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Best Credit Card Welcome Offers for September 2021
Table of Contents
- Earn up to 25,000 Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass with the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card. Plus, get an annual fee rebate for the first year.
- Get up to 10% cash back for the first three months with the BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard*.
- The RBC Avion® Visa Infinite Card offers a travel value of up to $750.
The September welcome offers are here just in time to purchase last-minute school supplies, your first pumpkin spice latte or a cozy cardigan.
While many credit card promotions require the applicant to spend a certain amount to be eligible for the bonus, there is no better time than the back-to-school season to qualify — except for maybe the December holidays.
We analyzed the best credit cards in Canada to bring you the most rewarding offers for this month. Some cards offer thousands of points worth hundreds of dollars in savings. Others also have additional incentives like a bonus Buddy Pass for a companion flight.
| Our top picks | ||
|---|---|---|
Credit card | Welcome offer | Annual fee |
| $599 | |
| $156 ($12.99 monthly) | |
| $139 (First year rebated) | |
| $120 (First year waived) | |
| $120 | |
| $120 (First year waived) | |
| $119 | |
| $139 (First year waived) | |
| $0 | |
| $0 | |
| $0 | |
| $0 | |
1. American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card offers up to 90,000 Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass. Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass when you spend at least $3,000 in the first three months. Plus, earn 5,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $1,000 on your card for the first year.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $599
- Annual fee for additional cards:
- $199 to share in some of the Reserve Card benefits
- $0 to get the no-fee card benefits
- Earn three Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on eligible Air Canada® and Air Canada Vacations® purchases.
- Earn two Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery purchases.
- Earn 1.25 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Access select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and perks, the Pearson Priority Security Lane, complimentary valet at Pearson, travel insurance coverage and more exclusive benefits.
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
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2. American Express CobaltTM Credit Card
Best of Finance Winner: Best Overall Rewards Credit Card
New card members of the American Express CobaltTM Credit Card can earn up to 50,000 Membership Rewards® points. Earn 2,500 points for each monthly billing period in which you spend at least $500 on your card for the first year. This could add up to 30,000 points. Earn another 20,000 points when you spend at least $3,000 on your card in the first three months.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Monthly fee: $12.99 ($156 annually)
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Earn five points for every $1 spent on eligible restaurant and food delivery purchases in Canada.
- Earn three points for every $1 spent on eligible streaming subscriptions.
- Earn two points for every $1 spent on eligible travel and transit.
- Earn one point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Access exclusive events and offers through American Express® Experiences and the Cobalt Perks program, and get travel insurance and shopping coverage.
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
3. TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Apply for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card to earn up to 25,000 Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass. Earn 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase. Get another 15,000 Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass when you spend at least $1,000 within 90 days of opening the account. Plus, get an annual fee rebate for the first year.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $139
- Annual fee for additional cards: $75
- Earn 1.5 points for every $1 spent on purchases made directly through Air Canada® and Air Canada Vacations®.
- Earn one point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Access Air Canada travel benefits and Visa Infinite benefits with this card for exclusive perks and discounts at hotels, wineries, and fine dining. Get travel insurance, mobile device insurance, and shopping coverage.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
Offer expiry date: December 5, 2021
4. Scotiabank®* Gold American Express® Card
Best of Finance Winner: Best Credit Card for Staying at Home and Ordering In
The Scotiabank®* Gold American Express® Card offers up to 50,000 Scotia Rewards points. Earn 30,000 Scotia Rewards points when you spend at least $1,000 in the first three months. Get another 20,000 Scotia Rewards points when you spend at least $7,500 in the first 12 months. Plus, pay no annual fee for the first year.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $120
- Annual fee for additional cards: $29
- Earn five Scotia Rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining, fast food, food delivery, and entertainment purchases.
- Earn three Scotia Rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible gas and daily transit purchases and select streaming services.
- Earn one Scotia Rewards point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Get the Best Price Guarantee on airfare through the Scotia Rewards Travel Service and pay no foreign transaction fees on purchases made online or abroad in foreign currency. Only the exchange rate applies.
Offer expiry date: November 21, 2021
5. RBC Avion® Visa Infinite Card
Apply for the RBC Avion® Visa Infinite to get 35,000 welcome points upon enrollment. That is a travel value of up to $750.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $120
- Annual fee for additional cards: $50
- Earn one RBC Rewards point for every $1 spent on the card.
- Earn 1.25 points (25% extra) for every $1 spent on eligible travel-related purchases.
Get instant fuel savings at Petro-Canada when you link your card and earn 20% more RBC Rewards. Plus, get $0 delivery fees on orders of $12 or more for 12 months from DoorDash when you add your eligible RBC card.
Offer expiry date: November 15, 2021
6. BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard*
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Apply for the BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard* to earn up to 10% cash back for the first three months. Plus, pay no annual fee for the first year.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $120
- Annual fee for additional cards: $50
- Earn 5% cash back on your first $500 in groceries each month.
- Earn 4% cash back on your first $300 in ground transportation each month.
- Earn 3% cash back on your first $300 in automobile and vehicle fuel purchases each month, including electric vehicle charging.
- Earn 2% cash back on your first $500 in recurring bill payments each month.
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Get roadside assistance for flat tires and towing, concierge services, travel insurance, and complimentary membership in Mastercard Airport Experiences provided by LoungeKey.
Offer expiry date: December 6, 2022
7. WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡
Best of Finance Winner: Best Overall Cash Back Credit Card
The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ offers up to 450 welcome WestJet dollars. Get 250 welcome WestJet dollars upon approval. Get the additional 200 welcome WestJet dollars when you spend at least $5,000 on your card within the first three months.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $119
- Annual fee for additional cards: $59
- Earn 2% in WestJet dollars for every $1 spent on WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages.
- Earn 1.5% in WestJet dollars for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Access free Boingo Wi-Fi and connect to more than one million hotspots worldwide. Get instant fuel savings at Petro-Canada when you link your card and earn 20% more Petro-Points. Plus, get $0 delivery fees on orders of $12 or more for 12 months from DoorDash when you add your eligible RBC card.
Offer expiry date: January 5, 2022
8. Scotiabank PassportTM Visa Infinite* Card
New card members of the Scotiabank PassportTM Visa Infinite* Card can earn up to 40,000 Scotia Rewards points. Earn 30,000 Scotia Rewards Points when you spend at least $1,000 on your card within the first three months. Earn 10,000 bonus Scotia Rewards points when you spend at least $40,000 on your card annually. Plus, pay no annual fee for the first year.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $139
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Earn two Scotia Rewards points for every $1 you spend on eligible grocery, dining, entertainment, and daily transit purchases.
- Earn one Scotia Rewards point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases.
Get a complimentary Priority Pass™ membership and six free lounge passes annually. Access the Best Price Guarantee on airfare through the Scotia Rewards Travel Service and pay no foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad or online in foreign currency. Only the exchange rate applies.
Offer expiry date: November 21, 2021
9. MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard®
Best of Finance Winner: Best No-Fee Travel Credit Card
The MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus® Mastercard® offers four points for every $1 spent on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases for 90 days (about three months), up to the $10,000 annual spend cap.
Plus, earn 5,000 bonus points after you spend at least $500 in eligible purchases during the first 90 days and another 5,000 bonus points for signing up for paperless e-statements within the same period. That is up to 10,000 bonus points.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $0
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Earn two points for every $1 you spend on eligible restaurant, grocery, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases until $10,000 is spent annually.
- Earn one point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases.
This card recently got a new perk: cardholders will receive Birthday Bonus Points each year up to 10,000 points. Additionally, mobile device insurance is now on the list of features.
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
10. SimplyCash™ Card from American Express
Best of Finance Winner: Best No-Frills Cash Back Credit Card
Apply for the SimplyCash™ Card from American Express to earn 4% cash back for the first six months on up to $5,000 in total purchases. That is up to $200 cash back.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $0
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Get 1.25% cash back on all purchases, with no limit to how much you can earn.
Access American Express® Experiences for exclusive offers and curated events and get shopping coverage on this card.
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
11. Tangerine World Mastercard®
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The Tangerine World Mastercard® offers 10% cash back on up to $1,000 in total purchases for the first two months. That is up to $100 cash back.
Plus, get a 1.95% promotional interest rate on balance transfers made within the first 30 days of opening the account for six months. A 1% balance transfer fee does apply.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $0
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Earn 2% cash back in up to three Money-Back Categories of your choice. Start with two categories and earn the third when depositing your rewards into a Tangerine Savings Account. Choose from the following 10 Money-Back Categories: grocery, furniture, restaurants, hotel-motel, gas, recurring bill payments, drugstore, home improvement, entertainment, and public transportation and parking. Switch your categories each month as your spending habits change.
- Earn 0.50% cash back on all other purchases.
With this card, you can get shopping coverage, mobile device insurance, and rental car collision/loss damage insurance. Also, get free additional cards for authorized users and earn rewards faster.
Offer expiry date: October 4, 2021
12. BMO CashBack Mastercard®*
Best of Finance Winner: Best No-Fee Cash Back Credit Card
The BMO* CashBack® Mastercard®*offers 5% cash back on up to $2,500 in total purchases in the qualified categories ($500 groceries, $500 recurring bill payments, $1,500 on all other purchases) for the first three months.
Cardholders can also take advantage of a 1.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for nine months. A 1% balance transfer fee does apply.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $0
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Earn 3% cash back on your first $500 in grocery purchases monthly.
- Earn 1% cash back on your first $500 in recurring bill payments monthly.
- Earn 0.5% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.
Save up to 25% off rental cars at participating National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car locations.
Offer expiry date: December 6, 2022
Rates, product information and reward estimates are subject to change at any time and do not constitute financial advice. This post was not sponsored. RATESDOTCA may receive a referral fee from our partners or affiliate links featured on the site; however, our editorial choices are objective and free from bias. The opinions expressed in this article are purely those of RATESDOTCA; thus, the credit card issuers and partners are not responsible for any editorials or reviews that may appear. Please visit the associated brand's website for complete and current terms and conditions on any product or service mentioned. The information in this article is accurate as of the date of this posting, September 7, 2021. Read our full disclaimer.
Hayley Osmond, Freelance writer
Hayley Osmond is an editor and writer in the personal finance space, where she uses her eight years of media and marketing experience to bring content to life. She specializes in money products, including mortgages, home and auto insurance, and credit cards. Hayley holds a Broadcast Journalism diploma from Sheridan College and was awarded the Shaw Media Journalism and Media Award for graduating at the top of her class. Her work has appeared in Global News and diverse digital corporate training materials behind the scenes.
Hayley is passionate about making complex subjects, such as home buying and financial literacy, concise and intriguing. Her work has garnered media coverage from The Globe and Mail, blogTO, Yahoo! News, and CityNews 680 and has been syndicated across other publications.
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