Report · Published September 28, 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026
Canadian credit card offers, Q3 2026.
Updated October 4, 2026: Both RBC cash-back offers ended on September 30 as published. We also removed two moves: the BMO Blue Rewards World Elite and VIPorter World Elite offers, which we had counted as withdrawn on September 13, never ended. BMO's terms run both to October 31, 2027. The figures above now exclude them.
Every welcome-offer change on the cards we track, from July 11, 2026 to September 30, 2026. 18 moves on 17 cards. Across those cards, the combined headline value of the welcome offers fell from $15,188 to $13,066, a drop of 14%.
9
cards ended the quarter with a smaller offer, or none
7
cards ended it with a bigger one
−$2,565
from Amex's two biggest offers alone
3
Index marks moved, all in July
What happened
Amex cut the two largest offers we track. Both had a published July 28 deadline, and by August 3, when we confirmed the replacements, the Amex Platinum had gone from up to 170,000 Membership Rewards points to up to 100,000 and the Aeroplan Reserve from up to 150,000 Aeroplan points to up to 85,000. At our Index those two cuts are worth $2,565, more than the quarter’s entire net decline. Neither replacement has an end date.
Half the raises landed after the first anniversary. Of the 8 increases, four added points only to a tranche that pays after the first year, when a second annual fee is due: both RBC Avion cards and both TD Aeroplan cards. The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege raised its headline by 15,000 points while cutting what you receive in year one by 5,000. On those four cards the headline went up and the year-one money didn’t.
The biggest lasting increase in year-one value came from CIBC. The Aventura Visa Infinite went from 35,000 to 60,000 points for cards approved from September 1, all of it earnable in the first four statements, with the first-year fee rebated.
The dataset
Every move, in date order
Values are each offer’s full headline at our Index when we recorded it. Dates marked * are the day we confirmed the change on the issuer’s page, because the issuer published no date; the rest are the issuer’s own: a new offer’s published start, or the published end of an offer nothing replaced. Download the CSV.
| Date | Card | Move | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3* | Amex Platinum Card (Canada) The 170,000-point offer had a published July 28 deadline. We confirmed the smaller replacement on August 3; it has no end date. | Cut | Up to 170,000 MR points (90,000 on $10K/3 mo + 40,000 on $45K/12 mo + 40,000 in months 15-17) ($3,230) | Up to 100,000 MR points (70,000 on $10K/3 mo + 30,000 on a purchase in months 15-17) ($1,900) | −$1,330 |
| Aug 3* | Amex Aeroplan Reserve Card The largest bonus the Aeroplan program had run had a published July 28 deadline. We confirmed the replacement, 43% smaller, on August 3. | Cut | Up to 150,000 Aeroplan points (70,000 on $7.5K/3 mo + 40,000 on $45K in the first year + 40,000 in months 15-17) ($2,850) | Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points (60,000 on $7.5K/3 mo + 25,000 on $2.5K in month 13) ($1,615) | −$1,235 |
| Aug 13* | Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + The 60,000-point offer had a published August 3 deadline. We confirmed the replacement, which runs to November 1, on August 13. | Cut | Up to 60,000 Scene+ points (40,000 on $2K/3 mo + 10,000 on $10K/6 mo + 10,000 annual on $40K), plus the $50 fee waived on your first supplementary card ($600) | Up to 35,000 Scene+ points (25,000 on $2K/3 mo + 10,000 annual on $40K), plus the $50 fee waived on your first supplementary card ($350) | −$250 |
| Aug 23* | RBC Avion Visa Infinite RBC added a 15,000-point first-anniversary tranche, on an offer that runs to November 25. The year-one amount is unchanged at 55,000. | Raised | Up to 55,000 Avion points (35,000 on approval + 20,000 on $5K/6 mo) ($880) | Up to 70,000 Avion points (35,000 on approval + 20,000 on $5K/6 mo + 15,000 at anniversary) ($1,120) | +$240 |
| Aug 23* | RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege The anniversary tranche tripled, 15,000 to 45,000, on the same November 25 deadline. The year-one amount is unchanged at 55,000. | Raised | Up to 70,000 Avion points (35,000 on approval + 20,000 on $5K/6 mo + 15,000 at anniversary) ($1,120) | Up to 100,000 Avion points (35,000 on approval + 20,000 on $5K/6 mo + 45,000 at anniversary) ($1,600) | +$480 |
| Sep 1 | CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite CIBC's terms apply the offer to cards approved from September 1. The full 60,000 takes $5,000 of spend in the first four statements. | Raised | Up to 35,000 Aventura points (15,000 on first purchase + 20,000 on $3K/4 mo) ($438) | Up to 60,000 Aventura points (15,000 on first purchase + 30,000 on $3K/4 mo + 15,000 on $5K/4 mo) ($750) | +$312 |
| Sep 11* | RBC British Airways Visa Infinite The 60,000-Avios offer had a published September 9 deadline, extended once from August 4. The replacement is smaller but asks for $6,000 in three months rather than $10,000 in six. | Cut | Up to 60,000 Avios (30,000 on $5K/3 mo + 30,000 on $5K/6 mo) ($960) | 50,000 Avios on $6,000 spend in the first 3 months ($800) | −$160 |
| Sep 13* | Cathay World Elite Mastercard Neo and Cathay cut the offer by 25,000 Asia Miles. Neither published a date. | Cut | Up to 60,000 Asia Miles (35,000 on approval + 25,000 on $5,000 in 3 months) ($900) | Up to 35,000 Asia Miles (15,000 after activation and first purchase + 20,000 on $5,000 in 3 months) ($525) | −$375 |
| Sep 13* | TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite The spend tranche rose 14,000 points on the same $7,500 threshold. | Raised | Up to 146,000 TD Rewards points (20,000 on first purchase + 126,000 on $7.5K/180 days), plus a first-year fee rebate ($730) | Up to 160,000 TD Rewards points (20,000 on first purchase + 140,000 on $7.5K/180 days), plus a first-year fee rebate ($800) | +$70 |
| Sep 13* | TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite All 10,000 extra points sit in the anniversary tranche, so year one is unchanged. | Raised | Up to 40,000 Aeroplan points (10,000 on first purchase + 15,000 on $3K/90 days + 15,000 anniversary on $12K/12 mo), plus a first-year fee rebate ($760) | Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points (10,000 on first purchase + 15,000 on $3K/90 days + 25,000 anniversary on $12K/12 mo), plus a first-year fee rebate ($950) | +$190 |
| Sep 13* | TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege The headline rose 15,000, but the year-one portion fell from 55,000 to 50,000: TD moved points into the anniversary tranche. | Raised | Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points (20,000 on first purchase + 35,000 on $12K/6 mo + 30,000 anniversary on $24K/12 mo) ($1,615) | Up to 100,000 Aeroplan points (20,000 on first purchase + 30,000 on $12K/6 mo + 50,000 anniversary on $24K/12 mo) ($1,900) | +$285 |
| Sep 13* | TD Rewards Visa Card The bonus halved, and so did the spend needed to earn it: $500 in 90 days instead of $1,500. | Cut | 30,310 TD Rewards points on $1,500 in purchases within the first 90 days ($150) | 15,152 TD Rewards points on $500 in purchases within the first 90 days ($76) | −$74 |
| Sep 13* | Amex Marriott Bonvoy Card A limited-time offer, published to end September 22. Amex published no start date. | Raised | Up to 70,000 Bonvoy points (60,000 on $3K/3 mo + 10,000 on $500 in month 13) ($630) | Up to 110,000 Bonvoy points (80,000 on $6K/6 mo + 30,000 on a purchase in month 15) ($990) | +$360 |
| Sep 20 | CIBC Costco Mastercard The $30 statement credit ended on its published date. CIBC's page shows no replacement. | Ended | $30 statement credit after your first purchase and enrolment in eStatements within 90 days ($30) | No offer | −$30 |
| Sep 22* | PC Financial World Elite Mastercard The bonus rose to 50,000 points on $100 of spend within 60 days, for applications through December 31. | Raised | 20,000 PC Optimum points (worth $20) on $50 spend at participating Loblaw banners, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix, or Esso/Mobil within 60 days ($20) | 50,000 PC Optimum points (worth $50) when you spend $100 or more at participating stores within 60 days ($50) | +$30 |
| Sep 24* | Amex Marriott Bonvoy Card After the limited-time offer's September 22 deadline, we confirmed the standing 70,000-point offer back in place. | Cut | Up to 110,000 Bonvoy points (80,000 on $6K/6 mo + 30,000 on a purchase in month 15) ($990) | Up to 70,000 Bonvoy points (60,000 on $3K/3 mo + 10,000 on $500 spend in month 13) ($630) | −$360 |
| Sep 30 | RBC Cash Back Mastercard Published to end September 30, after RBC extended it once from September 9. RBC rebuilds the card on October 1. | Ended | Up to 7% cash back for the first 3 months on up to $1,000 in purchases ($65) | No offer | −$65 |
| Sep 30 | RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard Published to end September 30, after RBC extended it once from September 9. RBC rebuilds the card, and raises its fee to $120, on October 1. | Ended | 12% cash back for the first 3 months on up to $2,000 in purchases ($210) | No offer | −$210 |
By issuer
- RBC: 2 raised, 1 cut, 2 ended
- American Express: 1 raised, 3 cut
- TD: 3 raised, 1 cut
- CIBC: 1 raised, 1 ended
- Scotiabank: 1 cut
- Neo Financial: 1 cut
- PC Financial: 1 raised
The Amex Marriott Bonvoy Card counts twice: we confirmed a limited-time 110,000-point offer on September 13, published to end September 22, and the standing 70,000-point offer back on September 24. It ends the quarter where it started.
The Index
Point values moved once in the quarter. In July we re-marked Aeroplan from 2.1¢ to 1.9¢, Amex Membership Rewards from 2.0¢ to 1.9¢ and British Airways Avios from 1.7¢ to 1.6¢. Aeroplan fell after Air Canada’s June 1 award-chart increase; Membership Rewards follows it through the 1:1 transfer; Avios was trimmed after British Airways raised the cash portion of its own-metal awards in May. The August and September marks held every program steady. The values in this report use the Index in force on each date, so a change shown here is an issuer’s move, not ours. See the Index for every current mark and its basis.
What to watch in Q4
- October 1: RBC rebuilds both cash-back cards. The Preferred World Elite’s fee rises to $120 and it moves to 3% categories.
- October 31: Published offer deadline on BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege and Scotia Momentum Mastercard.
- November 1: Published offer deadline on Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite, Scotiabank American Express Card, Scotiabank Gold American Express, Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +, Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege, Scotiabank Platinum American Express, Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card and Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students.
- November 4: Published offer deadline on National Bank Platinum Mastercard, RBC ION Visa, RBC ION+ Visa and WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.
- November 18: Rogers ends its 1.5x redemption bonus on Rogers purchases.
- November 25: Published offer deadline on RBC Avion Visa Infinite and RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege.
- November 30: Aeroplan’s 18-month inactivity rule returns. Who’s exempt, and the fix.
- December 7: Published offer deadline on BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard.
- December 31: Published offer deadline on PC Financial World Elite Mastercard, PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard, PC Mastercard and PC World Mastercard.
Methodology
Scope. The 17 cards here are every card in our database whose issuer changed its welcome offer between July 11, 2026 and September 30, 2026. July 11 is when our offer archive begins, so the report covers the quarter from that date.
What counts as a move. An issuer raising, cutting, ending or withdrawing a welcome offer. Deadline extensions are noted but not counted. We left out the changes recorded in our July roster audit, when we replaced placeholder and outdated offers on more than a dozen cards: the archive can’t show whether those issuers moved before or after July 1, so counting them would overstate the quarter.
Values. Each offer’s full headline in Canadian dollars at The Points Standard Index, including tranches paid after the first year. The dollar figures come straight from our welcome-offer archive, and every number on this page is checked against it in our test suite before it can be published.
Using this data. The CSV is free to use with credit to The Points Standard and a link to this page. Cite as: The Points Standard, “Canadian Credit Card Offers, Q3 2026,” September 28, 2026, thepointsstandard.com/reports/canadian-credit-card-offers-q3-2026. Questions or a correction? Contact us.