People’s Choice Credit Card of 2026
The best credit cards, as chosen by our readers
The people have spoken: According to our readers, the best credit card in Canada is the American Express Cobalt Card.
Here are the top 5 favourite credit cards, according to newsletter readers:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Average earn rate | Insurance coverage | Rewards | Current offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | American Express Cobalt Card | $191.88 | 4.5% | 10 | * 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month) * 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 |  $100 GeniusCash + Up to 15,000 bonus points (terms) |
| #2 | Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard | $0 | 1.5% | 6 | * Earn 2% unlimited cash back on all eligible non-U.S. dollar purchases if you have 1 qualifying service with Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw * Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on eligible non-U.S. dollar purchases * Earn 3% unlimited cash back on all eligible purchases made in U.S. dollars | None |
| #3 (tie) | Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card | $120 | 2.08% | 11 | * 4% cash back on groceries and recurring bill payments * 2% cash back on gas and transit * 1% cash back on all other purchases | $20 GeniusCash + 10% cash back for the first 3 months, first year free (terms) |
| #3 (tie) | TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card | $139 | 2.33% | 12 | * 1.5 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, grocery and direct through Air Canada purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases | Up to 40,000 bonus points (terms) |
| #5 | Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | $150 | 1.35% | 11 | * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, restaurants, entertainment, and daily transit * 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all other purchases | $80 GeniusCash + 50,000 bonus points (terms) |
We'll explain what readers love about these popular credit cards and give you a quick overview of what factors you should consider when choosing your next credit card.
Key Takeaways
- Readers selected the American Express Cobalt Card as the best credit card in Canada.
- The Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is the only no-fee card in the top 5.
- Reviewers tend to leave feedback about customer service experiences, ease of banking, and the application process.
The best People's Choice credit cards in Canada
The Gold award for the #1 People's Choice card in Canada goes to American Express Cobalt Card for its high rewards rate across many popular categories.
Our Silver award goes to the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard, which features generous cash back rates on USD purchases, all for no annual fee.
And the Bronze award was a tie, going to the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card for its high cash back rates on popular spending categories and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card for its Air Canada travel perks.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card rounded out the top 5. Cardholders love that it waives foreign exchange fees and gives airport lounge access.
The #1 People's Choice credit card in Canada: American Express Cobalt Card
×9 Award winner 
GC: $100
9x Award winner 
We think the American Express Cobalt Card is a pretty spectacular card – after all, we gave it 8 awards. But so do you. Capturing 17.2% of the vote, the American Express Cobalt Card is our winner for the creditcardGenius 2026 People's Choice award.
And it's not hard to see why. The American Express Cobalt Card not only earns plenty of points, but gives you options when it comes time to use them for travel.
Here's what you'll earn:
- 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month)
- 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 81,000 annually 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 point | Annual Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer to Aeroplan | 2 cents | $1,620 |
| Fixed Points Travel | 1.75 cents | $1,417.5 |
| Transfer to Marriott | 1.16 cents | $940 |
| Redeem for any purchase | 1 cent | $810 |
Silver award: Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard
Getting 11.6% of the vote, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is a favourite for Rogers, Fido, and Shaw customers. This card is also great for Costco members – it ranked highest in our data-driven analysis of the best credit card for Costco.
The earn rates are a little unusual. If you have a Rogers, Fido, or Shaw service, you'll get 2% unlimited cash back on non-USD purchases (or just 1.5% back without a service).
However, if you're shopping in the U.S. (perhaps at a Costco warehouse), you'll earn a generous 3% unlimited cash back.
Regardless of how you earn, you'll get 1.5x the cash back if you apply your cash back to a qualifying Rogers service.
People also love the fact that this card charges no annual fee.
Tied for bronze: Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card
×2 Award winner GC: $20
2x Award winner 
Our Bronze award was a tie, with 2 cards earning 3.7% of the popular vote.
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card cardholders appreciate the 4% back on groceries and recurring bills. This, coupled with the 2% back on gas and transit, makes it a great card for specific categories.Users note that since you earn just 1% back everywhere else, it's a good everyday card. You can supplement purchases in other categories with a higher-earning credit card.
The extensive travel insurance helps make up for the card's annual fee of $120.
Tied for bronze: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
Our other third-place card, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, also received 3.7% of the vote. Think of this Aeroplan card as more of a flat-rate travel credit card.
Here's what you'll earn:
- 1.5 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, grocery and direct through Air Canada purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
While that might not seem as competitive as other cards on this list, cardholders argue that the free checked bags on Air Canada flights and the fact that it's a Visa make it a great card to have in your wallet.
Not to mention, the first year's annual fee is waived.
The best People's Choice card for no foreign exchange fees: Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
×1 Award winner GC: $80
1x Award winner It's also worth checking out the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, which got 3.2% of the vote (and was last year's 2nd place winner). This card has a lot going for it, despite its annual fee: no foreign exchange fees, 6 free lounge passes per year, and 11 types of insurance coverage.
The card awards Scene+ points. You'll earn:
- 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more
- 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, restaurants, entertainment, and daily transit
- 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all other purchases
Redeem your points for free movie tickets and concessions, restaurants, travel through Expedia (or any other travel), discounts on groceries, and more.
Compare all People's Choice credit cards by Genius Rating
Genius Rating is a data-driven score given to every credit card in Canada based on 126+ data points. Here's how Canada's top 10 favourite cards rank by Genius Rating:
×9 Award winner GC: $100 9x Award winner ×7 Award winner GC: $20
7x Award winner ×3 Award winner GC: $100
3x Award winner 
The Genius Rating methodology
To come up with each card's Genius Rating, we analyzed over 126 features of each card and broke them into 7 main categories:
- Rewards
- Fees
- Insurance
- Perks
- Interest
- Acceptance
- Approval
Then, we ran those through our algorithm, which calculated a score out of 5 – our Genius Rating. You can learn more about how we analyze and rank credit cards to determine Genius Ratings.
How to choose the right credit card
Now that you have some great suggestions from real cardholders, let's go through how the top 5 cards stack up in each Genius Rating category.
Rewards
How you earn rewards is completely a personal preference. You might love the simplicity of earning cash back or want the ability to change your redemption option as needed. Maybe you're a loyal fan of a specific airline and want rewards for that particular program.
Before you choose a card, learn about its rewards program and how it pays out your hard-earned points.
| Credit card | Rewards program | Rewards | Redemption options | Average rate of return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card | American Express Membership Rewards | * 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month) * 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 | * Transfer points to Aeroplan * Fixed Points Travel Program * Transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy * Any travel * Statement credits * Gift cards * Shopping at Amazon.ca * Merchandise | 4.5% |
| Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard | Cash back | * Earn 2% unlimited cash back on all eligible non-U.S. dollar purchases if you have 1 qualifying service with Rogers, Fido, Comwave, or Shaw * Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on eligible non-U.S. dollar purchases * Earn 3% unlimited cash back on all eligible purchases made in U.S. dollars | * Cash back as a statement credit * Cash back toward a Rogers service | 1.5% |
| Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card | Cash back | * 4% cash back on groceries and recurring bill payments * 2% cash back on gas and transit * 1% cash back on all other purchases | * Cash back as a statement credit | 2.08% |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card | Aeroplan | * 1.5 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, grocery and direct through Air Canada purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases | * Flights * Air Canada gift cards * Car rentals * Vacation packages * Hotels * Merchandise * Gift cards | 2.33% |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | Scene+ | * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, restaurants, entertainment, and daily transit * 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all other purchases | * Cineplex theatres * Recipe Unlimited Restaurants * Travel through Expedia * Any travel * Sobeys stores * Statement credits * Apple and Best Buy merchandise * Gift cards | 1.35% |
Fees
Not all credit cards charge fees to use them, but many do, so it's important to find out how much a card costs to use before you sign up for it.
| Credit card | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card | $191.88 (charged monthly outside QC) |
| Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard | $0 |
| Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card | $120 |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card | $139 |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | $150 |
You might decide that you don't mind paying an annual fee in exchange for more benefits, like insurance coverage and travel perks.
Perks
Credit card perks are the fun, notable offers and experiences that come with credit cards (and help to distinguish them). As you might expect, People's Choice cards include unique perks, like:
- Welcome bonuses: Meet a card's spending requirements to earn bonus points or extra cash back after opening the account. For instance, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card offers up to 40,000 points after spending $7,500 in the first 6 months and $12,000 in the first year.
- Travel upgrades: Some cards, like the American Express Cobalt Card give you automatic hotel room upgrades and late check-out (when available).
- Travel or hotel credits: More premium credit cards give cardholders annual credits for dining, travel, or hotel stays. Weigh their value against a card's annual fee to help you get the most value from a credit card.
- Network benefits: Visa Infinite cards and World Elite Mastercards include personalized offers, concierge service, and access to exclusive reservations, trips, concerts, restaurants, and more.
- Airline rewards: Cards like the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card give cardholders free checked bags and preferred pricing on Air Canada reward flights.
Insurance
The best credit cards typically have wide-ranging insurance coverage, and the cards selected by readers are no exception.
Each of these cards includes several forms of travel insurance, like trip interruption, emergency medical, and rental car coverage. Just keep in mind that the more coverage a card includes, the more you'll usually pay in annual fees. As a no-fee card, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard offers fewer types of insurance than the others.
| Credit card | Types of insurance | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card | 10 | Insurance coverage |
| Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard | 6 | Insurance coverage |
| Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card | 11 | Insurance coverage |
| TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card | 12 | Insurance coverage |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | 11 | Insurance coverage |
Pay special attention to insurance if you plan on using the card to book travel. You might not mind paying an annual fee if it comes with peace of mind.
Interest rates
As a cardholder, you don't want to pay more in interest than you absolutely have to, which is why it's so valuable to compare rates before committing to a card.
All of the top picks from our readers have standard purchase interest rates of 20.99%-21.99%. If you know you'll be carrying a balance, look for a card with a low purchase interest rate.
Acceptance
Most Canadian retailers that take credit cards will accept all major networks. However, Amex does have slightly lower acceptance than Visa and Mastercard.
Notably, Costco and Loblaws-banner stores, like Superstore, do not accept American Express. So if you're looking to cash in on the American Express Cobalt Card's incredible grocery earn rate, but you live across the street from No Frills, you'll have to decide whether it's worth switching up your shopping habits – or whether you'll still get enough value out of the card at other stores.
Approval
Credit card issuers primarily look at your credit score when approving or denying applications. Depending on the issuer, they might also have income requirements that can vary by card.
When you apply for a card, a card issuer will pull your credit score, which can cause it to temporarily drop. This is why you should only apply for a credit card if you need it and believe you're qualified for it.
Most of the People's Choice cards ask for at least $60,000 personal or $100,000 household income per year, but the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard requires $80,000 personal or $150,000 household. On the other hand, the winning card has no income requirement at all. You can apply for the American Express Cobalt Card regardless of your income – and you can take advantage of Amex's soft credit checks to find out whether you qualify before you apply.
FAQ
What is the best credit card in Canada that is preferred by most people?
The American Express Cobalt Card was the top-voted Canadian credit card in our annual poll. The American Express Cobalt Card received over 17% of the votes, so it's not surprising that this card has also been selected as the #1 best credit card in Canada by Genius Rating for the last 8 years.
What criteria do people use when reviewing the best credit cards in Canada?
The most common criteria that users mention are customer-facing experiences. These include details about whether the card was easy to apply for, the approval process, whether customer service was easily accessible, if the company values its consumers, the quality of the physical credit card material, and whether banking statements were accurate.
How is the People's Choice credit card determined?
Our People's Choice winner was voted on by Canadians. We asked readers of our newsletter to vote and provide feedback about their favourite credit cards. If you missed out, sign up for our newsletter and watch for our next credit card poll. Or search for any card on our site and leave a review directly on the card's page.
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 231 Canadian credit cards.
