When WestJet Rewards launched its revamped loyalty program earlier this year, it hinted at the upcoming launch of a new credit card for business owners. In fact, the landing page has been live on the WestJet website for a few months, but the card hasn’t been open for applications… until now.
Today, WestJet has officially launched a new co-branded credit card for business owners: the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ.
Let’s have a look at Canada’s newest credit card, and see what kind of value proposition it offers for business owners.
In This Post
- The New WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ
- Should You Apply for the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ?
- Conclusion
The New WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ
WestJet’s newest co-branded credit for business owners is officially known as the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ, which comes with an annual fee of $175.†
You can add up to nine additional cardholders to your account at a cost of $75 each,† and all of the points earned on their cards pool into the primary cardholder’s account.
Note that this card isn’t available for online applications for the time being. To apply, you’ll need to visit your local RBC branch or call 1-866-783-6292 to speak to an advisor.
Welcome Bonus
At the outset, the card offers 35,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus, which are awarded upon making your first purchase.†
We value WestJet points at 1 cent per point, and using this figure, we’d peg a value of $350 on the welcome bonus. If you factor in the card’s annual fee, we arrive at a first-year value of $175 (without taking into consideration the card’s other features).
As a reminder, WestJet Rewards underwent a huge transformation earlier this year, and you can find everything you need to know about it in our Essential Guide to WestJet Rewards.
- Earn 35,000 WestJet points upon making your first purchase†
- Complimentary WestJet Silver status in your first year and the following year†
- Status Lift up to 50 times per year and earn status without flying†
- Automatic WestJet Biz Program Tier 1 enrollment†
- WestJet points never expire
- Minimum income: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household or minimum annual business revenue of $250,000
- Annual fee: $175
Category Earning Rates
The card has a three-tiered earning structure for daily spending, which is outlined as follows:
- Earn 3 WestJet points per dollar spent on eligible WestJet flights and WestJet Vacations packages†
- Plus, you’ll get an additional 3 WestJet points per dollar spent on account of the Silver status that comes with the card (see below)†
- Earn 3 WestJet points per dollar spent on telecommunications, shipping, and electronics purchases†
- Earn 1.5 WestJet points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases†
Once again, if we use our valuation of WestJet points at 1 cent per point, you’re looking at a 6% return on WestJet purchases (or 3% if you don’t maintain your Silver status after the first two years), a 3% return on telecommunications, shipping, and electronics purchases, and a 1.5% return on everything else.
Perks & Benefits
The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ offers a handful of meaningful benefits for WestJet loyalists.
WestJet Silver Status
Notably, the primary business cardholder receives complimentary WestJet Silver status until December 31 of the following year after approval.†
This means that if you’re approved for the card in August 2025, you’ll enjoy WestJet Silver status until December 31, 2026. After that, Silver status can be maintained by spending $30,000 annually on the card.†
Typically, Silver status requires $4,000 of Tier Qualifying Spend, and comes with the following benefits (amongst others):
- Two free checked bags for you and up to eight guests on the same reservation†
- Priority check-in and boarding†
- Lounge passes†
As we see with its personal counterpart – the WestJet® RBC World Elite Mastercardǂ – the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ offers one free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight passengers on the same reservation. Note that this benefit is only meaningful if you don’t manage to maintain your Silver status after the complimentary status has expired.
Status Lift
This card also features Status Lift, which helps you earn WestJet status through credit card spending.
For every $5,000 spent on the card, you’ll earn $200 in Tier Qualifying Spend,† which helps you earn or boost your WestJet Rewards status.
You can get up to 50 Status Lifts each year, which would result in you achieving top-tier Platinum status without ever having set foot in a plane. This would require spending $250,000 on your card.
As a reminder, WestJet’s Elite Tiers come with the following amounts of Tier Qualifying Spend:
- Silver: $4,000 ($100,000 of credit card spending (this status is complimentary with the card upon spending $30,000 each year))
- Gold: $6,000 ($150,000 of credit card spending)
- Platinum: $10,000 ($250,000 of credit card spending)
WestJet Biz Program Enrollment
Primary cardholders are automatically enrolled in Tier 1 of the WestJet Biz Program†, which includes:
- Up to 15% off flights on domestic, transborder, and transatlantic routes†
- Flexible booking through westjetbiz.com, your TMC, or your travel agent†
Other Benefits
Other benefits include the ability to save 3¢/L on fuel at Petro-Canada whilst earning 20% more Petro-Points at Petro Canada by linking your card with your Petro-Points membership,† access to airport lounges as part of the Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass† ($32 (USD) per lounge visit), and access to the Mastercard Concierge Services for last-minute restaurant and event bookings.†
Finally, cardholders receive a 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription±, to enjoy unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more when you pay with your eligible RBC credit card.†
Insurance
As a travel credit card, the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ offers a suite of insurance coverage.
Importantly, if you redeem WestJet points on your booking and pay the remainder of the balance with your WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ, the insurance coverage will apply.†
The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercardǂ comes with the following insurance coverage:
- Emergency medical insurance for the first 15 consecutive days of any out-of-province trips for travellers under the age of 65 or the first three consecutive days for those 65 and up†
- Trip interruption insurance of up to $5,000 per covered person per trip, up to a maximum of $25,000†
- Travel accident insurance of up to $500,000 against accidental death or dismemberment†
- Flight delay insurance of up to $250 per day per covered person, up to an overall total of $500 per occurrence for all covered persons. Coverage begins four hours after a missed connection, delayed flight, or denied boarding.†
- Baggage delay insurance of up to $500 per occurrence per covered person beginning four hours after arrival when your baggage is lost or delayed, up to an overall total of $2,500 per occurrence for all covered persons†
- Auto rental damage and theft insurance, which can help you save on the insurance fees that rental companies like to impose for vehicles up to a MSRP of $65,000 and up to 48 consecutive days†
- Hotel/motel burglary insurance of up to $2,500 per occurrence in the aggregate†
- Purchase security protection of 90 days and extended warranty that doubles the original warranty up to 1 year†
- Mobile device protection of up to $2,000†
Should You Apply for the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ?
It’s great to see WestJet launching a product for business owners, as it fills a gap in the airline’s suite of co-branded credit cards. On that note, will we see a premium WestJet co-branded credit card in the future?
On the whole, I’d say that the card offers meaningful perks for WestJet loyalists, and it’s a good card to consider if you fly often with WestJet.
In my opinion, the best perk offered on the card is Silver status, especially since it’s complimentary for the first year and through to the end of the next calendar year.
Plus, many business owners won’t have any troubles hitting the $30,000 spending requirement to maintain it on an ongoing basis.
There’s also a strong return on spending for WestJet purchases: 3 WestJet points per dollar by way of the card, and an additional 3 points per dollar by way of Silver status.
That works out to a 6% return (using our valuation of 1 cent per point), which is great.
At the same time, your points are locked into the WestJet Rewards program, and you won’t have as much flexibility for your redemptions as you would with the points earned on, say, the Business Platinum Card from American Express or the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business.
Both American Express Membership Rewards points and RBC Avion points do everything that WestJet points can (so do Scene+ points, for that matter), but they also offer much more by way of transfer partners and plenty of opportunities for outsized value.
Conclusion
WestJet has just launched a new co-branded credit card for business owners – the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ.
If you’re a business owner looking to score WestJet perks, the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ certainly fits that bill, and I’d say it’s worth having this card to fulfill the spending requirement for Silver status and using it for WestJet purchases.
However, if you’re a business owner looking to maximize your rewards, there are other points programs out there that offer better opportunities for outsized value and more flexibility for your travel plans.
†Terms and conditions apply. RBC is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site.
Digital applications are not currently available for this card; applicants need to call the RBC Advice Centre or visit an RBC Branch.
