Best Current First Year Fee Waived Cards for October 2017
Below is our monthly updated list of the best first year fee waived offers on the market. There are the other two monthly lists that are continually updated:
Please let us know in the comment section below if you would like to see other types of monthly lists as well!
One thing you may have been noticing is that most first year fee waived promotions are either cash back or fixed reward systems. Less and less frequently do we see miles and points programs waiving their first year annual fees. Granted, there are very limited hotel and airline co-branded programs left. But it is a negative trend that I hope will soon be reversed.
In the meantime, below is a list of permanent and promotional first year fee waived offers in the market.
Permanent Offers
These are credit cards that do not have an expiry date on their first year fee waived offer. Note that it also means that they can end the offer at any time without notice.
Rogers Bank Platinum MasterCard
- $29 annual fee (waived the first year and continually waived by setting up pre-authorized Rogers, Fido or chatr monthly bills payments)
- Earn $25 cash back sign up bonus
- Earn 4% cash back on on foreign exchange purchases
- Earn 1.75% cash back on all purchases
American Express Business Gold Rewards Card
- $250 annual fee (first year fee waived)
- Earn 30,000 sign up bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all purchases
- Earn 1 additional point for every $1 spent at 3 suppliers of your choice to a maximum of 250,000 additional points each calendar year
Current promotional offers
These offers change all the time, but there are some cards that are relatively consistent at offering first year fee waived promotions.
Scotia Momentum Visa Card
- $39 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- $15 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
- Earn 2% cash back for every $1 spent on gas, grocery and drug store purchases, as well as recurring bill payments
- Earn 1% cash back for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Scotiabank GM Visa Infinite Card
- $79 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- 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
CIBC Dividend Platinum Visa Card
- $99 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- $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
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card
- $99 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- $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
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
- $99 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- $29 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
- Earn 25,000 sign up bonus after spending $750 in the first 3 month (if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- Earn 4 points for every $1 you spent on gas, grocery, dining and entertainment purchases
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Meridian Visa Infinite Cash Back Card
- $99 annual fee (first year fee waived for a limited time)
- $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
There is no specified end date for the first year fee waived, but it does say that it is limited time only:
- First year free is a limited time offer and is activated after the first transaction. Annual fee will appear on initial statement and a credit will be applied on the second statement following the transaction. Meridian reserves the right to modify or withdraw this offer at any time without prior notice.
- $110 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on pre-authorized debits (bill payments: telephone, cable TV, Internet, newspaper, etc.).
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on travel, transportation and foreign currency purchases
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
BMO Air Miles World Elite MasterCard
- $120 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before November 30, 2017)
- $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
- Earn 3,000 sign up bonus Air Miles (if you apply before November 30, 2017)(earn 1,000 miles after the first purchase and earn an additional 2,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months)
- Earn 1 Air Mile for every $10 spent on all purchases
- Receive 2 Priority Pass lounges passes per year
- $120 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply by October 31, 2017)
- Earn 15,000 sign up bonus Aventura points (after the first purchase)
- Earn 2 points on purchases made with the CIBC Aventura Rewards Centre
- Earn 1.5 point for every $1 spent on gas, groceries, drug stores and at select CIBC bonus rewards Establishments
- Earn 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
- $120 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply by October 31, 2017)
- $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder (maximum of 3 cards)
- Earn 15,000 sign up bonus Aventura points (after the first purchase)
- Earn 15,000 points sign up bonus after first purchase
- Earn 3 points spent at select CIBC bonus rewards Establishments
- Earn 2 points on purchases made with the CIBC Aventura Rewards Centre
- Earn 1.5 point for every $1 spent on gas, groceries and drug stores
- Earn 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases
CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business
- $120 annual fee (first year fee waived if you apply before October 31, 2017)
- $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder (up to 9 maximum)
- Earn 25,000 sign up bonus points (earn 20,000 after the first purchase and an additional 5,000 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months)
- Receive $120 annual travel credit (promotion begins August 1, 2017, and ends December 31, 2018)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on the CIBC Aventura Rewards Centre
- Earn 1.5 point for every $1 you spend on gas and travel purchases
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all purchases
TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card
- $120 annual fee (first year fee waived for a limited time)
- $50 annual fee for supplementary cardholders
- Earn 6% cash back on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments (for the first 3 months or first $3,500 in spending) (if you apply before December 3, 2017)
- Earn 3% cash back on gas, grocery and recurring bill payments thereafter (on first $15,000 in annual spending per category, including the 3 month bonus promotion)
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
Just like the Meridian card, this card also will be waiving the first year fee for a limited time only without a specific end date.
Please let us know in the comment section below if you would like to see other types of monthly lists as well!
- $150 annual fee (waived the first year if you apply before November 30, 2017)
- $50 annual fee for a supplementary cardholder
- Earn 20,000 sign up bonus points (if you apply before November 30, 2017)
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on all purchases
- Receive 4 complimentary Priority Pass Lounge Access visits
As usual, please let me know if I missed anything.