Think about how much you spend on recurring bills each month—rent alone might be thousands of dollars! If you’re paying with a debit card or bank transfer, you’re leaving serious rewards on the table. Why not get something back for the money you’re already spending? 

By paying your bills with a credit card, you could rack up points for free flights or earn up to 4% cashback. But which cards are the most rewarding? In this post, we’ll break down the top 6 credit cards for recurring payments and show you just how much you could earn by putting your rent and bills to work for you.

Why Should You Pay Bills with a Credit Card?

There are many reasons you should pay bills with your credit card, including:

• You’ll earn rewards: By paying your bills with a credit card, you can earn rewards in the form of cashback, points, or miles (depending on your credit card). 

• You’ll build credit: Each bill paid with your credit card diversifies your credit mix, one of the top factors in determining your credit score. Paying off your balance in full and on time each month shows the credit bureaus you’re using your credit cards responsibly and will raise your score over time. 

• You can easily keep track of your expenses: Paying all your bills with one credit card allows you to consolidate all expenses in one place, making it easy to track spending and manage your budget. 

• Automatic payments: With Chexy Wallet, you never have to worry about bill due dates. Add the payee’s info and the monthly due date, and we’ll automatically withdraw the amount from your account and send it on the due date each month. 

Still need convincing? Here are more reasons to pay your bills with a credit card. 

What Bills Can You Not Pay with a Credit Card?

There are only two kinds of bills you cannot pay with a credit card: mortgages and loan payments. 

Currently, we also do not accept variable bill payments, and all payments must be made with the same credit card. 

How to Pay Bills with a Credit Card Online

As an active rent-paying user, you can opt into Chexy Wallet. Here’s exactly how you can do so:

1. Log into your Chexy Dashboard and click the “Add more subscriptions” button. 

2. Enter the payee and bill info along with the due date, and confirm your credit card info. 

3. The payment will be charged to your credit card 3 business days before the bill is due and sent to the payee on the due date via Interac e-Transfer or pre-authorized debit. 

*Please note that you must be an active rent-paying Chexy user to opt into Chexy Wallet. 

Best Credit Cards for Recurring Bills in Canada 

Here are our top six picks for the best credit cards to maximize rewards when paying bills. With Chexy, you can pay your rent and bills while earning an elevated amount of points, cashback, or miles.

We’ll highlight each card’s key benefits and reward structure, using a real-life example to show exactly how much you could earn. For this article, let’s assume your rent is $1,500 and your monthly bills amount to $100.

Best Cashback Credit Cards for Recurring Bills

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card

Best for: Earning cashback on rent and bills

Annual fee: $120

Interest rate: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances

Income requirement: $60,000 personal or $100,000 household 

This award-winning cashback card is at the top of our list for a reason. It offers a spectacular 4% cash back rate for recurring bills up to $25,000 annually (including rent!). Plus, you can get 10% back on all purchases for the first 3 months of card membership! 

With rent and bills totalling $1,600, you’d earn a whopping $36 every month or $432 in net cashback every year (after Chexy fees)!

Along with the 4% cash back on recurring bills, you can earn:

• 4% cash back on groceries

• 2% cash back on daily transit & gas

• 1% cash back on everything else 

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card also comes with incredible benefits, including access to the Visa Infinite program, 25% off car rentals, and a suite of insurance coverage. 

TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card

Best for: Earning cashback on groceries and gas 

Annual fee: $139

Interest rate: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances

Income requirement: $60,000 personal or $100,000 household 

The TD Cash Back Visa Infinite Card offers 3% cash back (up to $15,000 annually) on recurring bill payments. With rent and bills being $1,600, you’d earn about $13 in cashback per month or $156 for the entire year (after Chexy fees). 

You’ll also earn: 

• 3% back on grocery and gas purchases

• 1% back on everything else 

Unlike most other cashback rewards credit cards, you can redeem your cashback anytime. 

This card also gets you Visa Infinite benefits, travel insurance, and a free Deluxe TD Auto Club membership. Read more about the TD Rewards program.

CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card 

Best for: Earning cashback on gas, EV charging, & groceries 

Annual fee: $120

Interest rate: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances

Income requirement: $60,000 personal or $100,000 household 

If you spend a lot on transit and groceries, the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite card is for you. You can get 4% cash back on groceries, EV charging, and gas, plus 2% back on eating out and recurring payments. For everything else, you’ll earn 1% cash back. 

With rent and bills totalling $1,600, you’ll earn $4 in cashback each month or $48 annually after Chexy fees. It’s not as much as the two cards above, but $48 plus the 4% you’ll get back on transit and groceries can be a lot of money each year. 

This card also comes with a generous welcome bonus, plus valuable insurance coverage and the ability to save money on gas with Journie Rewards. 

The Highest Reward Credit Cards for Recurring Bills

American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card

Best for: The Air Canada traveller 

Annual fee: $599

Interest rate: 21.99% on purchases and cash advances

Income requirement: N/A

Perfect for frequent Air Canada flyers, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card offers top-tier airport benefits and travel insurance. Although it has a high annual fee, it’s totally worth it, in our opinion.  

You can earn up to 3x the Aeroplan points on each purchase (3x for Air Canada purchases, 2x on dining and food delivery, and 1.25x on everything else). 

With rent and bills totalling $1,600, you’ll earn 2,000 points each month and 24,000 points by the end of the year. This equates to about $168 in yearly net rent rewards after Chexy fees. 

Some amazing benefits of this card include unlimited access to Maple Leaf airport lounges, priority airport treatment, an annual worldwide companion pass, and top-tier travel insurance. 

RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege

Best for: The luxury traveller 

Annual fee: $399

Interest rate: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances

Income requirement: $200,000 personal or household

Although it has a higher annual fee, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card comes with world-class travel benefits, including global airport lounge access, airport security fast track lanes, 2-for-1 ski passes, and travel insurance. 

This card earns you 1.25 Avion points for every dollar spent, meaning you’ll earn 2,000 points each month and 24,000 yearly just from rent and bills alone. With each point equating to about 2 cents, you’ll get about $144 in net rent rewards each year. 

These points are pretty versatile, as you can use the online portal to book travel or convert them to popular airline loyalty programs. 

American Express Cobalt Card 

Best for: Foodies and frequent travellers 

Annual fee: $155.88 ($12.99 monthly)

Interest rate: 21.99% on purchases and cash advances

Income requirement: N/A

The American Express Cobalt Card is a top choice for those who spend a lot on everyday purchases, dining out, and recurring bills. You can earn:

• 5x the points on dining and food delivery

• 3x the points on streaming subscriptions

• 2x the points on gas, transit, and rideshare 

• 1x the points on everything else 

Assuming your monthly rent and bills total $1,600, you’ll earn 1,600 Membership Rewards points monthly, or 19,200 per year with Chexy. After fees, your net rent rewards per year come out to $86.60. 

The Cobalt card has a generous welcome bonus and referral program, with the opportunity to earn up to 20,000 within the first few months of card membership. With strategic spending and transferring your points to Aeroplan, you could earn enough points for a few free flights in just a year. 

Learn more about the Cobalt card and why you should use it to pay your rent and bills here. 

Check out the Chexy Rewards Calculator to see exactly how much you can earn from each credit card. 

Tips to Save Money on Recurring Bill Payments 

There’s no way around it–rent and bills are expensive. But if you’re strategic, you can find ways to reduce the cost. Here are some of our top tips on how to save money on recurring bills:

• Use a high-rewards credit card. Choose a credit card that gives you a good amount of points or cashback and fits your lifestyle. For example, if you’re a frequent flyer, the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card is a great choice for earning Aeroplan points. On the other hand, if you spend a lot on groceries, the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card is a top choice for 4% cash back. 

• Get rid of subscriptions you don’t use. You probably have a few different streaming subscriptions, like Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime. But do you really need them all? Pick the one you use the most and keep it while getting rid of the rest. 

• Pay upfront for must-have subscriptions. You’ll usually get a discount if you pay subscriptions in advance for the year instead of paying monthly. For example, Grammarly Premium costs $12 USD/month when billed annually vs. $30 USD when billed monthly. You’re saving a whopping $216 each year! 

• Refer friends for the referral bonus. If you have a subscription you can’t live without and know your friends and family will love it too, share your referral link with them–you’ll often receive a credit or discount, and they will, too. 

If you use Chexy, refer your friends to get a month of fees waived! 

If you pay rent and bills in Canada, you can earn rewards and build credit on your monthly non-negotiable expenses. Get started with Chexy today.

Subscribe to our newsletter below for up-to-date credit card, travel, and rental content.