Qtrade Direct Investing is a Vancouver-based online brokerage operated by Aviso Financial Inc., a CIRO-regulated investment dealer and CIPF member owned by Aviso Wealth. It offers stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and mutual funds in cash, margin and registered accounts, with commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs and mutual funds and built-in research and portfolio analytics. It suits self-directed Canadian investors who want a research-focused platform without a big-bank relationship.
Risk warning: Trading carries a high risk of losing money, especially with leveraged products such as CFDs. A bonus does not reduce that risk. Only deposit what you can afford to lose.
Qtrade
New Qtrade Direct Investing clients who open an account with promo code OFFER2026 by January 5, 2027 get 5% cash back on C$1,000 to C$10,000 of new deposits, then flat amounts from C$550 to C$5,000 on larger ones. The money must stay until February 5, 2028 and is paid around March 5, 2028.
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Qtrade Direct Investing is a Vancouver-based online brokerage that began in 2000 as a platform for credit union members. It is now a division of Aviso Financial Inc., part of Aviso Wealth, which is owned half by Desjardins and half by Canada's provincial credit union centrals and The CUMIS Group. Aviso was formed in 2018 from the merger of Credential Financial, Qtrade and NEI Investments, and reports more than $150 billion in assets across the whole group.
Aviso Financial Inc. is registered with CIRO as an investment dealer and mutual fund dealer and is a CIPF member, so client property is protected up to $1 million across general accounts (cash, margin, TFSA and FHSA combined), $1 million across registered retirement accounts and $1 million across RESPs if the firm fails. CIRO issued an alert in August 2024 about scam sites impersonating Qtrade; the real domain is qtrade.ca.
Qtrade moved to $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs and mutual funds and dropped its quarterly administration fee in 2025. Options cost $0.75 per contract and bonds $1 per $1,000 of face value. There is no minimum to open, and the web platform includes Morningstar analyst research and portfolio analytics.
Exit costs are where a bonus can be eroded: transferring an account out costs $150, closing an account in its first year costs $100, and a full de-registration of an RRSP or TFSA costs $125. USD registered accounts carry a US$15 quarterly fee unless you qualify for Investor Plus ($500,000 in assets or 150 trades a quarter). Funding is otherwise free, and Qtrade reimburses up to $150 of the transfer-out fee your old broker charges on moves of $15,000 or more.
New clients who open an account with promo code OFFER2026 between September 1, 2026 and January 5, 2027 get 5% cash back on $1,000 to $10,000 of net new deposits, so $50 to $500. Above that the reward becomes a flat amount: $550 up to $25,000, $600 up to $50,000, $700 up to $100,000, $1,000 up to $250,000, $2,500 up to $500,000 and $5,000 above $500,000. The 5% headline therefore applies only to the first $10,000; at $50,000 the effective rate is 1.2%, and at $100,000 it is 0.7%.
Deposits must arrive by February 5, 2027 and stay until February 5, 2028, and the cash is paid on or around March 5, 2028. Withdrawals before the hold ends reduce the qualifying amount, and removing everything cancels the bonus. A separate $100 sign-up bonus, paid around March 5, 2027, needs at least $25,000 funded within 30 days of opening; the landing page mentions the 30 days but not the $25,000. Qualifying also bars you from other Qtrade promotions until January 5, 2028.
The bonus is paid first to a cash account, then margin, then registered accounts, and Qtrade's terms do not say whether a bonus landing in a TFSA, RRSP or FHSA counts as a contribution. If you only hold registered accounts with Qtrade, ask before relying on it. Qtrade also states that tax consequences are the client's responsibility and names no tax slip, so treat a payment into a non-registered account as reportable income.
Only the primary holder of a joint or spousal account receives the bonus, and each new account needs the promo code entered on its own application. Qtrade can modify or withdraw the offer and can reverse a payment made in error.
You must live in Canada and be of legal age in your province; Canadians living abroad cannot open an account. US tax residents need to provide a W-9. DAP and corporate accounts are excluded from the offer, while cash, margin, TFSA, RRSP, RRIF, FHSA, RESP, LIRA and LRSP accounts qualify in CAD or USD.
OFFER2026, for new clients opening an account between September 1, 2026 and January 5, 2027. Enter it on each account application; it cannot be added afterwards.
5% on $1,000 to $10,000 of net new deposits ($50 to $500), then flat amounts: $550 up to $25,000, $600 up to $50,000, $700 up to $100,000, $1,000 up to $250,000, $2,500 up to $500,000 and $5,000 above that.
On or around March 5, 2028, after the deposits have stayed in the account until February 5, 2028. The separate $100 sign-up bonus is paid on or around March 5, 2027.
Fund the new account with at least $25,000 within 30 days of opening it. The offer page only mentions funding within 30 days; the $25,000 threshold is in the terms.
Yes. Qtrade Direct Investing is a division of Aviso Financial Inc., a CIRO-registered dealer and CIPF member. CIRO has warned about imposter websites, so only use qtrade.ca.