The “Big Five” Canadian banks offer credit cards and include Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Canada Trust), Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Did you know that there are many other options?
Latest News
Last day to vote for your favourite credit cards and loyalty programs! + MORE Oct 5th
Today is the last day to vote for Canada’s Choice! This is where, you, the Canadian consumer get to vote for your favourite credit cards and loyalty programs in Canada!! Voting is quite simple, once you click the icon or link below you will be asked to select one card .... More »
How to apply for a credit card and actually get approved + MORE Nov 14th
Do you remember applying for your first credit card? Most people get their first taste through student credit cards, which typically offer lower limits and are easier to qualify for. But graduating to one of the best rewards credit cards isn’t as easy as deciding which one is right for you—lende.... More »
WestJet Rewards More Canada More Rewards Progress Check - How many provinces have you flown to? + MORE Aug 2nd
We're almost at the half way point for the WestJet Rewards More Canada. More Rewards. promotion and we'd love to hear how you are doing with the promotion!This is the offer that we developed the concept for and awards up to 1,000 bonus WestJet dollars for traveling across Canada. The more provinces.... More »
How will closing secured card, opening unsecured card affect credit? + MORE Jun 2nd
The possible impact of closing a credit card will be mostly offset by the benefits of opening a new one -- if your available credit doesn't shrink and your credit utilization ratio doesn't increase.... More »
Air France KLM Flying Blue - Save 25 % on Business Class award tickets between Edmonton & Europe for Jun/Jul Travel + MORE Apr 1st
After a few good months of deals for Canadians the with Air France KLM's Promo Awards we see a slow down for the upcoming busy summer travel season. These award ticket deals are bookable as of tomorrow (April 1) and are good for award travel for June and July of 2015. The offer this t.... More »
Jan 2 Update: Rewards Canada page updates, up to 3x Aeroplan Miles for Delta Hotel stays, Marriott Rewards new member bonus
– RewardsCanada.ca
We’re back! After almost two weeks off Rewards Canada is back to work! We hope that you all had amazing holidays and a great New Year! This is first update of 2014 and of course the big news is from Aeroplan which you can find in two separate posts from earlier today:Aeroplan Changes went into effect yesterday (January 1)TD Canada Trust Aeroplan Cards officially releasedThere is other news and of course bonuses to share so don’t stop reading the daily update just yet! News, Tips & Tricks Once again in lieu of sending Christmas Gift Baskets to some of our clients Rewards Canada made a $500 donation to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.Over the break we updated the Rewards Canada guide to which airlines and hotels you can earn miles/points with credit cards here in Canada. The chart was not updated for quite some time which meant some cards were not included and others changed so this is all caught up now. Also we standardized the way the points earning is listed on the chart, now you can see what you will earn based on $1 in spending or conversion of 1 point…OTTAWA – It’s not just the temperatures that are freezing on this first day of 2014.
The federal government says it’s freezing Employment Insurance premiums, and generally keeping taxes low.
But the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation says the EI “rate freeze” will actually mean that premiums will go up slightly for some.
In its annual New Year’s Tax Changes report, the federation calculates that maximum employee EI rates will go up by $23 in 2014 to $914.
It says maximum EI premiums paid by employers will also rise by $31 to $1,279.
Overall, EI premium rates will remain at 2013 levels, at $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings.
The federation adds that Canada Pension Plan premiums will be hiked by $140 for workers earning at least $52,500 per year.
But there will be bigger tax breaks for people who donate to charities for the first time.
They will receive a credit of 40 per cent of the first $200 they donate, rather than the normal 15 per cent credit.
The tax credit for donations over $200 is also rising, to 54 per cent for first time donors, rather than the previous 29 per cent…
The federal government says it’s freezing Employment Insurance premiums, and generally keeping taxes low.
But the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation says the EI “rate freeze” will actually mean that premiums will go up slightly for some.
In its annual New Year’s Tax Changes report, the federation calculates that maximum employee EI rates will go up by $23 in 2014 to $914.
It says maximum EI premiums paid by employers will also rise by $31 to $1,279.
Overall, EI premium rates will remain at 2013 levels, at $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings.
The federation adds that Canada Pension Plan premiums will be hiked by $140 for workers earning at least $52,500 per year.
But there will be bigger tax breaks for people who donate to charities for the first time.
They will receive a credit of 40 per cent of the first $200 they donate, rather than the normal 15 per cent credit.
The tax credit for donations over $200 is also rising, to 54 per cent for first time donors, rather than the previous 29 per cent…
Aeroplan Changes went into effect yesterday (January 1)
– RewardsCanada.ca
Rewards Canada was one of the first third party outlets to break the Aeroplan news back in June about the credit card changes, award chart changes, the Distinction program and more. All of these changes came into effect yesterday (January 1st) and taking note from our expanded thoughts post in July here once again are the changes that are taking place:7 Year Expiry RuleFirstly, the 7 year expiry rule is over and done with. A good move in my opinion. A couple of other programs have already done this, Delta SkyMile and more recently JetBlue TrueBlue. However with Aeroplan they still have the inactivity rule in place which means if you don’t use your Aeroplan account at least once every 12 months (either earn or burn) you will lose your miles. Now if you read any other frequent flyer blogs or forums the removal of the 7 year rule is not a big deal. True for frequent flyers or big time credit card spenders it’s not, they earn enough miles quickly to redeem well within 7 years. But for the average Canadian Aeroplan member who is neither a frequent flyer or big time crest spender this is great news…National retail group appeals $5.7 billion settlement in swipe-fee price-fixing lawsuit
– canadianbusiness.com
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The National Retail Federation is appealing a multi-billion-dollar settlement over credit card swipe fees, saying the deal won’t stop fees from soaring in the future.
Last month, a federal judge approved the settlement between retailers and card giants Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. Retailers had accused the card companies of conspiring to fix transaction fees charged to stores for handling credit card payments.
The settlement was originally valued at $7.25 billion but shrank to about $5.7 billion because some retailers opted out, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
On Thursday, the retail federation filed an appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking it to overturn a lower court’s approval of the settlement.
The group said that the settlement was flawed and wouldn’t stop fees from rising.
“Instead of lowering fees, the card industry’s settlement proposes that merchants pass them along to consumers in the form of surcharges,” the retail group’s general counsel, Mallory Duncan, said in a statement…
Last month, a federal judge approved the settlement between retailers and card giants Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. Retailers had accused the card companies of conspiring to fix transaction fees charged to stores for handling credit card payments.
The settlement was originally valued at $7.25 billion but shrank to about $5.7 billion because some retailers opted out, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
On Thursday, the retail federation filed an appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking it to overturn a lower court’s approval of the settlement.
The group said that the settlement was flawed and wouldn’t stop fees from rising.
“Instead of lowering fees, the card industry’s settlement proposes that merchants pass them along to consumers in the form of surcharges,” the retail group’s general counsel, Mallory Duncan, said in a statement…
The Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2014
– canadianfinanceblog.com
Who doesn’t like free cash? If you are looking for a way to get a little extra back at the end of each month, a good cash back card is right for you. Most cash back cards offer you a percentage of your purchases as a reward. Cash back credit cards can help you make the most of your every day purchases.Look for a cash back card that is likely to provide you with maximum rewards in the spending categories you use most. These credit cards are most effective when you use them to make every day purchases, and then pay off the balance each month.
Scotiabank Momentum VISA Infinite Card - The Scotia Momentum VISA Infinite card is designed to reward you for your every day purchases and is the card I use for all my regular purchases and bill payments. You receive a full 4% cash back on gas station and grocery store purchases. Additionally, you receive 2% cash back on your recurring payments and on drug store purchases. All other purchases earn 1% cash back. There is a 21-day grace period before interest starts accruing…
