Bonuses and Fees

The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card recently bumped up their introductory bonuses. The card is currently offering up to 60,000 Aventura points as a signup bonus.

The bonus is divided into two parts:

• Earn 30,000 Aventura points by spending $3,000 before the end of your fourth statement period
• Earn an additional 2,500 Aventura points each month by spending $2,000 on each statement, for the first year

While the initial bonus is rather low for a premium card, this offer would be a good choice for regular high spenders who can take advantage of the full monthly bonuses.

The card has an annual fee of $499. However, there are a few ways to reduce it.

You’ll get a rebate of $139 if you have a CIBC Smart Plus Chequing Account. The premium account has monthly fees of $29.95, which can be waived with a $6,000 minimum balance.

Cardholders receive a $200 annual travel credit every year on January 1. It can’t be rolled over into the next calendar year, and it must be booked over the phone with the CIBC Travel Rewards Centre.

If you take advantage of both of these rebates, you can reduce your net annual fee to $160.

How much value does the bonus represent? 60,000 points can be redeemed at a rate of 1 cent per point (1cpp) towards your travel expenses, meaning that you can use it as a $600 credit towards travel booked through the CIBC Travel Rewards Centre.

60,000 points can be redeemed at greater value by following the below redemption chart. You can use them towards a $1,000 airline ticket in the “sun destinations” category, increasing the value of your points from 1cpp to 1.7cpp.

In fact, I generally recommend redeeming Aventura points for airline tickets according to the above chart whenever you can, since it offers the maximal value for your points. The 1cpp option gives you the convenience of booking other types of travel – such as hotels and car rentals – but its relatively poor value makes it more of a baseline option than a redemption you could actively pursue.

Note that all of these redemptions must be done through the CIBC Travel Rewards Centre, which is CIBC’s in-house travel agency.

Generally, they offer competitive prices on airfare (i.e., on par with what you’d find yourself on Expedia for major airlines), although their hotel rates can sometimes go a little higher than other booking websites.

Earning Rewards

While CIBC Aventura points are nowhere near the most useful points you could be earning on your everyday spending, the Visa Infinite Privilege card does offer high earning rates on a wide variety of popular categories.

You’ll earn 3 Aventura points per dollar spent on travel booked via the CIBC Travel Rewards Centre, 2 Aventura points per dollar spent on dining, entertainment, transportation, gas and groceries, and 1.25 Aventura points per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Perks & Benefits

This card offers many exciting features for frequent travellers.

As the primary cardholder, you’ll enjoy six complimentary Priority Pass visits per membership year for you and any guests. That’s pretty useful if you don’t already have a credit card that gives you lounge access, or if you need additional guest passes when travelling with a larger group.

Another valuable perk is the NEXUS rebate, which provides two rebates every four years towards the $100 cost of your NEXUS application. NEXUS is a frequent traveller program designed to speed up your travels between Canada and the United States, and you’ll receive a full rebate simply by charging the application fee to your CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card.

Also, the card comes with access to the Visa Infinite Privilege Concierge service, which is useful for booking exclusive experiences, such as dining reservations or event tickets, in addition to travel arrangements.

Insurance Coverage

The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card is marketed as a high-end credit card and therefore comes with all the key insurance policies that a frequent traveller would expect. As a premium card, coverage is excellent, on many of the same categories as other cards but with a much higher maximum benefit.

This includes out-of-province emergency medical insurance of up to $5,000,000, plus coverage for flight and baggage delays, trip cancellation and interruption, hotel burglary, and car rental loss or damage.

There’s also a very strong Mobile Device Insurance policy. By paying for your smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch using your CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card, you’ll get up to $1,500 in the event your mobile device is lost, stolen or accidentally damaged, for up to 24 months!