American Express SimplyCash

Overview

The American Express SimplyCash is Amex's no-annual-fee cashback card for Canadians — a flat-rate card that earns 1.25% cashback on all eligible purchases and 2% cashback on eligible gas and grocery purchases in Canada. Issued by American Express with no annual fee, this card is straightforward by design: no points to track, no transfer steps, no reward currencies. Your cashback is applied as a statement credit once per year, in September. For people who prefer cashback to points and don't want to pay a fee, the SimplyCash is Amex's answer.

Who this card is for

This card fits people who want simple, predictable cashback without any annual fee weighing on the value equation. There's no income requirement. The 1.25% flat rate is above the typical 1% floor of most no-fee cards in Canada, and the 2% on gas and groceries is useful for households with significant spend in those categories — though the grocery rate is capped annually, so very high grocery spenders will hit that ceiling. The card suits someone who shops at a mix of retailers and doesn't want to think about which card to use where.

Key benefits

The 1.25% flat rate on everything eligible means straightforward accumulation on every purchase. Spend $2,000 CAD per month — on rent, subscriptions, dining, retail — and you're earning $25 CAD in cashback monthly, or $300 CAD per year, without tracking any categories.

Gas and grocery purchases earn 2% cashback in Canada, though the grocery earn rate has an annual maximum — once you've earned $300 in cashback on grocery purchases, that category drops to 1.25%. The practical implication: a moderate grocery spender (around $1,250 CAD per month) would hit that cap by year-end, but an average household will have room in the 2% rate all year.

New cardmembers have historically been offered a bonus cash back rate for the first few months on all purchases. Check the Amex Canada site for the current promotion. Supplementary cards can be added at no cost, letting family members earn cashback on their spending too.

Potential drawbacks

The grocery cashback cap is the main friction. Heavy grocery spenders — families doing $1,500+ CAD per month in groceries — will find the 2% rate exhausted earlier in the year, at which point those purchases revert to 1.25%. For a truly high-volume grocery household, the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + earns 4% on groceries at a higher annual fee but without a cashback ceiling on that category. Amex acceptance is narrower than Visa or Mastercard, which can mean the card doesn't work everywhere — a notable limitation for a card whose value is meant to come from using it everywhere.

How it compares

The American Express SimplyCash Preferred earns 4% on gas and groceries and 2% on everything else at $9.99 CAD per month — if you spend more than $600 CAD per month on gas and groceries combined, the Preferred version out-earns the no-fee SimplyCash quickly. For someone spending below that threshold, the no-fee card keeps more value. The CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite earns 4% on groceries and gas at $120 CAD annually on a Visa network — broader acceptance than the SimplyCash with a higher grocery rate if you want to ditch the Amex network.

Bottom line

A solid no-fee cashback card for Canadians who prefer Amex and want a reliable flat rate on all spending. The fee-free structure makes it a low-commitment entry point, and it pairs well alongside a category-specific card for maximising different spending buckets.