The Best Visa Credit Cards May 2023
Last updated on March 1, 2023
In the market for a Canadian Visa Card? Overwhelmed with so many choices? Here we make it easy and pick six Visa Cards from the dozens available that are best across several categories.
Quick jump to each of the categories on this page:
One of Canada's oldest, largest and best known loyalty programs, Air Canada's Aeroplan has a lot of credit cards partnered with it however the primary card out of them all is the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card. This card also happens to be the best overall Visa card in Canada thanks to a great welcome bonus, strong points earning, the potential to get outsized value from those points and a slew of travel and insurance benefits. With the ability to redeem points to almost any destination worldwide in Economy to Business to First Class the Aeroplan program is tough to compete with if you know how to make those most it. Add in card features like first checked bag free, Preferred Pricing for Aeroplan flight redemptions, a NEXUS credit and you can see why this is the best Visa card in Canada.
Why this card is the best Visa Card in Canada?
The highest ever welcome bonus on this card of up to 55,000 Aeroplan Points coupled with no annual fee in the first year provides huge value of at least $825!
Aeroplan Miles are very valuable when redeeming for business class and first class flights
A strong earn rate is offered on this card of 1 to 1.5 Aeroplan Miles per dollar spent
Extra benefits like preferred pricing on Aeroplan award flights, first checked bag free on Air Canada flights & more!
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
2023 Top Airline Credit Card
Earn up to $1,600 in value† including up to 70,000 Aeroplan points†.
Conditions Apply. Must apply by September 5, 2023
Annual Fee $139 | Additional Cards: $75 † | Annual interest rate 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on funds advances | $60,000 personal or $100,000 household annual income
Earn up to $1,600 in value†, including up to 70,000 Aeroplan points† and additional travel benefits. Must apply by September 5, 2023
- Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card†
- Earn 40,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $5,000 within 180 days of Account opening†
- Plus, earn an anniversary bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 within 12 months of Account opening†
- Enroll for NEXUS and once every 48 months get an application fee rebate†
- Plus, share free first checked bags with up to 8 travel companions†
- Earn 1.5 points† for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®) made with your card
- Earn 1 point† for every $1 spent on all other Purchases made with your Card
- Earn points twice when you pay with your Card and provide your Aeroplan number at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and at 170+ online retailers via the Aeroplan eStore (www.aeroplan.com/estore).
- Your Aeroplan Points do not expire as long as you are a TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Cardholder in good standing
- Earn big rewards on the little things: Earn 50% more Aeroplan Points and 50% more Stars at participating Starbucks® stores. Simply link your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card to your Starbucks® Rewards account. Conditions apply. Learn more.
- Travel lightly through the airport and save on baggage fees† : Primary Cardholders, Additional Cardholders, and travel companions (up to eight) travelling on the same reservation will all enjoy their first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lbs) when your travel originates on an Air Canada flight.
- Complimentary Visa Infinite Concierge† : On-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Visa Infinite Concierge can help with any Cardholder request — big or small, to help you get the most out of life whenever you travel, shop and use your Card.
- Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection†: Receive seven exclusive benefits when you book your stay through the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection featuring over 900 of the world’s most intriguing properties.
- Click here to apply for TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
† Terms and Conditions apply.
Sponsored advertising. The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any TD product, please click the Apply Now button.
One of the most popular cards in Canada thanks to it being on the market for so many years is the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card! This stalwart is also the best Hybrid Visa card in Canada. What do we mean by Hybrid? Well, this is Rewards Canada's favourite type of category, and Hybrid means it provides the two most popular redemption options when it comes to travel. The first option is the any airline any time option and you get that with RBC Rewards' Avion airline award chart - you can redeem points for travel on any airline that you can book via RBC Rewards. The second option is converting points to airline frequent flyer programs and the Avion card has you covered here! You can convert points to American AAdvantage, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards. What more could you ask for?
Why is this card the best Hybrid Visa Card?
The best ever bonus for this card is now out! You can earn up to 55,000 bonus RBC Rewards Points and the first part is the easiest welcome bonus to earn in the Canadian market - you get 35,000 points on approval - no minimum spend or timeline required. Then spend $5,000 over 6 months and get another 20,000 points.
Up to a 2.3% return on your spending depending on which reward ticket you book.
Convert your points to American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific or WestJet. Keep your eye out for transfer bonus several times per year!
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
Get 35,000 welcome Avion points on approval* - Enough to fly anywhere in Canada & the U.S (Alaska and Hawaii require more points)
Annual Fee: $120 | Additional Card Fee: $50 | 20.99% on purchases 22.99%* on cash advances and balance transfers *21.99% if you reside in Quebec.
- Earn 1 RBC Rewards® point for every dollar you spend* and an extra 25% on eligible travel purchases.
- When you are ready to travel again, Avioners can book flights with points on any airline, on any flight, at any time, early or last minute, with no blackout periods or restrictions.
- Avioners earn points that never expire so your points will be waiting for your next adventure.
- Redeem your points for travel and more. Use points for anything from paying bills and paying your card balance to redeeming for Gift Cards and Merchandise at top brands like Apple. The RBC Rewards program gives you the freedom of choice to use your points your way, and helps you make the most as an Avioner.
- Eligible RBC Rewards members can also convert points to other loyalty programs including WestJet dollars, British Airways Avios points and Hudson’s Bay Rewards points.
- Link your RBC card with a Petro-Points membership to instantly save 3₵ per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more RBC rewards points
- Link your RBC card with a Rexall Be Well account and get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall. Redeem Be Well points faster for savings in store on eligible purchases where 25,000 Be Well points = $10
- Get access to RBC offers which provides access to earn points faster at specified brands
- Extensive insurance including: mobile device insurance, travel insurance (trip cancellation, interruption and emergency medical) and other eligible purchases to protect you and your family
- Avioners get access to luxury Visa Infinite benefits including first in line for exclusive events, and hotel and dining benefits.
- Avioners no longer need 14-days to book travel using the RBC grid
- Up to a 2.3% return on your spending depending on which reward ticket you book
- Unwritten ability to redeem for Business Class tickets although at a lower rate of return when compared to the Avion Reward chart
- Get $0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash17 - Add your eligible RBC credit card to your DoorDash account to:
• Get a 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription18 – a value of almost $120
• Enjoy unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on orders of $12 or more when you pay with your eligible RBC credit card
One of the most well rounded travel rewards cards in Canada, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card is the best No Foreign Transaction Fee Visa Card in Canada. What this means is they don't charge the 2 to 3% that most cards do in Canada when you make a purchase that isn't in Canadian dollars. Like to shop online from the U.S.? Travel a lot outside of Canada? This card will save you on average 2.5% on those purchases. On top of this it has a decent earn rate of 1 to 2 Scene+ points per dollar and those points can be redeemed for any travel that your purchase with any travel provider or via Scene+ Travel. On top of that the card has complimentary lounge access membership with six free lounge visit passes per year - each pass saves you US$32!
Why is this card the best No FX Fee Visa Card?
No Foreign Transaction fees will save you on average 2.5% on all purchases that are made outside of Canada whether travelling or shopping online
Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible grocery stores, dining, entertainment purchases, and daily transit purchases (including buses, subways, taxis and more).
Redeem your points for any travel that is booked through any travel provider
Complimentary Airport Lounge Access, plus 6 free lounge visits per year that are worth US$192 in total
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
Canada's Choice for Top No Foreign Transaction Fee Rewards Credit Card 2022
Earn up to 35,000 bonus Scene+ Rewards points in your first year (that’s up to $350 towards travel). Offer ends Oct 31, 2023
Annual Fee: $150 | Additional Cards: $0 for first card $50 for each additional | Minimum Income $60,000
- Bonus offer broken down as follows:
- Earn 25,000 bonus Scene+ Rewards points by making at least $1,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months.
- Plus, as a Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite cardholder, you are eligible to earn an annual 10,000 Scene+ Rewards point bonus when you spend at least $40,000 in everyday net eligible purchases annually.
- You’ll earn 3X Scene+ points for each dollar charged to your account on all eligible purchases1 at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés TradItIon, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.
- Earn 2x Scene+ Rewards® points on every $1 you spend on eligible grocery stores, dining, entertainment purchases and daily transit purchases (including buses, subways, taxis and more)
- Enjoy no FX Mark-up
- Enjoy Complimentary Airport Lounge Access, plus 6 free lounge visits per year
- Click here to apply for Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinte Card
With the revamp of the Scene program and enhancements to the suite of Scotiabank cards the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card has now become the best no annual fee travel rewards Visa card in Canada. With a strong points earning structure coupled with flexible travel reward options and the ability to double dip on Scene+ points the card provides excellent value for a no fee card. You can also redeem for groceries at stores that participated in Scene+, select dining and movies at Cineplex at the same value as travel.
Why is this card the best no annual fee travel rewards Visa card?
A sign up bonus worth up to $100
An accelerated earn rate of 2 points per dollar at grocery stores participating in Scene+ and with Cineplex
A base earn rate of 1 point per dollar which is a 1% return beats most no fee cards base earn rates
Redeem your points for any travel booked via any travel provider
Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card
Earn 5,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $750 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. Offer ends Oct 31, 23
Annual Fee: $0 | Additional Cards: $0
- Earn 2x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on credit card purchases at Cineplex™ theatres or at cineplex.com
- Earn 1 Scene+ point for every $1 you spend on your everyday credit card purchases
- Redeem Scene+™* points for travel, shopping, entertainment, dining, banking, and more
- You'll earn 2X Scene+ points for each dollar charged to your account on all eligible purchases1 at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.
- Click here to apply for Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card
The best cash back Visa card in Canada is the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card. Featuring a first year annual fee rebate and 10% cash back for the first 4 statements on net purchases of up to $2500† plus a strong 4% return on groceries and gas you can turbocharge your cash back. Plus you will benefit from a high cap on earn categories ($20K), no limit to the cash back you can earn, and strong insurance benefits! On top of this you can cash out cash back rewards anytime your balance hits $25 - no need to wait for a once per year cash out like this card's biggest competitor.
Why is this card the best cash back Visa Card?
Strong 10% cash back welcome bonus where you can get up to $250 cash back
4% cash back on grocery and gas purchases
2% cash back on eligible transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments
You can redeem your cash back at anytime when your rewards balance reaches $25
CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card
The best cash back rewards Visa card in Canada
Welcome Offer: Get a first-year annual fee rebate and earn a 15% cash back welcome bonus of up to $300 (first 4 statements)!† After that, get 4% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging and grocery purchases.†
Annual Fee $120 | Additional Cards (Up to 3): $30 | Annual interest rate 20.99%† on purchases and 22.99%† on cash advances and 22.99% † on balance transfers | $60,000 personal or $100,000 household annual income †
- 4% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging and grocery purchases.†
- 2% cash back on eligible transportation, dining purchases and recurring payments†
- 1% cash back on all other purchases†
- Get cash back on demand - redeem your cash back at any time when you have a minimum of $25 through CIBC Online and Mobile Banking®†
Save on gas with CIBC and Journie Rewards
- Link and use your CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card with Journie Rewards to automatically save up to 10 cents per litre† at participating Pioneer, Fas Gas,
- Ultramar and Chevron gas stations.†
- This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.
- Click here to apply for the CIBC Dividend® Visa Infinite* Card
This is a digital-exclusive offer.† To be eligible for this offer, you must apply for a new eligible card using the “Learn More” link available on this webpage.†
†Conditions Apply
The best Ultra Premium Visa Card in Canada is the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card. The card provides a wealth of benefits when you travel with Air Canada like Priority Boarding, First Checked bag free and so much more. On top of this the card has strong points earning rates. It also has access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America plus Visa Airport Companion membership with six free lounge visits each year.
Why is this card the best Ultra Premium Visa card?
A best ever welcome bonus of up to 115,000 Aeroplan points
Priority Airport Services like Priority Boarding, Priority Baggage Handling, and Priority Airport Standby & Priority Airport Upgrades.
Unlimited access to select Maple Leaf Lounges including complementary access for one guest
Receive a complimentary membership to the Visa Airport Companion Program hosted by Dragonpass with six lounge visits included for each Cardholder per membership year
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
Canada's Choice for Top Ultra Premium Credit Card 2022
Earn up to $3,100 in value† including up to 115,000 Aeroplan points†.
Conditions Apply. Must apply by September 5, 2023.
Annual Fee $599 | Additional Cards: $199 † | Annual interest rate 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on funds advances | $150,000 annual personal income or $200,000 annual household income
Earn up to $3,100 in value† including up to 115,000 Aeroplan points and additional travel benefits. Must apply by September 5, 2023.
- Earn a welcome bonus of 20,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card†
- Earn an additional 60,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 within 180 days of Account opening†
- Plus, earn an anniversary bonus of 35,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of Account opening†
- Enroll for NEXUS and once every 48 months get an application fee rebate†
- Share first free checked bags with up to 8 travel companions†and get unlimited access to Maple Leaf Lounges† including complementary access for one guest.
- Earn Aeroplan Points on your everyday purchases
- Take advantage of an extensive suite of travel insurance.
- Get access to Priority Airport Services† like Priority Boarding, Priority Baggage Handling, and Priority Airport Standby & Priority Airport Upgrades†.
- Earn 2 points† for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made direct through Air Canada® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations®)
- Earn 1.5 points† for every $1 spent on eligible gas, grocery, travel and dining purchases
- Earn 1.25 points† for every $1 spent on all other purchases made with your Card
- Earn points twice when you pay with your Card and provide your Aeroplan number at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and at 170+ online retailers via the Aeroplan eStore (www.aeroplan.com/estore)
- Get an annual round-trip companion pass from $99 (plus taxes, fees, charges and surcharges)†.
- Global Airport Lounge Access†: Receive a complimentary membership to the Visa Airport Companion† Program hosted by Dragonpass International Ltd. and take advantage of six lounge visits included for each Cardholder per membership year at over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide. Enroll through the Visa Airport Companion App or through visaairportcompanion.ca
- Complimentary Visa Infinite Concierge† : On-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Visa Infinite Concierge can help with any Cardholder request — big or small, to help you get the most out of life whenever you travel, shop and use your Card.
- Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection†: Receive seven exclusive benefits when you book your stay through the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection featuring over 900 of the world’s most intriguing properties. Enjoy an additional 8th benefit at over 200 properties, exclusively for Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here .
† Terms and Conditions apply.
Sponsored advertising. The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is not responsible for the contents of this site including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any TD product, please click the Apply Now button.
There you have it! The best Visa cards in Canada!
Feel free to explore our site for many more articles, tips and tricks for credit cards and loyalty programs in Canada!