Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® review
Mar 7, 2025
While we adhere to strict editorial guidelines, partners on this page may provide us earnings.
Overall rating
First year value
$0
Get this card if you:
- frequently shop at Canadian Tire stores
- want to earn cash back without paying an annual fee
- value purchase protection and extended warranty coverage
Scores by category
No Annual Fee 3.1
Rewards 2.6
Cash Back 2.3
At a glance
The Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that offers cash back on purchases, with higher rates for spending at Canadian Tire and its affiliated stores. Cardholders can also access promotional financing options for eligible in-store purchases, providing flexibility for larger expenses.
Highlights
$0
First year value
$0
Annual fee
no annual fee
Interest Rates
21.99%
Purchase APR
22.99%
Cash advance APR
Eligibility
Good
Recommended credit score
Quick overview
Quick overview of the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard®
The Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® offers an attractive mix of unlimited cash back and no annual fee for card membership. The card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, with that rate rising to an impressive 3% back with Canadian Tire companies such as Mark’s, Atmosphere, Party City, Sport Chek and more.
Who can benefit?
Who can benefit from the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard®?
If you want a straightforward, cash back card but don’t care about gas discounts, this card may be the Canadian Tire credit card option for you.
While the unlimited 1.5% back is great, the 3% back on purchases with Canadian Tire companies is exceptional thanks to the wide selection of brands from which to choose. From sporting goods to outdoor gear, tools to tires, pets to porches, Canadian Tire has something for everyone.
The unlimited base earn rate is also generous when compared with other cash back options on the market, many of which earn between 0.5% and 1% back on "all other purchases." The Cash Advantage Card's 1.5% back makes it an excellent choice for the rewards novice who wants simplicity, enhanced rewards at CT brands and $0 annual fee.
Pros and cons
Pros and cons
Pros
- No annual fee
- Up to 3% cash back with no caps
- Special in-store promotional financing options
Cons
- Limited insurance coverage
- No welcome bonus for new accounts
- No gas discounts like other Canadian Tire credit cards
Welcome bonus
Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® welcome bonus
This card does not currently offer a welcome bonus for new accounts.
Related article: The best Canadian credit card welcome bonuses
How to earn cash back
How to earn rewards with the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard®
The Cash Advantage® Mastercard® from Canadian Tire Bank offers cash back rewards in two tiers:
Tier 1: 3% cash back on Canadian Tire family brands
Earn an unlimited 3% cash back on purchases made at any of the brands that are part of the Canadian Tire family of companies. Participating retailers include Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Mark’s, L’Équipeur, Atmosphere, Party City, Pro Hockey Life, Sports Rousseau, Hockey Experts, L’Entrepôt du Hockey and participating Sports Experts stores.
Not all items sold at these stores will qualify for the 3% cash back. However, most of your purchases with Canadian Tire will still earn rewards. Gas, ATM withdrawals and some other services or products may not qualify for the 3% cash back.
Tier 2: 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases made with the card. This category has no restrictions. Simply use the card to make a purchase and receive 1.5% cash back. It's that simple!
How to redeem
How to redeem cash back
Cash back is automatically applied to your account every year, and there is no limit on the amount of cash back you can receive.
Key benefits
Key benefits of the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard®
- Unlimited cash back: The chief benefit of the Cash Advantage® Mastercard® from Canadian Tire Bank is the ability to earn unlimited cash back on every purchase. That perk is further accelerated by adding bonus cash back for purchases made with the 10+ brands that make up the Canadian Tire family, including Mark’s, Sport Chek, Apostrophe and more.
-
$0 annual fee: The addition of no annual fee is another wonderful benefit. The lack of a fee means there is no cost you’ll need to offset before the credit card starts paying for itself. And with an annual rewards potential of over $200 for average users, that no annual fee is just icing on the cake.
-
Promotional financing: Canadian Tire provides the option of promotional financing on select purchases. This benefit offers 0% interest for 24 months on eligible Canadian Tire purchases of $150 or more.
Insurance coverage
Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® insurance coverage
Canadian Tire Bank credit cards are solid regarding rewards, but weak regarding insurance coverage. The Cash Advantage® Mastercard® is no exception and provides only the essentials, namely:
- Extended warranty: 1 year
- Purchase protection: 90 days
There is no rental car collision or damage protection, no travel accident insurance or any mobile phone protection should you drop or lose it. Instead, the card prioritizes rewards, promotional financing and no hidden fees.
Extra benefits
Extra benefits of the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard®
An additional benefit that Canadian Tire Bank offers to cardholders is the option of 0% promotional financing. Cardholders can choose no-fee, no-interest financing for 24 months on purchases of $150 or more at participating Canadian Tire partner brands.
Here's an example of the potential equal monthly payments for different purchase amounts:
- $150 purchase: $6.25 monthly payment
- $250 purchase: $10.42 monthly payment
- $350 purchase: $14.59 monthly payment
- $450 purchase: $18.75 monthly payment
Other features of the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® include:
- Chip and pin technology for an additional layer of security
- Mobile wallet compatibility
- Access to the Canadian Tire Triangle Rewards mobile app
How it compares
How does the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® compare?
Canadian Tire Cash Advantage Mastercard vs Tangerine Money-back Card
10% cash back
Welcome Bonus
$484
First Year Value
$384
Annual Value
Welcome Bonus: Earn 10% cash back for 2 months† (up to $100). Expires Jan 30, 2026
Get this card if you...
- want flexible cash back categories
- want unlimited cash back
- want to avoid paying an annual fee
Annual Fee & Annual Interest Rates
$0
Annual Fee
19.95% - 24.95%
Purchase
19.95%
Cash Advance
1.95% - 19.95%
Balance Transfer
Our Take
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a no-annual-fee cash back card that allows cardholders to earn a higher cash back rate in two spending categories of their choice, such as groceries, gas, or restaurants, and a lower rate on all other purchases. By opening a Tangerine Savings Account and directing cash back earnings there, a third higher rate cash back category can be added. Additional benefits include purchase assurance and extended warranty protection, with cash back rewards automatically applied monthly.
Eligibility
Good (620 - 670)
Recommended Credit Score
$12,000
Required Annual Personal Income
Pros
- No annual fee
- Choose the spending categories where you want to earn the most cash back
- Unlimited cash back—no maximum spending limit for any purchase category
- Cash back is paid out monthly rather than annually
- Periodically includes a special welcome offer where you can get extra cash back
- 1.95% interest on balance transfers for the first 6 months (1% transfer fee applies)*
Cons
- Regular cash back rates are still lower than what you can get from a card with an annual fee
- Limited extra perks or benefits beyond the cash back and balance transfer promotion
- Generally not a good fit for shopping at warehouse clubs or wholesale grocers like Costco or Walmart
- Tangerine does not have any physical bank branches
Annual Interest Rates
19.95% - 24.95%
Purchase
19.95%
Cash Advance
1.95% - 19.95%
Balance Transfer
1.95%
Balance Transfer (Introductory)
24.95%
Penalty
Fees
$0
Annual Fee
2.50%
Foreign Transaction
3.00%
Balance Transfer
$3.5
Cash Advance
$25
Over The Limit Penalty
$25
Return Penalty
Rewards cash back
2%
Earn 2% cash back on 2 categories of your choice (e.g. groceries, recurring bills, gas, drug stores, etc.)
3
Get a Tangerine Savings account and add a 3rd 2% cash back category.
0.5%
Earn 0.50% on all your other everyday purchases.
Earn 10% cash back for 2 months† (up to $100).
Our Take
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a no-annual-fee cash back card that allows cardholders to earn a higher cash back rate in two spending categories of their choice, such as groceries, gas, or restaurants, and a lower rate on all other purchases. By opening a Tangerine Savings Account and directing cash back earnings there, a third higher rate cash back category can be added. Additional benefits include purchase assurance and extended warranty protection, with cash back rewards automatically applied monthly.
Eligibility
Good (620 - 670)
Recommended Credit Score
$12,000
Required Annual Personal Income
Pros
- No annual fee
- Choose the spending categories where you want to earn the most cash back
- Unlimited cash back—no maximum spending limit for any purchase category
- Cash back is paid out monthly rather than annually
- Periodically includes a special welcome offer where you can get extra cash back
- 1.95% interest on balance transfers for the first 6 months (1% transfer fee applies)*
Cons
- Regular cash back rates are still lower than what you can get from a card with an annual fee
- Limited extra perks or benefits beyond the cash back and balance transfer promotion
- Generally not a good fit for shopping at warehouse clubs or wholesale grocers like Costco or Walmart
- Tangerine does not have any physical bank branches
Annual Interest Rates
19.95% - 24.95%
Purchase
19.95%
Cash Advance
1.95% - 19.95%
Balance Transfer
1.95%
Balance Transfer (Introductory)
24.95%
Penalty
Fees
$0
Annual Fee
2.50%
Foreign Transaction
3.00%
Balance Transfer
$3.5
Cash Advance
$25
Over The Limit Penalty
$25
Return Penalty
Rewards cash back
2%
Earn 2% cash back on 2 categories of your choice (e.g. groceries, recurring bills, gas, drug stores, etc.)
3
Get a Tangerine Savings account and add a 3rd 2% cash back category.
0.5%
Earn 0.50% on all your other everyday purchases.
Earn 10% cash back for 2 months† (up to $100).
The Tangerine Money Back Credit Card makes earning cash back a breeze. Cardholders earn unlimited 2% back on two categories of their choosing, with the ability to change categories monthly. Here are the eligible categories: gas, groceries, hotels, entertainment, furnishings, hotels, home improvement, restaurants, recurring bill payments or public transit and parking. In terms of insurance, both cards offer similar protections: purchase protection and extended warranty coverage (and nothing else).
Canadian Tire Cash Advantage Mastercard vs RBC Cash Back Mastercard
up to 7% cash back^
Welcome Bonus
$346
First Year Value
$276
Annual Value
Welcome Bonus: Get up to 7% cash back for the first 3 months on up to $1,000 in total purchases^. Expires Mar 25, 2026
Get this card if you...
- want to earn cash back, without an annual fee
- value extended warranty and purchase protection
- want fuel discounts at Petro Canada
Annual Fee & Annual Interest Rates
$0
Annual Fee
20.99%
Purchase
22.99%
Cash Advance
22.99%
Balance Transfer
Our Take
The RBC Cash Back Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that offers cash back on everyday purchases, with elevated rates for grocery store spending. Cardholders benefit from features such as purchase security, extended warranty protection, and savings on fuel at Petro-Canada.
Eligibility
Good (620 - 670)
Recommended Credit Score
Pros
- No annual fee, no fee for additional cardholders
- Up to 2% cash back on groceries², up to 1% cash back on everything else²
- No limit on cash back earned¹
- Save money on gas at Petro-Canada⁵
- Easy approval requirements
Cons
- Cash back rewards on groceries drop to 1% after you accumulate $6,000 in grocery charges
- No travel insurance or other perks
- 0.5% applies to the cash back on everything else up to $6,000 but what is impressive is that for all non-grocery spend the cash back rate actually goes up from the 0.5% to 1% on spend over $6,000, rewarding as your spend more instead of diminishing
Annual Interest Rates
20.99%
Purchase
22.99%
Cash Advance
22.99%
Balance Transfer
Fees
$0
Annual Fee
2.50%
Foreign Transaction
5.00%
Balance Transfer
$5
Cash Advance
$45
Return Penalty
Rewards cash back
2%
Up to 2% unlimited cash back on groceries
1%
Up to 1% unlimited cash back on everything else
$0.03
Link your card and instantly save 3¢/L on fuel and 20% more Petro-Points at Petro Canada
50
Get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall
$0 Delivery Fees
Get $0 delivery fees for 3 months from DoorDash when you add your eligible RBC credit card to your DoorDash account
Get up to 7% cash back for the first 3 months on up to $1,000 in total purchases^. Apply by March 25, 2026.
• Receive 5% bonus cash back^ plus 2% standard cash back on grocery store purchases†
• Receive 5% bonus cash back^ plus 0.5% standard cash back on all other qualifying transactions†
^This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC Cash Back Mastercard credit card received between December 10, 2025 and March 25, 2026 (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”), subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the RBC Cash Back Mastercard credit card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card transferring to an RBC Cash Back Mastercard credit card during the Offer Period, are not eligible for this offer.
See RBC site for full Terms and Conditions.
Our Take
The RBC Cash Back Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee credit card that offers cash back on everyday purchases, with elevated rates for grocery store spending. Cardholders benefit from features such as purchase security, extended warranty protection, and savings on fuel at Petro-Canada.
Eligibility
Good (620 - 670)
Recommended Credit Score
Pros
- No annual fee, no fee for additional cardholders
- Up to 2% cash back on groceries², up to 1% cash back on everything else²
- No limit on cash back earned¹
- Save money on gas at Petro-Canada⁵
- Easy approval requirements
Cons
- Cash back rewards on groceries drop to 1% after you accumulate $6,000 in grocery charges
- No travel insurance or other perks
- 0.5% applies to the cash back on everything else up to $6,000 but what is impressive is that for all non-grocery spend the cash back rate actually goes up from the 0.5% to 1% on spend over $6,000, rewarding as your spend more instead of diminishing
Annual Interest Rates
20.99%
Purchase
22.99%
Cash Advance
22.99%
Balance Transfer
Fees
$0
Annual Fee
2.50%
Foreign Transaction
5.00%
Balance Transfer
$5
Cash Advance
$45
Return Penalty
Rewards cash back
2%
Up to 2% unlimited cash back on groceries
1%
Up to 1% unlimited cash back on everything else
$0.03
Link your card and instantly save 3¢/L on fuel and 20% more Petro-Points at Petro Canada
50
Get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall
$0 Delivery Fees
Get $0 delivery fees for 3 months from DoorDash when you add your eligible RBC credit card to your DoorDash account
Get up to 7% cash back for the first 3 months on up to $1,000 in total purchases^. Apply by March 25, 2026.
• Receive 5% bonus cash back^ plus 2% standard cash back on grocery store purchases†
• Receive 5% bonus cash back^ plus 0.5% standard cash back on all other qualifying transactions†
^This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC Cash Back Mastercard credit card received between December 10, 2025 and March 25, 2026 (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”), subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the RBC Cash Back Mastercard credit card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card transferring to an RBC Cash Back Mastercard credit card during the Offer Period, are not eligible for this offer.
See RBC site for full Terms and Conditions.
The RBC Cash Back Mastercard is another unlimited cash back worth considering. Cardholders earn unlimited 2% back on groceries through eligible supermarkets (including Atlantic Wholesalers, Foodland, Fortino’s, IGA, Loblaw’s, No Frills, Sobeys, Superstore and more) plus 1% back on all other purchases.
The 1% base rate is obviously lower than the 1.5% back with the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage Card, but the RBC card’s impressive 2% back on groceries is tempting. The RBC Cash Back credit card also provides 3 cents per litre savings on fuel at Petro-Canada, additional points through Rexall Be Well (when registering the card) and much more comprehensive insurance protections than found with the Cash Advantage® from Canadian Tire.
Disclosures:
-
Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions.
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Is it worth it?
Is the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® worth it?
If you're looking for a credit card that offers great rewards and benefits, the Canadian Tire Cash Advantage® Mastercard® is worth considering. You can earn unlimited cash back on all purchases whether you're shopping at Canadian Tire or anywhere else. The card has additional perks, such as no annual fee and exclusive financing at Canadian Tire stores.
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements
Applicants must be Canadian residents of the age of majority in their province. There are no income requirements for applying, although you'll need a good credit score.
FAQs
FAQs
Cory Santos
Senior Reporter
Cory Santos is a finance writer, editor and credit card expert with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance. Cory joined Wise Publishing from BestCards, with bylines in numerous print and digital publications across North America, including the Miami Herald, BlogTO, Debt.ca, AOL, MSN and Medium as well as financial podcasts like KOFE Talk. He's also the creator and author of the annual Money.ca Credit Card Awards.
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†Terms and Conditions apply.