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Published Dec 23, 2025 12:58 PM
We use credit cards to pay our bills, book trips, and build credit, but a lot of the time, we also simply use them to fund our shopping sprees. Whether this be the essentials like groceries, or luxury impulse buys off Amazon, a good store card can cover it all.
Data-driven rankings of 120+ credit cards using a proprietary algorithm
Comprehensive analysis using 25+ data points including terms and conditions, points programs, and more
Objective editorial approach - we strive for unbiased reviews following our editorial guidelines
FinlyWealth's credit cards content, including rankings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of engineers and writers who specialize in credit cards, banking, and personal finance. Our work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, GoBankingRates, and AOL. Our proprietary analysis systems evaluate product features, terms, and conditions to deliver comprehensive reviews and comparisons while maintaining strict editorial standards for accuracy and integrity.
Our choice for: Best Overall
on MBNA's website
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
3.1/5
If you are a Prime member and want to maximize your cashback on your Amazon purchases, then this card is the best option for that specific purchase category. However, for other purchases, many other cards offer better benefits and rewards.
Pros
Cons
Rewards
Insurance
Coverage
Purchase Protection
Extended Warranty
Benefits
Details
Car Rental Discount
Trip and legal Assistance
Eligibility
Credit Score
Annual Income
Our choice for: Best Canadian Tire
on Canadian Tire's website
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Interest Rates
21.99% / 22.99%
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
3.2/5
This card is the only one with no annual fee that provides a roadside assistance benefit, which can be a lifesaver for people who travel on the road a lot. The main reason to apply for this card is to have free access to this benefit, given that the rewards are not great in most categories (except for Canadian Tire and grocery purchases).
Pros
Cons
Rewards
Insurance
Coverage
Purchase Protection
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Benefits
Details
Gas Discount
Concierge Services
Roadside Assistance
Eligibility
Credit Score
Annual Income
Our choice for: Best Costco
on CIBC's website
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
2.8/5
The CIBC Costco Mastercard offers one of the highest cashback rates on restaurant purchases in Canada, making it an excellent choice for optimizing rewards in this specific category, especially since it has no annual fees. If you use Costco Gas or shop on Costco Online, there is a decent cashback rate as well. However, for other categories, the cashback rate is average. Notably, you will be better off using other credit cards for warehouse Costco purchases, as you will only earn 1% cashback. If you are looking for no annual fee credit cards only, this is a good card to go for.
Pros
Cons
Rewards
Insurance
Coverage
Mobile Device Insurance
Purchase Protection
Extended Warranty
Eligibility
Credit Score
Annual Income
Our choice for: Best Loblaws Brand
on PC Financial's website
Welcome Bonus
Up to 150,000 PC Optimum™ points ($150 value)
Annual Fee
$120 $0
Interest Rates
21.99% - 26.99% (not for Quebec) / 22.97% - 27.97% (not for Quebec)
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
2.2/5
The PC Insiders™ World Elite® Mastercard® is a great card for individuals who frequently shop at Loblaw banner stores, Shoppers Drug Mart®, and Joe Fresh®, and want to maximize their rewards through the PC Optimum™ program. With high point-earning rates and premium perks, it offers great value, especially in the first year when the annual fee is waived. However, the card’s benefits may not justify the $120 annual fee for those who do not regularly shop at these stores.
Pros
Cons
Rewards
Insurance
Coverage
Travel Medical Insurance
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Purchase Protection
Extended Warranty
Benefits
Details
Concierge Services
Identity Theft Assistance
Eligibility
Credit Score
Annual Income
Our choice for: Best Tims
on Tims Financial's website
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Interest Rates
20.99% - 26.99%□ / 22.99% - 27.99%□
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
2.4/5
If you have a low credit score, you might have a higher chance of getting approved for this card. This is a great card for loyal Tim Hortons customers and Canadian newcomers as it will help you build your score over time, even though the rewards might not be very high. You also have the option of getting the secured version which is even easier for approval.
Pros
Cons
Rewards
Insurance
Coverage
Purchase Protection
Extended Warranty
Eligibility
Credit Score
Annual Income
Our choice for: Best Walmart
on Walmart's website
Welcome Bonus
$25 bonus after spending $75 in a single purchase at Walmart
Annual Fee
$0
Interest Rates
21.89% / 22.97%
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
2/5
The Walmart Rewards World Mastercard is ideal for frequent Walmart shoppers who want to spread out payments on larger purchases without paying much interest. It's especially beneficial for those who frequently shop at Walmart's online store. However, it offers a rather average reward rate for other types of purchases, making many other cards a better choice for non-Walmart spending categories.
Pros
Cons
Rewards
Insurance
Coverage
Purchase Protection
Eligibility
Credit Score
Annual Income
For nearly every online shopping itch, the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard, one of the best Amazon credit cards in Canada, does the trick. This no-fee card earns solid cashback on Amazon.ca, Whole Foods, and foreign transactions, especially if your an Amazon Prime member. If you don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, your cashback rates on these categories will be slightly lower. The insurance on this card is pretty standard, offering only purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. That said, the added benefits like car rental discounts at Avis and Budget locations and trip and legal assistance are certainly helpful. Learn more in our Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard Review.
Let’s say you’re looking for one of the best Canadian Tire credit cards. In that case, apply for the Triangle World Elite Mastercard. This contender balances admirable rewards, coverage, and benefits. The card grants you high Canadian Tire dollar cashback on almost anything at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Mark’s, L’Équipeur, Party City, Pro Hockey Life, Atmosphere, Sports Rousseau, Hockey Experts, L’Entrepôt du Hockey, and participating Sports Experts stores. This is followed by solid Canadian Tire dollar cashback on groceries (excluding those purchased at Costco and Walmart).
For insurance, expect standard purchase protection insurance and helpful car rental damage and theft insurance. Regarding benefits, the Triangle World Elite Mastercard boasts gas discounts at Gas+ and Petro Canada locations, plus on-call concierge services. However, the most notable perk on this card is the rare Roadside Assistance Gold Plan. In fact, the Triangle World Elite Mastercard is the only no-annual-fee credit card in Canada that offers roadside assistance. Read more in our Triangle World Elite Mastercard Review.
If you're constantly fuelling up on Costco Gas, or browsing the digital aisles of Costco.ca, the CIBC Costco Mastercard is made for you. On top of earning you strong cashback on Costco Gas and Costco.ca purchases, this card also collects impressive cashback on dining, plus some cashback on non-Costco gas. The restaurant purchase optimization is especially notable, making this contender one of the best dining credit cards in Canada. Ironically, there’s no optimization category on Costco warehouse purchases. That said, your rewards redemption gift certificate is redeemable at Costco warehouses.
The card's cost is covered by your Costco membership, which is why it technically has no annual fee. There are no added benefits, but cardholders enjoy standard coverage like purchase protection and extended warranty insurance, not to mention valuable mobile device insurance. Get the full report in our CIBC Costco Mastercard Review.
If you’re trying to piece together the best option for Loblaws brand shopping, opt for the PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard, one of the best PC credit cards in Canada. This card is excellent for frequent shoppers at Loblaws and affiliated Loblaws brand stores. Use this card to collect tons of PC Financial points on Esso and Mobil gas, Shoppers Drug Mart purchases, Loblaw banner groceries (at places like Loblaws, No Frills, and Real Canadian Superstore), plus PC Travel. On top of all of that, you’ll receive unlimited grocery pickup and delivery on eligible orders with a complimentary PC Express Pass. This rewards program is paired with good insurance coverage like emergency out of province medical and car rental damage and theft insurance, plus nice benefits like concierge services and identity theft assistance. Discover more in our PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard Review.
Perhaps you’re less likely to swipe your credit card for clothing and more likely to tap it for coffee. The Tims Mastercard, one of the best Tims credit cards in Canada, allows cardholders to earn plenty of Tims Rewards points each time they scan for Tims rewards or cover a grocery bill (at grocers excluding Walmart or Costco), fuel up on gas or electric vehicle charging, or pay for transit, taxis, and ride share programs. So, really, you can optimize a lot more than just your morning cup. This card also gives you a bit of standard coverage, specifically purchase protection and extended warranty insurance. See more in our Tims Mastercard Review.
One of the best Walmart credit cards in Canada is the Walmart Rewards World Mastercard. This card earns you the highest cashback on Walmart.ca purchases, plus decent cashback on Walmart warehouse purchases. Aside from Walmart-specific optimization, this card also grants you some cashback on gas. The focus of this card is its rewards program, so the only extra perk you’ll have is purchase protection insurance. For more details, check out our Walmart Rewards World Mastercard Review.
Each store credit card comes with its own list of pros and cons. In general, we'd say that there's one major benefit to store credit cards and one notable drawback.
The Benefit: Store credit cards offer a convenient way for you to collect and redeem rewards on branded purchases. Some cards even offer store-specific perks.
The Drawback: Often, store credit cards are so niche that they don't optimize all your spending habits. Because of this, it's a good idea to use a store-branded credit card as a secondary credit card. You can pair your store credit card with an everyday cashback contender and/or a travel credit card to cover all of your bases.
Read More: Strategic Card Switching: Maximizing Rewards for Canadians, Best Cashback Credit Cards in Canada, Best Travel Credit Cards in Canada.
To select the right store credit card for you, you'll need to consider your unique spending habits. Since store credit cards cater to specific purchases, you'd only want to apply for a store credit card that is issued by a retailer your loyal to.
For example, avid Amazon.ca shoppers will get the most value out of the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard, especially if they're an Amazon Prime member. Likewise, frequent Walmart shoppers will extract the most value out of the Walmart Rewards World Mastercard.
To apply for any of the store credit cards mentioned above, simply tap the "Apply Now" button below your top contender. Afterwards, you'll be redirected to the issuer's official website to begin the application process. Credit card applications typically ask for personal information (such as your email, address, and birthdate) and financial information (like your income, when applicable).
Ideally, yes. Since store credit cards are so niche, they are best paired with a more flexible everyday earner to help optimize all common purchases. You can also add a travel credit card to your collection to curate a well-rounded purchase-optimizing toolkit.
Not always. In some cases, there are actually other credit cards that are better suited to specific purchases than the co-branded contender. For example, one of the best Costco credit cards in Canada is actually the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard, rather than the CIBC Costco Mastercard.
For loyal customers to particular retailers, store credit cards can be absolutely worth it. Just make sure you're extracting as much value as possible and compare the card to other competitors to ensure the co-branded contender is truly the best contender.
About the author

Sara Skodak
Lead Writer
Since graduating from the University of Western Ontario, Sara has built a diverse writing portfolio, covering topics in the travel, business, and wellness sectors. As a self-started freelance content ...
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Kevin Shahnazari
Credit Card Expert
Kevin started FinlyWealth and juggles a bit of everything—digging into data, running our marketing, and keeping the finances on track. Before this, he spent years as a data scientist at tech companies...
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