Best Student Credit Cards in Canada for 2026
Credit cards low fees and eligibility requirements to help students build credit.
The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students is the best student credit card in the country due to its rewards and easy approval. Another CIBC card, the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students is a close second, and BMO's BMO CashBack Mastercard for students is a runner up.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Income requirements | Average earn rate | Rewards | Rewards program |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students | $0 | None | 1.55% | * 1 point per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging, groceries, and Air Canada * 1 point per $1.50 spent on all purchases | Aeroplan |
| CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students | $0 | None | 1.56% | * 1 point per $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre * 1 point per $1 spent on eligible gas, groceries, EV charging, and drugstores, up to $6,000 spent annually * 1 point per $2 spent on all other purchases | Aventura |
| BMO CashBack Mastercard for students | $0 | None | 0.99% | * 3% cash back on groceries (up to $500 per month) * 1% cash back on recurring bill payments (up to $500 per month) * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases | Cash back |
All of these top student credit cards are no-fee options that have low credit score requirements and no income requirements at all, making them easy for students to qualify for. Plus, these cards received high Genius Ratings, a data-driven score that finds the best cards in Canada.
Our guide to the best student credit cards gives a detailed description of our top 3 picks, plus explains how student cards can help you build a credit score. We'll also explain alternative options, so you can be sure you're getting the best card for you.
Key Takeaways
- The best student credit card in Canada is the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students.
- Student credit cards rarely charge an annual fee and have few to no eligibility requirements.
- Student cards are an excellent tool to help people build their credit rating.
- Once you graduate, you may want to upgrade your student card to something that will earn you more rewards on your spending.
Best student credit cards in Canada
Our Gold award for the #1 student credit card in Canada goes to the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students for its premium benefits and travel perks.
Our Silver award goes to the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students for its more flexible travel options and versatile redemption options.
And our Bronze award goes to BMO CashBack Mastercard for students for its simple cash back reward structure and fuel discount.
The #1 student credit card in Canada: CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students
The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students is our favourite student credit card for a few reasons. Not only is this no-fee credit card easy to qualify for, but it also offers rewards on popular spending categories for students. We're talking 1 point per $1 spent on gas, groceries, Air Canada flights, and EV charging. The card's travel accident and rental car insurance are an added bonus for when you're travelling back home or abroad.
When you're ready to redeem your Aeroplan points, choose from Air Canada flights, other travel, merchandise, or gift cards. To get you started with earning, CIBC gives you the opportunity to earn up to 10,000 bonus points.
What Redditors say: "I actually got this card last year the day I turned 18. The starting bonus of 10k points is so nice but sucks that now there is a minimum spend of around 15k for those points. I recently used points to book flights and it was so cool to see all the points I had accumulated being used for flights. Very well worth it."-- Reddit user, July 2025
Note that the full welcome bonus can be claimed by having at least $10,000 in net purchases posted on your account during the first 12 monthly statement periods (including $1,500 in the first 4 months).
The #2 student credit card in Canada: CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card for Students
The CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students comes a close second to the CIBC Aeroplan card. This Aventura option includes a free SPC membership and won't cost you anything to hold. And, like the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students, this card gives you the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus of up to 10,000 points.
In addition to the steady points you earn for travel and everyday purchases, you have lots of redemption options. Sure, you get the most value for redeeming points with flights, but you can also cash them in for charitable donations, other travel, CIBC financial products, gift cards, merchandise, and cash back.
What Redditors say: "If you're looking for a no-fee credit card that doesn't require a minimum income, I'd recommend checking out CIBC's student options. The rewards aren't always worth it, in my opinion—they mostly just incentivize spending on things you probably don't need. I personally prefer the CIBC Classic, Dividend, Aeroplan, or Aventura student credit cards because CIBC covers the $11.99 annual fee for a Student Price Card+ (SPC+) membership. I find SPC+ super useful, especially since I shop at H&M a lot. I spend around $1200 a year on clothes (mostly during summer and winter), and with SPC+ I get 20% off, saving me $240 a year." – Reddit user, November 2024
The #3 student credit card in Canada: BMO CashBack® Mastercard®* for students
×1 Award winner 
$20 GeniusCash + 5% cash back for the first 3 months + No annual fee.*
GC: $20
1x Award winner 
The BMO CashBack Mastercard for students is one of the most popular cash back student cards – and for good reason. Like many student cards, there's no annual fee. You'll get a great earn rate of up to 3% on groceries. There's also a sweet welcome bonus of 5% cash back for the first 3 months, up to $2,500 in spend.
BMO lets you choose when you want your cash back paid out. No waiting around for your card's anniversary or until you've earned a specific amount in rewards.
What Redditors say: "I got the Student BMO Cashback MasterCard. No annual fee. 3% cashback on groceries. As a student and even now, most of my credit card purchases are groceries so it's a very well used credit card for me. If you're a student, it's easy to get. The 3% includes Walmart too. The 3% is only up to a max of $500 per statement cycle, which would be a max of $15." – Reddit user, March 2025
Compare all top student credit cards by Genius Rating
With student cards, we focus on things that matter to students – fees, ease of approval, and rewards – and calculate the potential rewards while relying on each card's Genius Rating.
×2 Award winner GC: $120 + $20
2x Award winner ×1 Award winner GC: $20 1x Award winner 
Awards are given out once a year but rating and rankings can shift throughout the year. The #1 card for 2026 is pinned to the top.
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 (28%)
- Fees (28%)
- Approval (28%)
- Insurance (6%)
- Perks (6%)
- Interest (2%)
- Acceptance (2%)
Then, we ran those through our algorithm, which calculated a score out of 5 – our Genius Rating.
Learn more about our Genius Rating methodology
How to choose the right student credit card
While student credit cards are typically fairly basic, they do offer unique rewards and perks – so it helps to know what you want from a card before you apply. Specifically, take a look at each Genius Rating factor when considering a student credit card.
Rewards
Depending on your card, you could earn cash back, travel rewards, or even flexible redemption options that include merchandise or gift cards. Take a look at how our top student cards earn rewards.
| Credit card | Rewards program | Rewards | Redemption options | Average rate of return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students | Aeroplan | * 1 point per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging, groceries, and Air Canada * 1 point per $1.50 spent on all purchases | * Flights * Air Canada gift cards * Car rentals * Vacation packages * Hotels * Merchandise * Gift cards | 1.55% |
| CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students | Aventura | * 1 point per $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre * 1 point per $1 spent on eligible gas, groceries, EV charging, and drugstores, up to $6,000 spent annually * 1 point per $2 spent on all other purchases | * Airline rewards chart * Travel through CIBC Rewards * Charity donations * CIBC financial products * Gift cards * Merchandise * Pay with points | 1.56% |
| BMO CashBack Mastercard for students | Cash back | * 3% cash back on groceries (up to $500 per month) * 1% cash back on recurring bill payments (up to $500 per month) * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases | * Cash back | 0.99% |
Fees
This is an easy factor to evaluate since a good student credit card shouldn't charge an annual fee. No surprise – all of our top picks are no-fee credit cards. This means your rewards are simply money in your pocket.
Approval
Another signature feature of student credit cards is their easy approval. These cards shouldn't have high credit score requirements, since you're still building credit. A good student credit card also shouldn't have hefty annual income requirements. None of the cards on our list have any income requirement.
Perks
Student credit cards traditionally don't offer many perks since they're no-fee cards and issued to people with lower credit scores. Although you won't get the generous perks that come with premium cards, student credit cards might come with perks like:
- Fuel discounts
- Discounts on car rentals
- Free Student Price Card (SPC) membership (As seen on the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students)
- Free to add cardholders
- Welcome bonus opportunities
Insurance
Again, student credit cards don't usually offer much in the way of travel insurance, although you will get purchase protection and extended warranty (pretty standard for all credit cards).
That said, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students and CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students give you travel accident insurance, with the Aeroplan card throwing in rental car theft and damage coverage. The BMO CashBack Mastercard for students doesn't come with any travel insurance.
Interest rates
As you learn to use a credit card responsibly, it's important to keep the balance paid off every month. However, if you do carry a balance occasionally, having a credit card with a low interest rate can mean you won't be charged a ton in interest.
As you can see, the CIBC cards charge the same rates, while the BMO card has slightly higher interest rates for cash advances and balance transfers.
| Credit card | Purchase rate | Cash advance | Balance transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students | 21.99% | 22.99% | 22.99% |
| CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students | 21.99% | 22.99% | 22.99% |
| BMO CashBack Mastercard for students | 21.99% | 23.99% | 23.99% |
Acceptance
Our best student cards are made up of Visa and Mastercard options, so you shouldn't have any trouble with retailers accepting your choice of plastic.
What is a student credit card?
A student credit card works the same way a normal credit card does. You earn rewards on purchases and pay off your balance monthly to build your credit score – they're just more accessible to young adults who are still in school and typically don't have much in the way of credit history or income.
Getting a student credit card in Canada is the ideal way to start building your credit score. Once you decide on the right card for you, you can typically apply on the bank website or through our creditcardGenius offers. Once you graduate, you can qualify for better credit cards with better rewards. You'll also get better rates on loans and mortgages down the road.
Remember: It's important to pay your student credit card on time and refrain from carrying a balance. You want the card to help your credit score, not hurt it.
Pros and cons of student credit cards
If you're trying to decide whether or not to get a student credit card, keep in mind that while they do offer valuable features and help to build your credit, you can easily rack up credit card debt if you're not careful about paying in full and on time.
Here's an overview of the main pros and cons of student credit cards:
- Easy approval
- Builds credit
- Possible rewards/points/cash back
- Valuable and convenient perks
- Easy to track spending
- Financial flexibility
- Interest charges
- Limited selection of cards
- Low to no insurance coverage
- Risk of debt
Should you get a student credit card?
If you can use it responsibly, you should get a student credit card as soon as you're eligible. To qualify for a student credit card, you'll need to:
- Be a Canadian citizen, resident, or have a valid study permit
- Be over the age of majority
- Have proof of enrollment in your post-secondary institution
Student credit cards are much more lenient in terms of credit score, but if you've got a really low credit score, you may have trouble being approved. In that case, you can opt for a secured credit card to get started and move on to a normal student card later.
Why building credit as a student matters
There are several major reasons you should start building credit as a student. The most basic is that the longer your credit history is, the better it looks – starting early can potentially boost your credit score in the long run. This can save you money on future interest rates, as a higher credit score may net you lower interest rates on loans or lines of credit.
The most tangible reason to start building credit as soon as possible is to improve your odds of being approved when you apply for various financial ventures. A good credit score is paramount when applying to apartments, as the landlords will check your credit as part of the application. A solid financial foundation will also help you apply for student loans, buy your first car, or even let you be approved for more premium credit card options down the line.
Building credit as a student will teach you good spending and saving habits that will follow you into adulthood and beyond. Knowing how to manage a budget, make payments, and spend responsibly are invaluable skills you don't want to learn the hard way.
Alternatives to student credit cards
If you aren't interested in (or don't qualify for) a student credit card, you still have a couple of credit card options that aren't debit cards.
Prepaid credit cards
A prepaid credit card is similar to a gift card, requiring periodic top-ups. You will never be able to overextend your finances and find yourself in debt. You can also set monthly limits in terms of how much you want to put in, helping you meet your savings goals.
However, since prepaid cards aren't credit products, they won't help you improve your credit score or build credit history.
Secured credit cards
A secured credit card is used like a standard card, but requires a deposit before activation. The deposit becomes your credit limit, so you'll never be able to spend more than you have (and the bank has a way to cover your balance if you can't pay it). Consistently paying off your balance on a secured credit card is a low-risk way to improve your credit score.
How to make the most of your student credit card
If this is your first credit card, try a few of these tested strategies that will help you become a responsible student cardholder:
- Don't spend over your limit: If it's your first credit card, your credit limit is probably low, so pay close attention and don't max out your card. You may be hit with penalties if you do, and your credit score will take a big hit. Keep your spending to 30% of your total limit or lower.
- Pay your credit card bill on time and in full. Although it might be tempting to make just the minimum payment, aim to pay off your card in full to avoid accumulating a balance and incurring hefty interest charges.
- Check your statement regularly: Mistakes happen, but they're easier to catch if you're reading through your credit card statement at least once a month. If you notice an error, contact the merchant and dispute the charge.
- Use the benefits that come with your card: Read the terms to know what's included. For instance, if you damage your cell phone, check whether you have mobile device coverage and use it!
FAQ
Can you keep a student credit card after you graduate?
You can keep your student card for as long as you like. Keeping it open can help your credit history. However, at some point after graduation, consider getting another card that offers better rewards or special perks.
Can you use a student credit card to pay tuition?
This depends on your school's policy and whether your credit limit is high enough. If you do, be sure that you can pay the balance quickly, since the interest on a purchase like this will add up quickly.
Can I earn travel rewards with a student credit card?
Yes, you can earn travel rewards with some student credit cards. Our top pick, the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for students, for example, allows you to earn Aeroplan points with every purchase. You'll even earn 2x the rewards when booking Air Canada flights.
Why was I rejected for a student credit card?
This could happen if you're under the age of majority, you're not a student, you lack sufficient documentation, or your credit score is too low. If this happens, consider alternatives such as prepaid or secured credit cards.
Can you get a student credit card with no credit?
As long as you have provable income, having no credit history shouldn't stop you from getting a student credit card. If you're concerned about being denied, consider applying for a secured credit card, which typically has more lenient requirements.
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.
