2–3+ card stack
The points traveller credit card stack (Canada)
Pick one program to learn well. Earn a flexible currency on everyday food spend, add a cobrand for airline purchases and perks, and keep a no-foreign-fee Visa for trip spend where Amex is weak.
By Andrew Card details as of How we review cards
Who this stack is for
- You take one to three trips a year and care about seat or hotel value.
- You pay in full and will learn one loyalty program properly.
- You earn mainly from spending you would do anyway.
Spending profile
Everyday Canadian spend feeding a travel currency, plus some airline and hotel bookings.
Goals
- More travel value per dollar than flat cash back.
- A backup network and a no-foreign-fee option abroad.
- A trip-goal view: points needed and how the stack feeds them.
Common friction
- Dynamic award pricing and thin award space.
- Transfer partners that take study to use well.
- Paying fees for perks you will not use.
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: Flexible / food earner (Membership Rewards)
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: Points can typically transfer to airline partners including Aeroplan — confirm the live transfer list and ratio in your Amex account. Cobalt is not a no-FX card.
Role: Aeroplan cobrand and Visa backup
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: Infinite income rules apply. Compare the live CIBC Aeroplan Infinite alternative if you already bank at CIBC.
Role: No-foreign-fee trip card and lounge passes
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 …
Alternatives and swaps
Use these when income, acceptance, or program preference blocks a recommended card.
Role: Alternate Aeroplan Visa Infinite cobrand
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.
Role: Scene+ path — elevated grocery/dining Amex with no foreign fees in current features
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
by Scotiabank
- Annual fee
- $120
- Rewards program
- Scene+ Points
Earn (from our catalog): Earn up to 6X the Scene+ points. No foreign transaction fees. Skip to the Front of the Line with Amex
Fit note: Pairs with Passport Infinite for Visa acceptance and lounge passes.
Role: Simpler Aeroplan Amex when you want cobrand points without Membership Rewards transfers
American Express Aeroplan Card
by American Express
- Annual fee
- $120
- Rewards program
- Aeroplan Points
Earn (from our catalog): Earn 2x the points on eligible purchases made with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations. Earn 1.5x the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada.Earn 1x the points on everything else.
When this stack is not for you
- You will not redeem points for travel within a year or two — cash back is simpler.
- You want lounges and credits as the product — see the premium perks stack.
- You are optimizing welcome bonuses more than ongoing earn — that is a different (higher-risk) path.
Related guides
How 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 guideAmex Cobalt vs Gold Rewards in Canada (2026)
Cobalt wins restaurants, delivery, and stand-alone grocers up to its monthly cap. Gold Rewards wins travel, drugstores, and travel perks. Pick by category, not by the metal colour.
Read the guideRelated hubs and tools
Related video
Amex Cobalt vs Amex Gold RewardsOn the Canadian Credit Card Finder YouTube channel.
FAQ
Should I start with Aeroplan or a flexible currency?
If almost every trip is Air Canada, a cobrand is simpler. If you want airline choice later, earn Membership Rewards or a bank currency you can move, then transfer when the trip is booked.
Do I need Passport if I already have Cobalt?
Cobalt does not replace a no-foreign-fee Visa. Passport (or another verified no-FX card) covers FX and merchants that skip Amex.
WestJet or Porter instead of Aeroplan?
Use the matching cobrand pages in our catalog (WestJet RBC, BMO VIPorter) and keep the same backup logic: one earner, one network backup, one no-FX card when you travel abroad.
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.