Credit cards with no annual fee typically offer less rewards and benefits, but there are a handful of them that stand out. Review our top no annual fee credit cards for Canada and calculate which cards earn you the most rewards and best return on your spending.
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
Best For Unlimited 2% Money-Back
- Earning Rate: Earn 2% Money-Back on up to two select categories of your choice and 0.5% on all other purchases. Choose a 3rd 2% Money-Back category if you deposit rewards into a Tangerine Savings account.
- Main Highlights: Unlimited 2% Money-Back, rewards paid out monthly, and low income requirement.
- Intro Bonus: Get 10% back, up to $100, when you spend up to $1,000 in your first 2 months.
- Annual Fee: $0.
- Summary: Being able to earn an uncapped 2% back on two select categories of your choice is the definition of flexibility. Overall, this is one of the best cash back cards in Canada.
- Learn More about the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card.
- Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card.
Tangerine World Mastercard®
Best For Travel Benefits
- Earning Rate: Earn 2% Money-Back on up to two select categories of your choice and 0.5% on all other purchases. Choose a 3rd 2% Money-Back category if you deposit rewards into a Tangerine Savings account.
- Main Highlights: Airport lounge access, car rental collision/loss damage insurance, mobile device insurance, discounts, unlimited 2% Money-Back, and rewards paid out monthly.
- Intro Bonus: Get 10% back, up to $100, when you spend up to $1,000 in your first 2 months.
- Annual Fee: $0.
- Summary: You won't find many $0 annual fee cards that offer airport lounge access, travel insurance, and unlimited 2% Money-Back. If you want everything the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card offers plus travel benefits at the same $0 cost, grab up this card instead.
- Learn More about the Tangerine World Mastercard.
- Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Tangerine World Mastercard.
Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa Card
Best For High Cash Back On Dining
- Earning Rate: Earn 4% cash back on restaurant, bar, and coffee shop purchases (on up to $5,000 per year), 1.5% back on gas, grocery, drugstore, and pre-authorized payment purchases (on up to $15,000 per year), and 0.5% back on everything else.
- Main Highlights: High earnings on restaurant/dining at no annual fee.
- Annual Fee: $0.
- Summary: If you dine out often, you can't beat the 4% return this card offers at no annual fee. It's a great card to have and the additional 1.5% cash back categories just makes it better.
- Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card.
MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
Best For Travel Rewards
- Earning Rate: Earn 2X MBNA Rewards points on restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases, on up to $10,000 in annual spend for each individual category. 1X on everything else.
- Main Highlights: Earn up a 10% birthday bonus, up to 10K points per year
- Annual Fee: $0
- Summary: Points are worth 1 cent each when means you'll be sweeping in up to a 2% return on your spend plus a little extra on top with the birthday bonus. You'll also be able to enjoy mobile device insurance and shopping coverage.
- Calculate Card Value & MBNA Rewards Points per dollar spent for the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard.
American Express® Green Card
Best For Flexible Travel Rewards
- Earning Rate: Earn 1X Membership Rewards points on all purchases and an additional 1 point per $1 on hotels and car rentals through AMEX Travel Online.
- Main Highlights: Shopping coverage.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Summary: Membership Rewards points can be transferred to a handful of airline and hotel partners for increased value including Air Canada, British Airways, Delta Airlines, and Marriott Bonvoy. So while you're only earning 1 point on all purchases, that 1 point is can be worth anywhere from 1.5 to 2 cents or more.
- Calculate Card Value & AMEX Points per dollar spent for the American Express Green Card.
SimplyCash™ Card from American Express
Best For Flat-Rate Cash Back
- Earning Rate: Earn 2% cash back on gas station purchases in Canada, 2% back on grocery purchases in Canada (up to $300 cash back annually), and an unlimited 1.25% back on all other purchases.
- Main Highlights: High cash back rates for a no annual fee card.
- Annual Fee: $0.
- Summary: High earnings on gas and grocery plus a wonderful 1.25% earning rate across all other purchases makes the SimplyCash Card one of the best no-annual fee flat-rate cash back credit cards in Canada. If you plan on spending more than $1,100 per month, don't cheat yourself out of cash back... grab up the SimplyCash Preferred Card instead.
- Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the SimplyCash Card from American Express.
Home Trust Preferred Visa Card
Best For No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Earning Rate: 1% cash back on all purchases.
- Main Highlights: No foreign transaction fee and no annual fee.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Summary: If you want to earn cash back worldwide without being penalized, The Home Trust Preferred Visa is the best no annual fee option. You'll also be able to enjoy purchase security which can protect your purchases against theft and damage for 90 days from the date of purchase.
Best No Fee Credit Cards Summary
| Credit Card | Annual Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card | $0 | Unlimited 2% Money-Back |
| Tangerine World Mastercard® | $0 | Travel Benefits |
| Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa | $0 | High Cash Back On Dining |
| MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard | $0 | Travel Rewards |
| American Express® Green Card | $0 | Flexible Travel Rewards |
| SimplyCash™ Card from American Express | $0 | Flat-Rate Cash Back |
| Home Trust Preferred Visa Card | $0 | No Foreign Transaction Fees |
No Annual Fee Credit Card Rewards Calculator
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