Best Credit Cards for Canadians Who Spend in the US

The best credit card for Canada and US spending is a no-foreign-transaction-fee card such as the Wealthsimple Visa Infinite + Card or the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, which add nothing on US purchases. If you earn or hold US dollars, a US dollar card like the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold or TD U.S. Dollar Visa avoids conversion entirely. Which one fits depends on how often you are in the US and where your US dollars come from. Details are as of September 2026; confirm them with each issuer before applying.

What is the best credit card for spending in both Canada and the US?

For most cross-border shoppers and snowbirds, the best card is one that charges no foreign transaction fee and still earns well at home. There are four ways to set this up, and the table compares a card from each.

Cards without a link are ones we have not reviewed in full yet; their details come from the issuers' pages.

How we picked

We compared cards on the total cost of a US purchase, what you earn on it, what the card earns back home in Canada and how easy it is to pay the bill. We also weighed annual fees and eligibility. Fees and rates are as of September 2026.

Option 1: a no-FX Canadian dollar card

A no-FX card is the simplest answer because you use one card on both sides of the border and pay one Canadian dollar bill. You still pay the network exchange rate, but not the 2.5% most Canadian cards add on top. Our guide to the best Canadian credit cards with no foreign transaction fee covers every option.

Wealthsimple Visa Infinite + Card

This card pays 2% cash back on everything, US purchases included, with a 0% FX fee. That makes it the most rewarding card here on US spending if you qualify for the fee waiver. The $240 fee is waived with $100,000 in individual assets at Wealthsimple or $4,000 a month in direct deposits, and you need a Wealthsimple chequing account and $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card

This is the better choice if you fly to the US often. It charges no foreign transaction fee, includes six airport lounge visits and a 10 GB GigSky global data plan each year, and earns 3 Scene+ points per $1 on groceries and 2 on dining, entertainment and transit. The fee is $150, and Scotiabank's income minimum starts at $60,000 personal.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

This card has no FX fee, a $120 fee and a low $12,000 income minimum, and it earns 5x on groceries, dining and entertainment in our review. It works well for US restaurant and grocery spending, but carry a Visa or Mastercard too, because Amex is accepted at fewer merchants.

Option 2: a card that pays extra on US dollar purchases

The Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard takes a different approach. It still charges a 2.5% conversion fee, but it pays 3% cash back on purchases made in US dollars, so you come out roughly half a percent ahead on US spending with no annual fee. At home it pays 2% with a Rogers, Fido or Shaw service, or 1.5% without, and you can redeem cash back in the Rogers Bank app against purchases from the last 90 days or as a yearly statement credit. It needs $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income; see our Rogers Bank page.

Be careful with the basic Rogers Red Mastercard. It pays 2% on US dollar purchases, which is less than the 2.5% fee, and its bonus rates stop after the first $16,000 you spend each year.

Option 3: a US dollar credit card from a Canadian bank

A US dollar card bills you in US dollars, so there is no conversion on US purchases at all. The FCAC notes that a US dollar card may work for you if you often buy goods or services in US dollars, because you may avoid foreign currency conversion costs. It makes the most sense if you already hold US dollars, for example from US income, a pension or a US dollar savings account, to pay the bill.

Some banks rebate the US dollar card fee for clients who also hold a US dollar account, as CIBC does, so check what your own bank offers before choosing.

RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold

RBC charges US$65 a year and earns 1 Avion point for every US$1 of qualifying purchases. The purchase rate is 20.99%. See our RBC page for its Canadian cards.

TD U.S. Dollar Visa Card

TD's version costs US$39 a year, with no fee for up to three additional cardholders, and removes conversion fees on purchases and bills paid in US dollars. The purchase rate is 21.99%. More on our TD Canada Trust page.

CIBC U.S. Dollar Aventura Gold Visa Card

CIBC charges US$35 and rebates the fee if you have a CIBC US$ Personal Account or a CIBC Bank USA Smart Account plus a premium CIBC personal credit card. It earns 1 point per $1 on travel booked through the CIBC Rewards Centre and 1 point per $2 elsewhere. CIBC notes that conversion fees still apply outside the US.

The catch with every US dollar card is that it only solves US dollar spending. Use it in Mexico or Europe and you pay a conversion fee again.

Option 4: a US credit card for snowbirds

If you spend months in the US each year, a US-issued card is worth a look. RBC Bank, RBC's US bank, lets Canadians apply for its Visa Signature Black card using Canadian credit history. The card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees on US purchases, while the Visa Signature Black Plus, at US$75, has none anywhere. You need an RBC Bank US account to apply.

Is a no-FX card or a US dollar card better?

A no-FX card is better for most Canadians because it works in every currency, earns stronger rewards and needs no US dollars. A US dollar card is better only if you already have US dollar income or savings, since paying a US dollar bill from Canadian dollars puts the conversion back in. Our foreign transaction fee explainer walks through the costs in more detail.

Whichever card you choose, check the currency on US hotel, car rental and online charges before you pay. The FX fee depends on the currency of the charge, not on where you are standing: a charge billed in Canadian dollars carries no card FX fee, while a US dollar charge made from home costs 2.5% on most Canadian cards.

Who should skip these cards?

• Occasional visitors. If you cross the border once a year, a strong no-fee card at home plus the Home Trust Preferred Visa, which has no FX fee, may be enough.
• Anyone who carries a balance. Interest of 20% or more costs far more than any FX saving.
• People without US dollar income should not add a US dollar card just to avoid fees; a no-FX card does the job more simply.
• Applicants below the income minimums for Wealthsimple, Scotiabank Passport or Rogers World Elite cards.