Best Credit Cards For Everyday Spend
No question that sign up bonuses are a great way to pile up the miles and points quickly. However, you do also want to maximize your return on every day spending as well. Today, I will list some of the top credit cards that you may want to consider adding to your portfolio for the long haul.
Generally, these credit cards list below give you a different return depending on the purchase category. For the purposes of this post, I will focus on the category of purchases to make with each respective credit card.
This post really applies more to big spenders, with at least $2,500 per month on your credit card to really make the annual fees worthwhile.
Group 1: Aim for 4% return on specific categories
I would recommend having one of the following credit cards. You only really need one of them because the categories overlap for the most part. I would select the card based on which expense you have more of, or if you can manage to waive the annual fee every year (e.g. if you are a client of that specific bank).
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card
- $99 annual fee
- $30 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder (maximum 3 cards)
- Earn 4% cash back on gas and grocery purchases
- Earn 2% cash back on Tim Hortons and TELUS purchases
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card
- $99 annual fee
- $30 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
- Earn 4% cash back for every $1 spent on gas and grocery purchases
- Earn 2% cash back for every $1 spent on drug store purchases and recurring bill payments
American Express Gold Rewards Card
- $150 annual fee (waived the first year)
- $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder (first one is free)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on drug store, gas, grocery and travel purchases
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
- $99 annual fee
- $29 for additional cardholders
- Earn 4 points for every $1 you spent on gas, grocery, dining and entertainment purchases
You only really need one of the credit cards in this category
Group 2: American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
Yes, this credit card gets its own category. And yes, the return is that good! Starpoints are probably the most valuable currency out there. So any time you can earn them, go for it. I value Starpoints conservatively at least 2.3 cents a piece, but you can probably leverage even more out of them if you get a little points savvy.
American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
- $120 annual fee
- $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all purchases
Group 3: Get a Fixed Rewards Card with at least 2% Return
Lastly, I would recommend having one credit card in this last grouping for all other purchases not accepting the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card. This will help ensure that you never get less than 2% return on any purchase that you make.
MBNA Rewards World Elite MasterCard
- $89 annual fee (waived for the first year)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 in eligible purchases
- $150 annual fee
- No fee for supplementary cardholders
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on all purchases
Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite
- $150 annual fee
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on all purchases