RBC® ION Visa

The RBC^® ION Visa is a great no-annual fee credit card for casual travellers who spend a fair amount on transportation, streaming, and video games. The RBC® ION Visa also provides access to Avion Rewards and it is the only card to target spending in these categories, that will likely appeal to younger millennials and Gen Z who wish to earn flexible rewards.

Bonuses & Fees

The signup bonus on the RBC^® ION Visa is 7,000 Avion points, granted all at once upon approval^†– worth up to $50 in gift cards^†.

You’ll also earn 3,125 Moi Rewards points upon linking your card to Moi Rewards account^†, which can be redeemed for up to $25 in groceries^†.

The card has no annual fee for primary or supplementary cardholders^†.

Earning Rewards

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

• 1.5 Avion points per dollar spent^† on qualifying grocery, gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, streaming, digital gaming and digital subscriptions^†
• 1 Avion point per dollar spent^† on all other qualifying purchases^†
• 1 Moi Rewards point per two dollars spent^† at Metro, Food Basics, Super C, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première Moisson when you scan your Moi card and pay with your linked ION Visa card (minimum purchase required)^†

The first thing you’ll notice is the unique categorized earning, as this is one of the only cards on the market with no annual fee to offer elevated rewards for streaming, digital gaming, and digital subscriptions. If you spend a significant amount on digital gaming and streaming, I would pick this card up with no hesitation, especially for no annual fee.

The baseline earn rate of 1 Avion point per $1 spent is on par with many mid-tier credit cards as well, offering great value on this entry-level card^†.

The RBC^® ION Visa is also well-suited for those who are interested in collecting Avion points while building up a relatively new credit file or restricting themselves to lower annual fees and credit limits.

Additionally, you’ll earn 1 Moi Rewards point per two dollars spent^† at select Metro group stores by scanning your linked Moi card and pay with your RBC® ION Visa card.

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 Premium. These points can’t be transferred to three of four airline partners, except for WestJet Rewards, where the prevailing 1:1 ratio (1 Avion point = 1 WestJet point) 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 points earned on your ION card into the more powerful tier of Avion 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 points.

Indeed, this is what we refer to as The Optimized RBC Credit Card Portfolio, as you leverage the stronger earning rates on the RBC® ION+ Visa with the more powerful tier of points with an eligible Avion card.

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.

Moi Rewards points can be redeemed starting at 500 points ($4 value), equivalent to 0.8 cents per point (cpp). After that, redemptions can be made in flexible $1 increments (125 points each).

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 a doubling of the manufacturer’s warranty up to one additional year,† as well as provides 90 days of purchase protection^†.

Legal Disclaimers