Planning your next adventure around the world is always exciting! Of course, going on a trip involves a lot of expenses. Whether it’s organizing luggage, travel insurance, foreign currency, finding a flight or booking hotel rooms, the list of things to think about is long. Don’t throw out those plans in frustration! There are credit cards that can make your life easier. In fact, many rewards programs allow you to travel with your points while some cards include comprehensive travel insurance. Our team has put together the top 10 bet travel credit cards available in Canada to make your search easier. If you want to make sure you choose the card that best suits your needs, use Hardbacon’s credit card comparison tool. It’s a completely free tool that allows you to get suggestions based on your financial reality.
- The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Credit Card – Best travel credit card for Air Canada flights
- The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard – Best travel credit cards for flights to North American destinations
- The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Credit Card – Best travel credit card with reward points
- The American Express Cobalt Credit Card – Best travel credit card for hotel reservations
- The American Express Platinum Credit Card – Best premium travel credit card
- The CIBC Aventura Visa Credit Card – Best travel credit card with no annual fees
- The BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard Credit Card- Best travel credit card to earn AIR MILES
- The Scotiabank Gold American Express Credit Card – Best travel credit card without currency conversion fees
- The CIBC Aventura Infinite Visa Credit Card – Best travel credit card to buy plane tickets
- The HSBC +Rewards Mastercard Credit Card – Best travel credit card with low interest rate
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Credit Card – Best travel credit card for Air Canada flights
- Annual fees: $139
- Interest rate: 20.99%
- 1.5 Aeroplan point on every dollar spent on groceries, gas and Air Canada purchases
- 1 Aeroplan point on every dollar spent on everything else
If you’re a loyal Air Canada customer, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card is for you. It allows you to quickly earn Aeroplan points that can be redeemed on Air Canada flights.
With this card, you earn 1.5† Aeroplan points for every eligible dollar spent on gas, groceries and Air Canada® and 1† points for every dollar spent on all other purchases. By joining by May 28, 2023, you’ll also have access to a welcome offer† and can earn up to 55,000 bonus Aeroplan points. †Conditions apply. Visit the TD website to see all the terms and conditions.
There are several benefits that come with the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card. That includes complimentary concierge service†, the exclusive collection of luxury hotels† and access to exclusive events†. You’re also entitled to savings on checked baggage fees†. Plus, there’s a range of travel insurance included, including travel medical insurance†, trip cancellation or interruption insurance† and flight delay insurance†.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card comes with an annual fee of $139 and its interest rate on purchases and cash advances is 20.99% for Quebec residents. The rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances for residents outside Quebec. A $75 fee applies for any additional TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Credit Cards.
†Terms and conditions apply.
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The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard – Best travel credit cards for flights to North American destinations
- Annual fees: $119
- Interest rate on purchases: 19.99 %
- 2 WestJet dollars per dollar spent WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages
- 1.5 WestJet dollar per dollar spent on everything else
Do you travel extensively throughout North America? You may be interested in the WestJet World Elite Mastercard credit card from RBC. This card allows you to earn WestJet dollars, which are worth $1, and redeem them for WestJet flights or WestJet vacation packages.
With this card, you earn two WestJet dollars for every dollar you spend on a WestJet flight or WestJet Vacations package. On all other purchases, you earn 1.5 WestJet dollars for every dollar spent. Plus, you can earn up to $450 WestJet dollars as a welcome gift. You’ll receive the first $250 after your first purchase, and the next $200 if you charge $5,000 in purchases to your card in the first three months.
You also get an annual travel voucher for a companion on round-trip flights starting at $119. Add to that free first bag check-in for you and eight of your guests, access to airport lounges through the DragonPass Mastercard Travel Pass program, and a wide range of travel insurance.
The card is available for a fee of $119 per year. You must also have a minimum personal income of $80,000 or a minimum household income of $150,000 to be eligible.
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Credit Card – Best travel credit card with reward points
- Annual fee: $120
- Interest rate: 20.99% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances in Quebec (23.99% elsewhere in Canada).
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Credit Card is one of BMO’s most popular options. As part of the BMO Rewards program, cardholders receive a wide range of benefits without paying a high annual fee. The best way to use your BMO points is to redeem them for travel because the value of your points is the highest.
With the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Credit Card, you earn 5 points for every dollar you spend on transportation, groceries and gas. For all other card expenses, you earn one point for every dollar spent. However, you have the opportunity to earn 10% more points if you add a second cardholder to the account.
The card costs $120 per year, but there is currently a promotion that waives the fee in the first year. To qualify, the minimum income is $60,000 per person or $100,000 per household. The interest rate is 19.99% for purchases and 23.99% for cash advances (21.99% for Quebec residents).
Cardholders are entitled to six complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge passes per year, valued at $99 US. You can use these passes for yourself or for a companion. Once used, there is a $32 US fee per visit per person.
The American Express Cobalt Credit Card – Best travel credit card for hotel reservations
- Annual fee: $155.88
- Interest rate on purchase: 20.99%
- Interest rate on cash advances: 21.99%
- 🍴 5x points on eats & drinks
- 💻 3x points on streaming services
- ✈️ 2x points on travel & transit
- 💳 1x points on everything else
The American Express Cobalt Credit Card is probably
Of course, the reason we’re bringing this card to your attention is because it’s a great deal for some consumers. In fact, the rewards program is really generous. We’re still talking about American Express Membership Rewards. In fact, when you get this card, there is currently a welcome offer that allows you to get up to 30,000 bonus Membership Rewards points! Otherwise, for spending at restaurants and meal delivery services, you earn three points per dollar spent. For all travel purchases, you earn two points per dollar spent. Finally, you get one point per dollar on all other purchases charged to the card. Again, you need 1,000 points to earn $10 in rewards.
Many benefits come with the
The American Express Platinum Credit Card – Best premium travel credit card
- Annual fee: $699
- Interest rate on purchase: n/a
- Interest rate on cash advances: n/a
- 🥡 3X points on qualifying dining and delivery purchases
- ✈️ 2X points on eligible travel purchases
- 💳 1X points on other purchases
American Express’s The Platinum Card is different from the other cards presented here because it is not really a credit card. In fact, it’s more like a charge card. For this reason, at the end of each month, the full balance of the card must be paid. If you don’t, you’ll be charged 30% interest. So, if you’re not in the habit of always paying your balance in full, this is not the right option for you. Not to mention that it costs $699 per year.
Of course, the reason we’re bringing this card to your attention is because it’s a great deal for some consumers. In fact, its rewards program is really generous. We’re still talking about American Express Membership Rewards. In fact, when you get this card, there is currently a welcome offer that allows you to get up to 80,000 bonus Membership Rewards points! Otherwise, you earn three points per dollar spent at restaurants and meal delivery services. For all travel purchases, you earn two points per dollar spent. Finally, you get one point per dollar on all other purchases charged to the card. Again, you need 1,000 points to earn $10 in rewards.
Not only do you earn rewards quickly due to the very high point value, but by holding this card you also get a lot of benefits. Have you ever had the Platinum Travel experience? You won’t be able to live without it once you’ve tried it. It includes travel insurance, access to several airport lounges, exclusive offers, personalized concierge service and much more.
The CIBC Aventura Visa Credit Card – Best travel credit card with no annual fees
- Annual fees: $0
- Interest rate: 20.99%
- 1 Aventura point per dollar spent on groceries, in gas stations, in drug stores and on travel throught the CIBC Rewards Centre
- 1 Aventura point per 2$ spent on everything else
The CIBC Aventura Visa Credit Card is a free card that allows you to earn Aventura Rewards Points to redeem for travel. You earn one Aventura Point for every dollar you spend at gas stations, drug stores and grocery stores, and on travel purchases through the CIBC Rewards Centre. You earn one Aventura Point for every $2 spent on all other purchases.
As a welcome offer, you can earn up to 2,500 Aventura Points. You’ll receive 500 points for every eligible action you take within the first 60 days, such as adding your email address to your account or adding an authorized user to your card. This gives you a good start to eventually paying for travel, as a short-haul flight ticket in Canada and the U.S. can be purchased with as few as 10,000 Aventura points.
This card doesn’t offer much insurance, but you do get car rental insurance and common carrier accident insurance.
The BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard Credit Card- Best travel credit card to earn AIR MILES
- Annual fees: $120
- Interest rate: 20.99%
- 3 AIR MILES per $12 spent at AIR MILES partners
- 2 AIR MILES per $12 on groceries
- 1 AIR MILES per $12 on all other purchases
The BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard is a popular credit card among frequent travellers! In fact, it is very popular with fans of the Air Miles Reward Program. The card costs $120 per year. Thanks to the current welcome offer, this fee is waived in the first year after joining. The interest rate is 20.99% for purchases. For cash advances, the interest rate is 22.99%, but 21.99% for Quebec residents. To be eligible for this card, the primary cardholder must have a minimum salary of $80,000 per year or $150,000 per household.
The Air Miles program is known for its generosity! With this card, you earn three miles for every $12 in purchases made at participating Air Miles partners. For all other purchases you make with your card, you earn one mile for every $12 in purchases. At the time of writing, there is a welcome offer that allows you to earn up to 2,000 bonus Air Miles! With the Air Miles program, you can choose to earn Silver Miles or Dream Miles. If travel is the goal, you’ll benefit more from Dream Miles.
Travelers are especially spoiled with this card as it offers 15% off all Air Miles flights in North America! It also includes free membership to the Airport Experiences program provided by Loungekey. With this card, you are also entitled to one of the best travel insurance packages, including 15 days of out-of-province emergency medical coverage.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Credit Card – Best travel credit card without currency conversion fees
- Annual fee: $120
- Interest rate on purchase: 20.99%
- Interest rate on cash advances: 22.99%
- 6 Scene+ points per dollar at partipating grocery stores
- 5 Scene+ points per dollar on food and entertainment
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services
For starters, the Scotiabank American Express Gold Credit Card is a classic known to many globetrotters. It is the only major bank that does not charge a 2.5% currency conversion fee. The interest rate offered is 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances.
With the SCENE+ Rewards program, you earn points. You can then redeem them for travel, dining, merchandise and more. With the Scotiabank American Express Gold Credit Card, you earn 6 points per $1 at participating grocery stores, and 5 points for every $1 in purchases at other eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food outlets, liquor stores, ready-to-eat meal subscriptions, meal delivery services and entertainment venues such as movie theatres. You earn 3 points per dollar of purchase for your Uber ride and for certain streaming services. Finally, you earn 1 point per dollar of purchase for all other expenses charged to your card.
In addition to not having a 2.5% currency transaction fee, there are several other benefits for travel enthusiasts. Among other things, cardholders can use their points to redeem flight tickets and have access to an exclusive discount for membership in the Priority Pass program, which provides access to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world. Finally, there are several travel insurances included which include lost luggage, travel accidents, hotel theft, etc.
The CIBC Aventura Infinite Visa Credit Card – Best travel credit card to buy plane tickets
- Annual fees: $139
- Interest rate: 20.99%
- 2 Aventura points per dollar spent on travel through the CIBC Rewards Centre
- 1.5 Aventura point per dollar spent on groceries, at gas stations and in drug stores
- 1 Aventura point per dollar on other purchases
The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Credit Card costs $139 per year and offers an interest rate of 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances or 21.99% for Quebec residents. To qualify, the minimum income requirement is $60,000 for an individual or $100,000 for a household. Currently, there is a welcome offer that provides a refund of the annual fee in the first year plus up to 35,000 bonus Aventura Points.
The Aventura Points program is well liked by travelers who want to save money without breaking the bank. In fact, with the CIBC Aventura Points program, it’s easy to redeem your points for flights! With the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Credit Card, you earn two points per dollar spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre, 1.5 points for every dollar spent at eligible gas stations, grocery and drug stores, and one point for all other purchases charged to the card.
Other benefits include free airport lounge admissions, numerous travel insurance benefits and various travel perks. Among these, there are several bonuses offered on hotel stays, the purchase of vacation packages, etc.
The HSBC +Rewards Mastercard Credit Card – Best travel credit card with low interest rate
Annual fee: $25
Annual Interest on Purchases: 11.9%
Annual Interest on Cash Advances and Balance Transfers: 11.9%
The main advantage of the HSBC Mastercard +Rewards Credit Card is its outstanding interest rate of only 11.90%. This is the lowest interest rate of any card featured in this list! The card costs only $25 per year. So by choosing this credit card, you’re not adding a big expense to your budget. There’s also a welcome bonus that waives the annual fee for the first year and gives you up to 35,000 bonus points, worth $175 in travel rewards. Quebec residents are even entitled to up to 40,000 points but the fee is not waived. The offer ends May 31, 2023.
You read that right, in addition to the low interest rate and low cost, your card earns you points. The HSBC +Rewards program allows you to earn points and redeem them for travel, merchandise, gift certificates and financial rewards. You earn two points for every dollar spent on dining or entertainment purchases, and one point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. The value of points is higher when redeeming for travel.
You should know that travel and medical insurance is not included with the card, but you still have access to it. In fact, it is optional. If you wish to take it, there is an annual fee of $69. If you’ve ever experienced flight delays or lost luggage, you already know that this is a great low-cost investment!
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About The Author: Katherine Parent
A veteran of traditional media, Katherine has many years of experience in the field of communications and marketing. Her passion for words led her to take a more content-oriented path. She is the co-founder of AKCENT Agency, which specializes in digital marketing and advertising campaigns.
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