Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses in Canada — last verified: September 2026. Welcome bonuses are among the most frequently changed credit card terms — issuers adjust or end them with little notice, so treat every dollar figure below as a snapshot, and confirm the current offer directly with the issuer before applying.
Offers with a known deadline: Tangerine Money-Back requires you to apply by November 30, 2026. The Scotiabank Passport and Scotia Momentum offers run to November 1, 2026, and RBC Avion to November 25, 2026. The TD offers carry no published end date and can change at any time.
A generous welcome bonus can be worth hundreds — sometimes over a thousand — dollars for simply doing what you were probably going to do anyway: spend money on a new credit card in your first few months. The tricky part is telling a genuinely great offer apart from one that just looks good on the surface.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the strongest offers available in Canada right now, organized by what you’re actually looking for.
Short answer: The biggest welcome bonuses come with the biggest annual fees, so the value-to-fee ratio matters more than the raw number. Always check the minimum spend requirement, what happens after year one, and how much the points are really worth before applying. For the live, weekly-checked ranking of every current offer, see our credit card welcome offers tracker.Key points from this guide · last reviewed Sep 11, 2026
Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses in Canada Right Now: The Quick Comparison
| Card | Welcome Bonus | Estimated Value | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite | Up to 70,000 Avion points | ~$1,500 | $120 |
| Amex Aeroplan Reserve | Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points | ~$1,275 | $599 |
| Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite +* Card | Up to 35,000 Scene+ points + extras | ~$1,250 | $150 ($120 with eligible account) |
| TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite | Up to 160,000 TD Rewards points | ~$800 | $139 (waived year 1) |
| BMO CashBack World Elite | Monthly cash back bonuses | Up to $650 | $139 (waived year 1) |
| Marriott Bonvoy American Express | Up to 70,000 points | ~$630 | $120 |
| TD Cash Back Visa Infinite | 10% cash back + fee rebate | Up to $600 | $139 (waived year 1) |
| Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card | 15% cash back + fee waiver | ~$420 | $120 (waived year 1) |
| CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite | 10% cash back + bonuses | Up to $350 | $120 (waived year 1) |
| Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard | 10% cash back for 2 months | Up to $100 | $0 |
In simple terms: the cards with the biggest bonus numbers usually charge higher annual fees — the real question isn’t which offer is biggest, but which one is worth it for you.
Best for Maximum Value: RBC Avion Visa Infinite
Right now, this card has the strongest headline offer of the bunch: up to 70,000 Avion points, worth roughly $1,500 by RBC’s own estimate, for a modest $120 annual fee. The points come in stages — a chunk on approval, more after you hit a spending threshold, and an anniversary bonus after a year — so you’ll need to read the fine print on timing, not just the headline number.
Best for: Anyone who wants the biggest bang for their annual-fee buck among premium travel cards right now.
Best for Travel Points: Scotiabank Passport, Amex Aeroplan Reserve, or TD First Class Travel
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ offers up to $1,250 in first-year value (25,000 Scene+ points for $2,000 in spending, plus a 10,000-point annual bonus for higher spenders) and charges no foreign transaction fee — a real perk if you travel or shop internationally, on top of a $150 fee ($120 with an eligible bank account).
Amex Aeroplan Reserve offers the biggest raw point haul here — up to 85,000 Aeroplan points, worth roughly $1,275 at a conservative valuation — but it comes with a steep $599 annual fee, so it only makes sense if you’re already planning to use the card’s premium travel perks (lounge access, elevated earning on Air Canada) regularly.
TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite offers up to 160,000 TD Rewards points (about $800 in value), with the first year’s $139 fee waived — a good middle-ground option if the other two feel like overkill.
What this means for you: the “best” travel card here depends on how much you actually travel and whether you’ll use a premium card’s perks often enough to justify a bigger fee.
Best for Cashback: BMO CashBack World Elite
BMO’s welcome offer is worth up to $650, delivered as monthly cash back bonuses for hitting a $2,000 spending threshold each billing cycle during your first year — plus the $139 annual fee is waived in year one.
Watch out for: this card has a higher income requirement ($80,000 individual / $150,000 household) than most competitors, so it’s not accessible to everyone.
Best for: higher earners with steady monthly spending who want an ongoing cashback card, not just a one-time bonus.
Best No-Fee Option: Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard
If you’d rather not deal with an annual fee at all, Tangerine’s card offers 10% cash back for 2 months, up to $100 — modest compared to the premium cards above, but it costs $0 per year, forever. After the promotional period, it earns an ongoing 2% cash back in categories you choose.
Best for: beginners, students, or anyone who wants a genuinely free card without worrying about whether a welcome bonus offsets an annual fee.
Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses: How to Evaluate Any Offer
A big headline number doesn’t automatically mean a good deal. Before applying, check these:
- What’s the minimum spend, and is it realistic for you? A $2,000-in-3-months requirement is easy for some people and a stretch for others. Don’t spend more than you normally would just to hit a bonus threshold.
- What’s the annual fee, and does it come back next year? A “waived in year one” fee still applies afterward — decide if the card still makes sense once that shows up.
- What’s the points currency actually worth? 85,000 points sounds bigger than $650 cash back, but depending on the program, it might be worth less once you actually redeem it. (We cover how to estimate real point value in our Aeroplan/Scene+/Blue Rewards comparison.)
- Does applying affect your credit? Every application typically triggers a hard credit check, which can cause a small, temporary dip in your credit score. Applying for several cards in a short window compounds that effect.
Quick Tip: calculate the bonus’s value after subtracting the annual fee you’ll actually pay (not $0, if the fee isn’t waived) — that’s the number that tells you what the offer is really worth.
Key Takeaways
- The biggest welcome bonuses tend to come with the biggest annual fees — value-to-fee ratio matters more than the raw number.
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite, Amex Aeroplan Reserve, and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ currently offer the strongest overall value among travel cards, each in the $1,250–$1,500 range.
- BMO CashBack World Elite leads on cashback bonus value, but has a higher income bar to qualify.
- Tangerine Money-Back is the simplest, lowest-risk option if you’d rather avoid annual fees entirely.
- Always check the minimum spend requirement, what happens after year one, and how much the points are really worth before applying.
The Bottom Line: welcome bonuses are one of the easiest ways to get real value from a new credit card — as long as you’re comparing them honestly, fee against fee and value against value, rather than just chasing whichever number looks the biggest.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Credit Card Welcome Bonuses in Canada
Which credit card currently has the biggest welcome bonus in Canada? By raw dollar value, RBC Avion Visa Infinite’s offer (up to 70,000 points, worth roughly $1,500) and Amex Aeroplan Reserve’s offer (up to 85,000 points, worth roughly $1,275) are among the largest right now — but Amex Aeroplan Reserve’s $599 annual fee is a major offsetting cost to factor in.
Do I need excellent credit to get a good welcome bonus? Most premium travel and cashback cards with the biggest bonuses require good to excellent credit and, in some cases, a minimum income (BMO CashBack World Elite requires $80,000 individual/$150,000 household, for example). No-fee cards like Tangerine Money-Back are typically more accessible.
What happens if I don’t hit the minimum spend requirement? You simply don’t receive that portion of the bonus — most issuers don’t penalize you otherwise, but you also won’t get a partial bonus for partial spending in most cases.
Should I apply for multiple cards at once to stack welcome bonuses? Be cautious — each application typically triggers a hard credit check, and applying for several cards in a short window can temporarily lower your credit score and make approval for future applications harder.
Want to keep learning? Browse more beginner-friendly personal finance guides on MoneyMint, including our guide to what a TFSA is.
This article is for general educational purposes and isn’t financial advice. Credit card welcome offers, fees, and eligibility requirements change frequently — always confirm current details directly with the issuer before applying.