Strategy · Last reviewed 2026-06-01

How to earn more rewards on recurring bills

Recurring bills are the easiest spend to optimize: predictable, card-eligible, and a quiet source of $200–$400/year in extra rewards. This guide covers the strategy — for the full ranked list, see our recurring-bills card ranking.

The short answer

To earn more rewards on recurring bills in Canada, route every bill to one optimized card: a bill-multiplier card (Amex Cobalt's eligible recurring categories, Scotia Momentum's 4% recurring/utilities) or a flat-rate 2% cashback card as a default. Bundling bills also accelerates welcome-bonus minimum spend.

Why recurring bills are underrated

Bills are predictable, recurring, and almost universally credit-card-eligible. Pointing them all at one optimized card adds 1–3% effective return on $4,000–$8,000 of annual spend without any behavior change.

Cards we recommend

Amex Cobalt — strong on grocery/dining + 1x base on bills, with 5x on Cobalt-eligible recurring categories.
Wealthsimple Cash Card — flat 2% on every bill, $0 fee.
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite — 4% on recurring bills + utilities (capped).

Top picks

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite card art

$150

Scotiabank · Visa

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite

+$600 · First Year Free

Wealthsimple · Visa

Wealthsimple Cash Card (Visa Infinite)

+$580 · First Year Free

$40

American Express · Amex

American Express Cobalt

+$700 · $156/yr

See the full ranking

Pair with rent

If you're already routing rent through Chexy or Neobanc, consider using the same card for bills — you'll hit signup bonus minimums faster and the optimization compounds.

FAQ

Common questions

Should I use one card for all bills or split them by category?+

For most people, one card wins. The simplicity is worth it, and most category multipliers cap at $500–$1,000/month — easy to exceed when you bundle rent + bills. Only split if you're chasing two signup bonuses simultaneously.

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