The Best Travel Credit Cards for Canadians with Lower Incomes

One of the best ways to make travel more affordable is by using the right credit card. But many of the top options in Canada come with steep income requirements.

For example, Visa Infinite cards usually require at least $60,000 in personal income, and the higher-tier Visa Infinite Privilege cards require a whopping $150,000 in personal or $200,000 in household income.

Meanwhile, qualifying for a Mastercard World Elite product usually requires $80,000 in personal or $150,000 in household income.

But let’s be honest, not everyone hits those numbers. Students, retirees, newcomers to Canada, or new parents on leave all deserve a way to earn travel rewards too.

The good news? There are some solid travel credit cards in Canada that don’t ask for a high income but still deliver great value in points, perks, and flexibility.

Let’s take a look.

Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card

For Canadians who want solid travel perks without sky-high income requirements, the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card is one of the best picks.

You only need $12,000 in annual income, and you’ll earn Scene+ points, which is a flexible currency that’s easy to redeem toward flights, hotels, or even rideshares.

Until January 3, 2027, you’ll be eligible for a welcome bonus of up to 65,000 Scene+ points, structured as follows:

• 40,000 Scene+ points upon spending $2,000 in the first three months
• 25,000 Scene+ points upon spending $7,500 in the first year

65,000 Scene+ points are worth a cool $650 when redeemed for travel, and you can further pad your balance with the card’s excellent earning rates:

• 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent on Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, and more
• 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent on groceries, dining, food delivery, and entertainment
• 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on gas, transit, rideshare, and streaming services
• 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Scene+ points are super easy to use: they’re worth 1 cent per point toward any travel expense. No need to go through a special portal. Just charge your travel to the card and redeem against it later.

Even if you don’t have enough points right away, you’ve got up to 12 months to earn more and redeem them against past travel.

On top of this, the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card also offers one of the best benefits of any credit card in Canada, with no foreign transaction fees. While you’ll earn a flat rate of 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent outside of Canada, you also won’t have to pay the pesky 2.5% foreign transaction fee, which is levied by most banks.

Furthermore, you can register the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card for a range of Amex Offers, which have included statement credits for United Airlines tickets and Marriott stays.

In sum, the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card offers incredible value for any would-be globetrotter.

While the $120 annual fee isn’t waived with the current offer, you can easily offset its cost through the card’s earning rates and features alone.

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum* Card

Next up is the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum* Card, which only requires you to be the age of majority, a Canadian permanent resident, and have an email address. This makes the card a very good starting point for anyone looking to get into the Aeroplan ecosystem.

The card is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 20,000 Aeroplan points^†, structured as follows:

• 10,000 Aeroplan points upon first purchase^†
• 10,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $1,500 in the first three months^†

You can earn the full welcome bonus upon spending $1,500 in the first three months^†, which works out to $500 each month.

Better yet, the $89 annual fee is rebated in the first year,^† and can be further waived in subsequent years by opening select TD bank account products.^†

Note that the earning rates on this credit card aren’t the highest on this list. You’ll earn 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent^† on eligible gas, grocery, EV charging, and Air Canada purchases,^† whilst all other purchases will earn 1 Aeroplan point per $1.50 spent.^†

However, the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum* Card also comes with insurance benefits,^† including flight delay, delayed and lost baggage, and car rental coverage,^† plus mobile device insurance.^†

Plus, as the primary cardholder on an Aeroplan co-branded credit card, you’ll need 15% fewer points for the base fare on eligible Air Canada flight rewards,^† which replaces cardholder preferred pricing.^†

RBC^® ION+ Visa & RBC® Avion Visa Platinum^† Combo

If you’re looking for a smart way to earn points quickly and redeem them for high-value travel, this duo might be your best bet: the RBC® ION+ Visa and the RBC^® Avion Visa Platinum^†.

Let’s break it down.

Start Strong with the RBC® ION+ Visa

The RBC® ION+ Visa is a sleeper hit when it comes to earning. With no income requirement and an annual fee of just $48, it’s an ideal entry point for anyone starting their points journey.

Currently, the card’s welcome bonus is worth 14,000 RBC Avion points.^† You’ll get all 14,000 points upon approval, with no spending required.^†

Here’s what you’ll earn on everyday purchases:

• 3 Avion points per dollar spent on groceries, dining, food delivery, gas, rideshare, daily public transit, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and digital subscriptions
• 1 Avion point per dollar spent on everything else

And the perks don’t stop there. You can stack extra value by:

• Saving 3¢/L at Petro-Canada when you link your card to a Petro-Points account
• Earning 1 extra Moi point per $2 spent at participating grocery stores like Metro and Food Basics (minimum purchase applies)

The only drawback? While the ION+ is excellent for earning, it can only transfer points to WestJet Rewards, and it can’t redeem through the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

That’s where the RBC® Avion Visa Platinum^† comes in.

Unlock High-Value Redemptions with the RBC® Avion Visa Platinum^†

Pairing your ION+ with the RBC^® Avion Visa Platinum^† Card unlocks the full potential of your points, through both the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule and transfers to airline partners.

The Avion Visa Platinum^† is the entry-level card in the Avion Elite family, and it comes with no income requirement^†. It earns at a slower pace, but makes up for it with premium redemption options.

The card is currently offering up to 70,000 RBC Avion points.^† You’ll get 35,000 points upon approval without having to spend anything, plus 20,000 more after spending $5,000 in the first six months and 15,000 after your first anniversary.^†

Under the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule, the 35,000 points given on approval are enough for a round-trip economy flight anywhere in Canada or the U.S. (except Hawaii and Alaska), with a base fare of up to $750.^†

Pair it with the ION+ to reach 45,000 points, and you can book a round trip to sun destinations with a base fare of up to $900, such as Mexico from Western Canada or the Caribbean from Eastern Canada.^† Longer sun routes cost 55,000 points for a base fare of up to $1,100, and taxes and fees still apply.

Better yet, you can also transfer Avion points to four airline partners, and then make redemptions from within each program:

• The British Airways Club: 1 Avion point = 1 Avios
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 1 Avion point = 1 Asia Mile
• WestJet Rewards: 100 Avion points = 100 WestJet points
• American Airlines AAdvantage: 1 Avion point = 0.7 AAdvantage miles

As for the card’s other features, the budget-conscious traveller would benefit from the card’s suite of relatively strong insurance.^†

The card’s $120 annual fee isn’t waived in the first year with the current offer^†, although it can be offset by opening one of several types of RBC bank accounts.^†

American Express Cobalt Card

No list of income-friendly Canadian credit cards would be complete without the legendary American Express Cobalt Card.

Ever since its launch in 2017, this product has been revered as the best pound-for-pound travel credit card by the Miles & Points community. It likewise set a standard of excellence among Canadian credit cards that has often been imitated, but never fully replicated.

To recap, this incredible credit card, which requires no minimum income, earns the following:

• 5 points per dollar spent on eligible groceries, restaurants, bars, and food delivery (up to $2,500 monthly)
• 3 points per dollar spent on eligible streaming services
• 2 points per dollar spent on eligible gas, transit, and rideshare purchases
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Keep in mind that American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points are transferable to a wide variety of partners, including Aeroplan, Air France KLM Flying Blue, The British Airways Club, and Marriott Bonvoy, amongst others.

If the earning rates alone aren’t enough to tempt you, consider that new applicants can earn a welcome bonus of up to 15,000 MR points in the first year. However, the welcome bonus requires spending at least $750 each month for a year, which could be onerous for Canadians with lower incomes.

While this card comes with a $15.99 monthly fee ($191.88 annually), the value you’ll be deriving from it is among the best in the entire Canadian credit card market.

CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card

The CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card is another unique fixture on this list because its welcome bonus and most of its benefits are identical to those of its Visa Infinite counterpart, the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, which has a higher minimum income requirement.

What separates them is that the CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card only requires a $15,000 minimum household income, making it accessible to many Canadians. 

While the complimentary insurance coverage on this card isn’t as robust as its Visa Infinite cousin, its earning rates on everyday spending are identical, outlined as follows:

• 2 points per dollar spent on eligible travel booked directly via CIBC’s portal
• 1.5 points per dollar spent on eligible gas, groceries, EV charging, and pharmacy purchases
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

However, the real magic comes in the form of its welcome bonus, which, compared to other cards, is one of the most generous in Canada relative to the size of the spend. 

Currently, the card is offering a welcome bonus of up to 45,000 Aventura Points, structured as follows:

• 15,000 Aventura Points upon first purchase
• 30,000 Aventura Points upon spending $3,000 in four months

The welcome bonus points you’ll earn may be redeemed through CIBC’s Aventura portal in a variety of ways, such as gift cards and merchandise.

You may also use fixed amounts of Aventura points to redeem for flights with the CIBC Aventura Airline Rewards Chart.

For instance, 25,000–35,000 Aventura Points will get you a round-trip ticket from Toronto to Las Vegas or Vancouver in economy, up to a maximum base fare of $800.

You can also redeem Aventura points directly against travel purchases charged to the card at 1 cent per point, making it simple and easy to redeem your points. This way, 45,000 Aventura Points from the welcome bonus can yield a total value of $450.

In terms of the card’s other travel features, the CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card includes premium perks that are often missing from cards with lower income requirements.

If you’re approved for the card, you’re entitled to four complimentary lounge visits at participating Visa Airport Companion Program lounges per year. Free lounge access is usually a benefit that comes in exchange for high annual fees, so it’s nice to see it provided on a card with lower income requirements.

Moreover, the CIBC Aventura® Gold Visa* Card offers a NEXUS application fee rebate of up to $200 (CAD) once every four years, which is particularly useful for folks who often make trips to the United States. This is also a benefit included mostly with higher-tier cards.

As part of the current offer, the $139 annual fee is rebated for the first year, which means that you can score all of the above without an out-of-pocket cost in year one.

Conclusion

Travel rewards shouldn’t be reserved for people with massive paycheques and corner offices. Whether you’re a student, on leave, retired, or simply not swimming in six figures, there are still plenty of credit cards that offer great value without gatekeeping behind high income requirements.

These cards prove you can earn solid points, enjoy travel perks, and save on fees without overextending yourself.

All it takes is the right card and a little know-how to start turning everyday spending into your next trip.

^†Terms and conditions apply.