Chances are you’ve found yourself wondering why your credit card can’t be used to pay off your biggest expense, your monthly mortgage payments. The short answer is that in Canada, you generally can’t. Mortgage lenders, including the big banks, don’t accept credit cards, and third-party services that let you pay other bills by card, like PaySimply and Chexy, don’t allow credit card payments for mortgages either. Below, you’ll find out why, what these services actually let you do, and what your options are if you’re hoping to earn rewards or need help covering a payment.
Key Points
1. Canadian mortgage lenders, including the big five banks, only list bank account payment methods, like pre-authorized debit and online banking. Credit cards aren’t an option.
2. Third-party services don’t get around this. The mortgage lenders listed on PaySimply only accept Interac e-Transfer, and Chexy only takes mortgage payments from your chequing account.
3. A credit card cash advance or credit card cheque can technically cover a payment, but you’ll pay a fee and interest from day one, with no grace period.
4. If you’re struggling to make a payment, talking to your lender about a deferral or a change to your payment schedule is usually a cheaper option.
Can You Pay Your Mortgage With A Credit Card?
No, in most cases you can’t pay your mortgage with a credit card in Canada. Mortgage lenders almost exclusively use pre-authorized debit for mortgage payments, and a credit card isn’t one of the standard mortgage payment options they offer. Your payment has to come from a bank account, either automatically on your payment date or through online banking.
That’s also true if you try to go through a third-party payment service. While services like PaySimply let you pay some bills and taxes with a credit card, the mortgage lenders on their platforms don’t accept credit card payments. So unless you take out a credit card cash advance, which is costly, there’s no practical way to put your mortgage payment on your card.
Why Don’t Mortgage Lenders Accept Credit Cards?
As a general rule of thumb, using debt (a credit card) to pay off debt (a mortgage) is a bad idea. From the point of view of a lender, that’s a huge risk. If you need to borrow on a high-interest credit card to make your mortgage payment, it may be a sign that you’re struggling to keep up, which makes it more likely that you’ll fall behind.
There’s also the cost. Every time a business accepts a credit card, it pays processing fees to the card networks and banks. On a payment as large as a mortgage, those fees would add up quickly, so lenders stick with pre-authorized debit, which is low cost and reliable. Since lenders are set up to collect payments from your bank account, they aren’t set up to accept card payments, either directly or through a third-party service.
Can You Pay Your Mortgage With A Credit Card At The Big Banks?
No. None of the big five banks list credit cards as a way to pay your mortgage. Instead, they only list ways to pay from a bank account:
| Bank | Credit Card Accepted For Mortgage Payments? | How You Can Pay |
|---|---|---|
| RBC | No | From your bank account, through regular payments and prepayments |
| TD | No | From your bank account, with extra payments through online banking or a branch |
| Scotiabank | No | From your bank account, with payments and prepayments through online or mobile banking |
| BMO | No | From your bank account, with extra payments through online banking |
| CIBC | No | From your bank account, with payment changes and prepayments through online or mobile banking |
*Based on each bank’s mortgage payment information as of October 2026.
Even if you have a credit card with the same bank that holds your mortgage, you can’t move your mortgage payment to your card. The only way to use your bank’s credit card would be through a cash advance or a credit card cheque, which is covered below.
Can You Pay Your Mortgage With A Credit Card Through PaySimply, Chexy Or Other Services?
No. These services are often mentioned as a workaround, but none of them currently let you pay a Canadian mortgage with a credit card.
PaySimply
PaySimply is a Canadian payment platform that enables you to pay bills and taxes using various methods, including credit cards, for a fee of 2.49% to 2.5%. However, credit card payments are only available for certain billers, such as the CRA and many municipalities. Mortgage lenders aren’t one of them.
Which Mortgage Lenders Can You Pay With PaySimply?
Very few mortgage lenders are listed on PaySimply, and the ones that are don’t accept credit cards. As of October 2026, here’s what PaySimply offers for the mortgage lenders on its biller list1:
| Mortgage Lender | Payment Options | Fee | Credit Card Accepted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCAP | Interac e-Transfer only | 1% | No |
| League Savings & Mortgage | Interac e-Transfer only | 1% | No |
| Big five banks | Not listed on PaySimply | N/A | No |
PaySimply’s billers can change over time, so you can search for your lender on its website. Just make sure you check the payment options before you start, since they vary from one biller to another.
Note: Paying By e-Transfer Through PaySimply Costs You More
If your lender is listed, paying by Interac e-Transfer through PaySimply comes with a 1% fee, or $20 on a $2,000 payment, and it doesn’t earn you any credit card rewards.
Paying your lender directly by pre-authorized debit or online banking is usually free, so there’s little reason to use a third-party service for your regular mortgage payments.
Chexy
Chexy lets you make mortgage payments through its platform and earn 1 Aeroplan point for every $1 you pay, but credit cards aren’t eligible for mortgage payments. The money comes from your chequing account, and you’ll pay a fee of 1.75%, or 1.5% with Chexy Plus. So while you can earn rewards, it isn’t a way to put your mortgage on a credit card.
Unlike PaySimply, Chexy works with most Canadian mortgage lenders, since it pays your lender from your chequing account rather than relying on the lender being set up with the service. Supported lenders include RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, National Bank, Desjardins, Tangerine, Simplii, Equitable Bank, First National, and MCAP, as well as online lenders like Wealthsimple, Pine, and Neo Financial.
Is There A Workaround? Credit Card Cash Advances And Cheques
The only way to use a credit card for your mortgage is to take out a cash advance or use a credit card cheque (sometimes called a convenience cheque). You would withdraw the money from your credit card, deposit it into your bank account, and then make your mortgage payment as usual.
This might help in an emergency, but it’s an expensive way to cover a payment, and it won’t help you if your goal is to earn rewards:
- You won’t earn any points or cash back. Earning rewards is one of the main reasons people want to pay their mortgage with a credit card, but cash advances and credit card cheques generally don’t earn points, miles, or cash back. Credit card rewards are usually only paid on purchases, so there’s nothing to offset the extra cost.
- You’ll pay a fee. For example, Scotiabank charges the greater of $5 or 1% of the amount for a cash advance, and $5 for a credit card cheque.
- Interest starts right away. There’s no interest-free grace period on cash advances, so you’re charged interest from the day you take out the money.
- Your interest rate may be higher. Cash advances often come with a higher rate than purchases. For example, the TD Cash Back Visa charges 21.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances.
Here’s what a $2,000 cash advance could cost you, even if you pay it back within a month:
| Cash Advance Example | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mortgage payment | $2,000 |
| Cash advance fee (1%) | $20 |
| Credit card balance | $2,020 |
| Interest for one month* | $38.70 |
| Total cost | $58.70 |
*Based on a 22.99% cash advance interest rate, with the balance paid off after one month. The longer you take to pay it back, the more interest you’ll pay. And since a cash advance doesn’t earn rewards, you won’t get any points or cash back to make up for it.
Adding to your credit card balance can also be risky when many Canadians are already carrying credit card debt:
Drawbacks Of Using A Credit Card To Cover Your Mortgage
Fees
Cash advance and credit card cheque fees are charged every time you use them, and they can add up to a significant amount if you rely on them regularly.
High Interest
With large payments on your credit card, leaving a balance is going to result in the rapid accumulation of high interest. And since cash advances don’t have a grace period, you’ll pay interest even if you pay the balance off by your due date.
No Rewards
Cash advances and credit card cheques generally don’t earn rewards points, miles or cash back, so there’s no upside to offset the cost.
Increasing Your Debt-To-Credit Ratio
Using a credit card for large payments like a mortgage can also lead to an increase in your credit utilization ratio, or debt-to-credit ratio, which is a key marker in the calculation of your credit scores. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada recommends using less than 30% of your total credit limit. For example, a $2,000 cash advance on a card with a $5,000 limit would put you at 40%.
It Could Lead To More Debt
If you need a credit card to cover your mortgage this month, you may face the same problem next month. Relying on credit to make your mortgage payments can quickly turn into a cycle of debt that’s hard to get out of.
Can You Earn Rewards On Your Mortgage Payments?
Not with a credit card. Because you can’t pay your mortgage by credit card, you can’t earn your card’s points, miles or cash back on your payments. And even if you could, a typical third-party fee of around 2.5% would be higher than what most Canadian credit cards earn in rewards.
If earning rewards is your main goal, you have a couple of options:
- Use a service like Chexy. You can earn Aeroplan points on your mortgage payments from your chequing account, but you’ll pay a fee to do it, so make sure the value of the points is worth more than what you’re paying.
- Put your everyday spending on your card. Paying for groceries, gas and bills with a rewards credit card, then paying the balance in full each month, lets you earn rewards without paying fees or interest. You can then keep paying your mortgage from your bank account as usual.
Can You Earn Cash Back By Paying Your Mortgage From A Neo Or KOHO Account?
You can pay your mortgage from a Neo or KOHO account, but neither one gives you cash back on your mortgage payments. Both accounts only pay cash back on card purchases, not on bill payments or pre-authorized debits:
| Account | Can You Pay Your Mortgage From It? | Cash Back On Mortgage Payments? |
|---|---|---|
| Neo Chequing | Yes, through pre-authorized debit or bill payments, with no fees for bill payments | No. You’ll earn 1% cash back on gas and groceries when you add a Neo Money card, but not on bill payments |
| KOHO | Yes, through pre-authorized debit or bill payments. Check the app first, since limits vary by payee | No. KOHO doesn’t pay cash back on bill payments or pre-authorized debits |
If you use either account for your mortgage, give your lender your account’s transit and account numbers, and schedule bill payments at least a few business days before your due date so they arrive on time. You can still earn cash back by using your Neo or KOHO card for everyday purchases.
Alternatives If You Can’t Make Your Mortgage Payment
If you’re thinking about using a credit card because money is tight this month, a few other options may cost you less:
- Talk to your lender. Your lender may offer options like a skip-a-payment feature, a payment deferral, or a temporary change to your payment schedule.
- Use a line of credit. A personal line of credit or a home equity line of credit (HELOC) usually charges less interest than a credit card cash advance.
- Refinance your mortgage. If you’re struggling with other debts, you may be able to refinance and borrow up to 80% of your home’s value to consolidate them. Keep in mind that refinancing can come with fees, such as appraisal and legal costs.
- Review your budget. Cutting back on non-essential spending for a few months can help you free up cash for your mortgage.
Whatever you decide, act before your payment is due. Missing a mortgage payment can lead to late fees and damage to your credit score.
Final Thoughts
Paying your mortgage with a credit card isn’t possible for most Canadians. Lenders only accept payments from a bank account, and services like PaySimply and Chexy don’t allow credit card payments for mortgages. While a cash advance can technically cover a payment, the fees and immediate interest make it an expensive option.
If you’re looking to earn rewards, it’s usually better to use your credit card for everyday spending and pay your mortgage as usual. And if you’re having trouble making your payments, reach out to your lender as soon as possible to see what options are available to you.
Mortgage Payments With Credit Card FAQs
What banks allow you to pay a mortgage with a credit card?
Can I pay my mortgage with a credit card to earn points?
Can I pay my mortgage with Amex?
Can I use PaySimply to pay my mortgage?
Can I earn cash back by paying my mortgage from a KOHO or Neo account?
Is a credit card cash advance a good way to pay my mortgage?
Can I put my credit card debt on my mortgage?
References
- PaySimply. (2026). Search for taxes and bills to pay: Mortgage. https://www.paysimply.ca/partner-search/mortgage
- Equifax Canada. (2026). Non-mortgage delinquency growth slows in second quarter but Ontario homeowners remain under pressure. https://www.equifax.ca/business/blog/all-news/-/story/non-mortgage-delinquency-growth-slows-in-second-quarter-but-ontario-homeowners-remain-under-pressure/
