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The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is an accessible and customizable cash back contender.
Jun 17, 2026 5:20 PM
If you'd like to choose your own 2-3 cash back categories out of the 13 offered by Tangerine, plus avoid high annual income requirements, submit an application today.
Skip to: Detailed Review
on Tangerine's website
Welcome Bonus
10% Cash Back (up to $100 value) + 1.95% balance transfer promo rate for 6 months
Annual Fee
$0
Interest Rates
20.95%* / 22.95%*
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
Purchase APR
20.95%*
Cash Advance APR
22.95%*
Balance Transfer APR
22.95%*
Promotional Balance Transfer Rate
Promotional Rate
1.95%*
Promotional Period
6 months*
Transfer Fee
3%⁕
Annual Fee
$0
Additional Cards
$0
Minimum Individual Income
$12,000
Minimum Household Income
N/A
Credit Score Estimate
Fair
Card Type
Credit
Reward Type
Cash BackPros
Cons

Best Starter Credit Card
2026
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard comes with unique features that make it one of the best credit cards in Canada.
This contender is very similar to the Tangerine Money-Back World Mastercard, but with fewer benefits. The only reason you might go for the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard over the World version is if you don't meet the income requirements of the World Mastercard, which are not that easy to qualify for ($60K individual or $100K household income). With this is mind, the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is considered one of the top Tangerine credit cards in Canada for lower-income applicants.
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard allows you to choose two earn categories out of the 13 offered by Tangerine, plus a third category when you deposit your earnings into a Tangerine Savings Account. These factors make this competitor one of the best cash back credit cards in Canada.
Available categories include:
You will receive 2% cash back on your selected categories and 0.5% cash back on everything else.
Another unique aspect of this rewards system is that you can change up these categories every 90 days. For example, if you know you are going to pay a huge amount for a hotel stay soon, you can change one of your categories to Hotel-Motel to get the extra cash back.
The cash back you earn using your Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is automatically applied to your account. Your rewards can go straight to your Credit Card Account or a Tangerine Savings Account to unlock that extra earn category.
There are a handful of benefits that make the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard worthwhile.
For starters, the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard entices new customers with an impressive sign-up offer. In the first couple months of membership, cardholders receive bonus cash back on purchases. Not to mention, a low balance transfer interest rate for half of the year when you transfer funds in your first month, earning a spot on our list of best balance transfer credit cards in Canada.
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is one of the the top no-fee credit cards in Canada, making it especially appealing to the budget-conscious.
This card is also extremely accessible to low-income applicants, requiring a fairly low personal annual income.
As mentioned in the rewards section, this credit card offers a unique rewards system that is customizable, flexible, and expandable, landing it a place on our list of best rewards credit cards in Canada.
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is also a great option for beginners looking for a customizable card with easy approval, making it one of the top student credit cards in Canada.
There are also a few downsides to consider.
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard lacks extensive coverage. While this might seem understandable for a no-fee credit card, there are other no-fee competitors on the Canadian market that offer more protections.
This card also lacks added perks to complement its rewards program.
Any purchases made outside of selected optimization categories yield a below-average base earn rate.
Here, we're going to compare the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard against its closest no-fee cash back competitors.

Neo Financial
3.5

Neo Financial
3.5

Simplii Financial™
4.3
Annual Fee
$0
$0
$0
$0
Interest Rates
Purchase
20.99% - 25.99%
Cash advance
22.99% - 27.99%
Rate details
Purchase
19.99% - 29.99%
19.99% - 23.99%
Cash advance
22.99% - 31.99%
Purchase
19.99% - 29.99%
19.99% - 23.99%
Cash advance
22.99% - 31.99%
Purchase
20.99%
Cash advance
22.99%
Rate details
Welcome Bonus
Welcome Bonus varies
—
—
20% cashback† up to $500 in spending
Rewards
$360
First year rewards
$359.05
First year rewards
0.5% - 2%
$371.26
First year rewards
Welcome Bonus Details
Earn Rates
Insurance Coverage
Extra Benefits
Requirements
The Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is also a leading no-fee cash back contender. This card collects solid cash back on U.S. dollar purchases, plus notable cash back on all other purchases, especially when you have a qualifying Rogers, Fido, Shaw or Comwave service. You can even boost your earnings further when you redeem your rewards towards eligible service purchases. This no-fee card also stands out for its comprehensive coverage, with valuable protections like trip interruption, trip cancellation, and travel medical insurance. In addition, cardholders receive a couple of perks; a Dragon Pass membership and Roam Like Home days with an eligible Rogers mobile plan. The catch? This contender comes with hefty annual income requirements.
Verdict: The Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard is better suited to qualifying high-earning Rogers customers.
If you want similar cash back rates on groceries, gas, and recurring purchases, you may want to consider the Neo World Mastercard – Gas & Grocery, just mind the monthly spend caps. Cardholders can also collect additional cash back when they purchase from Neo partners. To qualify for this card, note that you'll need to meet some higher income requirements.
Verdict: The Neo World Mastercard – Gas & Grocery is a solid option for those who only want to optimize gas, groceries, and recurring purchases, and cardholders who keep their spending under the monthly threshold. Otherwise, the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is more flexible and accessible.
Not only does the Neo World Mastercard – Shop & Dine optimize dining, it also uniquely earns cash back on shopping. The reward rates for both categories are similar to ones you see with the Money-Back card, but they come with monthly spend caps. Luckily, you can boost these earnings even further when you purchase from Neo partners. Like the Gas & Grocery version, this card comes with higher annual income requirements.
Verdict: The Neo World Mastercard – Shop & Dine is only superior if meet its income requirements and you want to optimize shopping specifically.
Speaking of dining, the Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card is a leading no-fee restaurant contender. Expect impressive cash back on eligible restaurant, bar, and coffee shop purchases (capped annually). Cardholders also receive decent cash back on gas, groceries, drugstore, and pre-authorized payments. To qualify, you'll need to meet a small household annual income requirement.
Verdict: The Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card is the best no-fee cash back credit card for dining purchases.
About the author

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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Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard Cash Back Calculator
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