creditcardGenius Team
updated on Dec 31, 2024
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People's choice credit card in Canada for 2025 award seal

Even with all the praise our trusted, math-based algorithm, it's not just enough to get an unbiased rating that computing power came up with. If you really want to determine the best credit card in Canada, you need to take into account real-life experiences from our users across Canada.

This is the reason we created a People's Choice category. We asked our readers to vote for their favourite credit card in Canada.

If there's another card you want to see here, be sure to keep an eye on our newsletter for next year's poll, so you can make your voice heard.

People’s choice credit card for 2025

5.0 Genius Rating
4.1 (80) User reviews
award seal ×8 Award winner

Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.*

Annual fee
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$300
15,000 points
Annual rewards
$1,080
Learn more
American Express Cobalt® Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
American Express Cobalt® Card
5.0 Genius Rating
4.1 (80) User reviews
award seal 8x Award winner

Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.*

Annual fee
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$300
15,000 points
Annual rewards
$1,080
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (660 - 724)
Instant approval: Yes

We think the American Express Cobalt Card is a pretty spectacular card – after all, we gave it 8 awards.

But so do you. Capturing 20.5% of the vote, the American Express Cobalt Card is our winner for the creditcardGenius 2025 People's Choice award.

And it's not hard to see why. It not only earns plenty of points, but gives you options when it comes time to use them for travel.

Here's the rewards it earns:

  • 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants
  • 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services
  • 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases
  • 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

That's a lot of points per year – around 54,000 per year if you spend around $2,000 per month. They're also worth a lot. Here are your top options and what each point is worth (along with annual rewards).

Redemption Value of 1 pointAnnual Rewards
Transfer to Aeroplan2 cents$1,080
Fixed Points Travel1.75 cents$945
Transfer to Marriott1.16 cents$626
Redeem for any purchase1 cent$540

Add it all up and Amex has a winner.

Rounding out the top 5 vote getters

We got plenty of votes. Here are the cards that fill out the top 5.

2. Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

Thanks to earning up to 6 Scene+ rewards per $1 spent and charging no foreign transaction fees, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card is a popular credit card in Canada. This card received 9.6% of our vote.

4.2 Genius Rating
3.2 (60) User reviews
award seal ×1 Award winner
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$500
50,000 Scene+ points
Annual rewards
$588
GC Ends: Oct 31, 2025
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $60
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
4.2 Genius Rating
3.2 (60) User reviews
award seal 1x Award winner
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$500
50,000 Scene+ points
Annual rewards
$588
GC Ends:
Oct 31, 2025
Credit estimate:
 (660 - 724)
Instant approval: Yes

3. Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard

Getting 6.8% of the vote, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is a favourite for those who shop at Costco, offering 1.5% cash back everywhere (with the chance to earn 3% everywhere with a Rogers service) for no annual fee.

3.2 Genius Rating
3.3 (82) User reviews
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$360
Learn more
Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
3.2 Genius Rating
3.3 (82) User reviews
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$360
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (760 - 900)
Instant approval: No

4. Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card

With 5.5% of the vote, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card offers a unique blend of perks and insurance. It earns up to 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on purchases, charges no foreign exchange fees, and provides 6 free lounge passes per year.

3.2 Genius Rating
3.0 (46) User reviews
Annual fee
$150.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$350
35,000 Scene+ points
Annual rewards
$324
GC Ends: Oct 31, 2025
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $30
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
3.2 Genius Rating
3.0 (46) User reviews
Annual fee
$150.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$350
35,000 Scene+ points
Annual rewards
$324
GC Ends:
Oct 31, 2025
Credit estimate:
 (660 - 724)
Instant approval: Yes

5. Neo Secured Credit

Finishing up the top 5 is the Neo Secured Credit. A popular secured credit card that earns rewards, it was able to reel in 5.5% of the vote.

1.2 Genius Rating
2.2 (17) User reviews
Annual fee
$95.88
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$126
Learn more
Neo Secured Credit
1.2 Genius Rating
2.2 (17) User reviews
Annual fee
$95.88
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$126
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (300 - 559)
Instant approval: Yes

Other cards with votes

All these cards received at least 2.5% of the votes we received.

2.2 Genius Rating
3.8 (8) User reviews
Rates & fees
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$297
Learn more
Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card
2.2 Genius Rating
3.8 (8) User reviews
Rates & fees
See rates
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$297
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (660 - 724)
Instant approval: Yes

3.3 Genius Rating
3.2 (77) User reviews
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$159
10% cash back
Annual rewards
$498
GC Ends: Oct 31, 2025
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $20
Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
3.3 Genius Rating
3.2 (77) User reviews
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$159
10% cash back
Annual rewards
$498
GC Ends:
Oct 31, 2025
Credit estimate:
 (725 - 759)
Instant approval: Yes

2.1 Genius Rating
4.3 (7) User reviews
award seal ×1 Award winner
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$0
Learn more
Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard
2.1 Genius Rating
4.3 (7) User reviews
award seal 1x Award winner
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$0
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (300 - 559)
Instant approval: Yes

2.1 Genius Rating
2.9 (22) User reviews
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$240
Learn more
Rogers Red Mastercard®
2.1 Genius Rating
2.9 (22) User reviews
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$0
Learn more
Annual rewards
$240
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (760 - 900)
Instant approval: No

2.0 Genius Rating
2.1 (37) User reviews
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$25
Learn more
Annual rewards
$126
Learn more
Neo Mastercard®
2.0 Genius Rating
2.1 (37) User reviews
Annual fee
$0.00
Learn more
Welcome bonus
$25
Learn more
Annual rewards
$126
Learn more
Credit estimate:
 (560 - 659)
Instant approval: Yes

3.7 Genius Rating
3.4 (55) User reviews
award seal ×1 Award winner
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$1,143
9,000 miles
Annual rewards
$323
GC Ends: Oct 31, 2025
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $150
BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*
Instant approval: Yes
Credit estimate:
3.7 Genius Rating
3.4 (55) User reviews
award seal 1x Award winner
Annual fee
$120.00 $0
1st year waived
Welcome bonus
$1,143
9,000 miles
Annual rewards
$323
GC Ends:
Oct 31, 2025
Credit estimate:
 (560 - 659)
Instant approval: Yes

FAQ

What is the best credit card in Canada that is preferred by most people?

The American Express Cobalt Card was the top vote-getter in our annual poll. It received almost 21% of the votes cast. The cards that rounded up the top 5 include the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard, Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, and Neo Secured Credit

What criteria do people use when reviewing the best credit cards in Canada?

The most common things that users review when it comes to credit cards are customer-facing experiences. Details about whether the card was easy to apply for, whether they were approved and how long it took to find out, if customer service was easily accessible, and if the company values its consumers, as well as the quality of material used for the card and whether banking statements were accurate – all of these are taken into account.

How is the People’s Choice credit card determined?

Our People's Choice winner was voted on by our readers. We let anyone who wanted to vote select their favourite credit card. The credit card with the most votes won the award.

Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone. No bank, credit card issuer, rewards program, or other entity has reviewed, approved, or endorsed this content. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website. Our credit card scores and rankings are based on our Rating Methodology that takes into account 126+ features for each of 229 Canadian credit cards.

creditcardGenius is a smart credit card matchmaker that compares 126+ features of 229+ credit cards, with objective ratings, rankings and reviews. Built in 2017, for Canadians by Canadians, creditcardGenius is trusted by more than 200,000 people every month, 50,000 newsletter subscribers, and 15M people since launch.

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creditcardGenius

The creditcardGenius team of writers is dedicated to bringing factual, helpful, and thorough information to Canadian consumers. Each piece of content goes through a 3-step review process because quality is important to us.

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Rating Methodology

The most comprehensive credit card rating system in Canada.

126+ total data points analyzed
Data point breakdown