Canadians love travel and shopping, but when using their credit cards outside of Canada, many pay foreign transaction fees—as much as 2.5%—on every purchase, and that’s on top of the exchange rate. The good news is there are several strong credit card options for Canadians that either offer no foreign transaction fees or reward purchases with more than enough cash back to cover the fees.
Best no forex cards overview
| Credit card / prepaid card | Why we love it |
|---|---|
| Home Trust Preferred Visa Annual fee: $0 |
1% cash back on all Canadian purchases, and no forex fees on all foreign-currency purchases (not just USD). |
| Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard Annual fee:Â $0 |
3% cash back on U.S. currency purchases—enough to cover forex fees, and then some. |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Annual fee: $150 |
Pay no forex fee and also gain airport lounge access. |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express Annual fee: $120 |
Impressive earn rate of up to 6 Scene+ points per $1 spent, full range of travel insurance benefits, and more. |
| Meridian Visa Infinite Travel Rewards Annual fee: $99 annual fee |
Roughly 0.5% back on all purchases in a non-Canadian currency (after forex fees) and outstanding travel coverage. |
| Amazon Rewards Mastercard Annual fee: $0 (Prime membership required for full card benefits) |
Amazon Prime members get 2.5% in Amazon points on all foreign currency purchases, which can be used on gift cards. |
| EQ Bank card Annual fee: $0 |
0.5% cash back on purchases, plus interest on your savings. |
| Wealthsimple Cash card Annual fee: $0 |
1% back in stock, crypto or cash, plus interest on your savings |
What happened to Brim’s no forex fee card?
If you’re a current Brim cardholder or considering Brim for your travel or cross-border shopping, you should know about recent changes to the card. Previously offering 0% FX fee (and no annual fee), the card is now changing 1.5% for purchases made in another currency. (Another change was going from 1 point for every dollar spent to 1 point for every $2.) You still have no forex options, though. Check below.
—Lisa Hannam, Editor-In-Chief, MoneySense
Best no forex cards with no annual fee
At a glance: The Home Trust Preferred Visa is a true no foreign exchange fee card that also charges no annual fee. This means it waives the forex on purchases in all foreign currencies, not just U.S. dollars.
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Home Trust Preferred Visa
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: This card does not have a welcome bonus at this time.
Card details
| Interest rates | 21.99% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances |
| Income required | None specified |
| Credit score | 660 or higher |
At a glance:Â With much higher earn rates than most no-fee cards, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard actually nets you cash back on purchases in U.S. dollars.
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Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: This card does not have a welcome bonus at this time.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | $80,000 per year |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
Best no forex cards for rewards and perks
At a glance: As the first card from one of Canada’s big banks to waive its foreign transaction fees, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite offers strong rewards, an easy-to-understand and flexible rewards system, and seriously impressive airport lounge benefits.
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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
Annual fee: $150
Welcome offer: earn up to $1,100 in value in the first 12 months, including up to 35,000 bonus Scene+ points. To qualify, apply by October 31, 2024.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | $60,000 per year |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
| Point value | 1 Scene+ point = $0.01 when redeemed for travel on any airline or hotel (including AirBnBs). |
Pros
- The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite is the only no forex fee card in Canada to also offer airport lounge access. With this card, you’ll receive a complimentary Priority Pass membership with six free airport lounge visits per year; that’s the most lounge passes available on a card with an annual fee below $200.
- Redeeming Scene+ points for travel rewards is intuitive and as easy as cash back in your wallet. There are no complicated travel charts or maps (1,000 points is always worth $10 in travel savings wherever you travel).
- Scotia’s Scene+ points are extremely flexible. You can redeem points using Scotia’s travel agency or apply points on any travel purchase from virtually any airline or hotel provider up to 12 months later (even for travel purchases booked through Google Travel and Airbnb).
- The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite rewards high-volume spenders. Every year that you charge $40,000 or more, you’ll earn an additional 10,000 bonus points ($100 value toward travel).
- This card offers a full range of travel insurance benefits including travel emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and more.
Cons
- While the Scotiabank Passport offers considerable perks, its annual fee is $150, which is among the highest on this list.
- Perks aside, the card’s rewards on everyday purchases in Canada—1 or 2 points per $1 on most purchases—isn’t all that impressive for a premium annual-fee card, even when compared to other Scotiabank credit cards on this list.
- You’ll need to earn an income of at least $60,000 (or $100,000 as a household) to qualify.
At a glance: The Scotiabank Gold American Express has an impressive everyday earn rate, especially on food and transit. Combined with its lack of foreign transaction fees, this card is not just one of the best no forex fee cards but one of the best overall rewards cards in Canada.
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Scotiabank Gold American Express
Annual fee: $120
Welcome offer: earn up to $950 in value in the first 12 months, including up to 45,000 bonus Scene+ points. To qualify, apply by October 31, 2024.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | $60,000 per year |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
| Point value | 1 Scene+ point = $0.01 when redeemed for travel on any airline or hotel (including Airbnbs). |
Pros
- This credit card’s earn rate is bound to raise eyebrows, with an outstanding 5 points on groceries and dining, and 6 points when you shop at Sobeys-affiliated stores.
- Scene+ points are flexible, easy to use and you can redeem them retroactively for up to 12 months after you make a travel purchase, which means you can book when you want and reap the rewards later.
- Redeem for travel in easy increments of 1,000 points (valued at $10). There are no complicated rules or exceptions to manage, and you will get the same value no matter where you go.
- Scotia’s definition of travel is extremely broad so you can redeem for purchases even at Uber, UberEats and Airbnb.
- The Scotiabank Gold American Express offers a full range of travel insurance benefits, including travel emergency medical coverage, trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and more.
- This card comes with Amex Experience perks. Amex grants early access to presale tickets to a wide range of events (including concerts and sports events), while Amex Offers get you additional discounts and savings on a rotating roster of retailers.
- The card’s minimum income requirement is $12,000, making it accessible to most Canadians.
Cons
- While American Express is accepted at thousands of locations across Canada, there are some notable exceptions. For example, Loblaws doesn’t accept Amex and you might not be able to use this card at some smaller independent shops, groceries, convenience stores and restaurants. Depending on where you’re travelling, Amex acceptance may be even more limited.
- When you buy in a foreign currency, you only earn points at the base rate. This means, for example, that if you buy groceries in a foreign currency, the foreign-transaction fee will be waived but you will only earn 1 point per $1 spent rather than the 5 points usually offered in the grocery category for purchases in a Canadian currency.
At a glance:Â This is a competitive mid-tier credit card with a below-average annual fee, offering better-than-average travel insurance and bonus points on non-Canadian purchases which will help you save on foreign transaction fees.
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Meridian Visa Infinite Travel RewardsÂ
Annual fee: $99 (waived first year)
Welcome offer: Earn 7,000 bonus rewards points and pay no annual fee for the first year, including on additional cards. Must apply by December 31, 2024.
Card details
| Interest rates | 19.5% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances |
| Income required | $60,000 per year |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
| Point value | 1 Meridian point = $0.01 when redeemed for travel. |
At a glance: Attention Amazon shoppers—which means, listen up to pretty much everyone. The Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard is a no-fee retailer credit card. So if you are a Prime member and order from amazon.ca, you can earn 2.5% for Amazon rewards points using the card.
Amazon Rewards Mastercard
Annual fee: $0 (Prime subscription required for full card benefits)
Welcome offer: 5% back at Amazon.ca, Whole Foods Market stores for 6 months up to $3,000 in eligible purchases (for a value of $150)
Card details
| Interest rates | 19.50% on purchases, 21.99% on cash advances |
| Income required | $60,000 per year |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
| Point value | Points can be redeemed for Amazon.ca gift cards (1 point is worth 1% cash back off Amazon purchases). |
Best no forex fee credit card alternatives
At a glance: OK, OK, this isn’t a credit card, but a prepaid debit card. Still, the EQ Bank Card can help you avoid costly fees when you’re withdrawing or spending money in a foreign currency by waiving all foreign exchange fees charged by EQ (transactions are still subject to Mastercard’s currency conversion rate). This is a great back-up card for those purchases where the credit card in your wallet isn’t accepted.
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EQ Personal Account
Annual fee: $0
0.5% cash back on all purchases
Pay no forex fees on purchases
Earn 2.5%-4% interest on your cash deposits
Welcome offer: This card does not have a welcome bonus at this time.
Card details
| Interest rates | None (this is a prepaid card) |
| Income required | None |
| Credit score | None |
At a glance: The Wealthsimple Cash account doesn’t charge service fees—or exchange fees on purchases made in foreign currencies. Plus, at a minimum of 3.5% interest for Core clients (Premium and Generation clients earn more), the interest rates make this a solution to consider. Plus, you earn rewards on your spending.
Wealthsimple Cash
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: This card does not have a welcome bonus at this time.
Card details
| Interest rates | None (this is a prepaid card) |
| Income required | None |
| Credit score | None |
How we determine the best cards
The MoneySense editorial team selects the best credit cards by assessing the value they provide to Canadians across various categories. Our best no foreign transaction fee credit cards ranking is based on an extensive list of card details and features—with a focus on those that matter to international travellers and shoppers—including foreign transaction fees, annual fees, interest rates, welcome offers, rewards earn rates and redemption options, annual income requirements, and perks such as insurance coverage and purchase protection. We have also considered the pros and cons of each card to help you determine which ones best suit your financial needs. Our rankings are an unbiased source of information for Canadians. The addition of links from affiliate partners has no bearing on the results. Read more about how MoneySense makes money.
Frequently asked questions
What is a credit card conversion rate?
A credit card conversion rate is a surcharge you pay for purchases in a foreign currency. These rates are set by your credit card network such as American Express, Visa and Mastercard. These rates are usually pretty close to market rates, but they’re often better than what you’d get at a currency exchange. You can find the conversion rate for your card in your credit card agreement.Â
Should you pay using local currency or converted currency?
Sometimes, you’ll be given the option to pay in a local currency or have the price converted to your home currency. In general, it’s in your financial interest to buy in the local currency, because converting to another currency can incur fees that are tacked onto the purchase price. This is true whether or not you are using a card that charges transaction fees, so in either case, you’ll be saving money by keeping the currency local.Â
What if using my no foreign transaction fee credit card isn’t an option while I’m abroad?
Using a no foreign transaction fee credit card is great–until you want to make a purchase from a business that doesn’t accept credit cards. It’s always smart to carry some cash on you just for these occasions, but withdrawing money from an ATM can also come with costly fees. One good solution is to use a debit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, like the EQ Bank Card. Note that while your card might waive the fees, the ATM probably won’t. Also be aware that using a credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM incurs the highest fees of all and should be avoided except for emergencies.Â
