US travelers have a huge advantage over their international counterparts as they have access to a myriad of credit cards designed to help build status and provide travel perks. For their northerly neighbors there hasn’t been as many opportunities. But that is changing and a new company wants to help track the options.
Startup creditcardGenius revealed its pick of the top credit cards for Canadians in 2022. These math-based results are boosted by as many GeniusCash offers as possible – giving Canadian consumers extra cash back.
Pre-pandemic, travel cards were preferred by creditcardGenius Canadian readers because of their higher value rewards. This trend shifted to cash back cards during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Then in the summer of 2021, travel rewards led the pack once more ‒ until Omicron uncertainties loomed in December.
“The last 2 years have been uncertain at the best of times,” said Stephen Weyman, Co-Founder of creditcardGenius. “I hope our data-driven and mathematical approach can help Canadians find clarity and confidence in their finances, and benefit from the extra cash back boost.”
This year, creditcardGenius added 2 new categories. The Best Newcomers category spotlights cards with low credit score requirements, to help new Canadians build their score and earn rewards. As well, the Best Challenger category compares cards from up-and-coming fintech companies, which often offer unique features, including planting trees and earning bonus rewards at Amazon.
Select preview of the best Canadian credit card winners:
| Category | Winner |
| Best Cash Back | BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard |
| Best Travel | Amex Cobalt Card |
| Best Challenger | Brim World Elite Mastercard |
| Best Newcomer | Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card |
| Best Balance Transfer | MBNA True Line Mastercard |
| Best No Fee | Amex Green Card |
| Best Flexible | MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard |
| Best Visa | RBC Avion Visa Infinite |
| Best Mastercard | BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard |
| Best Overall | Amex Cobalt Card |
The Best Credit Cards in Canada 2022 page lists all 28 categories.
