Articles

Credit Card Rewards: Head to Head

First Posted: December 15, 2004
Last Updated: June 25, 2008

There's so much selection!

Which cards have made it into your review?

Which criteria are you using in your review?

Name	Sign-up Bonus	Interest Rate	Rewards (rewards / money spent)	Percentage Equivalent	Min. Personal Income	Min. Credit Limit	Insurance	Warranty	Other Info
American Express Blue Sky Credit Card	12,000 points if you spend over $3000 in your first six months	18.25% - 25.99%	Points to be used toward any travel you can charge on your card	1.25	$15000	$1000	Accidental Death & Dismemberment	None	None
American Express Costco Platinum Cash Rebate Card	None	18.25% - 25.99%	Cash to be used at Costco (depends)	0.25 (up to $2000) 0.50 ($2000 - $5000) 1.50 ($5000+) Max. $125 /yr ($15000 spent)	$15000	$1000	Accidental Death & Dismemberment	Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	Must be a member of Costco, Picture on card
NO FEE American Express® AIR MILES® Credit Card	100 Air Miles	18.50% - 25.99%	Air Miles (1 /$20)	0.3 - 2	$15000	$1000	Accidental Death & Dismemberment	None	None
American Express Holt Renfrew Card	10% Discount on First Purchase @ HR	18.99% - 23.99%	HR Reward Points, equivalent to $0.01 (1 /$1, 1.4 if spent at HR) Min. Redemption is $50.	1 or 1.4 in store.	$15000	$1000	Accidental Death & Dismemberment	Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	Exclusive HR mailings complimentary basic hem and cuff alterations at Holt Renfrew
Canadian Tire Options MasterCard	None	18.9% - 24.9%	Canadian Tire Money ($0.01 /$1)	1	$14000	$300	None	None	None
Capital One No Hassle Rewards Platinum Mastercard	5000 miles (~$50)	17.9%	Reward miles	1-1.4	$30,000 (must have at least 3 years good credit history)	$5000	Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver	Doubled for up to one year, also theft & damage protection	Not available in Quebec or the Territories
Citibank Driver's Edge Mastercard , also available in Gold and Platinum	None	19.9%	Cash towards the purchase of ANY car ($0.02 /$1)	2 to a max. of $500 per year ($1000 for gold & plat.), $2500 per car ($5000 for gold & plat.) Rebates expire in 5 years.	N/A	$1000 $Gold: 2500 Plat.: $5000	With Platinum: $500,000 Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance Car Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance	Price Protection With Gold & Platinum: Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	Photo & signature on card
Citibank Enrich Mastercard	None	19.9%	Cash ($0.01 /$1) to a max of $250 per year	1	$35000	$5000	$500,000 Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance Car Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance	Price Protection	Photo & signature on card
Citibank Petro-Points Mastercard	None	19.9%	Petro-Points (10 /$1)	0.5-1.6	$15000	$500	None	Price Protection	$0.02 off every litre of gas at Petro Canada. Photo & signature on card
Citibank Staples Easyrewards Mastercard	None	19.9%	Staples Easyrewards	0.5 up to $3000/yr 1 up to $7000/yr 1.5 up to $15000/yr 2 up to $50000/yr	N/A	$500	90-day Purchase assurance, Car Rental Collision/Loss Damage Waiver	Doubled, up to a year; Price Protection	Photo & signature on card
Citizens Bank Amnesty VISA, Oxfam VISA, Shared Interest VISA	$20 to the charity (Shared interest excluded)	17.75%	10 cents per transaction towards Amnesty, Oxfam, or others	10 cents per transaction, plus 0.5 with the Shared Interest VISA card	$15000	$500	$200,000 Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance	Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty, Price Protection	None
MBNA CAA Mastercard	None	17.99-19.99%	CAA Dollars (cash towards your membership)	1	$35000	$500	Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance with gold & platinum: Lost luggage, Car Rental insurance	With gold & platinum: Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	Must be a member of CAA
MBNA PremierRewards Mastercard	None	17.99-19.99%	cash	1	$35000	$500	Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance with gold & platinum: Lost luggage, Car Rental insurance	With gold & platinum: Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	None
MBNA Starwood Preferred Guest Mastercard	5000 points on your first purchase, 5000 points the first time you charge a stay at any Starwood hotel to your card	19.99%	Starwood Preferred Guest points (1 /2$), plus 2 points per US dollar spent at a Starwood hotel	~0.5 - ~6	$35000	$500	Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance With gold & platinum: Lost luggage, Car Rental insurance	with gold & platinum: Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	5000 point bonus for every $10,000 you spend yearly, up to a max of 15000 points.
President's Choice Financial MasterCard	5000 points if you sign up online	17.97%	PC Points (10/ $1)	1	N/A	$1000	$250,000 Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance	Doubled for up to one year (excluding computer hardware), and 90 days on purchases without warranty	None
Royal Bank Esso Visa	None	18.5%	Esso Extra Points (1 /$1, 2 at Esso)	0.5 - 0.9	$12000	$1000	None	Doubled for up to one year, and 90 days on purchases without warranty	None
Royal Bank Starbucks Duetto Visa	$25 credit at Starbucks, and a $5 donation to Frontier College	19.5%	Cash at Starbucks ($0.01 /$1, $0.03 /$1 when charging "gift card"-like option with credit at Starbucks)	1 , 3 at Starbucks	N/A	N/A	None	None	No supplementary cards
Scotiabank Scene Visa	2000 points (two movie tickets)	19.5%	Scene Points (1/$1, 5/$1 on Cineplex purchases)	0.8-1.2 , 4-6 at Cineplex	N/A	$1000	None	None	10% discount on concession purchases
TD Canada Trust GM Visa Card	None	18.5%	Cash towards a new GM car ($0.03 /$1)	3 to a maximum of around 7% of the price of the car	$12000	$500	$150,000 Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance	None	Discount at Budget Rent a car

Cards that didn't make it

Graphs - Cash Rebate Cards

Yearly Returns for those spending less than $10,000 per year

Yearly Returns for those spending more than $10,000 per year