3+ (pipeline + keepers) stack
Welcome offers and keeper cards (Canada)
Some Canadians focus on first-year welcome value more than ongoing earn rates. This page does not teach application sequencing, manufactured spend, or how to game issuer rules. It explains keeper cards worth holding after a bonus, and why eligibility text on each card page matters before you apply.
By Andrew Card details as of How we review cards
Who this stack is for
- You already pay in full and keep organized records of cards you have held.
- You read welcome eligibility and lookback rules before applying.
- You want a small set of long-term keepers underneath any short-term products.
Spending profile
Spend is planned around stated minimum-purchase windows on offers you choose — without inventing purchases you do not need.
Goals
- Understand issuer eligibility before applying.
- Keep one or two strong everyday and travel cards after bonuses end.
- Avoid applying blind for a product you already held.
Common friction
- Lifetime bonus limits on some Amex products.
- Bank lookbacks and personal-card exclusions (Scotiabank’s two-year personal-card rule shows up often on Scotia cards).
- Hard inquiries close to a mortgage application.
Recommended stack
Annual fees and earn text below are pulled from our live card catalog when this page was built. Confirm every figure on the full review and with the issuer before you apply.
Role: Everyday Membership Rewards keeper
American Express Cobalt Card
by American Express
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Rewards program
- AMEX Membership Rewards
Earn (from our catalog): For every $1 in Card purchases: Earn 5x on eligible eats & drinks in Canada (restaurants, bars, cafes, stand-alone grocery stores, and food/grocery delivery) up to $2,500 net purchases per month combined, then 1x. Earn 3 …
Fit note: Check whether you are a current or former Cobalt cardmember before counting on a welcome bonus.
Role: No-FX and lounge keeper
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
by Scotiabank
- Annual fee
- $150
- Rewards program
- Scene+ Points
Earn (from our catalog): No foreign transaction fees. Get six complimentary airport lounge passes. Earn 3x Scene+ points at Sobeys-family grocery stores, 2x on dining, other groceries, entertainment and daily transit, and up to 4x on hotels and …
Fit note: Confirm Scotiabank personal-card welcome exclusions on the live offer.
Role: Aeroplan keeper / Visa network
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
by TD
- Annual fee
- $139
- Rewards program
- Aeroplan Points
Earn (from our catalog): Earn 1.5 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, grocery and direct through Air Canada purchases (including Air Canada Vacations) made with your Card. Earn 1.5 points for every eligible $1 s …
Fit note: Compare CIBC Aeroplan Infinite if that is your bank relationship. Read lookback and income text on the card page.
Alternatives and swaps
Use these when income, acceptance, or program preference blocks a recommended card.
Role: Premium keeper only if you use lounges and credits
The Platinum Card
by American Express
- Annual fee
- $799
- Rewards program
- AMEX Membership Rewards
Earn (from our catalog): 2X points on eligible dining and food delivery purchases in Canada 2X points on eligible travel 1X points on everything else 1 additional point on eligible hotel or car rental bookings through Amex Travel Online
Fit note: High fee — run a keep-or-cancel tally of benefits you actually used.
Role: Alternate Aeroplan Infinite keeper
CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
by CIBC
- Annual fee
- $139
- Rewards program
- Aeroplan Points
Earn (from our catalog): 1.5 point for every $1 you spend on eligible gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries and with Air Canada directly, including through Air Canada Vacations. 5 1 point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases.
When this stack is not for you
- You want a step-by-step churning plan — we do not publish that.
- You carry a balance or are about to apply for a mortgage and cannot spare hard pulls.
- You only want one simple cash-back card — use the set-and-forget stack.
Related guides
Are Premium Credit Cards Worth the Annual Fee in Canada?
A premium card is worth it only if you will use the membership — lounges, credits, insurance, or earn you cannot get at $0. Year-two math is the real test.
Read the guideHow to Choose a Travel Credit Card in Canada
Pick the currency you will actually redeem, then the network you can spend on. Airline cobrands suit loyal flyers; flexible points and no-FX Visas suit mixed travel.
Read the guideRelated hubs and tools
FAQ
Why will you not publish a churning guide?
Issuer rules change, manufactured spend creates risk, and advice that encourages people to open cards they cannot pay in full causes harm. We stick to catalog facts, eligibility reminders, and keeper fit.
What should I read on every offer?
The welcome bonus detail, the eligibility or “not available if” line, the annual fee, and the minimum spend window. Those details live on each card page.
What is a keeper card?
A product you would still hold after the welcome bonus because ongoing earn rates or perks beat the fee for your real spend — for example Cobalt for food, Passport for foreign spend, or an Aeroplan Infinite you use with Air Canada.
Compare cards for your spend
Use the finder for a short list from the live catalog, then read each full card page before you apply.