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Why These 5 Cards?
I can’t tire of repeating this – every family and individual has unique requirements and aspirations. For some, the ideal credit card is the one that unlocks luxury travel experiences. For others, it’s the simple satisfaction of seeing cashback rewards ease the burden of yearly expenses. The reality is that there is no single “best” card that works for everyone, and despite our best efforts, it is nearly impossible to curate a list of five cards that will universally suit all needs.
That said, the PMB community has always leaned heavily toward travel and points enthusiasts, so our selections reflect that readership while still considering the broader spectrum of preferences. Our approach has been to strike a balance featuring cards that deliver excellent value for travel, whether through direct flight rewards or flexible transferable currencies, while also highlighting options that can make everyday spending feel more rewarding.
Another layer of rationale is the timing. As usual, I’ve placed particular emphasis on cards that are actively running limited-time promotions. The focus is on two attributes that almost everyone loves:
- High welcome bonuses that set you up with a solid points or cashback windfall right out of the gate.
- Annual fee waivers or rebates that reduce the upfront cost of trying a premium product.
Together, these criteria ensure the recommendations are not only relevant but also represent outsized value in the current market. Whether your goal is to fund aspirational premium-cabin travel, keep your options open with flexible currencies, or simply put cashback in your pocket, this shortlist is designed to get your attention—and, hopefully, help you make a smarter decision for your own financial and lifestyle goals.
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard – Apply Now
We at PMB just called the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard the best family travel card in Canada. For families, taking advantage of the companion voucher and free checked bags offer considerable real-life savings on trips you’ll actually take.
Think a summer trip to Banff or Newfoundland. Buy one ticket and the companion voucher reduces the second person’s base fare to $119. Instead of buying up to Econo or paying extra for bags, those are free for cardholders and 8 other passengers on the same booking.
The welcome is also at an all-time-high: earn up to 70,000 WestJet points:
- 30,000 WestJet points with first purchase
- 30,000 WestJet points upon spending $5,000 in the first three months
- 10,000 WestJet points after the first-year anniversary
Even making just the first purchase earns 30,000 points, which you can apply at 1 cent per point towards your flight, representing a tangible $300 discount.
TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite – Apply Now
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card is back to being the card to get. Just last week, the signup bonus went up: earn up to 160,000 TD Rewards points upon spending $7,500 within the first 180 days of opening the card.
There is also an annual fee rebate for the first year, a Birthday Bonus of up to 10,000 TD Rewards Points, a $100 annual TD Travel Credit (when booking through Expedia for TD), and up to 4 complimentary lounge visits via the Visa Airport Companion Program. Lounge access on this card is new as of April 2025 and makes an already great card even better.
The card’s strong insurance package complements its earning and redemption capabilities. You’ll earn an impressive 8 points for every dollar spent when booking travel through Expedia® For TD, and these points can be redeemed against any travel booked directly through Expedia For TD at a rate of 200 points = $1, aka 0.5 cents per point.
Even if you book travel directly with the provider, you can still redeem TD Rewards at a slightly lower rate of 225 points = $1, equivalent to 0.44 cents per point. It’s better than it sounds, though, as TD is quite generous in defining travel. You can even redeem at 0.44 CPP for things like gas, meals, and theatre tickets.
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege – Apply Now
We’ve yet to feature an Aeroplan co-branded credit card in our “Top 5” list, and now is a better time than ever. Why? Well, aside from TD just increasing the welcome bonus to a juicy 100,000 Aeroplan points, it comes with the following Air Canada benefits:
- Earn 1,000 SQC per $5,000 spent up to 25,000 SQC a year
- Priority check-in, boarding, free checked bag
- Maple Leaf Lounge and Maple Leaf Café access
- Extra 12 months of eUpgrade validity
- Annual Worldwide Companion Pass after $25,000 in annual spending
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege also includes 6 complimentary lounge passes through the Visa Airport Companion Program and has a stronger insurance package, particularly for delayed and lost/stolen baggage, compared to its Amex and CIBC counterparts.
New Hyatt perks: the new partnership between Hyatt and Aeroplan turns the premium co-branded Aeroplan cards into a pseudo-Hyatt co-branded card with a slew of benefits:
- Attempt the 90-day World of Hyatt status challenge, unlocking Globalist with 20 tier-qualifying nights
- Complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status
- 5 Hyatt tier-qualifying nights per calendar year
- Earn bonus World of Hyatt points on all Hyatt stays, in addition to underlying Hyatt points-earning and credit card earning
The above are just the premium co-branded cardholder benefits: Aeroplan Elite members can also now convert points between programs, exchange Aeroplan for Hyatt Free Night Awards, and more.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card – Apply Now
If you could only have one card in your wallet, the Scotiabank Amex Gold makes a strong case. The everyday earn rates are exceptionally strong at 6X on Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and other Empire Co. stores, and 5X on groceries at other stores. You also earn 3X on gas, daily transit (including rideshare), and select streaming services. This card earns 1X on everything else.
On top of a strong earn rate, Scotiabank has a generous $50,000 spending cap on elevated earning. On top of being a fantastic card to use at home, the Scotiabank Amex Gold also comes with no foreign transaction fees, making it a great card to take abroad.
If that’s not enough, the welcome bonus is also at an all-time-high of up to 50,000 Scene+ points! The annual fee is $120.
It doesn’t matter how many points you’re earning if the points are difficult to use, but luckily Scene+ is the best on the market on that front. You can book travel with any provider, site, or operator and then use the “Apply Points to Travel” option to cover costs within 12 months of the purchase date. This is my preferred card for Airbnb bookings or any airline and hotel bookings that don’t align with other co-branded cards.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite – Apply Now
The all-time-high sign-up bonus of up to 70,000 points has returned for a second round on the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card!
This is my favourite card to recommend when someone asks, “What’s the best credit card to get right now?” because a rich 35,000 points are awarded right upon approval, and you have six months to complete the $5,000 minimum spend for the other 20,000. Hold the card past its 12-month anniversary to earn the final chunk of 15,000 points; well worth the $120 annual fee.
On top of that, RBC Avion points are fantastic: they can be redeemed on the fixed travel chart (with a high floor value) and can be transferred to multiple frequent flyer programs, depending on your travel goals. Want to fly in a First Class suite with a separate bed and chair? Transfer your Avion to American Airlines AAdvantage. Need to fly around Europe this summer? British Airways Avios has got you.
I am sure every reader can recommend a unique set of the top 5 for the month. Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments below!
2 comments
Great analyses and thanks for the hard work and excellent writing as always, from RY.
May I observe?
The description of the bonuses for BMO eclipse VIP card are factually incorrect because “upon” means “when” in this context. The reader could be forgiven for understanding that if she gets this card and spends $6,500, that she can expect 80,000 BMO points to be posted to her account promptly “upon” achieving that spend. The language you’ve used fails to make clear that the cardmember has to wait until:
AFTER they’ve completed the dollar spend requirement AND
AFTER the entire spend opportunity has ended.
The first 80,000 points will be posted “up to 8 weeks AFTER” 110 days from account opening.
The next 40,000 points will be posted “up to 8 weeks after” 180 days from account opening.
The final 80,000 points will be posted “up to 8 weeks after” a FULL YEAR after the account was opened.
I suggest the following language in your reviews of cards with these punitive wait periods hidden in their fine print:
“80,000 BMO Rewards points after 110 days, if $6,000 or more spent within the first 110 days”
“40,000 BMO Rewards points after 180 days, if $30,000 or more spent within the first 180 days”
“80,000 BMO Rewards points after 365 days, if $75,000 or more spent within the first 365 days”
Straightforward banks like Amex, TD, CIBC and others have conditioned us to expect bonuses to post within a reasonable time after required activities have been completed. BMO, Neo and others do not behave this way. Any review should make these critical differences clear.
Would really like a Hilton card available for Canadians.