No-fee travel credit cards are perfect for Canadians who love travelling. These cards can give you comprehensive travel insurance, exclusive access to lounges, hotel discounts, and rewards that can make travelling much more convenient and affordable.
This article lists the best no-fee Canadian credit cards for both international and domestic travel. Read along to find the card that best suits your needs!
Key Takeaways
- Some of the best no-fee travel credit cards in Canada are the Tangerine World Mastercard, Scotiabank American Express card, and the RBC ION Visa card.
- The advantages of having a no-fee travel credit card include enjoying exclusive travel-related discounts, lounge access and building your credit score.
Best No-Fee Travel Credit Cards In Canada
1. Scotiabank American Express Card
Being one of the most popular cards offered by Scotiabank, the Scotiabank American Express Card provides one of the best travel rewards programs in Canada.
It lets you earn Scene+ Rewards, not just at popular retailers but also on your travel-related spending, such as hotel stays and car rentals. These points can also be redeemed toward your travel expenses, allowing you to visit more places while spending less.
The Scotiabank American Express Card offers up to 25% car rental discounts, purchase security, and an extended warranty. However, keep in mind that this card doesn’t include travel insurance.
Check out our review of this credit card here.
2. Rogers World Elite Mastercard
For those prioritizing travel insurance, the Rogers World Elite Mastercard is one of the best credit card options. It covers trip interruptions, delays, and cancellations, as well as emergency medical expenses both within and outside Canada.
With this credit card, you can also enjoy up to 3% cash back and exclusive lounge access. Unfortunately, though, you’re required to spend at least $15,000 annually using this card to remain eligible for it.
Discover more of Rogers World Elite Mastercard here.
Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard
Best credit card for USD cash back
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 3% unlimited cash back in U.S. dollars, 1.5% unlimited cashback on other eligible purchases (2% if you have 1 qualifying service with Rogers, Fido or Shaw).
Standard interest rates: Standard rate on Purchases and Fees: 20.99%; Standard rate on Cash Advances, Cash-like Transactions and Balance Transfers: 22.99%.
If you are not approved for an Account at the above rates and you reside outside Quebec, we may still issue you an Account at our alternate interest rates, as follows: Rate for Purchases and Fees: 25.99% Rate for Cash Advances, Cash like Transactions and Balance Transfers: 27.99%
Minimum income requirement: $80,000 minimum income or $150,000 household income.
Recommended credit score:
Very Good
On Rogers’s website
3. RBC ION Visa Card
The RBC ION Visa Card is another excellent travel credit card that offers Avion points for every eligible purchase you make. Rewards from Avion can be used to shop at your favourite brands, cover payments for your household bills, and of course, cover your travel-related bookings.
This credit card also offers standard insurance coverage, extra savings at Petro-Canada, and a complimentary DashPass subscription that typically costs almost $30.
Just keep in mind that this card charges $5 for your cash advance transactions.
Find out more about RBC ION Visa card.
RBC ION Visa
Entry-level RBC rewards credit card
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Get 3,500 Avion points on approval^ – that’s a $25 value in gift cards†.
Rewards: Earn 1.5x Avion points per $1 spent on groceries, rides, gas, streaming, subscriptions, digital gaming, and EV charging; 1 Avion point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances.
Minimum income requirement: None
Recommended credit score:
Good or better
On RBC’s website
4. SimplyCash Card From American Express
While the previous credit cards mentioned don’t offer travel-related insurance, SimplyCash Card from American Express, on the other hand, excels in this aspect.
Its travel accident insurance covers up to $100,000, and you’re automatically covered as long as you charge your travel bookings to your card.
2% cash back rewards are also available on gas and groceries, and a 1.25% cash back rate is applied to all other purchases. Just note that you can only redeem cash-back rewards once a year, which is way less frequent compared to most credit cards.
SimplyCash Card from Amex review.
SimplyCash Card from American Express
Excellent credit card for students
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: Earn up to 2% cash back on eligible purchases and 1.25% unlimited cashback on other purchases.
Interest rates: 20.99% for purchases, 21.99% for cash advances.
Minimum income requirement: None
Recommended credit score:
Fair to Good
On Amex’s website
5. Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is another no-fee credit card from Tangerine that’s suitable for travellers.
Like the Tangerine World Mastercard, the first credit card on this list, this Money-Back Credit Card lets you earn unlimited 2% cash back on selected purchase categories.
However, in exchange for having a low gross annual income requirement of only $12,000, this credit card doesn’t offer exclusive lounge access and insurance coverage like the Tangerine World MasterCard does.
Read our full review of this credit card.
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
Best no-fee cash back credit card
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: Earn up to 2% unlimited cash back in up to 3 spending categories and 0.50% on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: na
Interest rates: 19.95% for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.
Minimum income requirement: $12,000
Recommended credit score:
Fair to Good
On Tangerine’s website
6. MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard is considered one of the best no-annual-fee MasterCards in Canada. It allows you to earn up to 4 points (valued at 4 cents) for every eligible dollar you spend for the first 90 days and 2 points per dollar thereafter, making it one of the most competitive reward rates for travellers.
Through this card, you can also save at least 10% on eligible car rentals, get purchase assurance of up to $60,000, and enjoy an extended warranty on purchases of up to one year.
Keep in mind, however, that once you spend $10,000 on rewards-eligible purchases, you’ll no longer earn points.
Read: MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard Review
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard
Good no-annual-fee cash back card
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: Earn 4 points on every $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases during the first 90 day. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Interest rates: Purchases 19.99%, cash advances 24.99%.
Minimum income requirement: No minimum income is advertised.
Recommended credit score:
Very Good
On MBNA’s website
7. Tangerine World Mastercard
Tangerine World Mastercard is one of the best no-fee cash-back credit cards for Canadian travellers. It allows you to earn an unlimited 2% cash back on your chosen spending categories and 0.50% cash back on other purchase types you didn’t select.
With this card, you can also access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, 1 million WiFi hotspots, and month-long rental car insurance, making it, no doubt, a valuable addition to any traveller’s wallet.
Heads up, though, the minimum income requirement for this card is $60,000 for an individual and $100,00 for a household.
Read more about this card.
Tangerine World Mastercard
Excellent no-fee cash back card with travel perks
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: Earn up to 2% unlimited cash back in 2-3 spending categories and 0.50% on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: na
Interest rates: 19.95% for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.
Minimum income requirement: $12,000
Recommended credit score:
Fair to Good
On Tangerine’s website
8. Brim Mastercard
If you want to enjoy no foreign transaction fees on top of zero annual fees, Brim Mastercard has got your back.
This card offers 1% cash back, free global WiFi, and installment payments for purchases that cost more than $500. On top of the classic mobile device and purchase insurance coverages, Brim Mastercard also covers common carrier accidents for up to $300,000 per accident.
Heads up, though, you need to have at least $60,000 of annual personal income or $100,000 of household income to be eligible for this card.
Here’s our review of Brim Mastercard.
9. CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card
Earn Aeroplan points that you can easily use to fly with Air Canada and shop at hundreds of Aeroplan partner stores using a CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card.
On top of purchase security and extended protection insurance, this card also offers coverage for auto rental collisions, loss damage, and common carrier accidents.
The minimum household income requirement is only $15,000. So, you can easily apply for this card even without a full-time job. Unfortunately, though, compared to other Aeroplan credit cards, this CIBC card has the lowest rewards points rate.
10. CIBC Aventura Visa Card
Another highly recommended travel card from CIBC is the CIBC Aventura Visa Card.
The features of this card are very similar to the Aeroplan Visa, but this Aventura card’s rewards program is exclusively operated by CIBC itself. So, unlike Aeroplan Visa, you can use your Aventura rewards to fly on any airline.
However, keep in mind that the CIBC Aventura Visa Card doesn’t allow you to combine rewards points with your household members, unlike the Aeroplan Visa Card.
CIBC Aventura Visa Card
Entry-level credit card for travel rewards
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: Earn CIBC Aventura points on every purchase you make with the card.
Interest rates: 20.99% for purchases and 22.99% for advances for non-Quebec residents and 21.99% for Quebec residents.
Minimum income requirement: $15,000
Recommended credit score:
Very Good
On CIBC’s website
How To Apply For A No-Fee Travel Credit Card
Applying for a no-fee travel credit card is no different than applying for any type of credit card. First, you have to ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements of the card. Then, you can apply for a travel credit card by visiting the bank’s website or physical branch.
The application process for each card varies, but generally, it won’t take you longer than 10 minutes to apply for a travel credit card.
Pros And Cons Of No-Fee Travel Credit Cards
Pros:
- Travel credit cards can help build your credit score.
- You won’t have to pay an annual fee for your credit card.
- Travelling can be cheaper and more convenient thanks to the exclusive travel-related perks you enjoy.
Cons:
- The interest rates of travel credit cards are not necessarily the lowest.
- No-fee travel credit cards often have fewer rewards than their paid, premium counterpart.
How To Choose The Best Travel Credit Card
To choose the best travel credit card for you, first, you should know what travel benefits you prioritize. Some cards have excellent insurance offers, while others stand out in helping you maximize your rewards points or giving your exclusive lounge access.
That said, analyze what features will benefit you the most to shortlist some travel credit cards. Then, compare and contrast the cards left on your list so you can choose the one that’s best for you.
Methodology
The main factors that were considered when creating this list were the rewards points or cash-back rate, insurance coverage, and exclusive travel-related perks offered by the card.
FAQs
The Rogers World Elite Mastercard is one of the best Canadian no-fee credit cards for international travel. It offers exclusive lounge access in multiple countries and travel insurance that protects you from trip delays and cancellations, making international travel more convenient and affordable.
One of the best travel rewards programs in Canada is the Scene Plus rewards program. Points earned through Scence+ can not only be used to book flights, tickets and car rentals, but also to pay for entertainment, dining, and retail expenses.
Yes, credit cards in Canada charge foreign transaction fees if you’re making purchases that use other currencies. However, keep in mind that there are also no foreign transaction fee credit cards available that waive this fee.
Yes, AMEX is worth it in Canada. Most major retailers in the country accept this credit card, and they often have low minimum income requirements.
