5 Secrets From Canada's Credit Card "Super Users" — And How to Use Them Yourself

Published July 4, 2026

Most Canadians pick a credit card once and forget about it. A small group of "super users" treat their cards like a part-time job — juggling anywhere from two to fifteen at a time to squeeze out every point, dollar and perk. A recent deep-dive by The Globe and Mail profiled several of these cardholders, and their playbooks offer real lessons for the rest of us, no matter how many cards are in your wallet.

1. Match the card to your life, not the other way around

The most consistent theme among heavy point-collectors: don't let a rewards program talk you into spending differently. One frequent traveller pairs a grocery-and-dining-heavy card with a second card that waives foreign-transaction fees — because that's where her actual spending happens. If a card only pays off when you change your habits to chase it, it's not a good fit.

2. Watch how purchases actually get categorized

Cash-back categories sound simple until you look closely. Some retailers Canadians assume count as "groceries" — big-box stores, for instance — often don't get coded that way, quietly shrinking your expected rewards. It's worth checking your statement occasionally to see how your regular purchases are actually being classified, rather than trusting the category label on the card's marketing page.

3. Redeem points — don't hoard them

Sitting on points waiting for the "perfect" premium redemption is a losing strategy. Loyalty programs quietly devalue their points over time as demand and dynamic pricing shift, meaning a flight that costs a certain number of points today can cost noticeably more next year. The advice from seasoned users is consistent: redeem regularly rather than banking points indefinitely.

4. Skip the airline's own portal when redeeming travel points

Booking directly through an airline's own rewards program is usually the most expensive way to use points, since airlines can price their own flights however they like. Transferring points to a partner airline instead can cut the cost dramatically — in one case, cited in the Globe's reporting, a business-class trip to Japan cost a fraction of the points it would have taken to book the same seats directly.

5. If you carry a balance, the math changes completely

None of this matters if you're paying interest. Nearly half of Canadians with a credit card carry a balance for at least two consecutive months, according to a Bank of Canada study cited in the report. If that's you, a balance-transfer card with a promotional low rate can save far more than any cash-back or travel program — but read the fine print on how new purchases get charged once the promo period ends, since some issuers apply full interest to new spending even while your transferred balance is still at the discounted rate.

The bottom line

A credit card should never be the centrepiece of your financial plan — it's a small optimization on top of the basics, like contributing to a TFSA or paying off debt. But if you're going to carry one anyway, you might as well make sure it's actually working for you.

Based on reporting from The Globe and Mail's Big Guide to Credit Cards.