Desjardins Cash Back Visa
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.
- Annual fee
- None (No fee for additional cards)
- Welcome bonus value (full offer)
- ≈ $0 None: Desjardins publishes no welcome offer on this card
- First-year net value
- ≈ $130
- Interest rates
- 20.9% purchases · 21.9% cash advances
Direct issuer link · details verified Sep 27, 2026
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Standard Score breakdown
PassSix weighted components, each rated 0–10. “Contributes” is the rating × weight: add all six and you get a raw 4.73/10, published as 4.7/10.
Evidence behind each input
The facts are structured; the rating remains an editorial judgment. Open any component to audit what was considered without mistaking the evidence for an automatic formula.
First-year value3.5/10
The anchor fixes the starting point; the 0.5-point reduction is within the published maximum and makes the reachability judgment visible.
- $130 first-year net value maps to a 4.0/10 baseline.
- Published first-year input: 3.5/10 (-0.5 versus baseline).
Ongoing value4.0/10
This input judges recurring earn and cash-like credits after the annual fee; the welcome offer and non-cash perks are excluded.
- No annual fee.
- Fee condition: No fee for additional cards
- Published earn: 2%: Restaurants and pre-authorized payments (first $3,600/year combined); 2%: Entertainment and alternative transportation; 0.5%: Everything else.
- 1 earn row carries an explicit spend cap or threshold.
Flexibility7.0/10
This input judges how easily Cash back can become useful value without forcing one narrow redemption path.
- Reward currency: Cash back.
Perk usability4.5/10
This input credits non-cash benefits at realistic use, separate from cash-like credits already counted in ongoing value.
- No airport lounge access.
- 6 published insurance benefits: Travel medical $5M (trips ≤ 3 days); Trip cancellation/interruption; Baggage ($500).
- Other published benefit: Insurance most free cards skip: $5 million travel medical for trips up to 3 days, trip cancellation, baggage and $1,000 mobile device cover
Low friction7.5/10
This input combines network acceptance, caps, conditions, eligibility, and operational effort; a higher rating means less friction.
- Visa acceptance; 2.5% foreign-transaction fee.
- No published income minimum.
- Practical constraint: 2.5% foreign transaction fee
Strategic fit4.0/10
This input asks whether the card fills a distinct role in a small wallet rather than duplicating another card; redemption quality is not counted again here.
- Ranking roles: cash-back.
- Fit case: Anyone who wants a free card with real insurance, and whose spending leans on restaurants, entertainment and bills paid by pre-authorized payment.
- Main conflict: Groceries or general spending make up most of your budget: at 0.5% outside the bonus categories, a free flat-rate card earns more.
See how the Standard Score works or re-weight it to your priorities.
Earn rates
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Restaurants and pre-authorized payments (first $3,600/year combined) | 2% |
| Entertainment and alternative transportation | 2% |
| Everything else | 0.5% |
Included insurance
Travel medical $5M (trips ≤ 3 days) · Trip cancellation/interruption · Baggage ($500) · Mobile device insurance ($1,000) · Purchase protection (90 days) · Extended warranty (1 year)
02 / The case
What it does well, and what it costs you
Both sides of the ledger. A card that suits one wallet can be the wrong call in another, so the drawbacks are named as plainly as the benefits.
Why it earns its score
- No annual fee, including for additional cards
- 2% cash back on restaurants, pre-authorized payments, entertainment and alternative transportation
- Insurance most free cards skip: $5 million travel medical for trips up to 3 days, trip cancellation, baggage and $1,000 mobile device cover
Where it loses points
- The 2% on restaurants and pre-authorized payments stops after $3,600 a year combined
- Everything else, groceries included, earns 0.5%
- Cash back is credited to your account only once you've built up $25
- 2.5% foreign transaction fee
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants a free card with real insurance, and whose spending leans on restaurants, entertainment and bills paid by pre-authorized payment.
Who should skip it
Groceries or general spending make up most of your budget: at 0.5% outside the bonus categories, a free flat-rate card earns more.
The bottom line
Standard Score 4.7/10 · Pass. We estimate ≈ $130 in first-year net value after the $0 fee.
Direct issuer link · no commission shapes this review
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Renewal math
Should you keep this card?
There’s no annual fee, so keeping it costs nothing; the only renewal question is whether a different no-fee card would earn more on your spending. Check the rankings or the card finder if you suspect it would.
Source: issuer card page · Last reviewed Sep 27, 2026. Details change often: confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.
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Four ways on from here, grouped so you can pick the one that matches the question you still have.