RBC® ION+ Visa

Last updated: November 1, 2023
  • 7,000 Avion Premium points†
  • $4 Monthly fee†
Best offer is available publicly
Signup bonus:
3,500 Avion Premium points upon approval†
3,500 Avion Premium points upon spending $500 in the first three months†
Total of up to 7,000 Avion Premium points†
Monthly fee:
$4
Interest rates:
20.99% purchases
22.99% cash advances (21.99% QC)
22.99% balance transfers (21.99% QC)
Earning rate:
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† per dollar spent on all other qualifying purchases†
Insurance:
Average

The RBC® ION+ Visa is good option for casual travellers who spend on grocery, dining, food delivery, gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, streaming, digital gaming and digital subscriptions each month to make it worth the additional $4 monthly fee, 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 are awarded as follows:

  • Earn 3,500 Avion Premium points upon approval†
  • Earn 3,500 Avion Premium points upon spending $500 in the first three months†

The card has a monthly fee of $4 for primary cardholders, 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.

Luckily, if you ever decide to upgrade your ION+ card to one of the RBC® Avion cards, any points you’ve collected will be upgraded as well. Then, you’ll have the ability to access higher-value travel redemptions that are exclusive to Avion cardholders.

Furthermore, if you also happen to have 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, with the more flexible redemption options through 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.

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.

Legal Disclaimers

Apply Now

As a basic product, the RBC ION+ Visa has no minimum income requirement.

Refer to RBC® page for up to date offer terms and conditions.

1 Comment
  1. Marlene

    Is online Poker considered Digital gaming?

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