How to pick a travel credit card in Canada

If you want one answer, Woodo's top pick among travel credit cards in Canada is the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card, and the reason is simple: it earns 5x points on Marriott purchases and 2x on everything else, for a $120 annual fee. That combination puts the most rewards back in your pocket on a typical travel mix. But the best card depends on how you travel. A frequent WestJet flyer, a credit union member, or someone who just wants no foreign transaction fees will each land somewhere different on the list below.

Confirm every sign-up offer on the card's own page before you apply. These were recorded on 24 October 2026, and issuers change them often.

The top travel cards in Canada, card by card

Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card

This card suits anyone who stays in hotels a few times a year, especially at Marriott properties. The earn rate is the reason it leads: 5 points for every $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 2 points per $1 on everything else. Points never expire, and you can redeem them for free nights at over 7,000 hotels with no blackout dates. If you'd rather fly, you can transfer points to a wide selection of airline frequent flyer programs, and transferring 60,000 points earns a 15,000 point bonus.

The annual fee is $120, and the purchase rate is 21.99%. The welcome offer is up to 70,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points. The catch is that the biggest rewards only land when you spend at Marriott; away from their hotels you're earning 2x. Travel Emergency Assistance is included.

ATB World Elite Mastercard

The ATB World Elite Mastercard earns the highest headline rate on this list: 8x points on travel booked through select airlines, hotels, motels and car rental, and 6x on groceries, gas, streaming and entertainment. Everything else earns 2x. For someone who banks with ATB in Alberta and books travel often, the maths adds up fast.

The annual fee is $120, waived for the first year, and you get 40,000 bonus points ($200 value) with your first purchase. The purchase rate is 20.99%, and there's a 2.9% foreign transaction fee to watch when you spend abroad. Supplementary cards cost $35 each. The strong earn rates reward concentrated spending in the bonus categories, so it works best if your travel and everyday spending land where the multipliers are.

Servus World Elite Mastercard

The Servus World Elite Mastercard leans on insurance and member perks rather than a flashy earn rate. You get 2 Circle Rewards points for every $1 spent, and those points never expire. The travel protection is the draw here: Travel Emergency Medical Insurance, Trip Cancellation Insurance and Trip Interruption Insurance all come built in.

The annual fee is $150, the highest on this list, but Servus returns 25% of that fee each year as Profit Share Rewards cash, and the welcome offer is 25,000 Circle Rewards points ($250 value). The purchase rate is 20.99%, and supplemental cards cost $40 each. The flat 2x earn rate means you won't out-earn the category cards above, so the appeal is the insurance cover and the fee rebate, best suited to Servus members who value peace of mind when they fly.

Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard

If you travel internationally, the Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard is worth a close look because it charges no foreign transaction fees. You earn 3% cash back at grocery stores and at gas and EV charging stations, and 1% on everything else. There's no annual fee, and the sign-up offer matches all the cash back you earn in your first 365 days.

The purchase rate is 20.9%. The main hurdle is eligibility: you need a minimum personal income of $80,000 or household income of $150,000. The 3% categories exclude superstores like Walmart and Costco, so check where you buy groceries. For a frequent traveller who wants to avoid the usual currency surcharge, the no-fee structure and the first-year match do a lot of work.

How to choose a travel card in Canada for the way you spend

Start with the annual fee column, then read the earn rate next to it. A $120 fee only pays off if you spend enough in the bonus categories to clear it. If you travel a handful of times a year and spend modestly, a no-fee card like one of the Capital One Quicksilver options may leave you ahead, even at 1% on general spending.

Next, look at where you actually book. A hotel-heavy traveller gets more from the Marriott Bonvoy card's 5x rate; a WestJet regular gets free checked bags and a companion voucher from the WestJet RBC card that a points multiplier won't match. If you spend abroad often, the foreign transaction fee matters more than any earn rate, which is where Capital One's zero-fee structure stands out against ATB's 2.9%.

Then weigh the trade-offs that don't show up as a number. Insurance cover, as on the Servus card, can be worth more than a slightly higher earn rate the one time a trip is cancelled. Income requirements decide whether you'll even be approved for the World Elite tier. Match the card to your own spending pattern before the welcome offer, which is a one-time sweetener. To compare the full set of options side by side, Woodo's credit card comparison lets you filter by fee, reward rate and network.

How we picked these travel cards

This shortlist comes from the 28 cards Woodo lists in the travel category for Canada. The figures were recorded on 24 October 2026, and the order follows estimated yearly rewards on a typical spending mix, minus the annual fee; cards that publish no reward rates follow, cheapest annual fee first. No issuer pays Woodo for placement, and no issuer can pay to move a card up the list. You can see the full category at the Canadian travel card listing and check the latest figures there.

Your next step

Pick the two cards that fit how you travel, open their pages, and confirm the current fee, earn rate and welcome offer before you apply. If you're unsure which categories your money really lands in, uploading a few months of statements to Woodo shows which spending categories dominate, and that's usually what decides the right card. When you're ready to compare the wider field, the Canadian card listing has every option in one place.

FAQ

Do travel credit cards in Canada charge an annual fee?

Some do, some don't. On this shortlist, the Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard and the Capital One Quicksilver World Mastercard have no annual fee. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the ATB World Elite Mastercard both cost $120, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard costs $119, and the Servus World Elite Mastercard costs $150. A fee can still be worth paying if you spend enough in the bonus categories, and the ATB card waives its fee for the first year. Servus also returns 25% of its annual fee each year as Profit Share Rewards cash.

What income do I need for a travel card in Canada?

It depends on the tier. The Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard requires a minimum personal income of $80,000 or household income of $150,000. The Capital One Quicksilver World Mastercard sets a lower bar at $50,000 personal or $80,000 household income. The other cards on this list don't publish an income figure, so check each card's page for current eligibility rules before you apply. Meeting the stated income doesn't guarantee approval, since issuers also look at your credit history and existing debts.

How are travel rewards paid out?

It varies by card. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the ATB and Servus cards earn points you redeem for travel, hotel nights or airline miles, and those points don't expire on any of the three. The WestJet RBC card earns WestJet points you can put toward flights, taxes, seat selection, bags or upgrades, starting from as few as 2,500 points. The two Capital One Quicksilver cards pay cash back instead, at 3% on groceries and gas and 1% on everything else, which is simpler if you'd rather not track point values.

Which travel card is best if I spend money abroad?

Look at the foreign transaction fee first. Both Capital One Quicksilver cards charge no foreign transaction fees, which saves you the usual surcharge on every purchase made in another currency. The ATB World Elite Mastercard charges 2.9%. The other cards on this list don't publish a foreign transaction fee, so confirm it on the card's page before you travel. For frequent international spending, the no-fee structure often saves more over a year than a higher earn rate on a card that adds a currency surcharge.

When do I get the sign-up bonus?

Timing differs by offer. The ATB World Elite Mastercard awards 40,000 bonus points after your first purchase and waives the first-year fee. The Servus World Elite Mastercard gives 25,000 Circle Rewards points with a new card. The two Capital One Quicksilver cards match the cash back you earn across your first 365 days. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card offers up to 70,000 bonus points. Welcome offers change often, so read the current terms on each card's page before applying to see exactly what triggers the bonus.

Is a WestJet card worth it over a general travel card?

If you fly WestJet regularly, often yes. The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard earns 2x WestJet points on flights and groceries and 1.5x on everyday purchases, plus free checked bags for you and up to eight guests and an annual round-trip companion voucher. WestJet points don't expire and redeem from 2,500 points. But a general card like the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card or the ATB World Elite Mastercard gives you more flexibility if you fly different airlines, since those points transfer or redeem across many programs.

What should I check before applying for a travel card?

Check four things: the annual fee, whether your spending lands in the bonus categories, the foreign transaction fee if you travel abroad, and the income requirement. Then confirm the current sign-up offer on the card's page, since the figures here were recorded on 24 October 2026 and issuers update terms regularly. Match the card to your real spending pattern rather than the headline earn rate. A card that earns 8x on travel only helps if you book travel through the eligible merchants, and a no-fee card can beat a fee card if you spend lightly.

Rates and fees

Rates and fees as published by each issuer and recorded by Woodo on 24 October 2026. Check the issuer's terms for the current figures before you apply. Woodo is not paid by any card issuer and earns no commission on these links. We are not affiliated with any issuer.

• Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card. Annual membership fee: C$120. Purchase APR: 21.99% on purchases and 21.99% on funds advances, based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate. Cash advance APR: 21.99%.
• ATB World Elite Mastercard. Annual membership fee: C$120. Purchase APR: 20.99%, based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate. Cash advance APR: 22.99%. Foreign transaction fee: 2.9.
• Servus World Elite Mastercard. Annual membership fee: C$150. Purchase APR: 20.99%, based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate.
• Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard. Annual membership fee: C$0. Purchase APR: 20.9%, based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate. Foreign transaction fee: 0.
• Capital One Quicksilver World Mastercard. Annual membership fee: C$0. Purchase APR: 21.9% to 29.9%, based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate. Foreign transaction fee: 0.
• WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. Annual membership fee: C$119. Purchase APR: 20.99% variable, based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate.