The RBC® ION+ Visa presents an enticing choice for casual travellers who are digital savvy and frequently utilize apps like grocery delivery services, ride shares, and subscription services. The added value of $4 per month is justified by the enhanced benefits, rendering it a better option when compared to the basic RBC^® ION Visa. For the small monthly fee, there is also basic insurance coverage including mobile device insurance, purchase security, and extended warranty.

Bonuses & Fees

The signup bonus on the RBC^® ION+ Visa is up to 7,000 Avion Premium points which is structured as follows:

• 3,500 Avion Premium points upon approval.†
• 3,500 Avion Premium points when you spend $500 in your first 3 months.†

The card has an annual fee of $48 for primary cardholders^† which RBC charges $4 a month and with no fee for supplementary cardholders^†.

Earning Rewards

The RBC^® ION+ Visa offers the following earning rates:

• 3 Avion Premium points per dollar spent^† on qualifying grocery, dining, food delivery, gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, streaming, digital gaming and digital subscriptions†
• 1 Avion Premium point for every $1 spent^† on all other qualifying purchases†

The first thing you'll notice is not only the unique categorized earning, but the incredibly high elevated earning rate of 3x on streaming, digital gaming, and digital subscriptions. Compared to the basic RBC^® ION Visa, this is double the categorized earning for just $4 a month. The baseline earn rate of 1 Avion Premium point per dollar spent is on par with many mid-tier credit cards as well, offering a decent value for its monthly fee.

Redeeming Rewards

Although the RBC^® ION+ Visa earns Avion points, as is the case on the higher-tier RBC^® Avion credit cards, the card earns a different tier, known as Avion Premium. Avion Premium points can't be transferred to RBC^®'s airline partners, except for WestJet Rewards, where the prevailing 1:1 ratio (1 Avion point = $0.01 in WestJet Dollars) applies^†. Also, ION and ION+ cardholders can't redeem points via the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, which lets you use Avion points to book round-trip economy class tickets departing from Canada, up to a certain maximum ticket price. Instead, you’re limited to using your points at a flat rate of 0.58 cents per point (cpp) for travel booked via the Avion Rewards centre^†, which is weaker than the 1cpp redemption rate that you get from holding a higher-tier Avion card. Furthermore, if you ever decide to add a second RBC^® Avion credit card to your account, or if you decide to upgrade your ION+ card to an RBC Avion card,  you can convert the Avion Premium points earned on your ION+ card into Avion Elite points at a 1:1 ratio. This way, you can benefit from the elevated earning rates on the RBC^® ION+ Visa, and the more flexible redemption options with Avion Elite points. Your points never expire for as long as you're a cardholder. If you cancel or switch to a different RBC^® product, you have 90 days to redeem your points before they go away.

Perks & Benefits

RBC^® ION+ Visa cardholders can save 3¢/L on fuel at Petro-Canada, and will earn 20% more Petro-Points and Avion points upon linking their card to their Petro-Points account^†. The RBC^® ION+ Visa also receives three months of free DoorDash DashPass subscription^†.

Lastly, ION cardholders can earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall when you pay with your linked RBC card and scan your Be Well card^†.

Insurance Coverage

The RBC^® ION+ Visa offers basic insurance coverage, which is decent for its minimal annual fee. There is mobile device insurance, purchase security, and extended warranty insurance^†.