Commuting to and from work is more expensive than ever. Gas prices are at all time highs. There’s your vehicle maintenance and depreciation to consider. Depending on where you live, there’s also congestion to deal with. And if you’re environmentally conscious, you’re also creating a large carbon footprint.
So unless you’re lucky enough to own an electric car, your work is a quick drive away, or you simply work in a home office, the cost of commuting in a car can be expensive.
And that’s where public transit can come in. For a relatively low monthly fee, you have the freedom to travel anywhere you want within their network. No more constant checking on the price of gas or wearing out your own vehicle.
To make things better, there are many credit cards that now offer bonus rewards on your transit purchases. And this can extend to more than just public transport, these bonuses can also include taxis and rideshares.
Here are the best credit cards that reward you for taking transit.
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Best credit cards for transit
First, here’s our summary of the best credit cards that earn you rewards on transit.
| Credit Card | Welcome Bonus | Rewards | Annual Fee, Income Requirements | Apply Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt | Up to 15,000 bonus points (terms) | * 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 |
* $155.88 * None |
Apply Now |
| BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard |  $150 GeniusCash + Up to $480 cash back in the first year, first year free (terms) |
* 5% cash back on groceries, up to $500 in monthly spend * 4% cash back on transit, up to $300 in monthly spend * 3% cash back on gas, up to $300 in monthly spend * 2% cash back on recurring bills, up to $500 in monthly spend * 1% cash back on all other purchases |
* $120 * $80K personal/$150K household |
Apply Now |
| Tangerine Money-Back Card | $125 GeniusCash + 10% extra cash back for the first 2 months (terms) |
* 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases |
* $0 * $12K personal |
Apply Now |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | $150 GeniusCash + Up to 70,000 bonus points, first year free (terms) |
* 5 BMO Rewards points for every $1 spent on dining, groceries, gas, and transit * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* $120 * $60K personal/$100K household |
Apply Now |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | $60 GeniusCash + Up to 50,000 bonus points, first year free (terms) |
* 6 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, dining, and entertainment * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on gas, select streaming services, and transit * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* $120 * $12K personal |
Apply Now |
How can you see if a credit card offers bonus rewards on public transport? It’s all in the details. You basically just need to look for the words “transit.”
Here’s one example, from the Amex Cobalt page.
We see the words “transit” in the 2x category. There’s a term attached to it – let’s see what it says.
This basically covers it all. But it also offers a warning about merchants where transit isn’t their primary business. You’ll earn rewards based on the merchants category.
So, if you buy a book of bus tickets from a corner store, for instance, you won’t earn the bonus rate for transit purchases – it would likely fall under the “everything else” umbrella. However, if you bought them at a grocery store, you could be earning 5x the points instead.
One thing these terms will cover is what exactly is covered by the “transit” category for credit cards. If you use Uber or Lyft frequently, you’ll have to check in here to see if those are covered (they are for this card).
So without further ado, here’s our listing of the best credit cards for transit.
The best credit card for transit overall
Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.* Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.*
×8 Award winner 
8x Award winner
The
Here’s what you’ll earn on all your purchases:
- 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
American Express Membership Rewards are worth up to 2 cents each, giving your transit purchases a return of up to 4%. And as we saw above, this includes public transit, taxis, and rideshares.
When factored into your overall spending, this card provides an astounding return of 4.5% based on a typical $2,000 monthly spend. It’s the biggest reason this credit card is the best in Canada.
The best cash back credit card for transit
GC: $150
Not everyone is into Amex cards, and there’s also a good chance your local transit provider doesn’t take Amex (it happens).
There’s an excellent Mastercard that offers a high earn rate on transit purchases – the
Here’s what you’ll get for cash back:
- 5% cash back on groceries, up to $500 in monthly spend
- 4% cash back on transit, up to $300 in monthly spend
- 3% cash back on gas, up to $300 in monthly spend
- 2% cash back on recurring bills, up to $500 in monthly spend
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
4% cash back is pretty sweet. But it’s also capped at $300 in spending per month. But for most people, that’s probably not the end of the world. Unless you’re buying more than 2 monthly passes in most cities, you won’t exceed this cap. One example is Toronto, where the TTC charges $156 per month. But even if you get 2, you’re only slightly exceeding the limit.
What exactly does this transit cover? Here are the terms.
This one even covers ferries and passenger railways, perfect if you take them at any frequent rate (think Via Rail or BC Ferries for instance).
And on top of that, you’re getting a variety of high earn rates, albeit with monthly caps on them.
The transit credit card with no annual fee
×1 Award winner GC: $125
1x Award winner
Many people just prefer a credit card that has no annual fee. And for transit, the
With Tangerine, you get to decide what categories you earn 2% cash back in. And transit is one of them, from this list of 10.
You get to pick 2 categories if you get your rewards as a statement credit, or 3 if you plop them into a Tangerine Savings account. You’ll earn 0.5% cash back on all other purchases.
What’s covered here? Even more, as the category also covers parking:
The road toll is interesting, and makes it perfect for those who frequently use the 407 ETR or Confederation Bridge. It’s really an excellent commuter card, as you can earn bonus rewards on your parking, as well as gas if it’s one of your chosen categories.
The best Visa credit card for public transport
GC: $150
For the person who prefers a Visa (or also wants flexible rewards in a non-Amex card), the
Here’s what you’ll get:
- 5 BMO Rewards points for every $1 spent on dining, groceries, gas, and transit
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Each of these BMO Rewards points are worth up to 0.67 cents, for a return of 3.35% on transit.
With this card, BMO’s terms don’t go into full details – the best we can get is from the marketing page:
At least the basics are covered here, but we’re disappointed that BMO won’t get into the specifics of the “and more” part.
An American Express for flexible rewards
×1 Award winner GC: $60
1x Award winner
Our last credit card features flexible rewards with the
Here’s what you’ll earn for rewards:
- 6 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more
- 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, dining, and entertainment
- 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on gas, select streaming services, and transit
- 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases
- 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Scene+ points are worth 1 cent each, giving your transit purchases a 3% return.
The terms dont state much for what exactly is included. Here’s the general overview of what the transit category covers:
Best credit cards for public transport compared
How do these 5 credit cards compare?
Here’s how they stack up when it comes to earning rewards on purchases.
Earn Rates
The 1 big thing to compare – what you’ll earn for rewards on transit purchases.
Here’s the earn rates for all 5 cards:
Plenty of rewards to be had here. While our no annual fee card did come in last, it still packs a punch, especially since it’s the only one that also offers rewards on parking and road tolls.
Looking for the best credit cards for taxis and rideshares? Here are our credit card choices when it comes to taxis, Uber, and Lyft.
What’s your favourite credit card for transit?
Public transportation is a part of many people’s budget, and with the right credit card, you can earn extra rewards with them.
How do you pay for your public transit expenses?
What’s your go-to credit card?
Let us know in the comments below.
FAQ
What is the best credit card for public transit overall?
The best credit card for public transit is the American Express Cobalt. It earns 2 points per $1 spent on transit, which combined with a value of 2 cents per points gives a return of 4% on transit purchases.
What kind of rewards can I earn if I use a credit card for public transit purchases?
Our listing of best credit cards includes a variety of rewards – from straight flexible rewards, pure travel, and cash back.
Does ridesharing usually count as a public transport purchase on a credit card?
For most transit credit cards, ridesharing and taxis count towards the transit category.
What other things can count as public transit with a credit card?
Depending on the credit card, here are the things that can count towards the transit categories:
- public transportation such as buses and subways,
- rideshares,
- taxis,
- ferries, and
- passenger railways.
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