Canada’s 6 Best Dining Credit Cards
Last updated October 21, 2026
Best Dining Credit Cards
Restaurants, takeout and food delivery are some of the easiest places to earn more on a credit card, because many cards pay a bonus rate there. The best ones return 5% or more.
Here are our picks for the best dining credit cards in Canada, from points that turn your dinners into flights to cash back with no annual fee.
Compare our picks
- Annual fee
- $15.99/mo
- Welcome bonus
- 15,000 Membership Rewards points
- First-year value
- $336
- Top earn rate
- 5x Groceries
American Express Platinum Card
- Annual fee
- $799
- Welcome bonus
- 110,000 Membership Rewards points
- First-year value
- $1,581
- Top earn rate
- 2x Travel
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
- Annual fee
- $120
- Welcome bonus
- 50,000 Scene+ points
- First-year value
- $455
- Top earn rate
- 6x Groceries
National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard®
- Annual fee
- $150
- Welcome bonus
- –
- First-year value
- –
- Top earn rate
- 5x Groceries
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card
- Annual fee
- $120First Year Free
- Welcome bonus
- 70,000 BMO Rewards points
- First-year value
- $839
- Top earn rate
- 5x Dining
Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card
- Annual fee
- No fee
- Welcome bonus
- Up to $100 cash back
- First-year value
- $103
- Top earn rate
- 4% Dining
| Best for | Card | Annual fee | Welcome bonus | First-year value | Top earn rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | American Express Cobalt Card | $15.99/mo | 15,000 Membership Rewards points | $336 | 5x Groceries |
| Best for Fine Dining | American Express Platinum Card | $799 | 110,000 Membership Rewards points | $1,581 | 2x Travel |
| Best for Scene+ | Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card | $120 | 50,000 Scene+ points | $455 | 6x Groceries |
| Best Mastercard | National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® | $150 | – | – | 5x Groceries |
| Best Visa | BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card | $120First Year Free | 70,000 BMO Rewards points | $839 | 5x Dining |
| Best No Fee | Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card | No fee | Up to $100 cash back | $103 | 4% Dining |
Best Overall
First-year value
$336
Monthly fee: $15.99
• Earn 1,250 points per month upon spending $750 per month for 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners
Monthly fee: $15.99
• Earn 1,250 points per month upon spending $750 per month for 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners
The American Express Cobalt Card earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar at restaurants and on food delivery, and the same at grocery stores, on up to $2,500 a month across those categories combined. It also earns 3 points per dollar on streaming, 2 points per dollar on gas, transit and rideshare, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Our valuation of Membership Rewards points is 2.2 cents each, so that’s about 11% back on dining. The points transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan and to other airline and hotel programs, which is where that value comes from.
The fee is $15.99 a month. The bonus rates apply only to purchases in Canadian dollars, so use a different card when you eat out abroad.
Best for Fine Dining
First-year value
$1,581
Annual fee: $799
• Earn 80,000 points upon spending $10,000 in the first 3 months
• Plus, earn 30,000 points Upon making a purchase between months 15 and 17 of Cardmembership
Earning rates
Key perks
- $200 annual travel credit
- $200 annual dining credit
- $100 NEXUS credit
- Unlimited Priority Pass lounge access
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Platinum Concierge
Annual fee: $799
• Earn 80,000 points upon spending $10,000 in the first 3 months
• Plus, earn 30,000 points Upon making a purchase between months 15 and 17 of Cardmembership
Earning rates
Key perks
- $200 annual travel credit
- $200 annual dining credit
- $100 NEXUS credit
- Unlimited Priority Pass lounge access
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Platinum Concierge
The American Express Platinum Card includes a $200 Annual Dining Credit at a curated list of Canada’s top restaurants. You enrol once through Amex Offers, and the credit applies after a single charge of $200 or more at one listed restaurant. It’s available once per calendar year and resets every January 1.
The card also earns 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on dining and food delivery in Canada, about 4.4% back at our valuation of 2.2 cents per point.
On its own, the dining credit won’t justify the $799 annual fee. It’s a pick for people who already hold the Platinum Card for travel and enjoy a special dinner out at least once a year. If you just want the most back on everyday meals, the Cobalt Card earns more.
Best for Scene+
First-year value
$455
Annual fee: $120
• Earn 30,000 points upon spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $7,500 in the first 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- No foreign transaction fees
- Amex Offers & Front of the Line access
- Get up to 12¢/L in value on fuel purchases at Shell stations°
- Until December 31, 2026, get an additional 3¢/L off at Shell when you pay with your linked card in select provinces and territories^
Annual fee: $120
• Earn 30,000 points upon spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $7,500 in the first 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- No foreign transaction fees
- Amex Offers & Front of the Line access
- Get up to 12¢/L in value on fuel purchases at Shell stations°
- Until December 31, 2026, get an additional 3¢/L off at Shell when you pay with your linked card in select provinces and territories^
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card earns 5 Scene+ points per dollar at restaurants, on food delivery and on entertainment, and 6 points per dollar at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA and their sister stores. Our valuation of Scene+ points is 1 cent each, so that’s 5% back on dining.
Scene+ points are easy to spend on groceries, movies, dining and travel. The card also has no foreign transaction fees, though its bonus rates apply only to purchases in Canada.
The bonus rates stop after $50,000 a year across all of the card’s bonus categories. The annual fee is $120, and the minimum income is $12,000.
Best Mastercard
Annual fee: $150
Earning rates
Key perks
- Airport lounge access
Annual fee: $150
Earning rates
Key perks
- Airport lounge access
The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® earns 5 À la carte Rewards points per dollar on restaurants and groceries, on up to $2,500 in total monthly spending (2 points per dollar after that). Points are worth 1 cent each on travel booked through À la carte Travel, so that’s 5% back.
It’s also our top travel card for insurance. Trip cancellation covers up to $2,500 per person, even on award tickets, as long as you charge part of the trip’s cost, such as the taxes and fees, to the card. The card also refunds up to $150 a year in travel expenses.
The annual fee is $150, and you’ll need a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000.
Best Visa
First-year value
$839
Annual fee: $120First Year Free
• Earn 30,000 points upon spending $4,000 in the first 4 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $7,000 in the first 6 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $12,000 in the first 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- $50 annual lifestyle credit
- $20/month streaming credit ($240/year max, requires $500/month spend)
- Instacart+ 6 months free + $10/month credit
Annual fee: $120First Year Free
• Earn 30,000 points upon spending $4,000 in the first 4 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $7,000 in the first 6 months
• Earn 20,000 points upon spending $12,000 in the first 12 months
Earning rates
Key perks
- $50 annual lifestyle credit
- $20/month streaming credit ($240/year max, requires $500/month spend)
- Instacart+ 6 months free + $10/month credit
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card earns 5 BMO Rewards points per dollar at restaurants and on takeout and delivery, and also on groceries, gas, public transit and rideshare. Everything else earns 1 point per dollar.
Our valuation of BMO Rewards points is 0.67 cents each, so that’s about 3.3% back on dining. That’s less than the American Express picks, but a Visa works at restaurants that don’t take American Express. The card also includes a $50 annual lifestyle credit.
The annual fee is $120, and you’ll need a personal income of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000.
Best No Fee
First-year value
$103
No annual fee
• Earn 20% cash back on purchases (up to $500 spend) in the first 3 months
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Insurance coverage on purchases
No annual fee
• Earn 20% cash back on purchases (up to $500 spend) in the first 3 months
Cash back rates
Key perks
- Insurance coverage on purchases
The Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card pays 4% cash back at restaurants, bars and coffee shops, on up to $5,000 a year, with no annual fee. Gas, groceries, drugstores and pre-authorized payments earn 1.5% (on up to $15,000 a year combined), and everything else earns 0.5%.
At the full $5,000, the dining rate returns $200 a year. The minimum income is $15,000, so it’s an easy card to get, including as a first credit card.
Dining Credit Cards: What You Need to Know
Eating out is one of the easiest places to earn more on a credit card, because so many cards pay a bonus rate at restaurants. Our picks earn from about 3.3% to about 11% back on dining, depending on the card and how you use its rewards.
Why get a dining credit card?
A typical card earns 1 point or 1% per dollar on everyday purchases. A dining card earns several times that at restaurants, and most of our picks pay the same bonus on takeout and food delivery.
Some cards add more. The American Express Platinum Card includes a $200 Annual Dining Credit at a curated list of Canada’s top restaurants, and the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card includes a $50 annual lifestyle credit.
What should you look for in a dining credit card?
- The rate and the cap. The American Express Cobalt Card’s 5 points per dollar applies to up to $2,500 a month across dining, food delivery and groceries. The Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card’s 4% applies to up to $5,000 a year.
- What counts as dining. Restaurants always count. Most of our picks also pay the bonus on food delivery, and the Simplii card counts bars and coffee shops.
- Whether the restaurant takes the card. Not every restaurant accepts American Express. A Visa or Mastercard keeps you earning where it doesn’t.
- Where you eat. The American Express Cobalt Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card pay their bonus rates only on purchases in Canada. Abroad, they earn 1 point per dollar.
How much do these cards return on dining?
At our valuations, here is what each pick returns on a dollar spent at restaurants:
- American Express Cobalt Card: 5 points per dollar, about 11% at our valuation of 2.2 cents per Membership Rewards point.
- Scotiabank Gold American Express Card: 5 points per dollar, 5% at our valuation of 1 cent per Scene+ point.
- National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard®: 5 points per dollar on up to $2,500 in total monthly spending, 5% on travel booked through À la carte Travel.
- American Express Platinum Card: 2 points per dollar, about 4.4%, plus the $200 Annual Dining Credit.
- Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card: 4% cash back on up to $5,000 a year.
- BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card: 5 points per dollar, about 3.3% at our valuation of 0.67 cents per BMO Rewards point.
What’s the optimal strategy for dining credit cards?
If you’ll turn points into flights, the American Express Cobalt Card earns the most on dining, delivery and groceries together. Its cap covers up to $30,000 a year of that spending.
If you’d rather spend your points close to home, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card earns 5% on dining in Scene+ points. You can use them on groceries, movies and travel.
You can also carry two cards: an American Express card for the restaurants that take it, and a Visa or Mastercard for the ones that don’t. The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® earns 5% on dining within its monthly cap and adds strong travel insurance.
If you don’t want a fee, the Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card pays 4% at restaurants, bars and coffee shops on up to $5,000 a year. For more options, see our picks for the best cash back credit cards and the best no fee credit cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some questions we frequently hear from readers about dining credit cards.
Does food delivery count as dining?
On most of our picks, yes. The American Express Cobalt Card, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card and the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card all pay their dining rate on food delivery, and the American Express Platinum Card earns 2 points per dollar on it.
How does the Platinum Card’s dining credit work?
You enrol once through Amex Offers. After that, a single charge of $200 or more at one of the listed restaurants triggers the $200 credit. You can use it once per calendar year, and it resets every January 1.
Do dining bonus rates apply outside Canada?
Not on every card. The American Express Cobalt Card earns its bonus rates only on purchases in Canadian dollars, and the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card only on purchases in Canada. The Platinum Card’s 2 points per dollar applies to dining in Canada.
Which dining credit card has no annual fee?
The Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card has no annual fee and pays 4% at restaurants, bars and coffee shops on up to $5,000 a year. It asks for a minimum income of $15,000.
What income do I need for these cards?
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card asks for $12,000 and the Simplii card for $15,000. The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Card asks for a personal income of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000. The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® asks for a personal income of $80,000 or a household income of $150,000.
