Best Travel Cards for Canada

The cost baseline: why no-FX matters in Canada

Most Canadian credit cards apply a foreign exchange surcharge on non-CAD purchases. That surcharge typically adds 2–2.5 percent to the converted amount and compounds the exchange-rate spread applied by payment networks. Ratehub states plainly, “Most people don’t realize it, but just about every credit card out there charges foreign transaction fees. Whenever you buy something in a non-Canadian currency, you end up paying an additional 2.5% on top of the exchange rate.” Ratehub — Foreign transaction fees

For Canadians who travel to the United States, that percentage is not negligible: frequent point-of-sale purchases or high-value hotel stays quickly produce three-figure excess costs. cards with no forex fee Canada and Canada no FX fee cards eliminate the issuer surcharge and are often the first selection criterion for cross-border travel.

Category map: where Canadian travel value lives

The Canadian card market segments reasonably cleanly into a few useful clusters for travel planning:

Airline co-brand cards (Aeroplan / Air Canada rewards cards). Aeroplan credit cards Canada are offered by multiple issuers and deliver accelerated Aeroplan point earnings, flight benefits and occasional lounge access. Aeroplan cards anchor travel strategies for those who concentrate flying with Air Canada or partner carriers. Aeroplan
Flexible transferable currencies (points transfer cards Canada). American Express Membership Rewards and other transferable programs let cardholders convert bank points into airline miles or hotel points. Membership Rewards supports hotel transfers and a list of partners that includes major chains; transferability can multiply redemption value when timed correctly. American Express Membership Rewards (Canada)
Hotel-centric cards (hotel transfer cards Canada / best cards for hotel points). Marriott-branded and other hotel cards yield free nights and elite benefits; these cards typically perform best for consumers who prioritize free-night redemptions or on-property perks. Marriott Bonvoy family cards are prominent options in Canada. Marriott Bonvoy
No-FX and low-fee travel cards (no foreign transaction fee Canada / cards with no forex fee Canada). A subset of bank cards remove the 2.5% surcharge for purchases made outside Canada and are often the most efficient choice for everyday foreign spending. Examples include published no-foreign lists and specialty no-FX products. Ratehub — Foreign transaction fees
Insurance-heavy premium cards (travel insurance Canada credit cards / card travel insurance comparison). A subset of premium cards add robust travel insurance packages that may replace standalone policies for many travellers. Review sites rank cards by emergency medical durations and coverage limits. MoneySense — credit card reviews

Aeroplan and airline strategies

Aeroplan remains the dominant Canadian airline loyalty program in terms of redemption options with Aeroplan credit cards Canada. Issuers structure product tiers so that “best Aeroplan cards” trade annual fee for accelerated earnings and perks — for instance, priority boarding and a free checked bag. Aeroplan points can be valuable for cross-border transits and long-haul travel when redeemed using the program’s reward chart. The Aeroplan portal lists multiple issuers and cards, which means consumers must compare earn rates, welcome offers and annual credits when choosing a card. Aeroplan

Practical rule: pick an Aeroplan card when a large share of flying is on Air Canada or Star Alliance partners and the card’s redemption pathway materially lowers paid fares. Otherwise, a transferable points strategy or a no-FX card may deliver greater total value.

Hotel points and transfer mechanics

Hotel points accumulate via co-branded hotel cards and via transferable currencies. The Marriott Bonvoy family has a strong presence in Canada; Marriott-branded cards can be best cards for hotel points when the user redeems for high-value nights or exploits free-night certificates. Transfer-capable cards give optionality: American Express Membership Rewards transfers to hotel partners and can sit behind hotel transfer strategies when supply and campaigns favor point redemptions. Amex Membership Rewards (Canada), Marriott Bonvoy

Operational tip: calculate cents-per-point for both the hotel and transferable program before moving balances; hotel redemptions can be highly binary (low value vs. very high value) and transfers are often irreversible.

Cross-border travellers: Canada ↔ US playbook

For travel cards for Canada to US travel, the checklist has three priorities:

Avoid the 2–2.5% FX surcharge. Use a Canada no FX fee card for point-of-sale purchases in the United States to remove the issuer surcharge. Products that advertise no foreign transaction fee Canada fill this role. Ratehub — Foreign transaction fees
Select a card accepted broadly. Visa and Mastercard acceptance is generally more reliable in small-town U.S. merchants than Amex. Where possible, carry at least one Visa/Mastercard with no foreign transaction fee.
Match insurance coverage to trip duration and risk. If the travel insurance Canada credit cards comparison shows adequate emergency medical coverage on a card in the wallet, buying separate insurance may be unnecessary for short trips; for longer stays or pre-existing condition cases, standalone travel medical policies remain prudent. MoneySense — credit card reviews

A US travel card for Canadians is sometimes useful: US-issued cards often have valuable perks and transfer partners, but Canadian residents face application hurdles and possible foreign-income requirements. For most Canadians, domestic cards that waive FX fees and earn redeemable points are the simpler path for cross-border travel.

Travel insurance and benefit comparisons

Travel insurance is a high-value hidden component of some premium cards. Review sites rank cards by package strength and emergency medical durations; card travelers should compare coverage durations (e.g., 31 days vs. 60 days), per-person medical limits, and the need to prepay travel on the card. Treat card insurance as part of the travel budget: compare emergency medical limit, trip cancellation limit, baggage delay, rental car collision, and age-related restrictions. MoneySense — credit card reviews

When comparing cards for travel insurance Canada credit cards, prepare a short spreadsheet with coverage lines and multiply likely out-of-pocket risk by the likelihood of events to determine whether the card’s insurance obviates external policies.

Practical checklist: selecting and combining cards

Primary travel spend card: Choose a card with no foreign transaction fee and an earning rate on travel or general purchases; this becomes the everyday card for the trip.
Aeroplan stack: Add an Aeroplan credit card if most flights will be on Air Canada or Star Alliance carriers; use it for Air Canada bookings and to accumulate elite-relevant activity. Aeroplan
Hotel focus: If premium hotel nights or elite nights matter, use a hotel transfer card or co-brand card that accelerates hotel points; compare redemption values before transferring points. Marriott Bonvoy
Insurance check: Verify the travel insurance Canada credit cards cover the trip length and medical needs; if not, buy supplemental travel medical insurance. MoneySense
Backup liquidity: Carry a no-FX card and a secondary network card for merchant acceptance; pre-load a USD account or use a no-FX debit alternative for predictable purchases.

Risk controls and execution details

Avoid merchant conversion (dynamic currency conversion) at checkout; expert sources instruct consumers to pay in local currency and let the network perform conversion. The Points Guy’s guidance on dynamic currency conversion emphasizes that selecting home-currency billing often increases the out-of-pocket cost and should be declined. The Points Guy — Avoid dynamic currency conversion

For hotel and flight bookings, compare the cash price on aggregator sites with the points-redemption cost expressed as cents per point. Transferable points and Aeroplan points produce different sweet spots: transferable points may beat co-brand redemptions when partner availability and transfer ratios align.

Final Considerations

Choosing the best travel cards for Canada requires mapping personal travel patterns to product features: use a no foreign transaction fee Canada card for point-of-sale purchases, consider Aeroplan credit cards Canada when flight volume justifies co-brand perks, and add hotel transfer cards Canada when free-night redemption economics are favorable. Transferable points programs and card travel insurance comparison should drive decisions about which additional products to hold. For practical execution, always refuse DCC at checkout, consolidate ATM withdrawals, and verify insurance coverage before travel. The sources used in this analysis include Aeroplan and issuer product pages, Ratehub and MoneySense card reviews, American Express transfer documentation, Marriott hotel card materials, and expert guidance on currency conversion and DCC. Aeroplan, Ratehub, MoneySense, American Express Membership Rewards (Canada), Marriott Bonvoy, The Points Guy