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What is the Best Visa Credit Card?

The question of which Visa credit card is the best for Canadians appears to be asked quite often, so I thought I’d try to answer it. First of all, the answer is that it depends on your situation. Below are some examples of different situations and which credit card makes the most sense for that situation.

First Time Cardholders

If you never had a credit card before and you are a fan of going to the movies, I definitely suggest the Scotiabank Scene Visa Card. They make this credit card easy enough for students to qualify for. The RBC Esso Visa Classic Card is also a decent choice, if you collect Esso Extra points. Otherwise, you are better off just looking for a MasterCard instead.

Scotiabank Scene Visa Card

  • No annual fee
  • Earn 4,000 sign up bonus points (if you apply before October 31, 2015, normally 2,000 sign up bonus points)
  • Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Cineplex Entertainment theatres (including movie ticket, popcorn, drinks, etc.)
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases

RBC Esso Visa Classic Card

  • No annual fee
  • Earn 4,500 sign up bonus Esso Extra points after your first purchase
  • Earn 2 points for every $1 spent at participating Esso branded retail stations
  • Earn 1 Esso Extra point for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Travel Cardholders

When it comes to travel cards, there are actually quite a few good choices. It will depend more on your travel needs. I would go for the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Card if you like collecting hotel points. The Chase Amazon.ca Rewards Visa is a simple choice. I have this on the list because it does not have any annual fees and it waives foreign transaction fees. The only downside is that it has very little travel insurance. If you want more travel insurance protection, I would go with the TD or RBC credit cards. Both banks, as well as CIBC have a host of Visa cards with good travel insurance, but I only listed my top 3 choices, the RBC Visa Infinite Avion, TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card and TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card.

Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa

  • $120 annual fee (waived the first year)
  • No charge for additional cardholders
  • Earn 30,000 points after your first purchase (link to 50,000 points)
  • Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott hotels
  • Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on airline tickets, car rental agencies and restaurants
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Earn 1 Free Night Stay at a Category 1-4 location after account approval
  • Earn 15 nights credit every year
  • Receive 1 anniversary bonus free night stay at a Category 1-5 hotel every year
  • No foreign transaction fees

Chase Amazon.ca Rewards Visa Card

  • No annual fee
  • Earn $20 Amazon.ca bonus sign up gift certificate
  • Earn 2% cash back on Amazon.ca purchases
  • Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • No foreign transaction fees

RBC Visa Infinite Avion

  • $120 annual fee
  • Earn 15,000 points sign up bonus
  • Earn up to 5x points for every $1 spent on RBC Rewards eMall
  • Earn 1.25 point for every $1 spent on eligible travel related purchases
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Ability to transfer your points to WestJet dollars, British Airways Avios, American Airlines Aadvantage, Cathay Pacific, Asia Miles, Shoppers Optimum Points and Esso Extra

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

  • $120 annual fee
  • $50 for additional cardholders
  • Earn 25,000 sign up bonus points (15,000 after your first purchase and another 10,000 after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days when you apply before October 31, 2014)
  • Earn 1.5 point for every $1 spent on gas, grocery, drug store and AirCanada.com (excluding Air Canada vacation packages) purchases
  • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Earn 1 free checked bag when travelling on an Aeroplan reward flight
  • Earn 1 annual Maple Leaf Lounge guest pass when travelling on an Aeroplan flight reward operated by Air Canada

TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card

  • $120 annual fee
  • Earn 20,000 points sign up bonus upon approval
  • Earn an additional 45,000 points when you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days (if you apply beforeAugust 31, 2015)
  • Earn 9 points for every $1 spent on travel online through Expedia
  • Earn 6 points for every $1 spent over the phone through either Expedia or the TD Travel Rewards Centre
  • Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Everyday Purchases

If you spend at least $600 per month on gas and groceries, I would definitely recommend the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card or the Scotia Momentum Visa Card.

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card

  • $99 annual fee (waived the first year if you apply before June 30, 2015)
  • $30 for supplementary cardholders
  • 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
  • Earn 1% cash back for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Scotia Momentum Visa Card

  • $39 annual fee
  • $15 for supplementary cardholders
  • 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

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