Best store credit cards in Canada
Prostock-studio / Shutterstock
We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware that some (or all) products and services linked in this article are from our sponsors.
We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware this post may contain links to products from our partners. We may receive a commission for products or services you sign up for through partner links.
The best things in life, as they say, are free. The second-best things? They’re the things you scored with a sweet deal. The right store credit card can unlock access to exclusive offers and help you save more money in stores where you already shop.
Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about a lame retail credit card that only offers financing on big purchases—we’re talking about cards you can use to earn points or cash back no matter where you shop. Shopaholics, deal hunters, and coupon clippers take note: Here’s our take on the best store credit cards in Canada that genuinely reward your business.
Quickly compare the best store credit cards in Canada
PC Mastercard
Quick Facts
Minimum credit score: Fair/Good
Minimum income: N/A
Age: Age of majority in your province or territory
Residency: Resident of Canada
There’s a good chance you’re already collecting PC Optimum™ points; using the PC® Mastercard® can supercharge the number of points you earn. Combined with the PC Optimum™ program cardholders can get a total of up to 25 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix; at least 30 points per litre of gas purchased at Esso™ and Mobil™ stations in Canada; 20 points per $1 spent on PC® travel services; and 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
New cardholders who sign up for the PC® Mastercard® can earn 20,000 bonus points after making a purchase with their new card at a Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix, Loblaw banner store, or at an Esso™ or Mobil™ station in Canada. The purchase must be made within six months of account approval in order to qualify. 10K PC Optimum™ points minimum can be redeemed for $10 worth of groceries, housewares, or other products at stores that participate in the PC Optimum™ program like Loblaws, No Frills, and Real Canadian Superstore, so the 20K bonus is worth $20.
The PC® Mastercard® comes with purchase assurance and extended warranty coverage (conditions apply to all benefits), and cardholders can also benefit from special points promotions.
Key features
- Annual fee: $0
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 PC Optimum™ points after first purchase with the card at a participating store within six months of opening the account with no minimum purchase amount required
- Reward structure: Up to a total of 25 points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix; at least 30 points per litre of gas purchased at Esso™ and Mobil™ stations in Canada; 20 points per $1 spent on PC travel services; and 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Additional perks: Purchase Assurance for 90 days; Extended Warranty for up to one year. Conditions apply.
- Interest rates: Purchases 20.97% (standard rate*), Cash Advances 22.97% (21.97% in Quebec) (standard rate*). *Basic rates may apply; see details on provider’s site.
Apply and learn more about the PC® Mastercard® here or read our complete PC® Mastercard® review.
Sponsored advertising. President’s Choice Financial® Mastercard® is provided by President’s Choice Bank. The PC Optimum™ program is provided by President's Choice Services Inc. President’s Choice Bank is not responsible for the contents of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information regarding the PC® Mastercard®, PC® World Mastercard®, or PC® World Elite Mastercard®, please click on the “Apply Now” or other applicable button.
CIBC Costco Mastercard
Quick Facts
Recommended credit score: Fair/Good
Minimum income: N/A
Age: The age of majority in your province or territory
Residency: Canadian
Other: Cardholder must have a Costco Membership
The CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® itself doesn’t carry an annual fee, but you do need to be a Costco member to sign up. A basic Gold Star membership costs $60 annually (check out our guide to whether or not a Costco membership is worth the cost).
The best part of the CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® is the high amount of cash back you can earn on Costco Gas and purchases made on Costco.ca, but there’s a catch: These high rates are capped at a maximum annual spend. The 3% cash back at Costco Gas and 2% at other gas stations is capped at $5,000 in spending per year. You’ll earn 2% cash back from Costco.ca up to $8,000 spent per year. Once you max out, the rate will drop to 1% for each of those categories until a new year resets. On the plus side, there is no cap on the 3% cash back on restaurants, and all other purchases outside those special categories earn 1% cash back.
Redeeming your cash back is simple but not particularly flexible. A Costco Canada gift certificate is issued once a year in January, equal to the amount you earned back from your card in the previous year.
The CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® offers standard Purchase Security and Extended Warranty insurance, but also includes the unexpected perk of up to $1,000 in Mobile Device Insurance, which is a rarity for a credit card without an annual fee.
Key features
- Annual fee: $0 for primary and secondary card holders (must have Costco membership)
- Welcome offer: None
- Rewards structure: 3% cash back at restaurants; 3% back at Costco Gas and 2% at other gas stations up to $5,000/year; 2% back at Costco.ca up to $8,000/year; 1% back on all other purchases.
- Additional perks: Purchase Security for 90 days; Extended Warranty for up to one year; Mobile device insurance up to $1,000
- Interest rate: Purchases 19.75%; Cash Advances 21.49%.
Apply for the CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® here.
Walmart Rewards Mastercard
Quick Facts
Minimum credit score: Fair/Good
Minimum income: $0
Age: Age of majority in province/territory
Residency: Canadian resident
The Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® earns a respectable 1.25% back on all Walmart purchases made in-store or online at Walmart.ca and 1% back on all other purchases. Walmart Reward Dollars are simple to use – 1 Walmart Reward dollar equals $1 to spend on virtually anything that Walmart sells – and they can be redeemed in $5 increments online or at the register in any Walmart store across Canada.
The card is an accessible option for frugal shoppers, and signing up is incentivized via a respectable welcome offer: New cardholders can get up to $25 as a welcome bonus—$15 in rewards after you make two purchases within 30 days and another $10 to sweeten the deal if you sign up for electronic statements.
Unfortunately, the Walmart Mastercard doesn’t offer much in terms of other practical benefits. They’ve opted to reserve standard perks like purchase assurance and extended warranty for the higher-tier Walmart RewardsTM World Mastercard®. If you meet its $100,000 minimum annual income requirement, you would then earn 3% back online from Walmart.ca, 1.25% in store, 1.25% at any gas station, and 1% on all other purchases.
Key features
- Annual fee: $0
- Welcome offer: Up to $25 in Bonus Walmart Reward Dollars.
- Rewards structure: 1.25% on Walmart Canada purchases in-store or online at Walmart.ca. 1% on all other purchases. Redeem Walmart Reward Dollars in-store or online.
- Additional perks: None
- Interest rate: Purchases 19.89%, Cash Advances 22.97% (21.97% for Quebecers)
Apply for the Walmart Rewards Mastercard here.
Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard
Quick Facts
Recommended credit score: Fair/Good
Minimum income: N/A
Age: The age of majority in your province or territory
Residency: Canadian
The Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard from MBNA is an excellent option if you already have an Amazon Prime membership.
As a welcome bonus, cardholders can get 5% back on the first $3,000 in eligible purchases from Amazon.ca, Whole Foods, grocery stores, and restaurants made in the first 6 months—that’s a cool $150 in rewards. After the welcome period ends Prime members can earn 2.5% back on eligible purchases from Amazon.ca, Whole Foods and on foreign currency transactions. Non-Amazon Prime members only get 1.5% back on Amazon.ca and Whole Foods purchases. All cardholders, regardless of whether or not they have a Prime membership, get 1% back on all other purchases outside those categories. Any rewards you rack up using the card can be applied directly to purchases on Amazon.ca.
For a credit card with no annual fee, the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard doesn’t skimp on useful perks. Purchase assurance will cover your purchases from damage or theft for 90 days and the extended warranty will add one year of coverage in addition to the original manufacturer’s warranty. You can also enjoy a minimum 10% off base rental car rates in Canada and at least 5% off rental rates in the U.S. at participating Avis and Budget locations.
Key features
- Annual fee: $0
- Welcome offer: 5% back on first $3,000 in eligible purchases at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market, grocery stores, and restaurants for six months.
- Rewards structure: 5% back on eligible purchases at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods, and on foreign currency transactions for Amazon Prime members. 1.5% back on eligible purchases at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods for non-Prime members. 1% back on all other purchases for all cardholders.
- Additional perks: Purchase assurance for 90 days; Extended Warranty for up to one year; rental car discounts.
- Interest rates: Purchases 19.99%; Cash Advances, Balance Transfers and Access Cheques 22.99%
Apply for the card here or learn more by reading our complete Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard review.
Hudson's Bay Mastercard by Neo Financial
Quick Facts
Recommended credit score: Fair/Good
Minimum income: N/A
Age: The age of majority in your province or territory
Residency: Canadian
The Hudson’s Bay Mastercard® is the most recent offering from the oldest company in North America. The Bay gives 15% off first-day purchases when you sign up for the no annual fee store card. You earn up to 4 Hudson’s Bay Rewards points on every dollar spent on purchases made in-store and on thebay.com, and 2 points per dollar spent outside The Bay. The card is issued by Neo Financial, so on top of the points you earn from your regular spending with the card, you can also earn extra cash back from thousands of Neo partners across Canada. Check out our review of Neo Financial to learn more about Neo’s partners.
This rewards program takes a bit to unpack, because the points you earn depend on an annual spend that resets each year. For the basic Hudson’s Bay Rewards tier, cardholders collect 2 points for every dollar spent from $0-$399.99. At the middle Hudson’s Bay Reward Plus tier, you collect 3 points per dollar spent between $400 and $1,199.99. At the top Hudson’s Bay Rewards VIP tier, you collect 4 points per dollar when you spend $1,200+ per year.
Every 1,000 Hudson’s Bay Rewards points can be redeemed for $5 in store and online. Points can also be converted to AIR MILES or RBC Rewards points for some added flexibility, but points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Any cash back you earn through Neo partners can be redeemed toward your card balance. As for perks, you can enjoy savings from free shipping on items sold by Hudson’s Bay (no purchase minimums) and earn an extra 20% on both Hudson’s Bay Reward points and Petro-Points if you link your two accounts together.
Key features
- Annual fee: $0
- Welcome offer: 15% off on first-day purchases.
- Rewards structure: Earn up to 4 points per $1 spent on Hudson’s Bay purchases in-store or online at thebay.com and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.3 Average 2% cash back from Neo Financial partners. Average based on current offers at select partners.
- Additional perks: Free shipping, with no purchase minimum. 20% bonus Hudson’s Bay Rewards Points and 20% bonus Petro-Points when you link the accounts together
- Interest rates: Purchases 19.99%-24.99%*, Cash Advances 21.99%-26.99%* (rate assigned depends on an assessment of your creditworthiness)
Apply for the Hudson’s Bay Mastercard® by Neo Financial here.
Related articles:
- Best Canadian credit cards for Amazon purchases
- Best credit cards for saving on groceries
- Best credit cards for saving at Costco
- Best credit cards for saving at Walmart
Latest Articles
Fields of anxiety: Overcoming stigma to address mental health struggles of farmers
Most actively traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Unifor ratifies agreement establishing pattern for energy workers
Feds recover $40M from defunct Quebec vaccine developer Medicago
EQB customers weathering shock of high interest rates, CEO says
