The best credit card is not the same for everyone, since we all have different needs. So you shouldn't choose a credit card just to get a gift or points, or whatever. However, if you have a choice between two similar credit cards and one of them has a welcome offer worth hundreds of dollars, let the better offer win!
- What is a Welcome Offer?
- National Bank World Elite® Mastercard®
- MBNA True Line Mastercard Credit Card – Best welcome offer for balance transfers
- Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Credit Card – Best welcome offer for cash back
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite Credit Card – Best welcome offer for travel reward points
- TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Credit Card – Best welcome offer for Aeroplan points
- TD Rewards Visa Credit Card – Best no-fee offer that helps you travel
- Tangerine World Mastercard Credit Card – Best welcome offer on no-fee credit card
- BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Credit Card – Best welcome offer with flexible reward points
- BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard Credit Card – Best welcome offer for AIR MILES
- American Express Cobalt® Credit Card – Best welcome offer from American Express
- BMO World Elite®* Business Mastercard®* – Best welcome offer for businesses
What is a Welcome Offer?
A Welcome Offer is a bonus offered for new credit card sign-ups, with the goal of attracting new customers. Welcome offers are often offered in a variety of forms, such as cash back, reward points or waiving the annual fee for the first year.
National Bank World Elite® Mastercard®
- Purchase rate 20.99 %
- Balance transfers and cash advances 22.49 %
The National Bank World Elite® Mastercard® is offering up to 70,000 points as a Welcome Offer in partnership with Hardbacon. You'll receive 30,000 points if you charge $5,000 in purchases to the card in the first three months after opening your account. This offer is only available if you sign up using the Hardbacon link. You'll also get an additional 10,000 points if you sign up for payment insurance for a minimum of three months. Finally, you will earn 30,000 points if you make $12,000 in purchases during the 12 months following the opening of your account. You are also eligible for the first year's annual fee refund, travel discounts and travel expense refunds.
This offer expires on June 30,2023 and is worth $1,750. Conditions apply. Please go the merchant website for any additional information.
In addition, the point accumulation rate is 5 points for groceries and restaurants, 2 points for gas, electric charging, recurring bills and À la carte travel agency and 1 point on other purchases. You can redeem your points for gift cards, card credits. The amount of points earned on grocery and restaurant purchases depends on the total gross monthly amount charged to the credit card account, regardless of the purchase category. You will earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible grocery and restaurant purchases until a total of $2,500 in gross monthly purchases is charged to the account.
After that, you will earn 2 points per dollar in eligible grocery and restaurant purchases. The total gross monthly amount is calculated based on your monthly billing period. To take advantage of our welcome offer, you must not currently hold a personal National Bank Mastercard credit card or have held one in the last 24 months.
MBNA True Line Mastercard Credit Card – Best welcome offer for balance transfers
- Annual fees: 0$
- Interest rate: 12.99% on purchases and balance transfers, 24.99% on cash advances
The MBNA True Line Mastercard offers a promotional interest rate of 0% for 12 months on balance transfers made within the first 90 days of opening your account. Each balance transfer is subject to a transfer fee of 3% of the amount being transferred, or $7.50, whichever is more.
After the promotional period, any remaining balance from your balance transfer(s) will be subject to the standard card rate of 12.99%. You won't earn any rewards with this card, like points or cash back. But if your holiday spending got a little out of hand and you want to save money on interest charges and pay it down faster, this card is a great choice.
Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Credit Card – Best welcome offer for cash back
- Annual fee: $120
- Interest rate on purchases: 19.99%
- Interest rate on cash advances: 22.99%
The Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card has a limited-time welcome offer. You get 10% back on up to $2,000 in purchases in the first three months. That translates to a maximum of $200 cash back. However, the offer is good until June 30, 2023.
The Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card is, well, amazing. This card gives you 4% back on groceries and recurring bill payments. It gives 2% cash back on gas purchases and daily transit fares. Plus, you get 1% back on everything else. Scotia also waives the annual fee for the first year.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Credit Card – Best welcome offer for travel reward points
- Annual fee: $120
- Annual interest rate: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on advances
- 1.25 Avion point per dollar spent on travel purchases
- 1 Avion point per dollar spent everywhere else
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite credit card is the perfect card if you're a frequent flyer. As a welcome offer, you earn 35,000 Avion points directly. This should be enough to pay for your trip to most destinations in Canada and the United States. This credit card comes with generous cancellation, interruption and medical travel insurance.
In addition, you earn 1.25 Avion points for every dollar spent on travel and one Avion point for every dollar spent on everything else. In addition to airline tickets, these points can be redeemed for merchandise, for points in other loyalty programs or can be used to pay off your credit card balance.
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Credit Card – Best welcome offer for Aeroplan points
- Annual fees: $139
- Interest rate: 20.99%
- Cash Advance: 22.99% (20.99% in Quebec)
- 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
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card† has a welcome offer of up to 70,000 Aeroplan points†, worth around $1,600. First, 10,000 Aeroplan Points† are available with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card if you make a first purchase within the first 3 months.
You receive an additional 40,000 Aeroplan Points when you make a total of $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 180 days of account opening†. Your first purchase counts towards you the $5,000 minimum spend requirement. If you reach $7,500 of purchases in the first year, you receive an additional 20,000 Aeroplan points†.
This offer also includes a first-year fee waiver of $139†, a discount on the NEXUS membership fee†, and a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 passengers†. You must apply by September 5, 2023.†
This card allows you to earn 1.5 Aeroplan Points† for every dollar spent on gas, groceries and Air Canada purchases, and one Aeroplan Point† for every dollar spent on all other categories.
TD Rewards Visa Credit Card – Best no-fee offer that helps you travel
When you apply by September 5, 2023 for TD Rewards Visa, you'll earn the equivalent of $65 in points for shopping on Amazon. This credit card has no annual fee.
You earn 4 points per dollar of purchase when you book on Expedia, 3 points at grocery stores and restaurants, 2 points on recurring bill payments, and 1 point on all other purchases. At this rate, you'll be traveling all over the world.
Tangerine World Mastercard Credit Card – Best welcome offer on no-fee credit card
- Fees: None
- Cash back: Up to 2%
The Tangerine World Mastercard comes with an extra 10% cash back for two months on up to $1,000 in purchases (worth up to $100), and a promotional rate of 1.95% on balance transfers for six months. This offer expires on July 5, 2023.
This card also offers 2% cash back on two categories of purchases, or three if you sign up for a Tangerine savings account. In addition, you're entitled to other benefits as a World Elite cardholder, such as additional insurance, access to Wi-Fi and airport lounges around the world, and a travel rewards program.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Credit Card – Best welcome offer with flexible 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 gives you up to 60,000 reward points when you open your card. You first get 30,000 points by making at least $3,000 in purchases in the first three months. Then you can get 2,500 points for every month you spend at least $2,000 with your card.
This accumulation is possible from the fourth month after opening until the fifteenth, for a total of 12 months or 30,000 points. In total, those points have a value of up to $400. The promotional offer also exempts you from the annual fee of $120 for the first year. It ends on July 31, 2023.
With this card, you earn 5 points per dollar spent on meals delivered or taken out, groceries, restaurants, gas and public transit. Your points can be used to pay bills, travel, or purchase items in the BMO catalog and each 100 points is worth up to $0.67.
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard Credit Card – Best welcome offer for 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 credit card is one of the best travel credit cards on the market. It allows you to quickly earn AIR MILES miles that can be redeemed for airfare, gift items or to pay bills. You earn 3 miles per $12 at AIR MILES Partners, 2 miles per $12 at eligible grocery stores, and 1 mile per $12 everywhere else.
Right now, you can earn up to 2,000 AIR MILES miles. The value in dollars is of around $242 on average, but it can be worth even more if you use your miles for travel. On top of that, get the $120 annual fee waived for one year. This offer expires on July 31, 2023. To qualify for this card, the primary cardholder must have a minimum salary of $80,000 per year or $150,000 per household.
American Express Cobalt ® Credit Card – Best welcome offer from American Express
- 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 Cobalt® card from American Express comes with a welcome offer allowing you to earn up to 30,000 reward points. All you need to do is spend $500 a month to get 2,500 points each month for 12 months. This equals $300 to spend on a trip or everyday purchases. Dpending on how you use them, your points may be worth more or less. For example, with the Fixed Points Travel Program, each point is worth $0.02, while if you want to pay for purchases with your points, each point is worth $0.01.
With Amex
BMO World Elite®* Business Mastercard®* – Best welcome offer for businesses
- Annual fee: $149
- Interest rate: 17.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances.
The BMO World Elite®* Business Mastercard®*comes with a welcome offer of up to 70,000 points, which have a value of up to $469. The first 50,000 points can be earned by making $5,000 in purchases with the card within the first three months and the next 20,000 points are earned when you make $35,000 in purchases in the first year. The annual fee is also waived in the first year. This offer expires on December 31, 2023.
With this card, you earn 4 BMO Rewards points on office supplies, gas, cell phone and internet bills, and 1.5 points on everything else. Your points are redeemable for travel, merchandise, or to help pay for purchases or to make deposits into your investment account.
†Conditions apply.
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About The Author: Hajar Elmekkaoui
Titulaire d'une maîtrise en marketing, Hajar Elmekkaoui est rédactrice Web chez Hardbacon. Elle a rejoint l’équipe de Hardbacon pour partager sa passion pour les finances personnelles. Elle pense que la meilleure façon de communiquer avec les lecteurs est d’être authentique et honnête. Elle paye pour ses abonnements en ligne par l’entremise de sa carte de crédit prépayée KOHO et achète des bitcoins par l’entremise de la plateforme BitBuy.
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