Should You Apply for the Visa Infinite or Visa Infinite Privilege?

In this article, let’s run through some scenarios where it is and isn’t worth signing up for the higher-tier version. We’re focused on Visa credit cards because there’s no real Mastercard competition to “Visa Infinite Privilege”. Mastercards typically have a no-fee (or low-fee) version and a World Elite version. In most cases, it’s worth applying for the World Elite card for the stronger welcome bonus, better insurance package, and additional perks.

The 3 Tiers Within One Credit Card Family

Usually, one “family” of card will offer up to 3 tiers, earning the same currency:

• RBC Avion has Platinum, Visa Infinite, and Visa Infinite Privilege
• Scotiabank Passport has Visa Infinite+, and Visa Infinite Privilege
• TD Aeroplan has Platinum, Visa Infinite, and Visa Infinite Privilege
• CIBC Aventura has Gold, Visa Infinite, and Visa Infinite Privilege

… and the list goes on. Visa Infinite Privilege cards tend to have an annual fee in the $400+ range, while the lower two tiers have annual fees in the $100-$200 range.

TD Aeroplan cards

Usually, the sign-up bonus and annual fee across the two lower tiers are similar, so it’s always worth choosing the Visa Infinite option for extra perks like lounge access and better insurance coverage.

The exception is Aeroplan co-branded cards. The TD Aeroplan Visa Platinum offers relatively few perks despite its $89 annual fee, while the no-fee CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card delivers many of the same benefits, though with a less comprehensive insurance package.

Now, deciding between Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Privilege gets more nuanced.

When the Sign-Up Bonus is Higher

This is the most obvious and most important thing to consider when opening a new credit card. If you’re primarily after the sign-up bonus, it makes sense to choose the one that offers not just more points but a better overall value proposition.

When comparing tiers, I look at three things: the welcome bonus, how realistic the spending requirements are, and whether I’ll actually use the extra perks.

RBC Avion

Currently, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite and RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege cards are offering all-time-high signup bonuses. Both only last until July 15, so which should you apply for?

On both cards, the sign-up bonus is 35,000 points on approval and 20,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 6 months. It’s at the one-year anniversary where the offers diverge: the Visa Infinite offers a 15,000-point anniversary bonus, while the Visa Infinite Privilege offers a 45,000-point anniversary bonus.

The annual fee on the Visa Infinite is $120, so with 15,000 points earned, you’re essentially paying 0.8¢ per point. Compare that to the Visa Infinite Privilege, where you’re paying $399 for 45,000 points, aka 0.88¢ per point. The initial 55,000 points are more efficient on the Visa Infinite as well since you’re paying $120 for the first year compared to $399.

In this case, however, despite the math — I’m still leaning towards signing up for the Visa Infinite Privilege simply because Avion points are incredibly valuable and the $399 card offers more points. 100,000 points are worth $2,000 to me in exchange for $798 (two annual fees) and 70,000 points are worth $1,400 in exchange for $240 (two annual fees).

Transfer your Avion points to American Airlines AAdvantage to book Etihad A380 first class apartments

Strictly speaking, the math still favours the Visa Infinite by $42, but I’ll get some value out of the six complimentary lounge passes both years, and I’ll also earn more Avion points while completing the sign-up bonus since the base earn rate is higher at 1.25X on the Visa Infinite Privilege vs 1X on the Visa Infinite.

Scotiabank Passport

I’m a big fan of the Scotiabank Passport family thanks to its elevated earn rates abroad and lack of foreign transaction fees. Given the choice, I’d default to the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege. That’s because usually the Privilege version offers a generous 10 lounge passes and a higher signup bonus.

Access the WestJet Elevation Lounge with your Scotiabank Passport card

However, right now, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege is offering up to 80,000 bonus Scene+ points broken down as follows:

• 30,000 points upon spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
• 30,000 points upon spending $20,000 in the first 6 months
• 20,000 points upon making a purchase in the 14th month

I would mentally catalogue this as 50,000 points because I’m probably not spending $20,000 in the first six months. The annual fee is $599, or a net $349 after if you add in annual the $250 travel credit (very easy to use).

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+, on the other hand, has a lower $150 annual fee with up to 60,000 Scene+ points:

• 40,000 points upon spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
• 10,000 points upon spending $10,000 in the first 6 months
• 10,000 points upon spending $40,000 in the first 12 months

Again, I’m taking this as 50,000 points since I won’t be meeting the $40,000 spend. Compared to the Visa Infinite Privilege, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ offers the same signup bonus (based on my spending patterns) with a lower $150 fee. The added benefit is that all the points will be earned within the first 3 months, rather than in the 14th month.

If you were already planning to spend $20,000 over six months and could use the additional lounge passes and benefit from 3X earnings on spending abroad, the calculation could look different.

Takeaway

In general, I wouldn’t shy away from Visa Infinite Privilege cards simply because of the annual fee. Between stronger welcome bonuses, higher earn rates, lounge access, travel credits, and enhanced insurance, they often deliver excellent value for frequent travellers.

However, it’s still worth running the numbers. Sometimes the Privilege card’s extra perks and points easily justify the higher fee, while other times the Visa Infinite version offers nearly the same value for significantly less money. The best choice depends on both the offer and how you’ll actually use the card.