Canada's 8 Best RBC Credit Cards

RBC Credit Cards: What You Need to Know

When choosing an RBC credit card, you should familiarize yourself with what benefits a RBC credit card can offer, what features to look out for, and how RBC credit cards can fit into an optimized overall credit card strategy.

Why get an RBC credit card?

Overall, RBC’s credit cards have modest welcome bonuses and everyday earn rates. Instead, the biggest appeal is their unique airline partners.

RBC Avion points are transferable to frequent flyer programs with three airlines (British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and American Airlines) that are members of the oneworld alliance. You can then book partner award space from these loyalty programs. RBC also has co-branded credit cards for British Airways and Cathay Pacific.

This gives you some new options for travel, as other Canadian banks put more of an emphasis on Air Canada’s Aeroplan program and its Star Alliance partners. Also, RBC is the only Big 5 Canadian bank with a transferable points currency, offering both flexibility and the potential for very high value redemptions.

Additionally, RBC opens the door to the SkyTeam alliance. Although WestJet isn’t a member, they have codeshare agreements with several SkyTeam airlines like Delta, Air France, and KLM, and you can use WestJet points on those routes. Whether with the co-branded WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard or by transferring RBC Avion points, there are quite a few ways to earn WestJet points from RBC.

As the cherry on top, RBC runs promotions where you can get a 10–50% bonus for transferring points to airlines or redeeming them for gift cards. Other banks don’t do this as often, if at all, and it’s rare to be able to exchange points for gift cards at a similar value as travel redemptions.

Finally, if you bank with RBC, you can get a MultiProduct Rebate if you have an RBC credit card. Since it reduces your monthly banking fees, there’s no reason not to have a card, even if it’s just a basic one with no annual fee.

What should you look for in an RBC credit card?

RBC has a mix of cards for different purposes:

• RBC’s Mastercards include their WestJet co-branded cards and cash back cards
• RBC’s Visa cards make up the rest of their travel products, including the full Avion Rewards line as well as a co-branded card with British Airways.

RBC’s primary travel rewards program is officially known as Avion Rewards. As a cardholder of any credit card that earns Avion points, you’re an Avion Elite member, meaning you can redeem points for travel bookings, merchandise, gift cards, or WestJet points. Travel redemptions booked through Avion Rewards can be made for 1 cent per point.

Meanwhile, Avion-branded credit cards are a subset of Avion Rewards. These cardholders are considered Avion Elite members with additional premium travel redemption options:

• All Avion cardholders can use the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, a region-based chart with fixed points prices for round-trip travel between Canada and each zone. You can book any seat on any flight, up to a maximum cash fare. If you’re able to maximize the chart’s sweet spots, you should expect to be able to redeem your rewards for around 2 cents per point.
• All Avion cardholders can transfer points to British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, or American Airlines AAdvantage.
• Visa Infinite Privilege and Visa Infinite Business cardholders can also use points for business class and First Class flights, at a fixed rate of 2 cents per point, with no limit per booking. This can be a very lucrative upgrade from the regular rewards rate of 1 cent per point for all travel bookings.

Aside from transferring your Avion points, you can earn airline miles directly on a British Airways or Cathay Pacific co-branded card, if you’d prefer.

All of RBC’s cards come with the standard benefits for their card tier:

• All Visa Infinite cards have access to Concierge services, the Luxury Hotel Collection, and the Dining Series & Wine Country program
• In addition, Visa Infinite Privilege cards come with a DragonPass membership which includes six annual visits to participating airport lounges and restaurants each year
• All World Elite Mastercards come with a DragonPass membership (although no free passes from RBC) and a FlexiRoam eSIM for international data roaming

RBC frequently offers First Year Free promotions or larger welcome bonuses for new signups for their Avion Visa Infinite and WestJet World Elite cards. It’s generally best to wait for one of these opportunities before applying.

If your personal or household income isn’t high enough to qualify, see if you’re eligible for a lower-income variant of the same card.

Often RBC will have the same offer for both cards, or downgrade your application for the premium product if necessary, so you can still earn many of the same perks and welcome bonuses.

What’s the optimal strategy for RBC credit cards?

RBC offers the most powerful rewards and travel benefits among the Big 5 Canadian banks, and is second only to American Express credit cards among all Canadian issuers.

If you’re a dedicated traveller who wants to see as much of the world as possible by maximizing your credit cards, RBC credit cards should have a significant presence in your wallet.

For international travellers, by transferring Avion points to one of the oneworld airline partners (often with a 10–50% transfer bonus) or by earning miles directly with the British Airways or Cathay Pacific co-branded cards, you can redeem miles for long-haul international flights for a much higher value than by redeeming Avion points for flights directly.

For domestic travellers, booking flights through the Air Travel Redemption Schedule and collecting WestJet points can help you cover a fair chunk of your domestic flights, too.

While the individual welcome bonuses on each RBC credit card might not be world-beating, there are quite a few different RBC credit cards you can apply for, and you can stack all of these welcome bonuses into a concentrated points balance in either Avion or one of the partner programs (Avios, Asia Miles, AAdvantage, or WestJet).

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some questions we frequently hear from readers about the best RBC credit cards in Canada.

Can I have more than one RBC credit card at the same time?

Yes, but you can typically only be approved for one card every 90 days. If you apply sooner, you’ll almost certainly be automatically rejected, and the 90-day waiting period will reset.

Which credit bureau does RBC check?

RBC always checks TransUnion.

Can I get RBC business cards?

Yes, you can easily apply as a sole proprietor doing business as your own name. However, expect RBC to ask for business registration documents.

^†Terms and conditions apply. Refer to the RBC website for complete, up-to-date information.