Best store credit cards in Canada

Partners on this page provide us earnings.

The best things in life, as they say, are free. The second-best things? They’re the things you scored with a sweet deal. The right store credit card can unlock access to exclusive offers and help you save more money in stores where you already shop.

Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about a lame retail credit card that only offers financing on big purchases—we’re talking about top store cards you can use to earn points or cash back no matter where you shop. Shopaholics, deal hunters, and coupon clippers take note: Here’s our take on the best store credit cards in Canada that genuinely reward your business.

  • Why you can trust Money.ca's best store cards in Canada list

    +

    Money.ca rates all credit cards on a numeric scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest rating, respectively. Money.ca’s proprietary scoring formulas break down the confusing language, complex points, rewards and earn rates to give you the real data that caters to your needs first, not ours.

    Our partnerships have no impact on our ratings, which are solely determined by the merits of each card. To learn more about how we researched and ranked these cards, read our full credit card review methodology.

    And don't forget to check out our Best Credit Cards Canada list afterwards.

Compare the best store credit cards in Canada

Card Name Store Rewards Get Started
PC® Mastercard® Best for groceries & gas in Canada
◦ $0 annual fee
◦ Earn 25 points per $1 at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix.
◦ 30 points per $1 when purchasing travel through President’s Choice
◦ Earn 10 points per $1 spent everywhere.
Apply Now
CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® Best for Costco® shoppers
◦ $0 annual fee
◦ 3% cash back at restaurants and at Costco gas†
◦ 2% cash back at other gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations and at Costco.ca†
◦ 1% cash back on all other purchases†
Apply Now
Walmart Rewards Mastercard® Best for Walmart shoppers
◦ $0 annual fee
◦ 1.25% back in Walmart Rewards on all purchases made in-store or online at Walmart
◦ 1% back in Walmart Rewards at any gas station
Apply Now
Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard Best for Amazon.ca shoppers
◦ $ 0 annual fee
◦ Eligible Prime members get 2.5% back on eligible purchases at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods Market stores.
◦ 1% back on eligible purchases everywhere else Mastercard is accepted
Apply Now
Hudson’s Bay Mastercard® Best for Hudson Bay frequent shoppers
◦ $0 annual fee
◦ Earn up to 4 Rewards points on almost every $1 you spend in Hudson's Bay stores* and at thebay.com.
◦ Earn 2 Rewards points on almost every $1 you spend outside of Hudson’s Bay stores.
Apply Now

†Terms and conditions apply.

Best for groceries

Best for gas and groceries

PC® Mastercard®

Apply now

3.0

10 pts per $1

Welcome offer

Good

Suggested credit score

Earn 10 points per $1 spent at PC grocery stores

Pros

  • No annual fee, ideal for budget-conscious shoppers

  • Earn 10 points per $1 spent everywhere

  • Accelerated points at Esso, Shoppers Drug Mart, and PC Travel

  • Points redeemable at over 2,500 stores nationwide

  • Purchase insurance and extended warranties for added protection

Cons

  • Middle-of-the-road rewards compared to other no-fee cards

  • Limited redemption options compared to some competitors

  • Lacks introductory benefits like bonus points

  • Requires spending at specific stores for maximum benefits

  • Point value may seem low initially, despite earning potential

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$15,000

Pros

  • No annual fee, ideal for budget-conscious shoppers

  • Earn 10 points per $1 spent everywhere

  • Accelerated points at Esso, Shoppers Drug Mart, and PC Travel

  • Points redeemable at over 2,500 stores nationwide

  • Purchase insurance and extended warranties for added protection

Cons

  • Middle-of-the-road rewards compared to other no-fee cards

  • Limited redemption options compared to some competitors

  • Lacks introductory benefits like bonus points

  • Requires spending at specific stores for maximum benefits

  • Point value may seem low initially, despite earning potential

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$15,000

Earn 10 points per $1 spent everywhere

10 points

Earn 2c per litre in PC Optimum points at Esso and Mobil

2 cents

Earn 30 points per $1 when purchasing travel through President’s Choice

30 points

Earn 25 points per $1 at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix

25 points

Purchase APR

21.99%

Balance Transfer Rate

22.97%

Cash Advance APR

22.97%

Annual Fee

$0

There’s a good chance you’re already collecting PC Optimum™ points; using the PC® Mastercard® can supercharge the number of points you earn. Combined with the PC Optimum™ program cardholders can get a total of up to 25 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix; at least 2c per litre in PC Optimum points at Esso and Mobil in Canada; 30 points per $1 when purchasing travel through President’s Choice; and 10 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

  • Additional perks: Purchase Assurance for 90 days; Extended Warranty for up to one year. Conditions apply.

To learn more read our complete PC® Mastercard® review.

  • Sponsored advertising. President’s Choice Financial® Mastercard® is provided by President’s Choice Bank. The PC Optimum™ program is provided by President's Choice Services Inc. President’s Choice Bank is not responsible for the contents of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete information regarding the PC® Mastercard®, PC® World Mastercard®, or PC® World Elite Mastercard®, please click on the “Apply Now” or other applicable button.
Best for Costco

Best for Costco customers

CIBC Costco Mastercard®

Apply now

3.3

$30 credit

Welcome offer

Good

Suggested credit score

to receive the latest news, tips and offers by email

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • No fee for additional cards

  • Earn up to 3% cash back

  • Can double as your Costco membership card (though you’ll still have to pay the Costco membership fee)

  • Mobile device insurance

Cons

  • Exclusive to Costco members

  • Low cash back rate of 1% for purchases at Costco

  • High interest rate of 20.75%

  • Cash back can only be redeemed at Costco

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$15,000

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • No fee for additional cards

  • Earn up to 3% cash back

  • Can double as your Costco membership card (though you’ll still have to pay the Costco membership fee)

  • Mobile device insurance

Cons

  • Exclusive to Costco members

  • Low cash back rate of 1% for purchases at Costco

  • High interest rate of 20.75%

  • Cash back can only be redeemed at Costco

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$15,000

cash back at restaurants and at Costco gas

3%

cash back at other eligible gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations and at Costco.ca

2%

cash back on all other purchases including at Costco

1%

Purchase APR

20.75%

Balance Transfer Rate

22.49%

Cash Advance APR

22.49%

Annual Fee

$0

Foreign Transaction Fee

2.5%

The CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® itself doesn’t carry an annual fee, but you do need to be a Costco member to sign up. A basic Gold Star membership costs $60 annually (check out our guide to whether or not a Costco membership is worth the cost).

The best part of the CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® is the high amount of cash back you can earn on Costco Gas and purchases made on Costco.ca, but there’s a catch: These high rates are capped at a maximum annual spend. The 3% cash back at Costco Gas and 2% at other gas stations is capped at $5,000 in spending per year. You’ll earn 2% cash back from Costco.ca up to $8,000 spent per year. Once you max out, the rate will drop to 1% for each of those categories until a new year resets. On the plus side, there is no cap on the 3% cash back on restaurants, and all other purchases outside those special categories earn 1% cash back.

Redeeming your cash back is simple but not particularly flexible. A Costco Canada gift certificate is issued once a year in January, equal to the amount you earned back from your card in the previous year.

The CIBC Costco®† Mastercard® offers standard Purchase Security and Extended Warranty insurance, but also includes the unexpected perk of up to $1,000 in Mobile Device Insurance, which is a rarity for a credit card without an annual fee.

  • Additional perks: Purchase Security for 90 days; Extended Warranty for up to one year; Mobile device insurance up to $1,000
  • This is a digital-exclusive offer.†

    To be eligible for this offer:

    1) this offer must have been directly communicated to you from CIBC or from a partner/affiliate; and

    2) you must apply for the eligible card through the link provided in the CIBC or partner/affiliate communication to you.†

    This offer is reserved for you. Please do not forward it to anyone else.

    CIBC may approve your application, but you are not eligible to receive this Offer if you have opened, transferred or cancelled another Aventura card within the last 12 months.†

    Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertising partners.

To learn more read our complete CIBC Costco Mastercard review

Best for Walmart

Best for Walmart shoppers

Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard®

Apply now

Good

Suggested credit score

to receive the latest news, tips and offers by email

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Exclusive offers for cardholders

  • Earn up to 1.25% Walmart Reward Dollars™ on everyday spending

  • Installment plan option when you spend $199.99 or more, in-store or at Walmart.ca - spread your payment over six installments

Cons

  • Rewards can only be redeemed at Walmart

  • Higher APR than other low-rate cards on the market

  • Installment plant option has a 4% fee and other terms & conditions apply.°

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$12,000

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Exclusive offers for cardholders

  • Earn up to 1.25% Walmart Reward Dollars™ on everyday spending

  • Installment plan option when you spend $199.99 or more, in-store or at Walmart.ca - spread your payment over six installments

Cons

  • Rewards can only be redeemed at Walmart

  • Higher APR than other low-rate cards on the market

  • Installment plant option has a 4% fee and other terms & conditions apply.°

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Required Annual Personal Income

$12,000

back in Walmart Rewards on all purchases made in-store or online at Walmart

1.25%

back in Walmart Rewards at any gas station

1%

everywhere else

1%

Variable APR

20.89% - 26.99%

Cash Advance APR

22.97% - 27.99%

Annual Fee

$0

Foreign Transaction Fee

2.5%

The Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® earns a respectable 1.25% back on all Walmart purchases made in-store or online at Walmart.ca and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Walmart Reward Dollars are simple to use – 1 Walmart Reward dollar equals $1 to spend on virtually anything that Walmart sells – and they can be redeemed in $5 increments online or at the register in any Walmart store across Canada.

The card is an accessible option for frugal shoppers, and signing up is incentivized via a respectable welcome offer.

Unfortunately, the Walmart Mastercard doesn’t offer much in terms of other practical benefits. They’ve opted to reserve standard perks like purchase assurance and extended warranty for the higher-tier Walmart RewardsTM World Mastercard®

Best for Amazon

Best for Amazon shoppers

Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard®

Apply now

4.2

5% back

Welcome offer

Fair

Suggested credit score

Get 5% back at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market stores in Canada, grocery stores and restaurants. Valid for the first 6 months, on your first $3,000 in eligible purchases††.

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Good returns on Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market stores and foreign currency transactions

  • Competitive welcome bonus

  • Serviceable for regular Costco and No Frills shoppers

Cons

  • Earning maximum rewards requires paying for Amazon Prime

  • Other cards have higher earn rates on non-Amazon.ca purchases

  • Rewards points are only redeemable for Amazon.ca gift cards

  • Relatively few Whole Foods locations in Canada

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Fair

Required Annual Personal Income

$0

Required Annual Household Income

$0

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Good returns on Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market stores and foreign currency transactions

  • Competitive welcome bonus

  • Serviceable for regular Costco and No Frills shoppers

Cons

  • Earning maximum rewards requires paying for Amazon Prime

  • Other cards have higher earn rates on non-Amazon.ca purchases

  • Rewards points are only redeemable for Amazon.ca gift cards

  • Relatively few Whole Foods locations in Canada

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Fair

Required Annual Personal Income

$0

Required Annual Household Income

$0

Earn 2.5% on eligible purchases at Amazon.ca and Whole Foods Market stores for eligible Prime members (1.5% back for non-members)‡

2.5%

Get 2.5% back on eligible foreign currency transactions for eligible Prime members (1% back for non-members)‡

2.5%

Get 1% back on eligible purchases everywhere else Mastercard is accepted.‡

1%

Purchase APR

19.99%

Balance Transfer Rate

22.99%

Cash Advance APR

22.99%

Annual Fee

$0

Foreign Transaction Fee

1.5%

The Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard from MBNA is an excellent option if you already have an Amazon Prime membership.

This card comes with a great welcome offer. Get 5% back at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market stores in Canada, grocery stores and restaurants. Valid for the first 6 months, on your first $3,000 in eligible purchases††.

After the welcome period ends Prime members can earn 2.5% back on eligible purchases from Amazon.ca, Whole Foods and on foreign currency transactions. Non-Amazon Prime members only get 1.5% back on Amazon.ca and Whole Foods purchases. All cardholders, regardless of whether or not they have a Prime membership, get 1% back on all other purchases outside those categories. Any rewards you rack up using the card can be applied directly to purchases on Amazon.ca.

For a credit card with no annual fee, the Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard doesn’t skimp on useful perks. Purchase assurance will cover your purchases from damage or theft for 90 days and the extended warranty will add one year of coverage in addition to the original manufacturer’s warranty. You can also enjoy a minimum 10% off base rental car rates in Canada and at least 5% off rental rates in the U.S. at participating Avis and Budget locations. All told, the Amazon.ca Mastercard is among  the very best credit cards for online shopping in Canada today.

  • Additional perks: Purchase assurance for 90 days; Extended Warranty for up to one year; rental car discounts.

Learn more by reading our complete Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard review.

Best for HBC

Best for Hudson's Bay Company shoppers

Hudson’s Bay Mastercard® by Neo Financial

Good

Suggested credit score

to receive the latest news, tips and offers by email

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Redeem Rewards points instantly

  • Earn up to 4 Rewards points on almost every $1 you spend

  • Get everyday cash back at thousands of local Neo Partners - like major gas and grocery stores, travel and more

  • Earn Rewards points outside of Hudson’s Bay stores*

Cons

  • Points can only be redeemed at Hudson’s Bay stores³ and thebay.com

  • High APR

  • Best for Hudson's Bay frequent shoppers for maximum rewards value

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • Redeem Rewards points instantly

  • Earn up to 4 Rewards points on almost every $1 you spend

  • Get everyday cash back at thousands of local Neo Partners - like major gas and grocery stores, travel and more

  • Earn Rewards points outside of Hudson’s Bay stores*

Cons

  • Points can only be redeemed at Hudson’s Bay stores³ and thebay.com

  • High APR

  • Best for Hudson's Bay frequent shoppers for maximum rewards value

Eligibility

Recommended Credit Score

Good

Up to 4 Rewards points on almost every $1 you spend in Hudson's Bay stores* and at thebay.com

4

Rewards points on almost every $1 you spend outside of Hudson’s Bay stores*

2

Earn an average of 2% cashback* at thousands of local and national Neo Financial™ partners and businesses; think major gas and grocery stores, restaurants, gyms, coffee shops and more

2%

Variable APR

19.99% - 29.99%

Cash Advance APR

22.99% - 31.99%

Annual Fee

$0

The Hudson’s Bay Mastercard® is the oldest North American company's most recent offering. The Bay gives 15% off first-day purchases when you sign up for the no annual fee store card. You earn up to 4 Hudson’s Bay Rewards points on every dollar spent on purchases made in-store and on thebay.com, and 2 points per dollar spent outside The Bay. The  Hudson Bay credit card is issued by Neo Financial, so on top of the points you earn from your regular spending with the card, you can also earn extra cash back from thousands of Neo partners across Canada. Check out our review of Neo Financial to learn more about Neo’s partners.

This rewards program takes a bit to unpack, because the points you earn depend on an annual spend that resets each year. For the basic Hudson’s Bay Rewards tier, cardholders collect 2 points for every dollar spent from $0-$399.99. At the middle Hudson’s Bay Reward Plus tier, you collect 3 points per dollar spent between $400 and $1,199.99. At the top Hudson’s Bay Rewards VIP tier, you collect 4 points per dollar when you spend $1,200+ per year.

Every 1,000 Hudson’s Bay Rewards points can be redeemed for $5 in store and online. Points can also be converted to AIR MILES or RBC Rewards points for some added flexibility, but points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Any cash back you earn through Neo partners can be redeemed toward your card balance. As for perks, you can enjoy savings from free shipping on items sold by Hudson’s Bay (no purchase minimums) and earn an extra 20% on both Hudson’s Bay Reward points and Petro-Points if you link your two accounts together.

  • Additional perks: Free shipping, with no purchase minimum. 20% bonus Hudson’s Bay Rewards Points and 20% bonus Petro-Points when you link the accounts together
FAQs

FAQs about store credit cards

  • Is Walmart credit card Canada worth it?

    +

    Earn rewards without an annual fee. Receive a minimum of 1% back in Walmart Rewards on all purchases. Compared to other no-fee cards, it offers a favorable rate of return, making it potentially worthwhile depending on your spending habits and preferences.

  • What is the difference between a store credit card and a regular credit card?

    +

    Store cards are exclusive to specific retailers, offering rewards and discounts within their stores. Regular cards provide broader acceptance and benefits, usable at various merchants worldwide. Consider your spending habits and preferences when choosing between them.

  • Are store cards bad for credit?

    +

    While they can initially boost your credit with responsible use, their high-interest rates and limited usability may lead to overspending and debt accumulation, potentially harming your credit score if payments are missed or balances remain high.

  • Are Canadian store credit cards worth it?

    +

    Store credit cards offer perks like discounts and rewards specific to the retailer. However, their higher interest rates and limited usability outside the store should be weighed against your spending habits and financial goals to determine if they are worthwhile for you.

  • What credit score is needed for a Walmart credit card in Canada?

    +

    To be approved for the Walmart Rewards Mastercard, you need a credit score of at least 680. However, approval might still be possible with a score as low as 640 if your income is sufficient. If your credit score is lower than ideal, you may be subject to a higher interest rate.

Related articles:

Daniel Teo is a personal finance expert and travel writer based in Toronto. With a passion for financial literacy and a wanderlust that has brought him to over 30 countries, his stories touch on what’s possible when you achieve financial goals. His work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, CBC and on BNN.

Disclaimer

The content provided on Money.ca is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.

†Terms and Conditions apply.