✓ Rates verified October 2026
Quick answer
The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite is the best credit card for recurring bills in Canada for most households: 4% cash back on recurring bill payments, up to $25,000 in spending a year. If you don’t want an annual fee, the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card pays 2% when you choose Recurring Bill Payments as a category.
Recurring bill rewards come with fine print. A bill only earns the bonus if the merchant charges your card automatically, and some bill types are excluded. This guide covers which cards pay the most on fixed monthly bills, what qualifies, and how to handle billers that don’t take credit cards.
A note on accuracy: Earn rates and terms come from issuer pages reviewed in October 2026. Confirm terms with the issuer before you apply.
Best card for…
Phone, internet, subscriptions
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite
4% on recurring bills
No annual fee
Tangerine Money-Back
2% in a chosen bill category
Streaming
Amex Cobalt
3x points on streaming
Bills + groceries on Mastercard
BMO CashBack World Elite
Strong on groceries and recurring bills
Top Canadian credit cards for recurring bills at a glance
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite pays the most on recurring bills; Tangerine is the strongest no-fee option.
| Card | Annual fee | Recurring bill earn | Cap | Network | Welcome offer (summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite ★ Best overall |
$120 (first year waived with offer) | 4% (shared tier with groceries) | $25,000/yr on the 4% tier | Visa | 15% back for 3 months on up to $2,000 (apply by Nov 1, 2026) |
| CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite | $120 (first year rebated) | 2% on recurring payments | $20,000/yr across bonus categories | Visa | Up to $350 in value, incl. $50 for setting up a pre-authorized payment |
| BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard | $139 (waived year one) | 2% on recurring bills | $500 spend per statement | Mastercard | Up to $650 in first-year value, incl. $40/month cash back and the fee rebate |
| Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card ★ Best no-fee |
$0 | 2% if Recurring Bill Payments is a chosen category | None listed | Mastercard | 10% back, up to $100 (apply by Nov 30, 2026) |
| Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa | $0 | 1.5% on pre-authorized payments | $15,000/yr, shared with gas, groceries, drugstore | Visa | Up to $100 in the first 3 months |
| Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa | $0 | 1% | $15,000/yr, shared across 1% categories | Visa | 5% back for 3 months on up to $2,000 |
| American Express Cobalt | $191.88 ($15.99/month) | 3x points on eligible streaming subscriptions only | None listed | Amex | Up to 15,000 points |
Scroll sideways to see all columns on smaller screens.
Rates as listed on issuer pages on October 10, 2026.
How recurring bill multipliers work
Most bonus categories are decided by the merchant category code (MCC) on a purchase. Recurring bill categories work differently: they are defined by how the merchant bills you.
The issuer definitions
Scotiabank and Tangerine use almost the same wording. A recurring bill payment is a payment “made on a monthly or other regular basis” and “automatically billed by the merchant” to your card (Scotiabank terms, Tangerine terms). Tangerine’s MCC page lists codes for its other categories but none for Recurring Bill Payments.
Both issuers also say they don’t control how merchants are classified. Tangerine’s terms state that “merchants control their MCC categorization” and that “not all ongoing payments will be considered ‘recurring payments.'”
Pre-authorized vs. manual payments
| How you pay | Who starts the charge | Likely to earn the recurring rate? |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-authorized payment: card saved with the biller, charged automatically each cycle | The merchant | Yes, if the merchant bills it as recurring |
| Manual online payment: you enter your card on the biller’s site each month | You | No. Both issuers require the merchant to bill your card automatically, so a one-off payment earns the merchant’s normal category or base rate |
| Bill payment through your bank’s online banking, charged to a credit card | You, through the bank | No. Tangerine’s terms treat this as a cash advance, which earns no rewards |
Card networks let merchants flag a charge as a recurring, merchant-initiated payment on a stored card. The issuers don’t say which technical signal they use, but both terms are clear that the merchant must bill your card automatically.
Key takeaway
The practical rule: set each bill to charge your card automatically, then check your first statement to confirm it earned the recurring rate.
Best overall card for recurring bills: Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite
The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite pays the highest published cash back rate on recurring bills we found: 4% on recurring bill payments and groceries. It also pays 2% on gas, EV charging, transit, rideshare and food delivery, and 1% on everything else.
How the 4% works
- What qualifies: Payments “automatically billed by the merchant” on a monthly or regular basis. Scotiabank says these “typically include telecommunication, insurance, membership, subscriptions purchases.”
- Cap: The 4% tier has a $25,000 annual spend limit, shared between groceries and recurring bills. After that, those purchases earn 1%.
- Reset: Every 12 months from the statement period of your account opening month, not on January 1.
- New exclusions: Effective October 22, 2026, rent payments (MCC 6513) and tax payments (MCC 9311) no longer qualify as recurring bill payments, per the cash back program terms.
Fees, requirements and offer
- Annual fee: $120 ($50 per supplementary card); the first year is waived with the current offer
- Income requirement: $60,000 personal, or Scotiabank’s household income or assets alternatives
- Welcome offer: 15% cash back on up to $2,000 in purchases for the first 3 months, for accounts opened July 2 to November 1, 2026
Is it worth the fee for bills alone?
Only if your recurring bills are large. The chart compares Scotia’s 4% ($120 fee) with Tangerine’s no-fee 2% on $4,800 a year of bills ($400 a month), then with $8,000 of groceries added (Recurring Bill Payments and Grocery as Tangerine’s 2% categories). These are illustrations, not averages.
Yearly rewards after fees
Example household from this article
Bills only
Bills + groceries
The fee pays off once groceries go on the same card.
The math
The break-even on bills alone is about $6,000 a year ($500 a month). Add grocery spending and Scotia pulls well ahead. Welcome offers and base-rate spending are left out.
Who it suits: Households that put groceries and most fixed monthly bills on one card, and stay under the $25,000 combined cap.
Best no-fee option: Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card pays 2% on recurring bills with no annual fee and no listed cap, as long as you choose Recurring Bill Payments as one of your 2% categories.
How to set it up
- Pick your categories. You get two 2% categories, or three if your rewards are deposited into a Tangerine Savings Account. Everything else earns 0.5%.
- Choose Recurring Bill Payments as one of them. Good pairings are Grocery, Gas, or Public Transportation and Parking.
- Move bills to automatic billing on the card. Tangerine’s example of a qualifying bill is “your monthly phone bill.”
- Review every 90 days. You can change categories every 90 days if your spending shifts.
Watch out
Things to watch
- Insurance premiums don’t earn anything. Tangerine’s rewards terms list “insurance premiums” among exclusions from Net Purchases, which are the basis for earning rewards. The clause has no qualifier, so assume any insurance premium charged to the card earns nothing.
- No bank bill payments. Paying a bill through telephone or online banking with the card counts as a cash advance and earns no rewards.
- Merchant control. Tangerine says not every ongoing payment will count as recurring. Check your first statement.
Fees, requirements and offer
- Annual fee: $0
- Income requirement: $12,000 gross annual income
- Network: Mastercard
- Welcome offer: 10% back on up to $1,000 in purchases in the first 60 days (max $100), for applications by November 30, 2026
Who it suits: People with under about $500 a month in recurring bills, or anyone who wants a solid rate without an annual fee.
Top cards for telecom, internet and digital subscriptions
If your recurring spending is mostly phone, internet and streaming, a few other cards are worth comparing. None beats Scotia’s 4% on a cash basis, but they can fit better with the rest of your spending.
BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard: 2% on bills, 5% on groceries
BMO pays 2% on recurring bills, naming “your phone bill, gym membership, and favourite streaming services” as examples. The bill tier is capped at $500 in spending per statement period, and the card pays 5% on groceries (up to $500 per statement). The fee is $139, waived in year one. Being a Mastercard, it also works at Costco.
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite: 2% on recurring payments, 4% on gas and groceries
CIBC pays 2% on recurring payments, on up to $20,000 a year across its bonus categories, per CIBC’s benefits guide. Its welcome offer includes a $50 bonus for setting up one pre-authorized payment. It’s the better pick if your spending leans toward gas and groceries, with bills as a secondary category.
American Express Cobalt: 3x on streaming
The Cobalt earns 3x Membership Rewards points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada. Phone and internet bills earn 1x. It’s mainly a dining and food card (5x), so streaming is a bonus rather than the reason to get it. The fee is $15.99 a month. Some billers don’t accept Amex, so keep a Visa or Mastercard for those.
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard: 5x on household utilities and digital media
MBNA pays 5 points per dollar on household utilities, digital media and memberships, plus restaurants and groceries, on up to $50,000 a year in each category, per MBNA. The fee is $120. Points are worth about 0.83¢ each as a statement credit (120 points = $1), so 5x is roughly 4.2% back in cash, or 5% if you redeem for travel at 1¢. It needs $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income.
Eligible vs. ineligible recurring bills: what qualifies?
Telecom, subscriptions and memberships billed automatically are the safest bets. Rent and taxes are the clearest exclusions, and utilities depend on the provider.
Whether a bill earns the bonus is decided by your card issuer’s rules, not by Visa or Mastercard. Here’s how common Canadian bills line up against the Scotiabank and Tangerine terms.
| Bill type | Likely treatment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cell phone and home internet (auto-billed) | Usually qualifies | Both issuers give telecom or “your monthly phone bill” as an example |
| Streaming and digital subscriptions | Usually qualifies | Scotiabank lists subscriptions as typical recurring bills |
| Gym and other memberships | Usually qualifies | Scotiabank lists memberships |
| Home and auto insurance (auto-billed) | Depends on the card | Scotiabank lists insurance as typical; Tangerine’s terms exclude all insurance premiums from rewards |
| Hydro, natural gas, water | Depends on the provider | Not named by either issuer. Qualifies only if the utility charges your card automatically; some utilities don’t take credit cards or add a fee. Check your provider’s payment page. |
| Municipal property tax | Usually doesn’t qualify | Many municipalities don’t accept credit cards directly, so check your city’s payment options; on Scotia Momentum cards, tax payments (MCC 9311) stop qualifying on October 22, 2026 |
| Rent | Doesn’t qualify on Scotia Momentum cards from Oct 22, 2026 | Rent (MCC 6513) is excluded in the updated terms |
| CRA income tax | Doesn’t qualify on Scotia Momentum cards from Oct 22, 2026 | Tax payments (MCC 9311) are excluded; payments usually go through a third-party processor with a fee |
| Any bill paid through your bank’s bill payment using a credit card | No rewards on Tangerine | Treated as a cash advance |
Will this bill earn the recurring rate?
A quick check before you move a bill to your card
▼
No
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Base rate or nothing
Manual or online-banking payments usually don’t count as recurring.
Yes
▼
▼
Yes
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Excluded on Scotia from Oct 22, 2026
Expect no bonus rate.
No
▼
▼
Yes
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No rewards
Tangerine excludes insurance premiums.
No
▼
Likely earns the bonus
Confirm on your first statement.
How a merchant codes the charge decides the rate.
Key takeaway
Rule of thumb: If the biller stores your card and charges it on a schedule, it has a good chance of qualifying. If you pay it yourself, through a third party, or through online banking, assume it won’t.
Strategies to pay non-accepting billers and avoid surcharges
Paying a biller that doesn’t take credit cards usually costs more in fees than you earn back. It only makes sense in a few specific cases.
Third-party bill payment services
A bill payment service can charge your credit card and pay the biller for you, for a fee:
- PaySimply: Handles CRA payments, property tax and some utilities. Savvy New Canadians reported a 2.5% fee in 2023; PaySimply now lists a 2.49% to 2.5% processing fee for card payments. Which payment options you get varies by biller.
These payments are started by you, through the processor, so they are unlikely to earn a recurring bill bonus. Scotia Momentum cards also exclude tax payments (MCC 9311) from October 22, 2026.
The fee math
Use this check before paying any bill through a fee-charging service:
Net return = your card’s earn rate on that payment − the processing fee
| Example | Earn | Fee | Net on a $3,000 property tax bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1% card, 2.5% fee | $30 | $75 | −$45 |
| 2% card, 2.5% fee | $60 | $75 | −$15 |
In most cases, paying from your bank account is cheaper.
When paying a fee can still make sense
- Reaching a welcome bonus. If a large bill helps you hit a minimum spend, compare the fee with the bonus you would otherwise miss.
- Points you value above the fee. Only if you consistently redeem points at a value higher than the fee you pay.
Watch for card surcharges
Watch out
Some Canadian merchants add a surcharge for paying by credit card. Card network rules have allowed this outside Quebec since October 2022, capped at 2.4% and at the merchant’s own card-processing cost, per Visa and Mastercard. Quebec still prohibits surcharges. A 2.4% surcharge wipes out the gain on anything but a 4% card. Ask billers whether they surcharge before switching a bill to your card.
Frequently asked questions
Which Canadian credit card gives the highest cash back on recurring bills?
The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite, at 4% on recurring bill payments. That tier is shared with groceries and capped at $25,000 a year. For no annual fee, the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card pays 2% with no listed cap.
Do municipal property taxes and utility bills count as recurring payments on Visa or Mastercard?
It depends on the card issuer, not the network. Utilities count only if the provider charges your card automatically and the issuer accepts it as recurring. Property taxes usually don’t count: many municipalities don’t take credit cards directly, and Scotia Momentum cards exclude tax payments (MCC 9311) from October 22, 2026.
Does the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite 4% recurring bill rate apply to cell phone and internet providers?
Yes, when they bill your card automatically. Scotiabank’s terms say recurring bills “typically include telecommunication, insurance, membership, subscriptions purchases.” Set up pre-authorized billing with your provider and check your first statement to confirm the 4% posted.
Sources
How we checked: details were checked against issuer and retailer websites and recent Canadian credit card guides in October 2026. The links below go to official pages.
- Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite
- Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite cash back program terms
- Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa cash back program terms
- Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card
- Tangerine 2% Money-Back Rewards Program terms (PDF)
- Tangerine merchant category codes
- CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite
- BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
- American Express Cobalt Card
- Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa
- CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite benefits guide (PDF)
- Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa
- MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
- PaySimply
- Visa Canada: Surcharging FAQ for consumers (PDF)
- Mastercard Canada: Merchant surcharge rules