Canada’s 32 Best Credit Card Offers for March 2024

If you’re in the market for a new credit card, it’s important to consider the welcome bonus that the credit card is offering. This is a one-time incentive to encourage you to apply for the card, only available in your first year with the card.

The signup bonus is a big part of the value you’ll get from a new credit card, above and beyond its core features, at least in the first year. Often the signup bonus will influence your decision to apply, perhaps even more strongly than the card’s other qualities.

Here are the best credit card offers in Canada for March 2024.

What’s Happening This Month?

As is typical, February was a fairly quiet month on the credit card front. However, March is set to be much busier, with huge offers ending and the official loss of one of Canada’s longstanding best credit cards.

Here’s a summary of some of this month’s highlights, including elevated bonuses and key deadlines to be aware of:

Methodology

This list is an opinionated ranking of the best credit card offers in Canada, based on a few key factors that we use to evaluate the appeal of a signup bonus.

First and foremost, we look at the net value you can expect to earn when you apply for the card. This is the value of any first-year bonuses, rebates, and deals, minus annual fees. Rewards points are adjusted to a cash value based on our Points Valuations.

Next, we consider how easy it is to earn the welcome bonus. Cards may get a boost for a low spending requirement, or a long timeline to meet the spending threshold to qualify for the bonus. Meanwhile, they may get dinged for a high spending requirement, merchant category spending requirements, or drawn-out recurring monthly requirements.

All else being equal, we prefer cards with low annual fees. Any card with a first-year annual fee waiver, offering a bonus above a certain value, is a candidate for this list. However, the total first-year value of the offer is a bigger factor, as you can earn points faster and still come out ahead by paying high annual fees for cards with larger signup bonuses.

Finally, we may give a card a slight boost if its offer is significantly better than usual, or if we like the long-term features of the card. However, this list is mostly determined by what you can gain in the first year with a new credit card, compared to other deals available now.

Business Platinum Card from American Express

Not surprisingly, the Business Platinum Card from American Express remains among the cream of the crop.

Currently, the card offers Canada’s most sizeable total welcome bonus: 80,000 points upon spending $15,000 in the first three months, and another 40,000 in the second year.

While this premium Amex card comes with a high annual fee of $799, it’s offset by the value of the large signup bonus alone.

Plus, you may even find long-term value in keeping the card thanks to its best-in-class perks, including extensive lounge access, comprehensive travel insurance, $200 annual travel credit, and generous refer-a-friend bonuses. 

In fact, you’ll need to keep it into the second year to earn the second portion of the welcome bonus, which is sizeable enough to warrant consideration.

The current total offer is less than the all-time high we saw in Summer 2022, but it’s also better than what we’ve seen since.

If you’re looking to rack up points quickly, the Business Platinum Card from American Express is without a doubt a great place to start, as long as you can meet the beefy minimum spending requirement.

American Express Business Gold Rewards Card

The American Express Business Gold Rewards Card is also offering a very strong bonus, and it comes with a smaller $199 annual fee to boot.

At 75,000 Membership Rewards points, this offer is the standard high-water mark for this card.

It’s simple to earn the bonus, with a spending requirement of $5,000 in three months on any category of purchases. With the offers on other Amex cards down while the Business Gold stays high, now would be a good time to add this one to your collection.

American Express Gold Rewards Card

Earning the full welcome bonus of 70,000 MR points on the Gold Rewards Card requires you to spend $1,000 each month, for the first 12 months. The total amount you need to spend is less than on the Business Platinum and more than the Business Gold, and you’ll need to keep track of it every month.

The 10,000 points earned upon spending $4,000 in the first three months isn’t great, but the total welcome bonus over the year adds up, and is undoubtedly attractive.

On the other hand, since you’ll have to spend at least $13,000 spread out over the first year, you’d probably be better off looking elsewhere, especially if you can get more points sooner with a smaller spend with the Business Gold.

However, if you’re somebody who tends to max out the 5x earning rate on your Cobalt every year, then this could serve as a decent backup.

American Express Business Edge Card

With a low annual fee of $99, this card is a good option if you’re looking to rack up points at a low cost.

Still, you’ll face the same $5,000 spending requirement as the Business Gold Rewards Card, but with a smaller welcome bonus.

Note that you’ll need to sustain spending of $3,000 per month to earn the final 12,000 MR points, a prospect which I’d recommend forgoing in favour of better ways to earn points on other cards.

American Express Platinum Card

The personal Platinum Card is currently offering a solid welcome bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards points.

As we saw with the Business Platinum, you’ll earn the lion’s share in the first year, with the second batch awarded after you’ve paid the $799 annual fee once more.

However, there’s a fairly hefty spending requirement of $10,000 in the first three months to earn 70,000 points. If that doesn’t pose a barrier, then now could be a good time to add a chunk of metal to your wallet.

The offer isn’t the highest we’ve ever seen, but a the range of ongoing benefits on this card, you may also find value in keeping it around for a while.

As a cardholder, you’ll get a $200 dining credit and a $200 annual travel credit to use each year, in addition to the regular carousel of Amex Offers.

RBC^® Avion Visa Infinite^†

After a brief reprieve with a lower welcome bonus, the latest offer matches the card’s record-high welcome bonus.

A generous allotment of points is awarded upon approval, and then you have a very reasonable six months to spend $5,000 for the second part of the welcome bonus.

While you’ll earn more points more quickly on day-to-day spending with Amex cards and Aeroplan points, RBC^® Avion cards are a great way to expand into the Oneworld airline alliance.

You can use your Avion points to supplement your Amex MR transfers to British Airways Avios or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, or for the unique ability to convert to American Airlines AAdvantage miles. You can also find value in the Air Travel Redemption Schedule. 

RBC^® Avion Visa Platinum^†

If your income doesn’t qualify for the RBC^® Avion Visa Infinite^†, you can also apply for the RBC® Avion Visa Platinum^†, with the same offer and perks.

RBC^® British Airways Visa Infinite^†

RBC^® has a boosted offer on its British Airways co-branded card. While the value is quite strong, the spending requirement is higher and on a shorter timeframe than the Avion cards.

Also, Avios are harder to use and more restrictive than Avion points. As Avion can be transferred 1:1 to Avios, I’d always opt for flexibility first, and only apply for the more limited card after exhausting other options.

RBC^® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege^†

Like its junior counterparts, RBC’s top-tier Avion card is offering up to 55,000 Avion points as a welcome bonus.

This card is knocked down the list for offering the same number of points at a higher annual fee. It’s still an okay value proposition despite the increased costs, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for an Avion card at this time.

TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite^* Card (Ending Soon)

TD’s in-house rewards cards make for a great stat-padder when you’re looking for general travel value outside of airline or hotel loyalty programs.

The previous offer on the TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite^* Card was for 115,000 TD Rewards Points in the first year; however, the current offer has boosted that to up to match the record-high of 135,000 TD Rewards Points,^† with an annual fee rebate in the first year.

That’s worth a fixed value of up to $675 towards any travel booking via Expedia^® for TD^†. Bear in mind that the spending requirement is a bit higher than what we’ve seen before, at $5,000 spent in the first six months.

However, you’ll also get a $100 annual travel credit^†, which goes a long way to improving the value proposition on the card, whether in the first year or long-term.

The offer for this card ends on March 4, 2024, which doesn’t leave much time to take advantage.

American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card

The latest offer on the business variant of Amex’s premium Aeroplan card has a high monthly spending requirement to unlock the first batch of points, and you’ll have to pay for supplementary cardholders to get a further boost.

You’ll also have to pay the annual fee twice, and spend an additional $9,000 in three months during the second year, to unlock the full value of the welcome bonus.

Overall, you’re presented with a rather onerous task of extracting value from the card with this offer. It’s a lot of work for 55,000 Aeroplan points in the first year, so your efforts are likely better spent elsewhere for the time being.

Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card

This month, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card saw a boost in its ranking, thank to an excellent new offer.

The business variant of Amex’s Bonvoy cards ranks higher than the personal card thanks to a higher welcome bonus and a higher minimum spending requirement.

Plus, it’s worth holding onto for the long-term, due to the Free Night Award you’ll enjoy as an annual benefit in exchange for a reasonable annual fee.

This offer is available through to May 6, 2024.

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite^* Card (Ending Soon)

The TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite^* Card is routinely one of our favourite mid-tier Aeroplan cards.

The latest offer for up to 40,000 Aeroplan points^† is down from the all-time-high welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Aeroplan points for Summer 2023. While the spending requirement is high, it’s also spread out over a full year, so you should have no trouble reaching it.

In order to receive the third dose of points, you’ll need to pay the annual fee for the second year^†. However, this offer comes with an annual fee rebate for the first year,^† and even then, the boost in points should make it worthwhile for the second year, too.

This offer ends on March 4, 2024.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card 

The Marriott Bonvoy personal card is currently offering an elevated bonus of up to 85,000 Bonvoy points. 

If you’re eligible, this is a great opportunity to pad your Bonvoy balance for an upcoming aspirational redemption.

Your best bet is to maximize the welcome bonus and then burn the points on a valuable redemption as quickly as possible. Then, keep it in the sock drawer for the 35,000-point Free Night Award each year.

As with its business counterpart, this offer runs through to May 6, 2024.

American Express Aeroplan Card

The American Express Aeroplan Card is yet another mid-tier Amex card with a respectable welcome bonus.

Despite its lower annual fee, there’s a modest monthly spending requirement, which may be a minor hassle to track for limited gain.

While the value of the offer is quite strong, I’d sooner choose an MR card to earn flexible points in a more straightforward manner, or another Aeroplan card with a simpler structure.

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege^* Card (Ending Soon)

After a long run at the top of this list with a record-high offer, TD’s premium Aeroplan card has dropped a few positions with a lower welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points^†, down from 100,000 points in the previous round.

As a plus, there’s no monthly requirement to keep track of. Instead, the total required spending is quite high, at $15,000^†, but this is mitigated by the fact that you have a full year to meet this threshold.

Furthermore, because of the way the spending requirement is structured, you’ll receive a batch of 50,000 points^† well before you’ve hit the full $15,000.

This offer runs through to March 4, 2024.

CIBC Aeroplan Visa Business Card

CIBC’s Aeroplan business card is a tale of two offers: an achievable portion up-front for good value, followed by an excessive spending requirement for a meagre prize.

For the first part alone, the card has a first-year annual fee waiver and a reasonable spending requirement. Even without considering the long-term spending threshold, you could do a lot worse for a new business credit card.

For what it’s worth, the total spending threshold was reduced from $65,000 to $35,000 for the latest offer.

American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

The current offer for the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card has a lower total bonus than its business variant above.

However, spending requirements are also lower, which you may find more appealing. Still, with a monthly spending requirement, you do have to make sure you hit the threshold in each of the first six months to achieve the full potential in the first year.

Keep in mind that you’ll also have to pay to add two supplementary cardholders to maximize the offer, which isn’t a good deal.

For the time being, you’re likely better off looking to another premium Amex card, such as the American Express Platinum Card, for a similar boost of points with a more straightforward structure.

CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite^* Card

After a solid run higher up on this list, the CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite^* Card remains in third place amongst the core Aeroplan co-branded credit cards in terms of first-year value.

With this offer, half of the welcome bonus is awarded in the first year, and the other half comes in the second year. 

On the plus side, the card is offering a first-year annual fee rebate, which is a common and popular feature. 

The total amount of the welcome bonus is also attractive, and certainly worth the annual fee in year two, as long as you’ve spent at least $15,000 in the first year.

As before, there’s no published expiry date for this offer. 

CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite Privilege^* Card

The upper crust of CIBC’s Aventura credit cards has a solid offer at the moment. After spending a total of $6,000 in the first four months, you’ll have earned at least 57,500 Aventura Points: 50,000 from the welcome bonus, and at least 7,500 from meeting the minimum spending requirement.

When redeemed against any pending travel expense at 1.25 cents per point, that’s worth $719. However, once you subtract the $499 annual fee and add the value from the $200 annual travel credit, we arrive at our valuation of the offer.

Aventura Points are useful for booking independent hotels, short-term rentals, cruises, and car rentals, which are otherwise difficult to book with points. Consider this offer as part of your overall strategy.

CIBC Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege^* Card

CIBC’s top-tier Aeroplan card is offering up to 70,000 points at the moment, which is down from the higher bonuses we saw in 2023.

The catch is that 30,000 points come in the second year, after having spent at least $25,000 in year one. That’s certainly a high spending threshold to meet, but at least you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.

With $25,000 spent in the first year, you’ll also have an Annual Worldwide Companion Pass in your Aeroplan account, which can be valuable if used strategically.

WestJet RBC^®World Elite Mastercard (Ending Soon)

Recently, the welcome offer on the WestJet RBC^® World Elite Mastercard jumped to an all-time high.

On the plus side, most of the bonus comes in the first year, and the second year allotment almost covers the card’s reasonable annual fee.

While you might not get the same sort of outsized value from WestJet dollars as you would with other loyalty programs, if you fly with WestJet with any frequency, this card should be on your radar for its ongoing benefits.

If you’re eligible for the welcome bonus, there’s never been a better time, just be sure to act before March 14, 2024, when the offer is set to expire.

CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card

The CIBC Aventura^® Visa Infinite* Card is offering a decent bonus right now, with up to 40,000 Aventura Points available upon spending $3,000 in the first four months. This is down from the previous offer of 45,000 points.†

While Aventura Points aren’t necessarily the most tantalizing currency, there’s currently a promotion to redeem against any travel expense at an elevated valuation of 1.25 cents per point, which has been extended through to March 31, 2024.†

Get this card and redeem the bonus against travel expenses that are otherwise difficult to use points for, such as independent hotels, short-term rentals, cruises, and car rentals.†

RBC^® Avion Visa Infinite* Business

The RBC^® Avion Visa Infinite* Business card recently received a boost for up to 35,000 Avion points.

As a big plus, the card has no spending requirement. With a reasonable annual fee for a high-end business credit card, it’s a valuable way to boost your Avion balance, and worth keeping around for its 1.25x base earning rate.

You’ll likely need to have a registered business with documentation to be approved for an RBC business credit card.

CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa Card

The offer on the CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa Card is nearly identical to the offer on its Visa Infinite counterpart, albeit with a lower income requirement and 5,000 fewer Aventura points available. You should have no trouble capitalizing on either offer, if not both.

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum^* Card (Ending Soon)

With a signup bonus of up to 20,000 Aeroplan points^†, an annual fee rebate for the first year^†, and a low income requirement, this card is one of the best ways for beginners early in their credit journey to begin collecting meaningful sums of Aeroplan points.

If you’re just getting your feet wet with high annual fees, and can’t be approved for higher-income cards, this card is as good a starting point as they come.

This offer expires on March 4, 2024.

Scotiabank^® Gold American Express^* Card

Like the Cobalt Card, the Scotiabank^® Gold American Express^* Card is known more for its keeper prowess than for its outstanding signup offers. You’ll earn 5x Scene+ points on eligible grocery and restaurant purchases^†, or 6x points at Empire grocery stores.^†

On the other hand, the welcome bonus is solid, currently offering 20,000 Scene+ points^† with a low spending threshold, or a total of up to 40,000 points^† with higher spending, which is worth up to $400.

Scene+ points are great for general travel expenses at fixed value, and along with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card is a top contender for a no foreign transaction fee travel card. 

American Express Cobalt Card

The American Express Cobalt Card is a favourite for everyday earning, with an unbeatable 5x rate on groceries and restaurants. The card is arguably more attractive for its keeper appeal than it is for its signup bonus, which saw a huge drop recently.

Still, the value of the welcome offer is worth applying for, even with a baseline welcome bonus. In fact, there’s never a bad time to add a Cobalt Card to your rotation.

BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*

In 2023, BMO acquired AIR MILES, and has been breathing life back into the loyalty program since then.

If you’re entrenched in the AIR MILES world, then consider padding your balance with the current offer on the BMO AIR MILES®† World Elite®* Mastercard®*.

Fortunately, you’ll receive the entire allotment of the welcome bonus after charging $3,000 in eligible expenses to the card in the first three months, which is reasonable.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card

Recently, Scotiabank debuted a new offer on the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, its flagship no foreign transaction fee card.

With the current offer, you’ll enjoy an annual fee rebate in the first year†, and 30,000 Scene+ points (worth $300 when redeemed against travel expenses) after a very reasonable $1,000 minimum spending requirement.

Plus, this card comes with six lounge visits each year†. If you’re looking for something to replace the HSBC World Elite Mastercard, consider this a top contender.

American Express Green Card

The American Express Green Card is Amex’s lowest-tier card that earns Membership Rewards. It comes with no annual fee, and it’s a great option for anyone with a new or recovering credit file.

Currently, the welcome bonus stands at 12,500 MR points upon spending $1,250 in the first three months. While that’s not necessarily going to get you a seat in business class, it’s still enough to score a transcontinental flight in economy on many airlines.

Otherwise, the card doesn’t come with too many bells and whistles, which is to be expected for a card with no annual fee.

Cathay World Elite® Mastercard® – powered by Neo

If you have your eyes set on an award flight with Cathay Pacific, the Cathay World Elite® Mastercard® – powered by Neo is the only card in Canada that directly earns Asia Miles.

Half of the welcome bonus is awarded upon making your first purchase, while the other half comes after a reasonable minimum spending requirement of $3,000 in the first three months.

Aside from a 10% discount on Cathay Pacific flights, the card doesn’t offer much else in the form of unique travel or cardholder benefits. On the other hand, if you’re looking to pad your Asia Miles balance, this offer falls squarely in the category of low-hanging fruit.  

Conclusion

We hope that this list will help guide you as you select your next card application, with an emphasis on the value of the signup bonus.

Feel free to view all credit cards to sort and filter by your own criteria as you compare other options. You can also book a Points Consulting call with the Prince of Travel team if you’d like some personalized advice.

^† Terms and conditions apply. Refer to the card issuer’s website for complete up-to-date information.