Best Desjardins Credit Cards In Canada For October 2025
The overall best Desjardins credit card is the Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard, one that offers high earn rates for a surprisingly low annual fee. Of course, this credit union offers a suite of other card options.
If you’re looking for a credit card from Desjardins, it helps to know what you want from the card. The reviews below cover several categories of cards, so you can find the best Desjardins travel card, no fee credit card, or rewards card to fit your needs.
Key Takeaways
- Desjardins is a credit union based in Quebec, but it issues Mastercard and Visa credit cards throughout Canada.
- The Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard is your best cash back option.
- Desjardins cards typically have low income to no income requirements, making them easier to qualify for.
Best Desjardins credit cards (+ best alternatives)
While Desjardins offers a variety of credit cards, none came out on top in our most recent best credit card ratings. That said, they do offer some strong options, but it turns out there's almost always another credit card available that's a little (or a lot) better in terms of overall value.
Here are the top Desjardins credit cards and some alternatives you may want to consider.
| Category | Desjardins credit card | Features | Our recommended alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for cash back | Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard | * High earn rates across multiple categories * Slightly lower annual fee | Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card |
| Best for flexible rewards | Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard | * Comprehensive travel insurance * Earns up to 3% back | American Express Cobalt Card |
| Best for low interest | Desjardins Flexi Visa | * Permanently low interest rates * No annual fee | MBNA True Line Mastercard |
| Best for travel | Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege | * Solid travel insurance coverage * Earns up to 4% back | RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege |
| Best for no fee cash back | Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard | * No annual fee * Includes mobile device coverage | Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card |
| Best for business | Visa Desjardins Business Card | * Free legal assistance * Low interest rate | BMO CashBack Business Mastercard |
1. Best for cash back
The Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard stands out for its high earn rates across multiple categories and nice perks for a lower-than-average annual fee. You’ll also get 9 types of insurance and discounts on rental cars.
You might also consider: Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite
Not only does the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card have lower income requirements, but it also comes with similar earn rates, more insurance coverage, and a welcome bonus of up to 10% back on spending for your first 3 months. There’s a reason that it’s our #1 rated cash back card.
Rewards:
- 4% cash back on groceries and recurring bill payments
- 2% cash back on gas and transit
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Pros:
- Visa Infinite benefits
- Ability to get annual fee waived
- 11 types of insurance included
Cons:
- High income requirements of $60,000 personal or $100,000 household
- Rewards only paid out once per year as a statement credit
2. Best for flexible rewards
Are you on the hunt for rewards? The Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard lets you earn Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS rewards on all your spending. We also like the card’s extensive insurance package – but the card doesn’t measure up when it comes to your return on spending and there’s no welcome bonus to speak of.
You might also consider: American Express Cobalt
While the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard is a decent option, the American Express Cobalt Card is our top-ranked credit card in Canada. You’ll earn points at a higher rate, get a sweet welcome bonus, and enjoy more perks and benefits. Did we mention how valuable Amex Membership Rewards are?
Rewards:
- 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
Pros:
- Best credit card in Canada
- Get up to 15,000 welcome bonus points
- Four ways to redeem points for high value
- 10 types of insurance included
Cons:
- Lower acceptance as an American Express
3. Best for low interest
Although the Desjardins Flexi Visa doesn’t have rewards or a welcome bonus, it makes up for it with permanently low interest rates. You’ll pay just 10.9% on purchases and 12.9% on balance transfers and cash advances. You might not be rewarded for spending, but at least you’ll be punished less if you carry a balance.
You might also consider: MBNA True Line Preferred Mastercard
We named the MBNA True Line Mastercard the best balance transfer card in Canada for a reason. Just like the Desjardins option, there’s no annual fee or rewards – but MBNA offers an incredible promotional rate of 0% on balance transfers for 12 months. Plus, you can earn $100 GeniusCash when you apply through our offers page.
Pros:
- 0% on balance transfers for 12 months (3% transfer fee)
- 12.99% interest rate on purchases
- No annual fee
Cons:
- No rewards on purchases
- Higher regular cash advance and balance transfer interest rates
- Limited insurance included
4. Best for travel
The Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege is great for travel as it earns 4% back on transit (plus entertainment and restaurants) and 3% back on travel and groceries. The main thing it lacks is a welcome bonus, and it offers slightly less insurance coverage than similar cards.
Still, you’ll get a steady 1.75% earn rate for all other purchases, along with low interest rates and a respectable insurance package, making it a solid option.
You might also consider: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
Though the Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege is a solid option, there’s a reason we named the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege the best travel insurance card in Canada. With more types of travel insurance, a hefty welcome bonus, and a similar annual fee, the value proposition is hard to pass up.
Rewards:
- 1.25 points per $1 spent on all purchases
Pros:
- 12 types of insurance
- Up to 70,000 welcome bonus points
- Points worth up to 2.33 cents each
- 3 cents off per litre at Petro-Canada
- Two-for-one Friday ski lift passes at participating resorts
Cons:
- Poor rewards if not redeemed through the Air Travel Redemption chart
- $99 additional card fee
5. Best for no fee cash back
If you’re interested in cash back rewards, the Desjardins Cash Back Mastercard might be on your radar. You won’t pay an annual fee (though you also won’t get a welcome bonus) so the money you earn in rewards goes straight into your pocket. It’s a basic card with basic insurance, adding a little to its value.
You might also consider: Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard
If you're looking for a no fee cash back credit card with a solid earn rate and a few perks and benefits, it’s hard to do better than the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card. While it’s similar to the Desjardins option, Tangerine offers a better balance transfer rate and a welcome bonus worth up to $100.
Rewards:
- 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories
- 0.5% cash back on all other purchases
Pros:
- Earn an extra 10% cash back for the first 2 months, up to $1,000 spent
- 1.95% on balance transfers for 6 months
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Only earns 0.5% cash back on non-category purchases
- Limited insurance included
6. Best for business
The Visa Desjardins Business Card has several things going for it: a low annual fee, low interest rates, and perks like free legal assistance. But you’ll only earn points once you’ve spent $12,000 – and you’ll stop earning when you hit $500,000 in purchases. Once you get the points, you’ll have to wait until your card’s anniversary before you receive a statement credit.
You might also consider: BMO CashBack Business Mastercard
While the Desjardins business card has lower interest rates, the BMO CashBack Business Mastercard makes up for slightly higher rates with its welcome bonus, discount on fuel, and lack of an annual fee. We also love that you can choose when to redeem your points; with Desjardins, you’re paid out once per year on your anniversary.
Rewards:
- 1.75% cash back at Shell
- 1.5% cash back on gas, office supplies, and cellphone/internet bills
- 0.75% cash back on all other purchases
Pros:
- 10% cash back on gas, office supplies, and recurring cell phone/internet bills for the first 3 months
- Save up to 7 cents per litre at Shell
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Only earns 0.5% cash back outside of bonus categories
- Limited insurance included
Compare all Desjardins credit cards
This table is displaying our default Genius Rating, which applies our standard weight to all seven of our scoring categories: rewards, fees, insurance, interest, perks, approval, and acceptance. The other card displays in the article are configured to specific categories based on what the card does best.
Pros and cons of Desjardins credit cards
Before you apply for a Desjardins credit card, weigh the benefits and drawbacks to decide if it’s right for you.
With Desjardins, you can enjoy some decent benefits:
- Desjardins insurance value. Desjardins is a big name in insurance and their credit cards include some valuable complimentary insurance packages. We studied the estimated value of the insurance included with Canadian credit cards and Desjardins cards offer up to $639 in insurance value.
- Low-interest options. While the average Canadian credit card has interest around 20%, three of the Desjardins credit cards we looked at significantly lower interest rates that will save you money if you tend to carry a balance.
- Low to no income requirements. The majority of Desjardins credit cards have low or no income requirements, which puts them within reach of more Canadians. Note, though, that you’ll still need a good credit score to be approved.
- Generally low annual fees. The majority of Desjardins credit cards have lower-than-average annual fees, putting them reasonably within reach of most Canadians.
But there are also some downsides to be aware of:
- Low average rate of return. The average rate of return on Desjardins credit cards is on the low side. Returns of 1% or higher are considered decent, but only half of the Desjardins credit cards reach this threshold.
- Low estimated perks value. We also studied the value of included credit card perks and benefits and found that Desjardins generally falls short in this area. Most Desjardins cards offer less than $100 a year in perks and benefits value – though the Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege is the exception.
- No welcome bonuses. A little over half of the credit cards we track offer welcome bonuses – extra value you can extract from a credit card simply by signing up or by hitting particular spend limits or other requirements. But Desjardins offers no welcome bonuses on any of their credit cards.
What is Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS?
Many credit card issuers have their own unique, in-house rewards program, and Desjardins is no different. Its loyalty program is known as Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS, which is a relatively flexible rewards program that lets you earn points using Desjardins credit cards and redeem them for a variety of things. Here’s a quick rundown.
How to earn rewards
Just like other credit cards, you earn rewards points by making purchases with your card. But only the following credit cards will earn Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS:
- Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege
- Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard
- Desjardins Visa Odyssey Gold
How to redeem Desjardins rewards
To redeem Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS rewards, log in on the BONUSDOLLARS Rewards Catalog website and choose how you want to use the points.
To get the best value, redeem points for travel, financial products, show tickets, or donations. These options earn you $1 per point.
Keep in mind that, unlike some rewards programs, you cannot transfer BONUSDOLLARS to other rewards programs, nor can you boost your rewards earn rate.
Our Take: If you're interested in maximizing your credit card rewards, Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS probably isn't the best choice.
Desjardins vs. big bank credit cards
If you’re looking for the best in rewards or perks, you’ll likely want to opt for a big bank card. When you compare Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS to other major rewards programs, you quickly see that it lacks value.
But there’s one area where Desjardins outshines its competitors: customer service. Since it’s part of a cooperative financial group, Desjardin prioritizes the customer experience over the bottom line. If you prefer to bank with a company driven by values, Desjardins might be a good choice.
How to apply for a Desjardins credit card
To apply for a Desjardins credit card, you must be a Canadian resident and the age of majority in your province or territory. From there, you’ll need to have a good credit score and ensure you meet the card’s income requirements.
Note: Depending on which credit card you want to apply for, you may need to be a member of a caisse that’s affiliated with the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec or the Caisse Desjardins Ontario Credit Union Inc.
If you haven’t decided which card to apply for, take some time to find a card that matches your spending habits and has an annual fee (or no fee) that you can comfortably afford. Once you’ve found the Desjardins card of your dreams, click on the secured credit card application link and provide the required information:
- Your full name and contact information
- Gross income
- Monthly housing costs (rent or mortgage payments) and places of residence
- Financial information: accounts, other credit cards, investments
If you’re applying for a joint credit card, your co-signer will need to provide the same information.
Once you’ve completed the application and submitted it online, all you have to do is wait for an approval decision.
FAQ
Who can get a Desjardins credit card?
Anyone can get a Desjardins credit card as long as they’re a Canadian resident, they’re of the age of majority in their province or territory, and they meet the card’s income and credit score requirements.
Is the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard good for travellers?
We actually think the Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege is a better travel card because you’ll earn more rewards for travel, have a solid insurance package, and enjoy airport lounge access with several complimentary passes every year.
What is Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS?
BONUSDOLLARS is the Desjardins reward program that lets you earn points for travel, Desjardins financial products, show tickets, donations, gift cards, and merchandise. Aside from gift cards and merchandise, all redemption options are worth $1 per point.
Is a Desjardins credit card worth it?
You’ll probably find cards with better earn rates and reward values from other issuers, but Desjardins credit cards might be worth it if you are looking for a credit card with an impressive insurance package.
Does Desjardins reward you for grocery shopping?
Yes, several Desjardins credit cards give you 3% cash back for grocery purchases, but the Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard gives you the highest earn rate for groceries: you’ll get a generous 4% back.
Where are Desjardins credit cards available?
Desjardins credit cards are available across all provinces and territories in Canada to those who have reached the age of majority. You can apply for a card online or by visiting a local branch or affiliated credit union.
Do Desjardins credit cards include insurance?
Yes, most of the Desjardins credit card choices come with solid credit card insurance packages. The most common types of insurance include travel insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage offered by specific manufacturers.
Which Desjardins credit card is best?
This is a personal choice, really. But based on Genius Ratings alone, the Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard is the top card with a 4-star rating, with the Desjardins Flexi Visa following close behind with 3.9 stars.
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.
