Canada · October 2026
Best student credit cards in Canada
Student cards, ranked by estimated net annual rewards value. All amounts are in Canadian dollars.
19 student cards ranked
Earn Avion points: 3 per $1 on groceries, gas, dining, food delivery, rideshare, streaming and more, 1 per $1 on other purchases.
Earn: base 1 pts · groceries 3 pts · gas 3 pts · dining 3 pts
- Annual fee
- $48 (Annual fee rebated for students/age 24 and under with RBC Advantage Banking for Students; additional card $0)
- Est. net value / yr
- $775
- Welcome offer
- Up to 28,000 Avion points: 7,000 on approval, 14,000 when you spend $1,500 in first 6 months, 7,000 anniversary bonus. Apply by Nov 4, 2026
- Purchase rate
- 20.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 1 Aeroplan point per $1 on Air Canada, gas, EV charging, groceries and all other purchases.
Earn: base 1 pts · groceries 1 pts · gas 1 pts · travel 1 pts
- Annual fee
- $0
- Est. net value / yr
- $642
- Welcome offer
- Up to 10,000 Aeroplan points: 2,500 on first purchase, 2,500 at $1,500 in 4 statements, 5,000 anniversary bonus at $10,000 in 12 statements
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 3 Scene+ points per $1 at Sobeys-type grocers, 2 on dining, other groceries, entertainment, gas, transit and streaming, and 1 on everything else.
Earn: base 1 pts · groceries 3 pts · gas 2 pts · dining 2 pts · travel 1 pts
- Annual fee
- $0 (Supplementary cards $0)
- Est. net value / yr
- $528
- Welcome offer
- Up to 10,000 bonus Scene+ points: 2,500 at $250 and 7,500 more at $1,000 spend in first 3 months. Open account May 1 to Nov 1, 2026
- Purchase rate
- 21.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn Avion points: 1.5 per $1 on groceries, gas, rideshare, streaming and more, 1 per $1 on other purchases.
Earn: base 1 pts · groceries 1.5 pts · gas 1.5 pts
- Annual fee
- $0 (Additional card $0)
- Est. net value / yr
- $496
- Welcome offer
- Up to 14,000 Avion points: 7,000 on approval plus 7,000 when you spend $500 in first 3 months. Apply by Nov 4, 2026
- Purchase rate
- 20.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 1 Aventura point per $1 on travel via the CIBC Rewards Centre, gas, EV charging, groceries and drugstores, and on all purchases.
Earn: base 1 pts · groceries 1 pts · gas 1 pts · travel 1 pts
- Annual fee
- $0
- Est. net value / yr
- $390
- Welcome offer
- Up to 12,500 Aventura points: 2,500 for five activities within 60 days plus 10,000 at $1,000 spend in first 4 statements
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all purchases, 2 points at Sobeys/Safeway/IGA-type grocers, Home Hardware and Cineplex, and 1 point on eligible travel (plus 3 extra on Expedia bookings).
Earn: base 1 pts · groceries 2 pts · travel 1 pts
- Annual fee
- $0 (Supplementary cards $0)
- Est. net value / yr
- $384
- Welcome offer
- Up to 5,000 bonus Scene+ points: 2,500 at $250 and 2,500 more at $1,000 spend in first 3 months. Open account Jul 2 to Nov 1, 2026
- Purchase rate
- 21.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 3% cash back on groceries, 1% on recurring payments, and 0.5% on all other purchases.
Earn: base 0.5% · groceries 3%
- Annual fee
- $0
- Est. net value / yr
- $360
- Welcome offer
- 5% cash back in first 3 months
- Purchase rate
- 21.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 2% cash back on groceries, food delivery, drugstores, gas, EV charging, transit, recurring bills and subscriptions, and 1% on everything else.
Earn: base 1% · groceries 2% · gas 2%
- Annual fee
- $49 (Supplementary cards $15)
- Est. net value / yr
- $359
- Purchase rate
- 20.99%
- Balance transfers
- 22.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 1 Avion point per $1 on all purchases; redeem for flights on any airline, hotels and more at 100 points = $1.
Earn: base 1 pts · travel 1 pts
- Annual fee
- $120 (Additional card $50)
- Est. net value / yr
- $300
- Welcome offer
- Up to 70,000 Avion points: 35,000 on approval, 20,000 when you spend $5,000 in first 6 months, 15,000 anniversary bonus. Apply by Nov 25, 2026
- Purchase rate
- 20.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn WestJet points: 1.5 per $1 on WestJet flights and vacations, restaurants, food delivery and digital subscriptions/streaming, 1 per $1 on everything else; annual companion voucher with $2,500 spend.
Earn: base 1 pts · dining 1.5 pts · travel 1.5 pts
- Annual fee
- $39 (Additional card $19)
- Est. net value / yr
- $297
- Welcome offer
- Up to 15,000 WestJet points when you spend $1,000 in first 3 months; welcome companion voucher from $199 CAD plus taxes after first purchase
- Purchase rate
- 20.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 2% cash back on groceries, 1% on gas, EV charging, transportation, recurring payments and Expedia travel, and 0.5% on everything else.
Earn: base 0.5% · groceries 2% · gas 1%
- Annual fee
- $0
- Est. net value / yr
- $288
- Welcome offer
- Up to $125 cash back: $25 after first purchase plus 10% bonus up to $100 on first $1,000 in 4 statements
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Unlimited cash back: 2% on groceries, 1% on gas, EV charging, rideshare and transit, 0.5% on everything else.
Earn: base 0.5% · groceries 2% · gas 1%
- Annual fee
- $0 (Additional card $0)
- Est. net value / yr
- $288
- Welcome offer
- 5% extra cash back on first $2,000 spend for 6 months. Apply by Feb 2, 2027
- Purchase rate
- 21.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earns 1.5 Adapta points per $1 in your top three spend categories each month, 2 points on travel via CIBC by Expedia, and 1 point per $1 on everything else.
Earn: base 1 pts · travel 2 pts
- Annual fee
- $0
- Est. net value / yr
- $280
- Welcome offer
- Join and earn up to $280 in value with no annual fee
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 5x BMO Rewards points for every $2 spent (2.5 points per $1) on recurring bills, groceries, dining and takeout, plus up to 5,000 bonus points each year.
Earn: base 0.5 pts · groceries 2.5 pts · dining 2.5 pts · everyday 0.5 pts
- Annual fee
- $0
- Est. net value / yr
- $260
- Purchase rate
- 21.99%
- Balance transfers
- 0.99% introductory rate on balance transfers for 9 months with 2% transfer fee (from BMO data file)
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Earn 1% cash back on groceries, drugstores, gas, EV charging, transit, recurring bills and subscriptions, and 0.5% on everything else.
Earn: base 0.5% · groceries 1% · gas 1%
- Annual fee
- $0 (Supplementary cards $0)
- Est. net value / yr
- $204
- Purchase rate
- 20.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
No-fee student card earning 0.5 points per $1 on all purchases, with a welcome offer of up to $100 in rewards value.
Earn: base 0.5 pts · everyday 0.5 pts
- Annual fee
- $0 (No annual fee)
- Est. net value / yr
- $150
- Welcome offer
- Up to $100 in rewards value in first 3 months
- Purchase rate
- 19.50%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Student Classic card with an 11.25% rate earning 0.5 points per $1.
Earn: base 0.5 pts · everyday 0.5 pts
- Annual fee
- $50 ($50 annual fee)
- Est. net value / yr
- $100
- Welcome offer
- Up to $100 in rewards value in first 3 months
- Purchase rate
- 11.25%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
No-annual-fee student card with 90-day purchase protection and no rewards.
- Annual fee
- $0
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
- #19
Scotiabank Value Visa Card (for students) Scotiabank
Low-interest card with no rewards: 13.99% on purchases and cash advances.
- Annual fee
- $29 (First year waived with offer; supplementary cards $0)
- Purchase rate
- 13.99%
- Balance transfers
- 13.99%
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
Rates, fees and offers are shown as we read them on each issuer’s own website on the date shown, in Canadian dollars, and can change at any time. Confirm current terms with the issuer before applying. General information, not financial advice. Partner links, where they exist, never change the order. Affiliate disclosure. Card rules and consumer protections: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.
How these cards are ranked
Rankings are by the numbers only: no issuer can pay to be listed, left out or ranked higher. For rewards cards we estimate net annual value in Canadian dollars: rewards earned on a reference household budget of $30,000 a year ($8,400 groceries, $3,600 dining, $2,400 gas, $3,600 travel, $12,000 everything else) at the earn rate the issuer states for each category, with points valued at the cents-per-point on our Canadian point values page, minus the annual fee. Welcome bonuses are shown separately and not counted. A card whose issuer page does not state an earn rate is not given a value. Every figure was read on the issuer’s own website; see our Canada methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best student credit card in Canada?
By our ranking rule, RBC ION+ Visa from RBC Royal Bank currently ranks first at an estimated $775 net a year. The right card depends on your own spending, so check the issuer’s terms before applying.
How do you calculate the ranking?
We estimate rewards on a reference budget of $30,000 a year, value points at the cents per point on our Canadian point values page, and subtract the annual fee. Welcome bonuses are not included.
Are these cards available in Quebec?
Availability can differ by province. Each card page shows whether the issuer states that it is offered in Quebec; where the issuer does not say, we show “not stated”.
Do I need a minimum income?
Many rewards cards state a minimum personal or household income. Each card shows the figure the issuer states, or “not stated”.
More Canadian card guides
- All cards
- Cash back
- Travel
- No annual fee
- Low interest
- Balance transfer
- Secured & rebuild
- Business
- No FX fee
- Groceries
- Gas
- Affinity Rewards
- Collabria Flex Rewards
- Aeroplan
- Amex Membership Rewards (Canada)
- BMO Rewards
- CIBC Aventura
- Meridian Rewards
- RBC Avion Rewards
- Scene+
- Vancity Rewards
- Canadian point values
- Cards by issuer
- Cross-border cards & points