Best Student Credit Cards in Canada

The Scene+ Visa is the card we'd hand to a student who doesn't yet know where most of their money will go. It has no annual fee, earns 2 points per dollar at participating grocers and Cineplex and 1 point on other eligible purchases, and the points work on groceries as well as travel, so you don't need a trip planned to use them. Scotia's student Amex earns more, but only where Amex is taken. If you already buy most of your own groceries elsewhere, BMO's 3% will pay you more.

To apply specifically for the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students, apply online if you're a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. International students book an appointment at a branch.

BMO's student card is for students who pay for their own groceries, because that's where it pays most: 3% on the first $500 of eligible grocery spending each statement period. Spend $200 a month on groceries, and that's $72 a year before any welcome offer, and you can redeem from $1. Recurring bills earn 1% and everything else earns 0.5%.

If a meal plan covers most of your food, a card with a stronger everyday rate, like the Scene+ Visa, will reward more of what you actually spend.

TD Cash Back suits the student whose money goes to a transit pass, phone and streaming bills and a modest grocery shop. It pays 1% across all of those, plus gas and EV charging, where BMO saves its bonus mainly for groceries. You'll need $25 in cash back before you can redeem it, against $1 at BMO, and each 1% category is capped at $5,000 a year. If groceries are your biggest expense, BMO pays more.

The Dividend is the cash-back pick for students without a regular paycheque. CIBC has no minimum income requirement for the student version, while the regular Dividend Visa requires $15,000 in household income. It pays 2% on eligible groceries, 1% on gas, EV charging, transportation, dining and recurring payments and 0.5% on the rest, and you can redeem from $10. Approval still depends on your credit. If you qualify for BMO's student card, it pays a full percentage point more on groceries.

Choose the no-fee Momentum if you want a Scotia student card and prefer cash back over Scene+ points. It pays 1% on eligible everyday categories, up to $15,000 a year combined, and 0.5% on everything else. That's a modest return next to BMO's 3% or CIBC's 2% on groceries, and you need $25 to redeem. Its case is keeping your card at Scotia with cash back in more categories than groceries alone.

The $49 Momentum is for Scotia students who put a lot on the card. It pays 2% on eligible groceries, gas, drugstore and recurring payments (up to $25,000 a year) and 1% on everything else. The extra 1% over the no-fee version covers the fee once you spend about $410 a month in those categories, and the extra 0.5% on other purchases brings that a little lower. Below that, the no-fee Momentum leaves you with more.

The Secured Neo Mastercard is the route if you've been declined or have no credit history. Neo says its secured card is guaranteed approval with a $50 deposit, with no credit score required. You need to live in Canada, but an international passport works as ID. Your deposit becomes your limit. If you can get a no-fee student card, start there instead.

ION+ is for students who want points on the food, rides and subscriptions that make up most of a student budget. It earns 3 Avion points per dollar on groceries, dining, food delivery, rides and transit, gas, streaming and gaming, and RBC says students or anyone 24 and younger get the $48 annual fee rebated if they open an RBC Advantage Banking Account for Students. At 1,400 points for a $10 gift card, 3 points per dollar works out to about 2% back. If you'd rather skip points altogether, BMO's grocery cash back is simpler.

RBC ION Visa is the card for the student who just wants points and no fee. There's no minimum income required and you can apply online. It's 1.5 points per dollar on groceries, gas, transit, rides and streaming. If you're a student or 24 and under then you should compare ION+ which earns double in more categories.

Scotia's Amex earns more Scene+ points than the Visa across more of a student budget: 3 points per dollar at participating Scene+ grocers and 2 points on other eligible groceries, dining, entertainment, gas, transit and streaming, with no annual fee. The catch is acceptance. Before making it your only card, check that your grocery store, campus and regular spots take Amex. If you're not sure, start with the Scene+ Visa, which earns wherever Visa is accepted.

TD Rewards is for students who'll book travel through Expedia For TD. It earns 4 points per dollar on Expedia For TD bookings and 3 points per dollar on groceries, dining and public transit (up to category caps), and points are worth 0.5 cents each or 1.5% back on that spending, with no annual fee. Other redemptions return less. If you won't book through Expedia For TD, a cash-back card like BMO's will likely pay you more on the same groceries.

If you already collect Aeroplan points, this card adds to your balance with no annual fee. CIBC sets no minimum income for the student version (the regular card asks for $15,000 in household income) and it's open to eligible international students. Price out a flight you'd actually take before choosing it over cash back. From January 12, 2027, CIBC says primary cardholders will need 15% fewer points for the base fare of eligible Air Canada flight rewards booked directly with Air Canada. Don't expect the free checked bags or lounge access of pricier Aeroplan cards.

Aventura is for students who want travel points they can spend on flights, hotels or car rentals without committing to Aeroplan. Like CIBC's other student cards, it has no annual fee and no minimum income. That flexibility pays only if a redemption fits a trip you'll take, so check how many points a likely booking costs. If you'd rather see a smaller bill every few months, CIBC's Dividend student card is the simpler choice.