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RBC – An Introduction
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is a leading financial institution that offers a wide range of credit cards to meet the diverse needs of Canadian households. RBC Avion is a popular rewards program that allows you to earn and redeem points for various travel-related benefits. And RBC Credit cards that earn Avion rewards come with a range of benefits, including welcome bonuses, flexible point redemption options, and travel insurance. Whether you’re a frequent traveller or want to apply points towards everyday purchases, RBC has a rewards credit card to help you achieve your financial goals. Let’s look at the most popular RBC credit cards that readers of PMB subscribe to;
1. RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Card – Apply Now
- Eligibility: Personal income of $60,000 or a minimum household income of $100,000
- Annual Fee: $120
- Welcome Bonus: 35,000 Welcome Points on approval (Apply by January 21, 2024)
- Earning Rate:
- 1.25 Avion points on eligible travel-related purchases
- 1 Avion point for every dollar spent
- Additional Benefits:
- 12-month complimentary DashPass subscription – Enjoy a $0 delivery fee on DoorDash orders of $12 or more by simply linking the RBC card to the account
- Link your 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
- Extensive Insurance Coverage
- Trip cancellation and Trip interruption insurance
- Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance
- Emergency Purchases and Flight Delay Insurance
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
- Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance
- Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Insurance
- Mobile Device Insurance included – up to $1,500
- Luxury Visa Infinite benefits such as first-in-line service for exclusive events and hotel and dining exclusives via www.visainfinite.ca
- The Avion Collection: Access to a catalogue of exclusive experiences, offers and savings across many areas of interest
- Redeeming RBC Rewards points
- Ultimate flexibility: Avion cardholders can redeem any airline, flight, or time for travel at fixed rates. No blackouts or seat restrictions, even during peak peak seasons;
- Quick Getaways (Within or to an adjacent province/territory, including U.S. states) = 15,000 points(Max Ticket Price* $350)
- Explore North America (Anywhere in Canada/U.S. except Hawaii and Alaska) = 35,000 points (Max Ticket Price* $750)
- Holiday Destinations (Western Canada/U.S. to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska. Eastern Canada to Bermuda, Central America, Caribbean) = 45,000 points (Max Ticket Price* $900)
- Take a Vacation (Eastern Canada/U.S. to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska. Western Canada to Bermuda, Central America, Caribbean) = 55,000 points (Max Ticket Price* $1100)
- Visit Europe (Major gateway in Canada/U.S. to destinations in Europe) = 65,000 points (Max Ticket Price* $1300)
- See the World (Major gateway in Canada/U.S. to destinations in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and South America)= 100,000 points (Max Ticket Price* $2000)
*Excluding applicable taxes, surcharges and fees.
- Convert Avion points to other loyalty programs – with a 55,000 bonus, you can convert as follows;
- 55,000 British Airways Avios
- 55,000 Cathay Pacific Asia miles
- 38,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles
- 550 WestJet Dollars
- Simple Conversion Rate: Avion cardholders can also redeem for all types of travel, including flights, additional fees and other travel options, using this simple conversion: 100 points = $1
- Use points from paying bills and paying your card balance to redeem Gift Cards and Merchandise.
- Ultimate flexibility: Avion cardholders can redeem any airline, flight, or time for travel at fixed rates. No blackouts or seat restrictions, even during peak peak seasons;
Refer to the RBC page for up-to-date offer terms and conditions
2. Visa RBC ION+: Apply Now
- Annual Fee: $48 (charged as $4 each month)
- Welcome Bonus: up to 12,000 Avion points (Apply by Oct 31, 2023)
- 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
- 3x Avion points for $1 spent on ;
- 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
3. Visa RBC ION – Apply Now
- Annual Fee: $0
- Welcome Bonus: 6,000 Avion points (Apply by Oct 31, 2023)
- 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
- 1.5x Avion points for $1 spent on ;
- 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
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- 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
4. RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite Card – Apply Now
British Airways (B.A.) Avios program opens the door to the entire One World network, and RBC cards are the primary way Canadians earn Avios points. The ability to earn Avios rewards through everyday purchases, and benefits like a 10% discount on B.A. flights, a Companion Award e-voucher, and strong insurance coverage, make this card a strong contender for all wallets.
B.A. Avios is one of my favourite currencies for premium redemptions with British Airways or any One World partner airlines (14). The RBC® British Airways Visa Infinite Card adds a solid option to earn and redeem Avios through everyday purchases in Canada.
- Eligibility: Personal income of $60,000 or a minimum household income of $100,000
- Annual Fee: $165
- Welcome Bonus:
- Up To 60,000 Avios;
- 15,000 Avios as a welcome bonus upon approval
- 35,000 bonus Avios with $6,000 spent in the first three months
- 10,000 bonus Avios after the first year
- Up To 60,000 Avios;
- Earning Rate:
- 1 Avios for every $1 spent on qualifying net purchases
- Double Avios when spending with British Airways and B.A. Holidays
- Additional Benefits:
- Earn a Companion Award voucher when you spend $30,000 annually
- Companion Vouchers earned on or after July 4, 2023, are even more valuable and flexible and can now be enjoyed with a companion or solo. You can take a companion with you on the same award flight and cabin at no additional cost, or, if travelling solo, get a 50% Avios discount on one reward seat ticket. Only one Companion Voucher can be earned in any calendar year, valid for 24 months.
- 10% off British Airways flights when booking with the card, using promotion code: CARDOFFERC
- Comprehensive Insurance Coverage
- 31–day out of country/province emergency medical insurance
- Emergency purchases and Flight delay insurance
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Auto Rental Collison/Loss Damage Insurance
- Hotel burglary insurance
- Purchase Security and Extended Warranty insurance
- Get $0 delivery fees for 12 months from DoorDash
- 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 RBC rewards points.
- Link card with a Rexall Be Well account and get 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall. Redeem Be Well points faster for savings in-store on eligible purchases where 25,000 Be Well points = $10
- Complimentary 24/7 Concierge Service
- Luxury Visa Infinite benefits such as first-in-line service for exclusive events and hotel and dining exclusives via www.visainfinite.ca
- Earn a Companion Award voucher when you spend $30,000 annually