The strongest everyday earner in Canada for food spend. If you can work around Amex acceptance, the Cobalt out-earns nearly every premium card at a fraction of the fee.
Best for: People who spend heavily on groceries, restaurants, and delivery and want maximum transferable points per dollar.
Skip if: Your main grocery stores don't take Amex, or you want a simple card with no monthly-fee bookkeeping.
$191.88 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $714 · Amex Membership Rewards
The benchmark premium travel card in Canada. Exceptional first-year value and best-in-class lounge access, but only for people whose travel patterns genuinely absorb the perks.
Best for: Frequent travellers who will actually use lounges, the travel credit, and hotel status several times a year.
Skip if: You travel less than 3-4 times a year — the math simply doesn't clear the fee.
$799 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $2,400 · Amex Membership Rewards
A balanced mid-premium card that pairs well with the Cobalt. Good value with the travel credit, but rarely the single best card on its own.
Best for: Travellers who want strong MR earning and real travel insurance without the Platinum's $799 commitment.
Skip if: Most of your spend is groceries and dining — the Cobalt is the better Amex.
$250 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $1,700 · Amex Membership Rewards
The strongest cash-back rates in Canada where Amex is accepted. The acceptance caveat is the whole debate.
Best for: People who want the highest guaranteed cash return and don't want to think about points at all.
Skip if: Your regular stores don't take Amex — a 4% rate you can't use is a 0% rate.
$119.88 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $680 · Cash back
The premium Aeroplan card with the largest bonuses in the program. Elevated offers make the first year exceptional; ongoing value depends entirely on AC loyalty.
Best for: Frequent Air Canada flyers who want lounge access and the biggest Aeroplan welcome bonuses.
Skip if: You fly AC a few times a year or less — the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite covers the basics for a quarter of the fee.
$599 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $1,710 · Aeroplan
One of Canada's best keeper cards: the anniversary free night alone clears the fee. The welcome bonus is the cherry, not the case.
Best for: Anyone who stays at a Marriott property at least one night a year — the anniversary free night carries the card.
Skip if: You never stay at chain hotels; transferable points beat Bonvoy for flexibility.
$120 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $420 · Marriott Bonvoy
The best 'simple points' earner in Canada. Pairs a huge food multiplier with no-FX — a strong one-card answer for pragmatists.
Best for: Food-heavy spenders who want high guaranteed earn without learning transfer partners.
Skip if: You'd rather earn transferable points — the Cobalt's MR points are worth roughly double per point.
$120 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $620 · Scene+
A solid entry Aeroplan card, usually judged against the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite on acceptance vs. bonus size.
Best for: Aeroplan collectors who want the entry Amex with a checked-bag perk.
Skip if: Your grocery stores don't take Amex — the TD equivalent earns on a Visa.
$120 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $615 · Aeroplan
The premium no-FX play: real perks and a genuinely simple program, priced against far more flexible competition.
Best for: Simplicity-first travellers who want no-FX, lounges, and one flat earn rate on a single card.
Skip if: You optimize point value — MR or Aeroplan cards at this fee level run circles around Scene+.
$399 annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $400 · Scene+
The free, simplified sibling of the SimplyCash Preferred. Fine as a background card; the paid version is the one worth actively using.
Best for: People who want the simplest possible free Amex — one flat rate, zero tracking.
Skip if: You spend heavily on gas and groceries — the paid SimplyCash Preferred's 4% categories outearn this quickly.
No annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $180 · Cash back
Not a serious earner on its own, but a legitimate zero-cost way to start accumulating transferable MR points, especially for applicants who don't yet qualify for the paid Amex cards.
Best for: Anyone who wants a free foot in the door to Amex Membership Rewards — including eventual Aeroplan transfers — without any income bar or fee.
Skip if: You already qualify for the Cobalt or Gold Rewards — those cards earn dramatically more MR points for a modest monthly or annual cost.
No annual fee · First-year net value ≈ $260 · Amex Membership Rewards
Frequently asked questions
What is the best american express cards in canada?
Amex Cobalt Card leads this ranking with a Standard Score of 8.3/10. Amex Platinum Card (Canada) is the closest runner-up. See the full comparison table above for how every card in this category scores.
How is this ranking put together?
Cards are ranked by the Standard Score — a weighted average of first-year value, ongoing value, redemption flexibility, perk usability, low friction, and strategic fit. The same fixed, published weights apply to every card on this site; see our methodology for the full breakdown.
Does compensation affect this order?
No. Scores are set before any monetization decision, and referral relationships (where they exist) are disclosed separately. A card that pays us nothing can outrank one that does.