Increased welcome bonus on RBC ION, and ION+ cards

RBC has updated the welcome bonus offer on  RBC ION and ION+ Visa cards, starting May 28, 2024. ION+ now comes with a bonus of up to 12,000 Avion Points upon approval, while the ION Visa card now has a bonus of 6,000 Avion Points upon approval. Let’s look at the detailed benefits of each of the cards;

Visa RBC ION+ : Apply Now 

• Annual Fee: $48 (charged as $4 each month)
• Welcome Bonus: up to 7,000 Avion points* (Apply by January 15, 2025);
  • 3,500 points on approval*
  • 3,500 points with $500 spend in first 3 months*
• Earn Rate:
  • 3x Avion points for $1 spent on ;
    • Grocery, Dining & Food Delivery*
    • Rides (incl. daily public transit and rideshares), Gas & E.V. Charging*
    • Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions*
  • 1 RBC Rewards point for every dollar spent*
• Additional Benefits: 
  • 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription – Enjoy a $0 delivery fee on DoorDash by simply linking the RBC card to the account
  • Link RBC card with a Petro-Points membership to instantly save 3₵ per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion points
  • Insurance Coverage:
    • Purchase Security & Extended Warranty Insurance
    • Mobile Device Insurance included – up to $1,000

* Refer to the RBC page for up-to-date offer terms and conditions

Visa RBC ION  – Apply Now 

• Annual Fee: $0
• Welcome Bonus: 3500 Avion points* upon approval (Apply by January 15, 2025)
• Earn Rate:
  • 1.5x Avion points for $1 spent on ;
    • Grocery*
    • Rides (incl. daily public transit and rideshares), Gas & E.V. Charging*
    • Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions*
  • 1 RBC Rewards point for every dollar spent*
• Additional Benefits: 
  • 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription – Enjoy a $0 delivery fee on DoorDash by simply linking the RBC card to the account
  • Link RBC card with a Petro-Points membership to instantly save 3₵ per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion points
  • Insurance Coverage:
    • Purchase Security & Extended Warranty Insurance

*Refer to the RBC page for up-to-date offer terms and conditions

Redeeming Avion Points

• • Avion Points earned with ION and ION+ cards convert to WestJet Dollars or Avion, 1:1
  • Redeem for all types of travel, including flights, additional fees and other travel options, using this simple conversion 172 points = $1
  • Use points to pay bills and card balance,  172 points = $1
  • Redeem for Gift Cards 140 points =  $1

Take Away

Purely on accelerated earn rate, the RBC ION+ card demands attention for families that seek to maximize Avion points towards everyday redemptions like paying bills. The low (or no) annual fee card is a feature that will also appeal to many looking to keep their costs low and earn rates high.