Good travel CC

[nataliej_vk]

i see all sorts of travel credit cards for the states with awesome opening incentives. As acanadian can we apply for them? If not does Canada have any good travel credit card with good bonuses?

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

i'm pretty sure you need to have a us bank account in order to get a usa credit card

 

[starvenger]

I can't remember any urls, but there are a few websites that compare credit cards and their rewards.

At the end of the day, most of them are largely the same, but there may be one or two that may be more advantageous to you.

For example, my TD account allows me to waive the annual fee on a credit card, so I can use that on a TD Aeroplan card.

 

[Blackadder337]

We can't apply for a majority of the U.S. credit cards because most of them need a social security number. I went to a Nascar race in Michigan and all of the major credit card companies there are trying to have you fill them out. Once you tell them you're Canadian, they pull the form out of your hands and walk away.

As for Canadian based Credit cards for international travel, the one I'm currently using is the Amazon visa. No annual fee, no 2.5% fee for foreign transactions. Each time you use it you earn Amazon money, and if you use your card AT Amazon, you earn double. If you sign up for it on their web site, you get $20 instant credit to use at Amazon.

I looked into some of the TD Canada Trust U.S. credit cards, but between annual fees and foreign transaction fees, they didn't suit my needs.

 

[starvenger]

I can't remember any urls, but there are a few websites that compare credit cards and their rewards.

OK, I have a URL - http://rewardscanada.ca/choosing-a-travel-credit-card.html

 

[bankr63]

I would ask what the OP means by a "good travel credit card".

First to the question of Canadians getting a US CC, it is possible, and it is not so much about having a US Social Security as it is about having a US Credit Bureau. Now generally if you have a credit file in the US you have either a Social Security number and/or a bank account, but the point is no lender will extend credit if they come up blank when you they go to TU or Experian to check your credit history. You can have a social down there, but no credit bureau and you most likely still will not get a card.

Now to the question of travel credit card.

If you mean a travel rewards credit card, starvenger's URL will take you through many options. Things to look for are how rapidly you will rack up reward points, and how difficult it will be to use them. As a long time ex-banking exec (credit card), I avoid these cards, as they are generally not worth it FOR ME. I don't rack up points quickly enough, and I hate having to go through hoops to use them. However, the best of the lot are probably the ones that allow you to book your own travel, anywhere, any time, and then claim back the money spent as a credit through a simple process. IMHO, Hotel and Airline cards? Ugh!

If you mean a travel card that provides good coverage for insurance or travel, most of the high end bank cards will do this for you. I use a Gold Elite visa for travel booking and rental cars. It provides all of the trip cancellation, insurance, and medical I need when I book with the card. It also provides cash back as a percentage of my spend, and I have a no-fee deal with my banking institution, so it is easier TO ME to get the benefit back (I like cash better than trinkets or free nights). However, if I am paying in US dollars I generally flip the final payment to the next option below.

If you mean the best card to use for purchases while travelling, follow Blackadder's advice. The Amazon.ca card does not charge the 2.5% exchange transaction fee that all the other cards (except Sears MC and Marriott Visa) do, PLUS gives you another 1% cash back. And that is money in your pocket. However, the card has no protections for travel arrangements (cancellation, health, or auto), so don't use Amazon when booking these items, even in US dollars (the insurance is worth the 2.5%). However, if the payment is tail-end, and you have had no claimable issues, don't be afraid to put the final payment on the Amazon card. So book your US hotel or car rental on your travel insured card, and then when they ask for final payment, use your Amazon card to reap the savings.

As an "insider" I have no problem maximizing my advantages with my CCs. Believe me, the credit card issuing companies invest heavily in understanding how to maximum their return on their relationship with you. Nothing wrong with doing the same thing back to them...

 

[sherilaine]

For us we like the Westjet Mastercard - because the rewards go into a Westjet travel account and you can use that money to pay for flights or vacations. We fly at least twice a year as a family so we are going to always put that money to good use. It also has a lot of benefits, insurance, 1st checked bag free for the entire family, and we get the $99 companion fare each year, so with both of us having the card that pays for a companion flight for both kids. That alone has saved us many thousands of dollars over the last several years.

We just purchased an Amazon visa just for some of the purchases we are making in the U.S. - as it saves you the exchange surcharge other cards charge - and it does give you rewards for Amazon.ca which I use a LOT for my holiday shopping.

 

[Marlyn]

I use a CIBC aventura visa infinite card. You can fly any airline with your points. The yearly fee covers medical travel insurance and also covers car rental insurance, trip cancellation, etc
I get tons of points as I have one for personal use and one for business. I can't remember the last time I paid for an airline ticket and I redeem for about 3-5 tickets a year (mostly accumulate tons of points due to business usage)

 

[alc571]

I agree with what the others have said about the Amazon Visa. We use this for any purchases while we are on vacation, and the auto $20 deduction from your account when you accumulate enough points is great.

For travel benefits, specifically, we love our Scotiabank Gold AMEX. I accumulate points at a rate of 4 points for every dollar spent on gas, dining and groceries, and 1 point for every dollar for everything else. 5000 points = $50 off travel. The card has the best travel insurance (including trip cancellation) out there (believe me... I looked at ALL the cards before picking one). It has an annual fee of $99 for the first card, and $29 for the second one. We always save up enough points to cover our annual fee. You have up to a year from the date of travel to apply your points to your account - so yes, you can use the points you accumulated paying for your travel against the travel itself. Right now, when you sign up, you get a welcome bonus of 20,000 points which equals $200 off your first travel booked.

 

[Tmarmac]

We have an Amazon Visa for US$ purchases as mentioned already.

We also have an Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite MasterCard that accumulates 2% of your purchases that you can use to "erase" charges on your MasterCard bill (essentially you can use the 2% against air, hotel, tickets, rental car, etc). It has an annual fee but we like it because we aren't tied to an airline or other company, and we use our credit card for everything.

If you get one, apply through greatcanadianrebates.ca and you can get a rebate (like ebates.ca). The rebate is $75.

 

[hcortesis]

We also have an Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite MasterCard that accumulates 2% of your purchases that you can use to "erase" charges on your MasterCard bill (essentially you can use the 2% against air, hotel, tickets, rental car, etc)

Hard to beat the Capital One Aspire.

 

[Duckiedee]

We use the World Elite MasterCard from BMO - I think it usually has a 2500 mile bonus for signing up (one trip from Halifax to Orlando return anyway), it also reduces the Airmiles you need to collect for trips, so you earn them faster (I think it is 25%). 1 AM for every $10 spent. Since the end of May, I've earned enough for 4 round-trips tickets from Halifax to Orlando. SCHWING!

 

[starvenger]

Party on, Duckiedee.

 

[starvenger]

So all this talk actually made me want to upgrade my MBNA card to world elite, which would cost $89 but it's a 2pts per $1 instead of the 1:1 on the no fee.

Called MBNA and apparently I was already getting this rate, which is a nice unexpected bonus. I probably should have realized this, but I pulled a Joey Tribbiani, looked at the points and figured, well, that's what it is.

 

[lizzyb]

I agree with what the others have said about the Amazon Visa. We use this for any purchases while we are on vacation, and the auto $20 deduction from your account when you accumulate enough points is great.

For travel benefits, specifically, we love our Scotiabank Gold AMEX. I accumulate points at a rate of 4 points for every dollar spent on gas, dining and groceries, and 1 point for every dollar for everything else. 5000 points = $50 off travel. The card has the best travel insurance (including trip cancellation) out there (believe me... I looked at ALL the cards before picking one). It has an annual fee of $99 for the first card, and $29 for the second one. We always save up enough points to cover our annual fee. You have up to a year from the date of travel to apply your points to your account - so yes, you can use the points you accumulated paying for your travel against the travel itself. Right now, when you sign up, you get a welcome bonus of 20,000 points which equals $200 off your first travel booked.

We love our Amex too! Have racked quite a bit of points.

 

[Nahanni]

A recent no foreign transaction fee option is the Rogers Bank MC. No annual fee if you setup a Rogers bill for preauthorized payment and you earn 1.75% towards Rogers services (or once a year statement credit - I haven't read the fine print on this credit because I will use rebate for a Rogers bill payment).

MC also offers a marginally better bulk rate than Visa, for a transaction posted 2/3/2016, actual Rogers MC rate was 1.407999 (Visa posted rate 1.408259) but not enough for most us to realize a real savings.

OP: There are many Canadian AMEX, Visa and MasterCard offers that are first year free and include nice sign up bonuses (be sure to read the requirements so you qualify and understand how you will use them before they expire)

 

[squirrel]

I use Alaska Airlines. I get a companion rate for $99 + tax return flight. There is an annual fee, it might be free the first year-I've had it for quite a few years so I don't recall. They gave quite a few miles for being accepted.

 

[TML2012]

Westjet MasterCard has an annual fee of $99. The sign up bonus is $250 Westjet dollars and you get a companion fare for $99 plus taxes. The card also has some travel insurance included and the 1st checked bag included for free when travelling on Westjet. The rewards for purchases is pretty average ( I.e. 1.5% Back in Westjet dollars). If you have a family of 4 and 2 adults apply and received the sign up bonuses the savings on your flight can be quite significant .