UponArriving has been covering US travel cards in great details, providing extremely helpful information for all American travelers. However, Canadians love traveling as well, and the outbound tourism statistics from this country indicate that they do this quite often. Therefore, they also require detailed and helpful information about the best credit cards to use when exploring the world.
The best travel cards must go beyond your regular credit cards and offer additional features that will benefit those who love to explore the world. Features like cashback, racking up Air Miles, and specialized discounts are what you should look out for. This article presents the list of excellent Canadian credit card choices for lower spend. Each of these will benefit travelers in different ways, so think about your personal preferences and needs when deciding which of the cards to get.
Top 5 Canadian Credit Cards for Travelers: Learn Who Has the Best Perks
1. BMO SPC© CashBack© Mastercard©
The first thing you notice about this card from BMO is that it has no annual fees, which already puts it far ahead in this industry. You also get cashback on all your purchases when using this card. The cashback will be 5% during the first 3 months. Note that this Welcome Offer might change, so look out for new exciting perks.
There is also a variation of this card that will offer you Air Miles instead of cashback. General terms are nearly identical, but you’ll be getting a mile per every $20 spent in credit card purchases.
Other perks offered by this BMO card include:
- Extended warranty.
Basically, you get a chance to get another year of warranty to extend the manufacturer’s warranty when buying an item. - BMO Extra Deals.
BMO deals are the reason you should consider getting this card even if it’s not going to be your primary option during travels. The deals are extremely versatile and can get you anything from concert tickets to gift cards. One thing all these deals have in common is that they are affordable and will give you extra benefits. - Purchase protection.
Every purchase you make with your BMO card gets insurance, so it’s protected against any damage or theft for the next 90 days.
2. CIBC Aventura© Visa Card
The CIBC card is another option that has no annual fee. It will also get you a point for every dollar you spend in the CIBS Rewards Center. You also get bonus points from other purchases and can collect up to 5,000 of them. You’ll need to check the card’s page on the CIBS website to see what you need to do in order to get more points. Note that you will get an opportunity to score most as a new card holder, but the offer is time-sensitive, so get to this right away.
Aventura cards were designed for travelers specifically and will fit your needs rather well. They have the minimal annual income requirement of $15,000 per household and there is no such requirement for students.
Other perks coming with this card include personalized travel suggestions, reliable customer service available 24/7, and an assistant for booking anything you need for your travels. The card doesn’t charge any booking fees.
3. Scotia L’earn™ Visa Card
Aside from not having an annual fee, this card also gives you a 21-day grace period with no fees charged for credit if you are eligible. This is a card for those who prefer making payments with the latest solutions, like Apple Pay and Mobile Wallet.
You get 1% moneyback rewards on purchases and a 20% discount on AVIS car rentals. The minimum credit limit for the card is $500. The card also gives you access to Scotia Credit Card Cheques, which will provide the card holder with a lot of flexibility.
4. TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite
Aeroplan is a travel credit card first and foremost. You can see it clearly from the number of travel benefits it offers (on top of everything else). The perks this card offers include but aren’t limited to:
- Medical travel insurance
- Trip interruption/cancellation insurance
- Auto rental damage insurance
- Flight and trip delay insurance
- Lost or delayed baggage insurance
- Emergency travel assistance services
Note that you also get a variety of Visa Infinite benefits, including access to the Concierge service and Luxury Hotel Collection. Booking a room in any of these will provide unique benefits, You also get access to a variety of exclusive events due to the Visa Infinite Food and Wine Experiences.
Air Canada also offers you access to several benefits through the Aeroplan card. These include priority check and boarding, and one complimentary first-check bag. Don’t forget you also get a one-time guest access benefit which allows you access to Air Canada Maple leaf Lounge™.
Please be advised that while collecting Air Miles when using your credit card is definitely a great perk, specialized airline cards themselves are far from perfect (The New York Times). Experts advise avoiding them unless you need nothing beyond the few very specific benefits offered by the airline. But if you want a fully-functional credit card that will help make your travels more comfortable and collect some Air Miles, TD’s Aeroplan will be a great solution.
5. American Express Cobalt Card
There are credit card companies and there is American Express, which stands on a level of its own. It’s one of the most trusted brands and definitely top brand among financial service providers.
The Cobalt Card is a great option for travelers who love to wine and dine during their trips. It will give you 5 points per every dollar you spend on drinks and food. You also get 2 points per dollar on the money spent for travel (vacation packages, hotels, tickets, Uber, gas, etc.).
The annual fee is $120 and you need to charge $500 a month to your card in order to get accumulate the maximum of 30,000 points (2,500 a month) during your first year. A variety of other perks are available, as they are with all American Express cards, so be sure to check this option out.
