The best student credit card in Canada is usually the first entry on a credit report, and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says that report affects your ability to get a credit card, loan, mortgage or even rent a home. This guide compares six no-fee options on rewards, interest rates and who can apply, using each issuer’s own page as of October 11, 2026. It is general education, not financial advice.
Student credit cards at a glance
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards | Who can apply (per the issuer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students BMO CashBack Mastercard | $0 | 3% groceries, 1% recurring bills, 0.5% other | a student aged 18 to 24 at a recognized post-secondary school |
| Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card (for students) | $0 | 2 Scene+ points per $1 at Cineplex theatres or cineplex.com; 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all other eligible purchases | Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply online; international students book an in-person appointment |
| CIBC Dividend Visa for Students | $0 | 2% cash back on eligible groceries; 1% on eligible gas, EV charging, transportation, recurring payments and CIBC by Expedia travel | No minimum income; credit limit up to $5,000 for Canadian students and up to $2,000 for international students |
| Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card | $0 | 2% cash back in up to three categories you choose and 0.5% on all other purchases | $12,000 or more in gross annual income; the age of majority in your province, permanent resident status and no bankruptcies in the past 7 years |
| PC Mastercard | no annual fee | 1% back in PC Optimum points when you shop; 2.5% back in points at Shoppers Drug Mart | one application, which President's Choice Financial evaluates to decide which of its no-annual-fee cards you get |
| KOHO Mastercard (prepaid, not a credit card) | free with no plan; the Essential plan is $7 a month, or $0 in a month you set up direct deposit or deposit $1,000 | 1% on groceries, transportation, and food and drinks, on the Essential plan only | instant approval with no credit check |
Sources: BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, Tangerine, President’s Choice Financial and KOHO product pages. Every bank credit card in the table is subject to the issuer’s credit approval, and none of the student card pages YieldMaple read publishes a minimum credit score.
What is the best student credit card in Canada?
The Students BMO CashBack Mastercard is YieldMaple’s top pick for 2026 because it pairs a $0 annual fee with 3% cash back on groceries, the highest grocery rate in the table above.
The full earn structure, per BMO’s card page: 3% on groceries, 1% on recurring bill payments such as a phone plan or streaming service, and 0.5% on everything else. The two higher rates have limits. The grocery rate applies to $500 of grocery spending per statement period, and the recurring rate applies to $500 of recurring bill payments per statement period. A student who reaches the grocery limit every month would earn $180 a year from groceries alone; most student budgets will land below that. BMO lets you redeem cash back from as little as $1.
BMO currently advertises a welcome offer of up to 5% cash back in your first 3 months (terms apply). The purchase interest rate is 21.99%.
Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for students: points instead of cash
The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for students has a $0 annual fee and earns 2 Scene+ points per $1 at Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, participating Co-ops, FreshCo and other partner grocers, 2 Scene+ points per $1 at Cineplex theatres or cineplex.com, 2 Scene+ points per $1 at Home Hardware, and 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all other eligible purchases. Scotiabank’s Scene+ pages put the Cineplex redemption at 1,000 points for $10 off Cineplex movie tickets, so a base-rate purchase returns about 1% and a purchase in a bonus category about 2%.
The card’s purchase rate is 21.99% and its minimum credit limit is $500. Scotiabank’s current welcome offer is up to 5,000 bonus Scene+ points: 2,500 after $250 in purchases and another 2,500 after $1,000 in purchases, both in the first 3 months, on accounts opened between July 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026. Scotiabank values the full bonus at $50. Scotiabank also notes that someone with a steady income of more than $12,000 a year may qualify for its other cards.
CIBC, Tangerine and PC: three more no-fee options
- CIBC Dividend Visa for Students — $0 annual fee; 2% cash back on eligible groceries; 1% on eligible gas, EV charging, transportation, recurring payments and CIBC by Expedia travel. CIBC’s student card page states: No minimum income; credit limit up to $5,000 for Canadian students and up to $2,000 for international students.
- Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card — $0 annual fee; 2% cash back in up to three categories you choose and 0.5% on all other purchases. It is not a student card: Tangerine asks for $12,000 or more in gross annual income, plus the age of majority in your province, permanent resident status and no bankruptcies in the past 7 years.
- PC Mastercard — the entry-level President’s Choice Financial card earns 1% back in PC Optimum points when you shop and 2.5% back in points at Shoppers Drug Mart, with no annual fee. There is one application, which President's Choice Financial evaluates to decide which of its no-annual-fee cards you get, and the higher tiers list minimum incomes.
Can students get a credit card with no income?
Some issuers set no minimum income for student cards, and others count scholarships, student loans or family support as income. CIBC’s student card page states: No minimum income; credit limit up to $5,000 for Canadian students and up to $2,000 for international students. BMO asks applicants to be a student aged 18 to 24 at a recognized post-secondary school, to have reached the age of majority (18 in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan, and 19 in all other provinces), and to have annual income from employment, a scholarship or grant, a student loan or a family allowance.
Each bank still runs its own credit assessment, and none of the student card pages YieldMaple read publishes approval odds or a required credit score. YieldMaple’s approval odds checker gives an estimate, based on income and credit score, for a set of Canadian credit cards. A student who is declined, or who would rather not borrow yet, can use a prepaid card. KOHO’s prepaid Mastercard offers instant approval with no credit check, and it is not linked to a credit line, so you can only spend money you've loaded. The account is free with no plan, and the 1% cash back on groceries, transportation, and food and drinks needs the Essential plan, which is $7 a month, or $0 in a month you set up direct deposit or deposit $1,000, per KOHO’s plan comparison. The trade-off is that a prepaid card doesn't build credit on its own, according to KOHO.
Can international students get a credit card in Canada?
Yes: BMO and Scotiabank both accept international students, but the application happens in person rather than online. BMO’s page says online applications are for Canadian citizens and permanent residents; international students apply by visiting a branch. Scotiabank’s says Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply online; international students book an in-person appointment. RBC advertises a card limit for international students of up to $2,000, no credit history required.
Tangerine’s cards require the age of majority in your province, permanent resident status and no bankruptcies in the past 7 years, which rules out most study-permit holders. The guide to credit cards for newcomers with no Canadian credit history covers secured cards and bank newcomer programs in more detail.
Should a student pay an annual fee for a credit card?
Usually not, because every card in the table above has no annual fee, so a fee card has to out-earn them by more than its fee. Scotiabank’s own student lineup shows the gap: its Scotia Momentum Visa Card for students carries a $49 annual fee, while the Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card for students has a $0 annual fee and currently offers 5% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases).
Interest matters far more than rewards. Carrying a $1,000 balance for a year at the BMO student card’s 21.99% purchase rate costs roughly $220 in interest, more than the $180 the same card can pay on a full year of groceries.
How to use a first credit card to build credit
Three habits come straight from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s guidance on improving a credit score:
- Pay on time, every time. The agency calls payment history the most important part of your credit score. Paying the full statement balance also avoids interest. If money is short one month, the agency’s guidance is to make at least the minimum payment if you can't pay the full amount.
- Keep the balance low against the limit. The guideline is to use less than 30% of your total credit limit. The agency’s own example: a card with a $5,000 limit and $1,000 in use has a 20% utilization rate. On a card with Scotiabank’s $500 minimum limit, that guideline works out to a balance under $150.
- Space out applications. A credit card application is a hard inquiry: a credit check that appears on your credit report and affects your credit score. The agency’s guidance is to avoid sending multiple applications at once or too close together.
The agency also notes that keeping accounts open and active for a long time may help improve your credit score, which is one reason a no-fee first card can be worth keeping after graduation. Credit scores in Canada usually range from 300 to 900, and a higher score is better.
Building credit beyond the credit card
A credit card is not the only account that can appear on a credit report:
- KOHO Credit Building — $10 a month before plan discounts, with guaranteed approval, with no deposit, no hard credit check and no application. KOHO reports your payment history to Equifax and TransUnion. The KOHO Credit Building review explains how the line of credit works.
- Phone and utility bills — the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says a credit report may include phone, internet or utility accounts, so paying those on time matters too.
No product guarantees a particular score. The agency says credit bureaus and lenders use different formulas and do not share the exact details.
Which student card fits which student
- Groceries and bills are the main spending: the Students BMO CashBack Mastercard, at 3% on groceries and 1% on recurring bills.
- Movies, Sobeys-family grocers and Scene+ points: the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for students.
- No income to report: CIBC’s student cards, where the page states no minimum income.
- Spending outside groceries (restaurants, transit, entertainment): the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card for permanent residents and citizens who meet its income requirement.
- Not ready for credit, or declined: the KOHO prepaid Mastercard, with KOHO Credit Building at $10 a month before plan discounts for bureau reporting.