This is the no-fee card I'd look at first if restaurants and coffee are a big part of your spending. Four percent at restaurants, bars and coffee shops is a high rate for a card with no annual fee, and 1.5% on gas, groceries, drugstores and pre-authorized bills covers most of the rest of a household budget.
The trade-offs are in the fine print. The 4% stops after $5,000 a year, the 1.5% categories share a $15,000 limit, and cash back is paid once a year on the January statement, not when you want it. You also need to live outside Quebec, since Simplii does not offer banking there.
Welcome offer
Simplii is advertising up to 20% cash back for new cardholders, verified on the Simplii page on October 13, 2026. The rate applies to gas, groceries, drugstore purchases and pre-authorized payments during your first 3 monthly statement periods, or until you reach $500 in those purchases, whichever comes first, for up to $100 in total.
The 20% is the card's regular 1.5% plus an extra 18.5%, so the bonus portion tops out at $92.50. The offer applies to cards approved from February 2, 2026, with no end date printed, and you are not eligible if you opened or cancelled a Simplii Cash Back Visa in the last 12 months. Confirm the current terms on the issuer's page before applying.
Only the 1.5% categories count, so dining does not help here. Put about $167 a month of groceries, gas or bills on the card for the first three statements and you reach the full $100.
Fees & eligibility
The card has no annual fee, for the primary cardholder and up to 3 additional cardholders. You need a household income of at least $15,000, be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living outside Quebec, and have no bankruptcy in the last 7 years.
Purchases carry a 21.99% interest rate, and cash advances, balance transfers and convenience cheques 22.99%. Simplii charges a 2.5% foreign currency conversion fee, and new purchases get a 21-day grace period. As with any cash back card, the rewards only come out ahead if you pay the balance in full every month.
Earning rewards
Restaurants, bars, fast food, coffee shops and caterers earn 4% cash back on the first $5,000 in purchases each year. Gas stations, grocery stores, drugstores and pre-authorized payments earn 1.5% on a combined $15,000 a year. Everything else, including those categories past their limits, earns 0.5%.
Purchases by additional cardholders earn cash back for the primary account, and paying for a Simplii Global Money Transfer with the card earns cash back too, with no transfer fee.
Redeeming rewards
There is nothing to redeem. Cash back builds up from your January statement (or account opening) through December, and the full amount is applied automatically as one annual credit on the primary cardholder's January statement.
That keeps it simple, but you cannot take cash back mid-year, and a large dining year still pays out only once. If you prefer to redeem whenever you like, that is a real limitation compared with cards that allow anytime redemption.
Perks & benefits
The perks are light. Linking the card to Skip gets you a free Skip+ membership and a $20 welcome voucher, and paying for a Simplii Global Money Transfer with the card costs no transaction fee and is interest-free if you pay the balance by the due date. You can add up to 3 cardholders at no cost and set spending limits for each.
There is no lounge access, no travel credit and no foreign transaction fee waiver.
Insurance
Insurance is limited to purchase coverage, underwritten by Belair. Purchase Security covers most new items against loss, theft or damage for 90 days, and Extended Protection doubles the manufacturer's warranty for up to 1 extra year.
Both share a $60,000 total limit per cardholder across all Simplii Financial cards, and both pay in excess of other insurance you have. There is no travel medical, trip cancellation, rental car or travel accident coverage; Simplii points cardholders to optional CIBC Travel Medical Insurance instead.
My take
I'd get this card if you spend a lot at restaurants and want no annual fee; I'd skip it if you live in Quebec or want your cash back more than once a year.
Four percent on dining with no fee is the reason to look at this card, and 1.5% on groceries, gas, pharmacies and bills is a solid second tier. For someone spending a few hundred dollars a month eating out, that adds up faster than a flat-rate no-fee card would on the same spending.
I'd go in knowing the limits. The 4% covers only $5,000 a year, the payout comes once in January, the insurance stops at purchase protection, and there is a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. The welcome offer is small but easy: up to $100 on your first $500 of everyday spending.
The good
- 4% at restaurants, bars and coffee shops with no annual fee
- 1.5% on gas, groceries, drugstores and pre-authorized bills
- Up to $100 welcome cash back on just $500 in spending
The catch
- 4% stops at $5,000 a year and 1.5% at $15,000
- Cash back paid only once a year, in January
- Not available in Quebec; 2.5% foreign transaction fee