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RBC Cash Back Mastercard card
Cash backNo annual feeRBC · Mastercard

RBC Cash Back Mastercard

Skip for nowWhat the roles mean

  • A no-fee grocery card for RBC clients: 2% cash back on groceries, no cap
Welcome offer now

Get 5% extra cash back on your first $2,000 in spend for 6 months

Ends February 2, 2027.

Checked on RBC's own page October 21, 2026. See RBC's page

What it earns in a year

$315 back a year

No annual fee to take off.

Based on $30,000 a year of spending ($9,600 groceries, $3,000 gas, $3,000 dining…). Welcome offer not included.

Try it with your own spending →

  • Groceries: 2% back.
  • Gas / EV (Incl. EV charging): 1% back.
  • Transit (Incl. rideshare): 1% back.
  • Everything else: 0.5% back.

Highlighted = use this card here.

How to apply for the RBC Cash Back Mastercard

Check first

  • Welcome offer not for switches: you can't get it by switching an existing RBC personal credit card to this one
  1. Check you qualify No minimum income listed. You need to live in Canada and be the age of majority in your province.
  2. Have this ready Your address and how long you've lived there, your employer and yearly income, and your monthly rent or mortgage. Your SIN is optional for a credit card; you can leave it blank.
  3. Expect a credit check Applying adds a hard inquiry to your credit report, which lowers your score a little for a few months. Space applications about 90 days apart.
  4. Apply on RBC's own site Apply online from the bank's product page, where the offer above is shown. This isn't an affiliate link: we earn nothing if you apply.Apply on RBC's site →
  5. After you're approved Put the spending needed for the welcome offer on the card before the deadline, and pay the full balance every month.

How to use it

  • Groceries: every run at a store coded as a grocery store (2%)
  • Gas, EV charging, transit, rideshare: 1%
  • Everything else, including bills: use another card. This one pays 0.5%
  • Welcome offer: 5% extra on your first $2,000 in 6 months, up to $100. Apply by February 2, 2027
  • Redeeming: $25 minimum, by phone, until December 1, 2026. From December 2, any amount from $1 online or in the app
  • Example: $800/month groceries + $250 gas + $550 dining and bills = $255 a year back

Posts about this card

Key facts

Annual fee
$0
Purchase interest
21.99%
Foreign currency fee
2.5%
Min. personal income
None published
Min. household income
None published
Rewards
Cash back

Annual fee waiver

  • No annual fee

From rbcroyalbank.com product page, checked October 17, 2026. Not an affiliate link.

More RBC cards

Best paired with
Neo World Elite Mastercard card

Neo World Elite Mastercard

  • This card: transit
  • Neo World Elite Mastercard: groceries, gas / ev, dining & restaurants, bills & subscriptions, travel, drugstore / pharmacy, entertainment, everything else
  • Together: $703 a year after both fees, vs $315 with this card alone

If your stores take Amex: Scotiabank Gold Amex for groceries, gas / ev, dining & restaurants, bills & subscriptions, travel, transit, drugstore / pharmacy, entertainment, everything else makes it $888 a year. Costco and Loblaw-banner grocers don't take Amex.

Computed on our standard household ($30,000 a year): each kind of spending goes to whichever card pays more, both fees taken off. Partners are everyday, category and churning cards on Visa or Mastercard. Points at their simplest redemption. Welcome offers not included.

Pros

  • No annual fee, no published income requirement
  • 2% on groceries with no cap
  • 1% on gas, EV charging, transit and rideshare
  • Up to $100 extra in the first 6 months
  • Cash back never expires while the account is open
  • Petro-Canada: 3¢/litre off when linked

Cons

  • 0.5% on everything else, including bills and dining
  • Groceries must be at a store coded as a grocery store; some big-box stores earn 0.5%
  • No travel or phone insurance
  • 2.5% on foreign-currency purchases
  • Rebuilt October 1, 2026: the old 1% on non-grocery spending past $6,000 is gone
  • No welcome offer if you switch in from another RBC personal card

Insurance included

  • Purchases: 90 days of theft/damage cover, warranty doubled up to +1 year

Maximums as RBC lists them. Conditions apply; the insurance certificate decides claims.

Perks

  • Petro-Canada: save 3¢/litre and earn 20% more Petro-Points (link the card)
  • DoorDash: 3 months of DashPass
  • Rexall: 50 Be Well points per $1

Other cards for groceries

Back a year on $9,600 of groceries, caps included. Points at best-case value. Before annual fees.

CardEarns on groceriesBack a yearAnnual feeTerms checked
Amex Cobalt5× points≈ 10.0% in value$960$192October 21, 2026
Scotiabank Gold Amex6× points$576$120November 2, 2026
Neo World Elite Mastercard5% back$480$149October 21, 2026
National Bank World Elite Mastercard5× points$480$150October 21, 2026
Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard4% back$384$100October 23, 2026
SimplyCash Preferred4% back$384$120October 21, 2026
RBC Cash Back Mastercard2% back$192$0October 21, 2026

How the offer has changed

One row per check of RBC's page, newest first. Old rows are never edited.

CheckedWelcome offerFee, year oneEnds
October 21, 20265% extra cash back on the first $2,000 of purchases in the first 6 months (up to $100), on top of standard rates. Apply Oct 1, 2026 – Feb 2, 2027Unchanged since October 17, 2026: same offer and window; 2% / 1% / 0.5% unlimited; purchase rate 21.99%; Dec 2, 2026 redemption change still stated$0February 2, 2027
October 17, 20265% extra cash back on the first $2,000 of purchases in the first 6 months (up to $100), on top of standard rates. Apply Oct 1, 2026 – Feb 2, 2027Changed offer (was up to 7% on $1,000 for 3 months, apply by Sep 9). Earn revamped: 2% groceries and 0.5% other now unlimited (the $6,000 thresholds are gone), new 1% on gas, EV charging, transit, rideshare. Page purchase rate 21.99%$0February 2, 2027

General information, not financial advice. Offers change; confirm on RBC's page before you apply.