Best Current First Year Fee Waived Cards for January 2020

For this month, all BMO offers ended last month, but all ended up being extended until May. So if you missed out, you have another opportunity to sign up for those cards.

The card that I would pay close attention to is the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card, which relaunched its 10% cash back (first the first 3 months up to $2,000 in spending) and first year fee waived promotion. Historically, this has been the best offer with this card.

Otherwise, for the rest of the list, all offers run until at least early March 2020.

Ongoing First Year Fee Waived Offers

The reason I left this list (ongoing offers) up is that there are so few (just 2 really) permanent first year fee waived offers. So they are worthy of being highlighted. Meridian Bank is the only company willing to do this at the moment. Every other company has first year fee waived offers during a specific promotion period.

That being said, even though Meridian has a permanent offer with no end date, it also means that it can be terminated at any time.

Meridian Visa Infinite Cash Back Card

• $99 annual fee (first year fee waived)
• $30 annual fee for supplementary cardholders
• Earn 4% cash back on gas and grocery store purchases (on the first $25,000 in purchases, then 1% for all other purchases)
• Earn 2% pharmacy purchases and utility bill payments (on the first $25,000 in purchases, then 1% for all other purchases)
• Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Require either $60,000 annual personal income or $100,000 annual household income
• Cash back awarded as an account credit
• Not available to Quebec residents

Meridian Visa Infinite Travel Rewards Card

• $99 annual fee (first year fee waived)
• $30 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
• Earn 3 points for every $1 of net purchases in foreign currencies
• Earn 1.5 points for every $1 of net purchases
• Have at least $60,000 in personal annual income or $100,000 in annual household income
• Not available to Quebec residents

Limited Time First Year Fee Offers

Below are first year fee waived offers with a specified end date.

Note that the cards is listed by their annual fees, from lowest to highest.

Scotiabank GM Visa Infinite Card

• $79 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• Earn 5% cash back in GM Earnings on the first $10,000 spent annually on all purchases
• Earn 2% cash back in GM Earnings on all purchases after the first $10,000
• Cash back to be used for the purchase price or lease of a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac
• Have at least $60,000 in personal annual income, $100,000 in annual household income or $250,000 in assets under management

TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum Credit Card

• $89 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before March 2, 2020)
• $35 annual fee for supplementary cardholders
• Earn 20,000 sign up bonus miles (earn 10,000 Aeroplan miles after the first purchase, earn 5x the miles, up to 15,000 in bonuses in the first 3 months) (if you apply before March 2, 2020)
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent at drug stores, gas and grocery
• Earn 1 mile for for every $1.50 spent on all other purchases

CIBC Dividend Visa Platinum Card

• $99 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• $30 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder (maximum 3 cards)
• Earn 10% cash back (on first $2,000 in spending up to the first 4 months, if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• Earn 4% cash back on gas and grocery purchases
• Earn 2% cash back on Tim Hortons and TELUS purchases
• Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Cash back awarded automatically on the December statement

Note, the 4% and 2% cash back are on the first $80,000 in total purchases (meaning all card purchases by all cardholders, at any type of merchant) or $20,000 on gas, grocery, TELUS or Tim Hortons purchases on your account, whichever comes first.

CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card

• $99 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• $30 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder (maximum 3 cards)
• Earn 10% cash back (on first $2,000 in spending up to the first 4 months, if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• Earn 4% cash back on gas and grocery purchases
• Earn 2% cash back on Tim Hortons and TELUS purchases
• Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Cash back awarded automatically on the December statement

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card

BMO Rewards Business MasterCard

• $120 annual fee (waived the first year if you apply before May 3, 2020)
• $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
• Earn 35,000 sign up bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months (if you apply before May 3, 2020)
• Earn 3 BMO Reward points for every $1 spent on gas, office supplies, cell phone and internet recurring payments
• Earn 1.5 BMO Reward points for every $1 spent on all purchases

BMO CashBack World Elite MasterCard

• $120 annual fee (waived the first year if you apply before March 31, 2020)
• Earn 5% cash back on all purchases (for the first 4 months, up to $4,000 in spending or $200 in cash back) (if you apply before March 31, 2020)
• Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases
• Receive cash back: (1) direct deposit into a BMO chequing, savings or InvestorLine account; or (2) a statement credit
• Redeem: (1) annually; (2) when a recurring amount has accumulated a minimum of $50 and in increments of $10; or (3) a one-time lump sum with a minimum of $50 and in increments of $10

BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard

• $120 annual fee (waived the first year if you apply before March 3, 2020)
• $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
• Earn 3,000 sign up bonus Air Miles (earn 1,000 sign up bonus and 2,000 more after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months) (if you apply before March 3, 2020)
• Earn 1 Air Mile for every $10 on all purchases
• Receive 2 free lounge passes with MasterCard Airport Experiences
• Receive a Companion Flight Rebate Offer (by booking any two flights, one way or return, through airmiles.ca)
• Have at least $80,000 in personal annual income or $150,000 in annual household income

CIBC Aerogold Visa Business Card Plus

• $120 annual fee (waived if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• Earn 35,000 sign up bonus Aeroplan miles (if you apply before March 1, 2020); earn 20,000 after the first purchase and earn 15,000 after spending $3,000 within the first 4 months
• Earn 1.5 mile for every $1 spent on airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel agencies, gas stations
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Credit approval based on business

CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business

• $120 annual fee (waived if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• Earn 35,000 sign up bonus points (if you apply before March 1, 2020); earn 20,000 after the first purchase and another 15,000 after spending $3,000 in the first 4 months
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre
• Earn 1.5 point for every $1 on gas and travel spending (e.g. flights, hotel stays, car rentals and travel agencies)
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Have at least $35,000 in personal annual income

CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business Plus

• $120 annual fee (waived if you apply before March 1, 2020)
• Earn 35,000 sign up bonus points (if you apply before March 1, 2020); earn 20,000 after the first purchase and another 15,000 after spending $3,000 in the first 4 months
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre
• Earn 1.5 point for every $1 on gas and travel spending (e.g. flights, hotel stays, car rentals and travel agencies)
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Have at least $35,000 in personal annual income

TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

• $120 annual fee (waived the first year if you apply before March 2, 2020)
• $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
• Earn 30,000 sign up bonus miles (earn 15,000 miles after the first purchase and earn 5 miles for every $1 spent on all Purchases, for the first 3 months up to a total spend of $1000 per month, for up to 15,000 bonus miles) (if you apply before March 2, 2020)
• Earn 1.5 mile for every $1 spent on gas, grocery, drugstore and aircanada.com purchases
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Receive 1 free checked bag when travelling on an Aeroplan reward flight
• Receive 1 annual Maple Leaf Lounge guest pass when travelling on an Aeroplan reward flight operated by Air Canada
• Receive priority check-in and priority boarding (with Aeroplan reward flight)
• Have at least $60,000 in personal annual income or $100,000 in annual household income

TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card

• $120 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before March 2, 2020)
• Earn 80,000 sign up bonus points (earn 20,000 points after the first purchase, earn 45 points for every $1 on Expedia and 30 points for every $1 spent on travel purchases of travel and earn 15 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases, up to 20,000 bonus points for the first 3 months, up to 60,000 in bonuses) (if you apply before March 2, 2020)
• Earn 9 points for every $1 spent on Expedia
• Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Have at least $60,000 in personal annual income or $100,000 household income

BMO World Elite MasterCard