Canadian commuters who use public transit — the TTC (Toronto), STM and Opus (Montreal), OC Transpo (Ottawa), Vancouver’s TransLink/Compass, and Calgary/Edmonton C-Train — can earn elevated rewards on their monthly passes and tap-to-pay transit purchases. A few Canadian credit cards specifically include transit as a bonus earn category.
Best Credit Cards for Transit — Quick Comparison
| Card | Annual Fee | Transit Earn Rate | Programme | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | $120 | 5 BMO Rewards/$1 | BMO Rewards | Best overall transit earn |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | $120 | 5 Scene+/$1 on transit | Scene+ | Best Scene+ transit earn |
| American Express Cobalt Card | $156 | 2 MR/$1 on transit/travel | Amex MR → Aeroplan | MR earners; Aeroplan transfers |
| RBC ION Plus Visa | $48 | 3 Avion pts/$1 on transit | Avion | Best low-fee transit card |
| American Express Business Edge | $99 | 3 MR/$1 on transit | Amex MR | Self-employed commuters |
Verify current earn rates with each issuer. Transit coding depends on how transit operators submit transactions — contactless Presto/Opus/Compass tap-to-pay may code differently than loaded transit passes. Confirm with your issuer.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite — Best Overall Transit Card
The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite earns 5 BMO Rewards per dollar on transit, alongside the same 5x rate on dining, grocery, and gas. At 150 pts = $1 travel (0.67¢/pt), the effective return on transit is approximately 3.3%.
Annual transit value estimate (based on $200/month Presto/TTC pass):
- $200/month × 12 = $2,400/year in transit spending
- $2,400 × 5 BMO Rewards = 12,000 BMO Rewards/year
- Redeemed at 0.67¢/pt = $80.40/year from transit spending alone
The BMO eclipse also earns the same 5x on grocery, dining, and gas — making it the best card for urban Canadians whose largest spending categories are food, transit, and gas.
Note: Transit loads to a Presto card (lump-sum top-ups) may code differently than single transit transactions. Check with BMO whether Presto auto-loads earn at the 5x rate.
Scotiabank Gold American Express — 5 Scene+ on Transit
The Scotiabank Gold Amex earns 5 Scene+ per dollar on eligible everyday purchases including transit (listed as “daily transit” in the card’s earn structure). This includes TTC tokens/Presto, bus passes, and other transit purchases coded as transit.
At 1.0¢ per Scene+ point, this is effectively 5% return on transit spending — the highest effective rate of any major Canadian credit card on transit, when you factor in Scene+ value vs BMO Rewards.
Also earns 5x on: Restaurants, food delivery, and entertainment. Earns 6x on: Sobeys-banner grocery stores (Sobeys, IGA, FreshCo, Safeway).
Best for: Urban Canadians who commute by transit AND shop at Sobeys-banner grocery stores — the combination of 5x transit and 6x grocery is exceptional.
RBC ION Plus Visa — Best Low-Fee Transit Card
At only $48/year, the RBC ION Plus Visa earns 3 Avion points per dollar on transit (alongside 3x on grocery, streaming, and gas). It is the most affordable elevated-transit-earn card in Canada.
Avion points are worth approximately 1.0–2.0¢ each, making the effective return on transit approximately 3.0–6.0% — a wide range depending on how you redeem Avion (portal vs. transfer partners).
Best for: RBC banking clients who want solid transit earning at a low annual fee.
Amex Cobalt — 2 MR per Dollar on Transit
The Amex Cobalt earns 2 Membership Rewards per dollar on transit and travel. Transferred to Aeroplan at 1:1, this is 2 Aeroplan miles per dollar on transit — meaningful but lower than the 5x BMO or Scotia Gold rate.
However, the Cobalt’s main strength is its 5x on dining and grocery. For Amex Cobalt holders, transit earns at 2x while food earns at 5x — it is worth using the Cobalt for transit if you already carry it, but it’s not worth holding the Cobalt specifically for transit.
How Canadian Transit Transactions Are Coded
Credit card transit rewards depend on how your transit authority submits transactions to the card networks:
Tap-to-pay (contactless on the fare gate):
- TTC tap-to-pay (Visa/Mastercard contactless directly on gate) — codes as transit/transportation
- TransLink Compass card top-up — codes as transit
- OC Transpo contactless — codes as transit
Transit pass purchases (at a ticket window or online):
- Monthly pass purchases often code as transit
- Presto auto-load — typically codes as transit; confirm with your issuer
Ride-hailing (Uber, Lyft):
- Uber and Lyft typically code as taxi/limousine, not transit
- The Amex Cobalt earns 5x on Uber (as eating and drinking for UberEats; transport codes may vary)
- BMO eclipse includes Uber in its bonus categories — confirm with BMO
Frequently Asked Questions
Which credit card earns the most on TTC monthly passes in Canada? The Scotiabank Gold American Express earns 5 Scene+ per dollar on eligible transit including TTC purchases, with Scene+ points worth 1.0¢ each — an effective 5% return. The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite also earns 5x on transit but at BMO Rewards’ 0.67¢ rate, yielding approximately 3.3% effective return. Verify current earn rates and which transit transactions qualify with each issuer before applying.
Does the Presto card load earn credit card rewards? Generally yes — Presto auto-loads and manual top-ups typically process as transit/transportation merchant category transactions and earn elevated transit rewards on applicable cards. However, this depends on how Metrolinx (the Presto operator) submits the transaction and your specific card’s category definitions. Verify with BMO or Scotiabank if you plan to rely on Presto loads for 5x earning.
Do Uber and Lyft count as transit for credit card rewards? Typically no. Ride-hailing services (Uber, Lyft) are usually categorised as “taxi/limousine” rather than “transit” for credit card reward purposes. Some cards specifically include ride-hailing in their transit or travel bonus categories — confirm with your issuer. The Amex Cobalt earns bonus points on Uber through its food/travel categories, which can be valuable for heavy Uber users.