Sure, gas is typically an accelerated rewards category on credit cards, along with groceries and drugstore purchases. But that doesn’t mean you can’t earn great rewards if you don’t own a car. Credit cards are starting to offer points or cash back for daily transit, including buses, subways, taxis, and rideshare services. So, no matter how you commute, you can get rewarded for your everyday purchases.
Whether it’s the opportunity to park your bum in a cozy lounge chair at the train station or earn cash back on daily transit, these nine credit cards offer great perks and rewards for people who don’t own a car.
*The RATESDOTCA Best of Finance methodology assumes the cardholder spends an average of $2,000 a month on their card to determine the first-year value. The calculation includes all welcome bonuses and promotional offers at the time of publishing.
The American Express CobaltTM Credit Card offers cardholders two times the points on eligible travel, transit, and gas. Grabbing the bus, a cab, or rideshare has never been so rewarding. Not only that, but this card also has you covered with car rental theft and damage insurance.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $1,361 in points within the first year.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Fair: You have had a credit card or loan for at least one year. For the last two years or more, you have paid back debts to creditors (with no defaults). You haven’t missed more than two payments on your credit in the last three months.
Annual fee:
$12.99 per month ($155.88 annually)
Annual fee for additional cards: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
Rewards:
Note: Some Cobalt members have reported receiving the “eats and drinks” rate of five points for every $1 spent on Uber rides. This lucky bonus may be due to the merchant code used by both Uber Eats and Uber.
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 80,971 Membership Rewards® points
Monetary value = $1,417
Annual fee = $155.88*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $1,361
*The fee for this card is charged monthly ($12.99 x 12 months = $155.88).
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The Scotiabank®* Gold American Express® Card offers three times the rewards points on eligible gas and daily transit purchases, including buses, taxis, and rideshare services. This card also features various travel coverage like rental car collision insurance.
Based on our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $1,024 in Scotia Rewards points within the first year.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least six years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on my existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$120
Annual fee for additional cards: $29
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: August 31, 2021
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 114,400 Scotia Rewards points
Monetary value = $1,144
Annual fee = $120
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $1,024
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card offers 2% cash back on daily transit, including buses, taxis, trains, and rideshare services. Also, save on rental cars at Avis locations across the U.S. and Canada and feel reassured with rental car collision loss/damage insurance.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $867 in the first year using this card.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Excellent: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least 10 years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on your existing credit cards for the past six months.
Annual fee:
$120
Annual fee for additional cards: $50
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date:
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $717
RATESDOTCA bonus = $150 e-Gift Card
Annual fee = $0*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $867
*The $120 annual fee is waived for the first year.
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card offers five points for every $1 spent on gas and transit. Earn 10% more rewards with an authorized user or 5.5 points for every $1 spent on rideshare and public transit purchases.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $862 in the first year.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$120
Annual fee for additional cards: $50
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: October 31, 2021
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 114,400 BMO Rewards points
Monetary value = $812
Lifestyle credit = $50
Annual fee = $0*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $862
*The $120 annual fee is waived for the first year.
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The recently revamped BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard* offers cardholders 4% cash back on the first $300 in transit purchases each month.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $745 in the first year with this card.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Excellent: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least 10 years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for your existing credit cards for the past six months.
Annual fee:
$120
Annual fee for additional cards: $50
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: October 31, 2021
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $745
Annual fee = $0*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $745
*The $120 annual fee is waived for the first year.
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express offers 2% cash back on all purchases, no matter the spending category. That means you can earn a great flat rate on rideshare services, taxis, buses, and other transportation options.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $701 in cash back in the first year with this card.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least six years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on my existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$99
Annual fee for additional cards: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: N/A (subject to change without notice)
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $1,060
Annual fee = $120
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $940
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card offers a complimentary Deluxe TD Auto Club Membership; however, it won’t be of much use if you don’t have a car. What this card can provide, in this case, is extra savings. Get discounts on rental cars through Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car across the U.S. and Canada and access auto rental collision and damage insurance. Plus, TD Visa Infinite* cardholders can access exclusive Visa Infinite* Credit Card Lounges, conveniently located at major transit hubs like Toronto’s Union Station.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $675 in the first year with this card.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$139
Annual fee for additional cardholders: $50
Limited time offer/bonus:
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
Offer expiry date: May 28, 2023
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $675
Annual fee = $0*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $675
*The $139 annual fee is rebated for the first year.
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The Scotiabank PassportTM Visa Infinite* Card offers two Scotia Rewards points for every $1 spent on daily transit purchases, including buses, subways, taxis, and passenger railways. Plus, cardholders can save on rental cars and access rental car collision loss and damage insurance.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $389 in the first year with this card.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Excellent: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least 10 years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on your existing credit cards for the past six months.
Annual fee:
$139
Annual fee for additional cards: $0 (first supplementary card only), $50 after that
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: July 1, 2021
Rewards:
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 52,800 Scotia Rewards points
Monetary value = $528
Annual fee = $139
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $389
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
The Tangerine World Mastercard® offers up to 2% cash back for public transportation purchases. Plus, this card comes with rental car collision and loss damage insurance.
According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn around $309 in cash back in the first year.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least six years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on my existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$0
Annual fee for additional cards: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
Offer expiry date: August 16, 2021
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
Rewards:
Earn 2% cash back in up to three categories of your choice. Start with two categories and earn the third when depositing your rewards into a Tangerine Savings Account. Earn 0.5% cash back on all other purchases.
The 10 Tangerine Money-Back Rewards categories include:
Switch up your selected Money-Back Rewards Categories as your spending habits change to maximize your rewards.
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $409
Annual fee = $0
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $409
*Assumes the cardholder earns the third category by depositing their rewards into a Tangerine Savings Account, and they have chosen the grocery, restaurant, and gas categories.
You can redeem your points for:
Insurance:
Other perks:
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 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, June 28, 2021. Read our full disclaimer.