa Infinite once the bag perk pays for itself.
Ranking basis: $1,153 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Occasional Air Canada flyers who want to start earning Aeroplan directly before committing to the Visa Infinite's $139 fee.
Skip if: You check bags on Air Canada regularly; the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite's bag perk alone clears its higher fee.
$89 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $811 · Aeroplan · See offer
A capable mid-tier TD Rewards travel card with excellent everyday accelerators. The missing emergency medical coverage is the notable gap for a card called 'Travel'.
Ranking basis: $1,133 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Travellers who want strong grocery/dining/transit earn and a first-year-free mid-tier card, and who'll book travel through Expedia For TD.
Skip if: You need travel medical coverage built in, or you want transferable points with higher redemption value.
$89 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $736 · TD Rewards · See offer
A serviceable free on-ramp to Aeroplan. Most frequent flyers should graduate to the Visa Infinite tier.
Ranking basis: $1,052 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Occasional Air Canada flyers who want to start earning Aeroplan points without an annual fee.
Skip if: You check bags on Air Canada often; the Visa Infinite's bag perk alone covers its $139 fee.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $526 · Aeroplan · See offer
Neck-and-neck with the CIBC Dividend for best cash-back Visa. The recurring-payments 4% is its edge; the once-a-year payout its tax.
Ranking basis: $988 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Grocery-and-bills-heavy households that want top Visa cash rates with no points homework.
Skip if: You want your cash back on demand; the annual payout is a real annoyance.
$120 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $554 · Cash back · See offer
A competent cash-back card whose real differentiator is the bundled Auto Club membership. Usually second to the CIBC Dividend on pure rates.
Ranking basis: $843 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: TD loyalists with concentrated gas/grocery/bills spend who value the roadside membership.
Skip if: You're issuer-agnostic; the CIBC Dividend's 4% categories beat it.
$139 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $491 · Cash back · See offer
A capable no-fee entry into Scene+. Fine on its own, and a natural stepping stone toward the Passport once travel and lounge access matter.
Ranking basis: $830 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Free-card users who want simple points on food and entertainment spend with an easy upgrade path to the Passport later.
Skip if: You want cash back with no redemption thinking at all; a flat cash-back card is simpler for the same $0 fee.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $440 · Scene+ · See offer
A well-targeted student card: modest earn, but on exactly the categories a student budget hits, with a redemption a 19-year-old will actually use.
Ranking basis: $830 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Students who go to the movies and want simple, immediately-usable points on food and entertainment spend.
Skip if: You'd rather build travel points; Scene+ doesn't transfer anywhere.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $440 · Scene+ · See offer
Canada's best all-round no-FX Visa. The 2.5% FX saving plus lounge visits deliver real, unglamorous value even though the points ceiling is low.
Ranking basis: $778 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Canadians who spend abroad regularly and want lounge visits plus simple redemptions on one Visa.
Skip if: You maximize point value through transfers; Scene+ can't play that game.
$150 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $514 · Scene+ · See offer
A solid broad-category 2% cash-back card, freshly restructured in February 2026. The $49 fee and lack of a sign-up bonus are the main drawbacks.
Ranking basis: $730 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Everyday spenders who want simple flat-2% cash back across groceries, gas, transit, and bills.
Skip if: You spend heavily past $25,000/year in those categories, or you want a card with no annual fee.
$49 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $365 · Cash back · See offer
A dining card wearing a cash-back card's name. The 4% on restaurants is permanent and among the best no-fee dining rates in Canada, but it stops at $5,000 of spend a year and everything outside that category earns ordinary rates.
Ranking basis: $726 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: People who eat out regularly and want a no-fee card whose best rate (4% on restaurants, bars, and coffee shops) doesn't expire after year one.
Skip if: Groceries dominate your spend: 1.5% is well behind the no-fee cards built around the grocery aisle.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $363 · Cash back · See offer
A fine no-cost way to dabble in Aventura points. Serious travellers should graduate to the Visa Infinite.
Ranking basis: $670 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Occasional travellers who want free, flexible travel points without an annual fee.
Skip if: You spend enough to clear the Aventura Visa Infinite's fee; its bonus categories and insurance pay for themselves.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $413 · CIBC Aventura · See offer
One of the only cards in Canada pairing a flat 2% cash-back rate with 0% FX fees. Whether it clears its own fee comes down to hitting the Premium asset threshold or the direct-deposit waiver; otherwise a no-fee alternative gets similar math for free.
Ranking basis: $668 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Wealthsimple clients who want a genuinely flat 2% cash-back rate with zero foreign transaction fees and don't need lounge access.
Skip if: You don't already bank with Wealthsimple, or your spend is too low to justify the $240 fee if you don't qualify for a waiver.
$240 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $368 · Cash back · See offer
An unusual premium card: it pays a flat 2% instead of transferable points, while still bundling real lounge access and strong insurance. The catch is qualifying: this carries one of the steepest income/asset eligibility bars of any card in this database.
Ranking basis: $668 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: High-income or high-asset Wealthsimple clients who want lounge access and stronger insurance stacked on a flat 2% cash-back, no-FX card.
Skip if: You don't clear the $150K personal / $200K household income (or $400K asset) eligibility bar; the standard Infinite+ delivers the same cash-back and no-FX math without the gate.
$240 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $368 · Cash back · See offer
A solid no-fee TD Rewards earner. The 3x grocery/dining/transit rate is genuinely good; just redeem through Expedia For TD to get full value.
Ranking basis: $652 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Anyone who wants a no-fee everyday points card with strong grocery, dining, and transit earn and no income requirement.
Skip if: You want maximum point value or transferable rewards; TD Rewards redeem best only through Expedia For TD.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $364 · TD Rewards · See offer
Broad 5x earning and credible premium benefits, but the high fee and weak points currency make it conditional rather than a default luxury-card winner.
Ranking basis: $634 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: High-spend travellers who will use the annual lifestyle credit and six lounge visits and can clear the demanding offer thresholds.
Skip if: You want transferable points, will not use the annual credit, or cannot organically spend $75,000 in the first year.
$599 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $585 · BMO Rewards · See offer
A solid, unglamorous free cash-back card. The 2% grocery rate is its best feature; everything else is average.
Ranking basis: $618 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Grocery-heavy households who want a simple, genuinely free cash-back card.
Skip if: You spend heavily outside groceries/gas/dining; a flat-rate card likely earns more overall.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $309 · Cash back · See offer
A narrow but real niche winner: the only genuinely free, no-FX card in Canada. Skip it for domestic spend, keep it in the wallet for anything priced in USD.
Ranking basis: $540 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Frequent US/international spenders who want to skip both the annual fee and the 2.5% FX markup on a simple card.
Skip if: You spend mostly in CAD; a category cash-back card earns more for the same $0 fee.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $270 · Cash back · See offer
A genuinely strong top-tier card for Desjardins members, let down for everyone else by the fixed-value points ceiling and steep non-member fee.
Ranking basis: $538 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Desjardins members who spend heavily on dining, groceries, and travel and want the richest Odyssey tier's lounge access and concierge perks.
Skip if: You're not a Desjardins member; the $395 non-member fee is hard to justify against Amex Platinum or Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege.
$395 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $269 · Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS · See offer
A free card whose insurance is better than its earn rate. The 2% categories cap at $3,600 a year combined and everything else earns 0.5%, so most households will earn more elsewhere; the 3-day travel medical and $1,000 phone cover are the reasons to hold it.
Ranking basis: $370 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Anyone who wants a free card with real insurance, and whose spending leans on restaurants, entertainment and bills paid by pre-authorized payment.
Skip if: Groceries or general spending make up most of your budget: at 0.5% outside the bonus categories, a free flat-rate card earns more.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $185 · Cash back · See offer
The Cash Back Visa paid in BONUSDOLLARS instead of cash. The rates are identical and a BONUSDOLLAR is worth $1, so the choice comes down to redeeming through Desjardins or getting a credit on your account. Most people should take the cash.
Ranking basis: $370 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: People who want a free Desjardins card and would rather redeem BONUSDOLLARS through Desjardins than receive cash back.
Skip if: You'd be just as happy with cash: the Cash Back Visa pays the same rates as a credit to your account.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $185 · Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS · See offer
The weakest rung of the Odyssey ladder: no welcome offer, no confirmed fee waiver, capped 2% categories, and a 0.65% base rate. The gap to the World Elite Mastercard is small enough that most members should skip straight there.
Ranking basis: $302 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Desjardins members whose spend concentrates in the 2% categories and stays under the annual caps.
Skip if: Much of your spend falls outside those categories; 0.65% on everything else is weak, and the World Elite Mastercard adds lounge passes and higher rates for $20 more.
$110 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $151 · Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS · See offer
The most premium Scene+ product to date: a real travel credit and lounge access stacked on Scotiabank's no-FX simplicity, but the $599 fee needs disciplined use of the credit and lounge visits to clear.
Ranking basis: $210 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Frequent travellers who want Scotiabank's simplest no-FX premium card, with a travel credit and lounge access that offset the higher fee.
Skip if: The standard Passport Visa Infinite's $150 fee already covers your travel frequency; the Privilege tier's extra perks need heavier usage to break even.
$599 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $155 · Scene+ · See offer
Quietly the best rate-per-dollar-of-fee in Canada, with insurance no other low-rate card bothers to include. The Quebec-friendly pick.
Ranking basis: $0 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Balance-carriers who want the lowest rate available at zero fee, and Quebec residents, whom MBNA won't serve.
Skip if: You need a 0% balance-transfer window to attack existing debt; MBNA and BMO run those offers, Desjardins doesn't.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $0 · None (no rewards) · See offer
The workhorse secured card: no frills, wide approval, honest reporting. Choose the fee/rate variant to match whether you'll carry a balance, use it lightly, and graduate off it.
Ranking basis: $0 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: Rebuilders who were declined elsewhere and can lock up a $500+ deposit. It's the long-standing default secured card in Canada.
Skip if: You can only spare a small deposit (Capital One and Neo start lower) or you live in Quebec.
No annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $0 · None (no rewards) · See offer
A near-twin of Scotiabank's Value Visa with a slightly longer 0% window and a Quebec fee waiver. Pick whichever bank you already deal with.
Ranking basis: -$29 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: CIBC clients consolidating a balance, especially in Quebec, where the transfer fee is waived entirely.
Skip if: You're rate-shopping on the standing rate alone; MBNA Gold and Flexi are meaningfully cheaper to carry.
$29 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $0 · None (no rewards) · See offer
The 'one honest rate' card: 13.99% on every transaction type, where competitors quietly charge 22%+ on advances. Predictability is the product.
Ranking basis: -$29 modelled value over 24 months
Best for: People who sometimes take cash advances or transfers and want one predictable rate on everything the card does.
Skip if: You want the lowest possible purchase rate; MBNA Gold and Desjardins Flexi run 3 points cheaper.
$29 annual fee · Modelled first year ≈ $0 · None (no rewards) · See offer
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Benchmark monthly spend: $722 groceries, $279 dining, $250 travel, $200 gas/transit and $800 other. Values use expected informed point valuations, structured caps, modelled welcome conditions and two annual fees where applicable; unstructured perks and benefits are excluded. Use the Card Finder for your own spending.