The Best Credit Cards In My Wallet

Credit Cards The Best Credit Cards In My Wallet

To the point I am often asked about the credit cards in my wallet. Here are the ones I keep and why!

In my opinion, these credit cards are the perfect combo for my wallet in 2023.

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite*+ Card

Card	Why
	To earn 5 points per dollar on grocery, convenience store, food delivery as well as dining purchases. To earn 5 points per dollar for many businesses like Amazon or the SAQ thanks to gift cards To earn 5 points in these spending categories abroad (grocery stores, restaurants, etc.)
	To earn 2 points per dollar (including abroad) at the grocery store For Snowbirds shopping at Costco in the U.S. (Visa only) No FX-Fee Six complimentary airport lounge visits per year
	To earn 5 points per dollar for my Marriott expenses For its Annual Free Night Award (35,000 points value) For 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year for my Marriott Bonvoy Elite status
	For Canada’s best credit cards insurance: up to 60 days for international travel, up to 3 years of warranty for purchases. For an annual travel credit of up to $150 To earn 5 points per dollar at grocery stores and restaurants that don’t accept American Express.
	To get my first free checked bag with Air Canada (as well as my spouse’s and children’s) For benefits with Air Canada and the Aeroplan flight rewards Preferred Pricing For insurance on flight rewards booked with Aeroplan points
	For free access to VIP airport lounges with my family. To get Hilton Honors Gold Elite status (complimentary breakfasts).

American Express Cobalt^® Card

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

The welcome bonus is distributed monthly for the first 12 months. You’ll earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for every $750 in purchases charged to your card during the month (whether in the 1X, 2X, 3X or 5X category). That’s up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points.

You can easily use these points as statement credits for everyday or travel purchases. The value is the same for both: 1,000 points = $10.

Alternatively, transfer them to Aeroplan points, Avios (British Airways/Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, or Hilton Honors.

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you can earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Métro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

This is a 1 to 5% return on all these purchases.

For example, if you spend $1,000 per month on groceries and/or restaurants and/or food delivery, you’ll earn $50 cash back per month, or $600 cash back per year with this card for this category of purchases!

And if you decide to transfer your points to other programs like Aeroplan, you could get even more value!

In addition, this card provides excellent insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, flight delay, $250,000 travel accident, hotel or motel burglary, Mobile Device Insurance, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection Insurance.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

With Milesopedia, enjoy an exclusive offer to get up to 50,000 points with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available through the Milesopedia network and allows you to quickly earn points by following these steps:

10,000 reward points upon enrollment in your credit card payment protection, for a minimum of 3 months of membership.
10,000 points when you make $5,000 in net purchases within the first 3 months.
20,000 points when you reach $20,000 in purchases within the first 12 months.
10,000 points when you combine your credit card with the opening of your first current account within 7 days of your credit card application.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
2 points per dollar on recurring bills
2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

Airport parking
Baggage fees
Seat selection
Access to Airport Lounges
Flight upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite +* Card

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Visa Infinite ^+* Passport^MC Card, you get up to 60,000 Scene+ points as a welcome bonus (a value of $600):

40,000 points after $2,000 in purchases within the first three months
10,000 points after $10,000 in purchases within the first six months
10,000 points after $40,000 in purchases in the first year

Then, each year, if you make at least $40,000 in purchases on the card, you’ll earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 points, which represents a $100 value.

With the Scotiabank Visa Infinite +* Passport^MD Card, you earn 3 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

You also earn 2 points per dollar spent, including on foreign purchases, in the following categories:

Grocery shopping
Restaurants
Entertainment centers
Transit

The Scotiabank Visa Infinite +* Passport^MD Card is an excellent Visa credit card for these types of purchases.

These points can be used for any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusive packages, and even Airbnb). You can also redeem your points as cash back with Scene+, for example, at your grocery store checkout at the same rate of 1,000 points = $10.

The Scotiabank Visa Infinite +* Passport^MD Card also offers:

No fees for foreign currency transactions
6 access to VIP airport lounges
Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
Concierge service
Travel with confidence with 10 GB of free GigSky global mobile data for 15 days, plus access to GigSky Travel Essentials for essential apps on the go.
Cardholders also receive a free 1 GB/15-day GigSky global mobile data package annually, plus a 20% discount on future GigSky purchases.

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card for free hotel nights.

With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:

Earn 60,000 points after spending a total of $3,000 on your Card within your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
In addition, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.

It’s a card we recommend you keep, because each year at renewal, you’ll get an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points, plus 15 Elite nights per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.

Last but not least, this Card comes with a wide range of insurance coverages: baggage delay, baggage loss or theft, $500,000 travel accident, flight delay, hotel/motel burglary, rental car theft and damage, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

American Express Platinum Card^®

The Platinum Card^® is the best Premium Card in Canada for travellers.

With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points:

70,000 points when you charge $10,000 in net purchases to your Card in the first 3 months after joining;
30,000 points if you make a purchase between 15 to 17 months after signing up.

With this Card, you get:

2 points per dollar for dining purchases
2 points per dollar on travel purchases
1 point per dollar for other purchases

You can use your Membership Rewards points in many ways:

Transfer points to airline partners: Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways / Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Delta Skymiles, etc.
Transfer your points to hotel programs (Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy)
Redeem points for statement credits to offset any travel purchase charged to your Card (1,000 points = $10)
Redeem points for statement credits towards other purchases (1,000 points = $10)
And more!

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

100,000 Aeroplan points
100,000 Avios
100,000 Flying Blue Miles
120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this card, you also have advantages for your travels:

$200 Annual Travel Credit
An annual meal credit of $200
$100 NEXUS Card Statement Credit
Complimentary access for you and one additional guest to over 1,400 airport lounges in more than 130 countries
Hilton Honors Gold Elite status (complimentary breakfast at all Hilton hotels)
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
Access to the Fine Hotels and Resorts program

Last but not least, the Platinum Card^® offers a wide range of insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, $500,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out-of-province or out-of-country), lost or stolen baggage, flight delays and misdirected baggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Bottom Line

Of course, I have other credit cards in my wallet, as and when the welcome offers come along – including those offered in the first year – or the benefits are relevant!

But the six credit cards listed in this article are the ones I keep, and they fit my lifestyle perfectly! What are your favourite credit cards right now?

Frequently Asked Questions about JMV’s wallet of credit cards

Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about this card.

Why does JMV (Milesopedia’s founder) carry six credit cards?

Each of the six cards in JMV’s wallet covers a different optimization layer:

American Express Cobalt^{^®} Card — 5x on groceries, restaurants, and food delivery
Scotiabank Passport^{^®} Visa Infinite — no FX fees + 6 lounge visits
Marriott Bonvoy^{^®} Amex^{^®} — annual free night certificate
National Bank World Elite Mastercard — backup for Amex-refusing merchants + 5x dining
TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite — free first checked bag for the family
American Express Platinum Card^{^®} — unlimited lounge access + Hilton Gold

The combined annual fee load is offset by welcome bonuses and category multipliers worth several thousand dollars per year.

Which one card would JMV keep if he had to pick just one?

For most Canadian households, the answer is the American Express Cobalt^{^®} Card. At 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on groceries, restaurants, and food delivery, no other card matches its everyday earn rate on the categories where households spend the most. Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan and 1.25:1 to Marriott Bonvoy, so you keep the flexibility to redeem for either flights or hotels. The monthly $12.99 fee model also makes it easy to test before committing to a full year.

Why pair an Amex with a Mastercard or Visa?

Amex acceptance in Canada is roughly 65–70%, vs. 99%+ for Visa and Mastercard. Smaller merchants, some rural gas stations, and most Quebec dollar stores still refuse Amex. JMV pairs his Cobalt^{^®} card with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard precisely for those moments — the Mastercard earns up to 5 points per $1 on groceries and dining at non-Amex merchants and includes superior travel insurance with up to $5M emergency medical. That dual-card setup ensures every dollar stays optimized, regardless of where you swipe.

Are six cards too many for the average Canadian?

For someone new to points, two cards are enough:

One everyday rewards card (Cobalt^{^®}, MBNA Rewards World Elite, or Scotia Passport)
One backup Visa or Mastercard for places that don’t take Amex

Add a third card — usually a premium travel card with lounge access — only once you’re comfortable tracking spending across multiple statements. JMV’s six-card setup is the result of years of optimization, not a starting point. Build up gradually as your travel and spending volume grows.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!

Jean-Maximilien Voisine

Jean-Maximilien Voisine is the President and Founder of Milesopedia and a leading expert in rewards programs, credit cards, and travel across Canada, France, and the U.S.A. Now 40 years old and a father of two, he has explored more than 100 countries—many of them alongside his wife Audrey and their children. Specializing in loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, Flying Blue, American Express Membership Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy, Jean-Maximilien helps travellers unlock the full potential of their points and benefits. His mission: empower others to travel better and smarter across North America and Europe.

All posts by Jean-Maximilien Voisine

Review type

Credit Cards

4.4

Bottom Line

Frequently Asked Questions about JMV’s wallet of credit cards

Suggested Reading