Best Tangerine Credit Cards in Canada for 2026
An unbiased comparison of every top Tangerine credit card in Canada
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is the best Tangerine credit card in Canada. It has no annual fee and reasonable income requirements of $0 – yet it still earns solid rewards.
Tangerine also offers a World version of this card – which also has no fee but is slightly harder to qualify for – and a premium card that earns Scene+ points: the Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard.
A standout feature of Tangerine credit cards is the ability to pick your own rewards categories. You can also adjust them from time to time, helping you maximize rewards and tailor earnings to your spending habits.
This article provides a detailed comparison of Tangerine's 3 credit card options, highlighting their special features and limitations so you can make an informed choice.
Key Takeaways
- The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is the best Tangerine credit card in Canada.
- The Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard has a slightly higher value than its counterpart, but this comes with stricter eligibility requirements.
- Neither Tangerine cash back card has an annual fee, and both provide users with the opportunity to choose up to 3 cash back categories from a list of ten options.
- The new Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns Scene+ points instead of cash back, and charges an annual fee.
Tangerine credit cards
Take a look at your Tangerine credit card options:
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
×2 Award winner 
GC: $125
2x Award winner Rewards:
- 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories
- 0.5% cash back on all other purchases
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a fairly straightforward card with good earn rates on your selected categories. It's also one of our top-ranked cards for students, applicants with limited credit history, or newcomers to Canada, thanks to its relatively low credit score requirements, no income requirements, and no annual fee. It can also be used as a balance transfer credit card, offering 1.95% interest on balance transfers for 6 months.
That said, the limited insurance coverage and poor 0.5% cash back rate on non-category purchases make it a basic card best used as a supplementary or starter credit card. Once you've built your credit history up, you can use the Tangerine card for your category purchases and a better earning card (we like the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite+ Card) on your non-category purchases.
First-hand experience: "The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a great option for newcomers to Canada. While many credit cards are out of reach due to limited credit history or low income, Tangerine stands out by offering one of the best cashback programs available to newcomers." — Team Genius member
Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard
Rewards:
- 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories
- 0.5% cash back on all other purchases
While there are a lot of similarities between the Tangerine cards, the Tangerine® Money-Back World Mastercard®* has an edge because it offers more perks. You'll enjoy a hefty welcome bonus: earn $100 bonus cash back when you spend $1,500 in the first 3 months. You'll also receive mobile device and rental car insurance, as well as World Mastercard benefits like Mastercard Travel Pass provided by Dragonpass, streaming offers, and discounts. The Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard gives you 1.95% interest on balance transfers for 6 months, too.
Still, the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard has the same cash back rate on non-category purchases as the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card – a meagre 0.5%. It also has income requirements of $50,000 personal or $80,000 household, making it much less accessible.
Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Rewards:
- 1.5 Scene+ points per $1 spent in 3 reward categories of your choice
- 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases
As Tangerine's first premium credit card, the Tangerine® Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®** differs from Tangerine's other cards in a few key ways. This card:
- Earns Scene+ rewards points instead of cash back.
- Offers much more insurance, with 12 types.
- Includes airport lounge passes.
- Charges an annual fee of 120.
While the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard includes Dragonpass access, it doesn't come with any free passes. The Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard, on the other hand, grants 4 complimentary lounge passes to cardholders every year.
But the biggest differentiator is the Scene+ rewards. Tangerine Mastercards have previously exclusively earned cash back. This card breaks the mould by earning flexible Scene+ rewards instead.
The earn rates aren't especially high for the annual price, so we recommend selecting a no-annual-fee Tangerine card – unless you're looking for free lounge access. However, Tangerine has also teased AI features for this card, so we could see more enticing perks soon!
Compare Tangerine credit cards
This table compares the best features of Tangerine cards, side by side:
| Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card | Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard | Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 | 120 |
| Rewards | * 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases | * 2% cash back on purchases in up to 3 Money-Back Categories * 0.5% cash back on all other purchases | * 1.5 Scene+ points per $1 spent in 3 reward categories of your choice * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Income requirements | * $12,000 personal | $50,000 personal * $80,000 personal | $80,000 personal * $150,000 personal |
| Insurance coverage | 2 types | 4 types | 12 types |
| Perks | * Welcome bonus:  $125 GeniusCash + 10% extra cash back for the first 2 months (terms)* 15% H&R Block discount | * Welcome bonus: $125 GeniusCash + $100 (terms) * FlexiRoam * Airport lounge access (no free passes) * 20% H&R Block discount * Fubo TV | * Welcome bonus: Up to 30,000 bonus points (terms) * 4 free lounge passes * World Elite benefits |
Pros and cons of Tangerine credit cards
Since Tangerine isn't as well-known as some of the big banks, here's a rundown of the pros and cons of holding a Tangerine credit card.
Tangerine card pros:
- No annual fees: Tangerine offers 2 solid cards with no annual fee, which makes their bonus rewards categories that much better. With no fee, you'll have nothing cutting into your cash back profits.
- Balance transfer offers: If you're carrying a balance on another credit card, Tangerine's balance transfer offer can help reduce interest charges while you pay it off.
- Welcome bonuses: With easy-to-earn bonus cash back, you'll enjoy some extra money in your account with these cards.
- Fuel savings: Get 3 cents per litre instant savings on all grades of gas at Shell. Link your Scene+ membership to your Shell Go+ account to earn up to 2 cents per litre in redeemable Scene+ points on Shell V-Power fuel – a Tangerine client exclusive.
- Bonus cash back in up to 3 categories: You choose 2 – 3 categories that will earn you boosted rewards. The Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard offers 3 categories by default, and if your cash is deposited to a Tangerine savings account, you get to choose 3 for cash back cards as well.
Tangerine card cons:
- Average rate of return. Tangerine's 2% cash back in up to 3 categories is an excellent rate of return for a no annual fee card…but it only applies to your selected categories. Spending outside your chosen categories means an interest rate of just 0.5%.
- Standard interest rates. Unless you take advantage of the balance transfer promo, you're looking at standard interest rates of 20.95% across the board on balances you carry.
- Minimal insurance for no-fee cards. Both no-fee cards offer basic extended warranty and purchase protection coverage, but the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard also provides mobile device coverage and rental car theft and damage.
Tangerine credit card insurance: What's included and what isn't
The Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard is the first Tangerine card to offer comprehensive insurance. Here's what's available:
Tangerine® Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®**
| Extended Warranty | 1 year |
| Purchase Protection | 90 days |
| Mobile Device | $1,000 |
| Event Ticket Cancellation | Yes |
| Emergency Medical Term | 15 days |
| Emergency Medical Maximum Coverage | $5,000,000 |
| Trip Cancellation | $2,000 |
| Trip Interruption | $2,000 |
| Flight Delay | $500 |
| Baggage Delay | $500 |
| Lost or Stolen Baggage | $1,000 |
| Hotel Burglary | $1,000 |
| Rental Car Theft & Damage | Yes |
Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage.
Tangerine cash back credit cards aren't known for their extensive insurance offerings, but here's what you'll get with the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card:
- Extended warranty for 1 year on purchases made with your Tangerine card
- Purchase protection that covers loss, theft, or damage on most new insured items for 90 days from the date of purchase
The Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard also offers:
- Rental car insurance for theft and damage
- Mobile device coverage up to $1,000
- Travel Insurance, like trip cancellation, trip interruption, or emergency medical coverage
- Comprehensive travel benefits that you find in more premium cards (though the World card provides some travel-related perks)
How to choose the right Tangerine credit card for you
First, you'll need to decide whether you're comfortable paying an annual fee in exchange for more extensive insurance and 4 free lounge passes. If so, the Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard is the Tangerine card for you – as long as you qualify. Keep in mind that the rewards alone don't justify its annual fee.
Looking for a no-fee card? You'll choose between Tangerine's flexible cash back cards: the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card and Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard.
The most important thing to consider is whether you meet the eligibility criteria for the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard. If not, you'll have to stick with the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card, which offers many of the same features and benefits anyway.
If you do quality for the more premium option but are unsure whether it's worth it, ask yourself these questions:
- What kind of insurance coverage do you want? Will you use the mobile device and/or rental car insurance offered by the World Mastercard? If not, stick with the more basic Tangerine card.
- Will you use the World Mastercard benefits? If you don't travel often, perks like airport lounge access and access to FlexiRoam mobile phone plans won't be valuable.
- Do you want to do a balance transfer? The more premium card offers a promo balance transfer rate of 1.95% for 6 months.
- Would a discount on sports streaming services be valuable for you? Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard users get a $30 discount on their first 3 months of Fubo sports streaming.
How to apply for a Tangerine credit card
If you're interested in applying for a credit card from Tangerine, you must be a Canadian resident and of the age of majority in your province or territory. Plus, you can't have filed for bankruptcy in the past 7 years.
To apply, click one of our secure application links that will take you to Tangerine's website. Then, complete an application online by providing info like your credit score, income levels, employment information, and contact details.
Once you submit the application, Tangerine will verify your information and approve (or deny) you for a card.
FAQ
Does the Tangerine credit card have travel insurance?
Yes, the Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard comes with 120 types of insurance, including travel insurance. The Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard offers rental car insurance, which can be very valuable. If you want more travel coverage, though, consider a travel credit card that includes a comprehensive insurance package.
Is Tangerine a good credit card?
Yes, Tangerine credit cards are worthwhile card options. Their unique choose-your-own-categories approach is both attractive and valuable, setting them apart from other cash back card options. Plus, Tangerine is backed by Scotiabank, which means your money and information are well protected.
What credit score is needed for Tangerine?
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card requires an estimated credit score between 560 – 659, the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard requires a score between 560 – 659, and the Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard requires a score between 660 – 724.
What is the minimum income for the Tangerine World Mastercard?
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has a personal income requirement of $12,000 per year. The Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard has much higher qualifications – $50,000 for personal income or $80,000 for household income. The Tangerine Rewards World Elite Mastercard requires $80,000 personal or $150,000 household.
Who owns Tangerine?
Tangerine is owned by Scotiabank, one of Canada's Big Five Banks. Originally launched as ING Direct, it was rebranded after Scotiabank acquired it in 2012. Though it's an online-only bank, its affiliation with Scotiabank means Tangerine clients can use Scotia's extensive cross-Canada ATM network.
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 239 Canadian credit cards.
