Market: CA
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Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Five points a dollar on groceries, dining and entertainment with no foreign transaction fee, for $120. Nothing else here does all three. The catch is that it is an Amex, so it will be refused where a Visa would not. $120 a year. 21.99% purchase APR.
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Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card
4% on groceries and on recurring bills, which few cards pay well on. The first year is free, and it is a Visa, so it works everywhere. $120 a year. 20.99% purchase APR.
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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
No foreign transaction fee and six free lounge visits a year on a Visa. The earn rates are ordinary, so this is a card you buy for the travel perks, not the points. $150 a year. 20.99% purchase APR.
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American Express Cobalt Card
Five points a dollar on restaurants, bars, coffee and groceries is the highest food earn rate in Canada, and Membership Rewards transfer to Aeroplan. Worth it if you eat out; not if you do not. $191.88 a year. 21.99% purchase APR.
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American Express Gold Rewards Card
A $250 fee for 2 points a dollar, when the Cobalt charges $192 for 5 on food. Hard to recommend unless you specifically want the travel credit and NEXUS rebate. $250 a year. 21.99% purchase APR.
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Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
You pick two categories to earn 2% on, there is no fee and no cap. The simplest card here to recommend, and the easiest to hold alongside something else. No annual fee. 20.95% purchase APR.
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Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card
4% on restaurants with no annual fee is a good headline, but the cap arrives at $5,000 of dining and the other categories share one pot. Not available in Quebec. No annual fee. 21.99% purchase APR.
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BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
5% on groceries is the highest rate here, but every cap is monthly rather than annual, which limits the card to roughly $672 of bonus cash back a year no matter how much you spend. $139 a year. 21.99% purchase APR.
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CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card
4% on both groceries and gas is a combination almost nothing else offers. Two spending caps run at once, though, and the tighter one arrives sooner than most people expect. $120 a year. 21.99% purchase APR.