5 Things to Know About the RBC ION Visa

The RBC ION Visa earns Avion points but interestingly, doesn’t operate like a full-fledged travel card. Instead, it specializes in having decent earn rates on several everyday categories for no annual fee.

No-fee credit cards are often good to have in your wallet as a partner card to earn rewards in certain categories, but this card partners best with its big sibling, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite. They have each other’s back, shining in one way while the other covers the gaps.

4.4/5

4.4

NerdWallet rating

RBC ION Visa Credit Card

Annual fee$0

Interest rates20.99% / 22.99%

APPLY NOW

on RBC's website

View details

Rewards breakdown

1.5x

Points on groceries.

1.5x

Points on gas & electric vehicle charging.

1.5x

Points on daily public transit.

1.5x

Points on rideshare.

1.5x

Points on streaming, digital gaming & subscriptions.

1x

Points on all other qualifying purchases.

NerdWallet's take

This no-frills, no-fee card earns Avion points on every dollar spent with elevated rates for eligible grocery, gas, gaming purchases and more. It may lack lavish travel perks and robust insurance coverage, but as far as no-fee cards are concerned, the RBC ION Visa has a respectable lineup of benefits for everyday spenders. Best for: Everyday shoppers who want a no-fee starter card.

Pros

• No annual fee.
• Fuel discounts of 3 cents per litre at Petro-Canada.

Cons

• Limited insurance coverage.
• Low 1x - 1.5x earn rate.

Card details

• Get up to 14,000 Avion points^ - that's up to $100 of value in gift cards†! Apply by November 4, 2026.
• Earn 1.5X Avion points¹ on:
• Grocery - Satisfy your taste buds by earning points on groceries.ⁱ
• Rides, Gas & EV Charging – Enjoy earning points on gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging.ⁱⁱ
• Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions – Stay entertained while earning points on streaming, gaming, eligible digital subscriptions, eligible digital downloads, and in-game purchases.ⁱⁱⁱ
• Earn 1 Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.¹
• Pay With Points - Redeem your Avion points to pay bills, your credit card balance or even send money to friends with Interac e-Transfer⁴. Minimum redemption is only $10, so you can use your points where you need them most.
• Save at Petro-Canada - Save 3¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion points when you pay with a linked RBC card.⁴
• Earn Moi points at Metro - earn 1 extra Moi point for every $2 spent at Metro, Food Basics, Super C, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première Moisson when you swipe your Moi Rewards card and pay with your linked RBC card (minimum purchase required)⁷
• When you shop at Metro, Food Basics or Super C, and spend at least $60, you’ll get 1 additional Moi point for every 2 dollars you spend. When you shop at Brunet or Jean Coutu and spend at least $40 you’ll get 1 extra Moi point for every 2 dollars spent and when you shop at Premiere Moisson, and spend at least $20, you’ll get 1 extra Moi point for every 2 dollars spent.
• Earn more Be Well points at Rexall - Earn 50 Be Wellᵀᴹ points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall⁵ when you pay with your linked RBC card and scan your Be Well card.⁷
• Add your credit card to your DoorDash account and get a 6-month complimentary DashPass subscription⁶
• Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Insurance³ - Automatically protects eligible card purchases against loss, theft or damage within 90 days of purchase, and doubles the manufacturer's original Canadian warranty by up to one additional year, to a maximum of five years.
• Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
• ^ This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC ION Visa credit card received between June 16, 2026 and November 4, 2026 (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”), subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the RBC ION Visa credit card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card transferring to an RBC ION Visa credit card during the Offer Period, are not eligible for this offer. 7,000 Avion points (“Welcome Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after your application has been approved, provided that your RBC ION Visa credit card account (“Credit Card Account”) remains open and in good standing at the time the Welcome points are credited to your account, “good standing” meaning that your Credit Card Account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive credit card account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status. 7,000 additional Avion points (“Additional Points”) will be awarded to you if a total of $500 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your RBC ION Visa credit card account within the first 3 months from the date of your credit card account open date (“Period”), provided your account is open and in good standing at the time the Additional Points are posted to your Credit Card Account, approximately 60 days after you reach the Qualifying Transaction Amount. Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges, and fees. Any credits for returns and adjustments that reduce the amount of Qualifying Transactions below $500 will cancel your Additional Points. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period. If you close or change your RBC ION Visa credit card for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome Points and/or the Additional Points have been credited to your account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank in its sole discretion. For complete terms and conditions that apply to the Avion Rewards Program, please visit www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800-769-2512.
• † To get $100 worth of gift cards/certificates, you will need a total of 14,000 Avion points. Minimum redemption of 1,400 Avion points for most $10 gift cards/certificates. Some exceptions apply. Point redemption values may fluctuate. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, as well as for current point redemption values, please visit https://www.avionrewards.com/terms-and-conditions.html or call 1-800-769-2512.

Fun fact: You can earn more points by using the RBC ION card while still getting the stronger travel redemptions and benefits of the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card.

Avion has three membership tiers:

The Avion Visa Infinite has a bigger welcome bonus and extensive travel perks, but interestingly, the earn rates are lower: it earns 1.25 Avion points per $1 on eligible travel purchases and one point per $1 elsewhere. If you plan on booking travel, you’ll earn a little bit more, but for all of your day-to-day spend categories like gas, groceries, rideshare, streaming and more, the free ION earns more at 1.5 points per $1.

The Avion Visa Infinite unlocks fixed-point flight pricing, which ION cardholders can’t access

The Avion Elite tier also unlocks better redemption rates through RBC’s fixed-point flight pricing, where the potential value can exceed 2 cents per point when a fare reaches the schedule’s maximum base-fare value. In comparison, ION and ION+ cardholders redeem travel at 172 points per $1, or just 0.58 cents per point.

Because of this, one strategy that people use to get the maximum value out of travelling is by holding both cards.

You can book all of your flights and accommodations with the Visa Infinite card, which supplies the travel insurance and Visa Infinite benefits that the ION lacks, including a complimentary 1 GB/15-day GigSky data plan.

But because the earn rate on the ION cards are higher, you can put most of your spending on gas, groceries, and streaming on your no-fee ION or low-fee ION+. You can then transfer those points earned with the ION to an Avion Visa Infinite account and use them for stronger flight-redemption options.

4.9/5

4.9

NerdWallet rating

RBC Avion Visa Infinite

Annual fee$120

Interest rates20.99% / 22.99%

APPLY NOW

on RBC's website

View details

Rewards breakdown

1.25x

Points on eligible travel-related purchases.

1x

Points on everything else.

NerdWallet's take

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite simplifies reward accrual with 1 Avion point per $1 spent and boosted rates of 1.25x on travel purchases. A broad swath of insurance coverage, paired with value-adding extras like gas, car rental and food delivery discounts, makes this a well-rounded card for travellers. Best for: Travellers who want flexible rewards points and built-in travel protections.

Pros

• Car rental discounts of up to 20% at Hertz.
• Fuel discounts of 3 cents per litre at Petro-Canada.

Cons

• No airport lounge access.
• Highest earn rate only applies to travel spending.

Card details

• Get up to 70,000 Avion points1 - a travel value of up to $1,500!† Apply by November 25, 2026.
• Earn 1.25 Avion points on travel related purchases.¹² Earn 1 Avion point on all other eligible purchases.²
• Use your Avion points to book any flight, anytime, on over 500 airlines. No blackouts or seat restrictions, even during peak season†!
• Avion Visa Infinite Cardholders earn points that never expire so your points will be waiting for your next adventure.
• Redeem your points for travel and more. Use points for anything from paying bills and paying your card balance to redeeming for Gift Cards and Merchandise at top brands like Apple. The Avion Rewards program gives you the freedom of choice to use your points your way, and helps you make the most as an Avion Visa Infinite Cardholder.
• Eligible Avion Rewards members can also convert points to other loyalty programs including WestJet dollars, British Airways Avios points and Hudson’s Bay Rewards points.
• Link your RBC card with a Petro-Points membership to instantly save 3₵ per litre on fuel⁴ at Petro-Canada stations and earn 20% more Petro-Points⁵ and 20% more Avion points⁶.
• Link your RBC card with a Rexall Be Well account and get 50 Be Wellᵀᴹ points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall¹³. Redeem Be Well points faster for savings in store on eligible purchases where 25,000 Be Well points = $10.
• Get access to RBC offers which provides access to earn points faster at specified brands.
• Extensive insurance⁷ including: mobile device insurance, travel insurance (trip cancellation, interruption and emergency medical) and other eligible purchases to protect you and your family.
• Avion Visa Infinite Cardholders get access to luxury Visa Infinite benefits including first in line for exclusive events, and hotel and dining benefits.
• Avion Visa Infinite Cardholders no longer need 14-days to book travel using the RBC grid.
• Add your credit card to your DoorDash account and get a free 12 monthly DashPass subscription¹⁶
• Enjoy unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more when you pay with your eligible RBC credit card.
• Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
• 1 This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC Avion Visa Infinite or RBC Avion Visa Platinum credit card (each, an “Eligible Credit Card”) received between “August 13, 2026” and “November 25, 2026” (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”) subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the Eligible Credit Card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card account transferring to an Eligible Credit Card account during the Offer Period, are not eligible for the offer. 35,000 welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after your application has been approved, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Welcome points are credited to your account, “good standing” meaning that your Eligible Credit Card account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive credit card account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status. You will receive 20,000 bonus Avion points (“Bonus Points”) if a total of $5,000 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your Eligible Credit Card account within the first six (6) months from your Eligible Credit Card account opening date (“Period”). The Bonus Points will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty days (60) after you reach $5,000 in Qualifying Transactions, provided your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Bonus Points are credited to your account. Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges and fees. Credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Eligible Credit Card account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period. 15,000 additional Avion points (“Anniversary Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within twelve (12) to sixteen (16) weeks after the one- year anniversary of your account opening, provided that your Eligible Credit Card account remains open and in good standing at the time the Anniversary Points are credited to your account. If you close or change your Eligible Credit Card Account for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome Points, the Bonus Points and/or the Anniversary Points have been credited to your account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank in its sole discretion. For complete terms and conditions that apply to the Avion Rewards Program, please visit www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800-769-2512.
• † Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 35,000 Avion points for one round-trip long-haul flight to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States with a maximum ticket price of $750, you will need a minimum of 70,000 Avion Points for two round-trips long-haul flights to almost anywhere in Canada or the United States, exclusive of Hawaii and Alaska. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveler. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).
• ^ Based on the Air Travel Reward redemptions from the Air Travel Redemption Schedule starting at 15,000 Avion points for a round trip within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State with a maximum ticket price of $350. You will need a minimum of 60,000 Avion Points for four round-trips within or to an adjacent Canadian province/territory or U.S State. All applicable taxes, service fees and surcharges are the responsibility of the traveller. For more details, including information on redeeming for first class and business class seats, please visit: www.avionrewards.com/travel/index.html. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, please visit: www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800 ROYAL 1-2 (1-800-769-2512).

The RBC ION can be considered the starter card for the Avion series of credit cards. It has a base level of rewards, a smaller welcome bonus, no travel perks, but no annual fee. Let’s see how it compares to the more advanced version of the card, the RBC ION+ Visa.

For a relatively small $48 annual fee, you’ll earn double the welcome bonus, but more importantly, double the points earned on shared bonus earn rate spending.

Crucially, you’ll get an extra category: dining and food delivery, so if you want to enjoy a nice meal or skip the hassle of cobbling a meal together out of what’s left in the fridge, this is a rewarding option.

4.7/5

4.7

NerdWallet rating

RBC ION+ Visa Credit Card

Annual fee$48

Interest rates20.99% / 22.99%

APPLY NOW

on RBC's website

View details

Rewards breakdown

3x

Points on groceries.

3x

Points on dining & food delivery.

3x

Points gas & electric vehicle charging.

3x

Points on rideshare.

3x

Points on daily public transit.

1x

Points on all other qualifying purchases.

NerdWallet's take

A solid, low-fee everyday earner with rewards rates that top out at 3x Avion points per dollar spent. Practical perks include fuel discounts and no annual fees for students, but insurance offerings are limited. Best for: Students and everyday shoppers seeking rewards on groceries, gas, entertainment and rideshares.

Pros

• Low $48 monthly fee.
• Fuel discounts of 3 cents per litre at Petro-Canada.
• Annual fee rebates for RBC Advantage Banking Account for Students account holders.

Cons

• Limited insurance coverage.

Card details

• Get up to 28,000 Avion points^ - that's up to $200 of value in gift cards†! Apply by November 4, 2026.
• Earn 3X Avion points for every $1 spent¹ on:
• Grocery, Dining & Food Delivery - Satisfy your taste buds by earning points on groceries, dining out, food delivery.ⁱ
• Rides, Gas & EV Charging – Enjoy earning points on gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging.ⁱⁱ
• Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions– Stay entertained while earning points on streaming, gaming, eligible digital subscriptions, eligible digital downloads, and in-game purchases.ⁱⁱⁱ
• Earn 1 Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.¹
• Annual Fee $48.
• Pay With Points – Redeem your Avion points to pay bills, your credit card balance or even send money to friends with Interac e-Transfer⁴. Minimum redemption is only $10, so you can use your points where you need them most.
• Save at Petro-Canada – Save 3¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion points when you pay with a linked RBC card.⁴
• Earn more Be Well points at Rexall – 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.⁵
• Add your credit card to your DoorDash account and get a 6-month complimentary DashPass subscription⁶
• Earn Moi points at Metro - earn 1 extra Moi point for every $2 spent at Metro, Food Basics, Super C, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première Moisson when you swipe your Moi Rewards card and pay with your linked RBC card (minimum purchase required)⁸
• When you shop at Metro, Food Basics or Super C, and spend at least $60, you’ll get 1 additional Moi point for every 2 dollars you spend. When you shop at Brunet or Jean Coutu and spend at least $40 you’ll get 1 extra Moi point for every 2 dollars spent and when you shop at Premiere Moisson, and spend at least $20, you’ll get 1 extra Moi point for every 2 dollars spent.
• Students or Anyone 24 and Younger Receive an Annual Fee Rebate – Get the annual fee rebated every month if you open an RBC Advantage™ Banking Account for Students⁷.
• Mobile Device Insurance³ Included – Get 2 years of coverage up to $1,000 in the event your mobile device such as your cell phone is lost, stolen, accidentally damaged or experiences mechanical failure when you purchase your mobile device with this credit card.
• Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Insurance³ – Automatically protects eligible card purchases against loss, theft or damage within 90 days of purchase, and doubles the manufacturer's original Canadian warranty by up to one additional year, to a maximum of five years.
• Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
• ^ This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC ION+ Visa credit card received between June 16, 2026 and November 4, 2026 (“Offer Period”) and approved by Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”), subject to the conditions below. Additional cardholders(s) (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) on the RBC ION+ Visa credit card account, as well as existing cardholders on any RBC Royal Bank personal credit card transferring to an RBC ION+ Visa credit card during the Offer Period, are not eligible for this offer. 7,000 Avion points (“Welcome Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after your application has been approved, provided that your RBC ION+ Visa credit card account (“Credit Card Account”) remains open and in good standing at the time the Welcome points are credited to your account, “good standing” meaning that your Credit Card Account must not be past due for more than two (2) consecutive credit card account statement periods, closed, charged off or in credit revoked status. 14,000 additional Avion points (“Additional Points”) will be awarded to you if a total of $1,500 or more (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your RBC ION+ Visa credit card account within the first 6 months from the date of your credit card account open date (“Period”), provided your account is open and in good standing at the time the Additional Points are posted to your Credit Card Account, approximately 60 days after you reached the Qualifying Transaction Amount. Qualifying Transactions exclude cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges, and fees. Any credits for returns and adjustments that reduce the amount of Qualifying Transactions below $1,500 will cancel your Additional Avion points. The Qualifying Transaction Amount is based on the transaction posting date of each Qualifying Transaction, not the transaction date. This means that transactions that take place prior to the last day of the Period will not be considered for the Qualifying Transaction Amount if they have not yet been posted or processed by the merchant, the payment network (Visa) or Royal Bank by the last day of the Period. 7,000 additional Avion points (“Anniversary Points”) will appear on your monthly credit card statement within twelve (12) to sixteen (16) weeks after the one- year anniversary of your Credit Card Account opening, provided that your Credit Card Account remains open and in good standing at the time the Anniversary Points are credited to your account. If you close or change your RBC ION Visa credit card for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome Points, the Additional Points and/or the Anniversary Points have been credited to your account, you may lose the benefit of this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time without notice, even after your application has been approved, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank in its sole discretion. For complete terms and conditions that apply to the Avion Rewards Program, please visit www.avionrewards.com or call 1-800-769-2512.
• † To get $200 worth of gift cards/certificates, you will need a total of 28,000 Avion points. Minimum redemption of 1,400 Avion points for most $10 gift cards/certificates. Some exceptions apply. Point redemption values may fluctuate. For general redemption terms, conditions and restrictions that apply to the Avion Rewards program, as well as for current point redemption values, please visit https://www.avionrewards.com/terms-and-conditions.html or call 1-800-769-2512.

RBC Avion cards will give you the most bang for your buck at Petro-Canada gas stations once you link your eligible RBC card and Petro-Points account. Every time you fuel up, you will:

This puts it ahead of the RBC cash back series of cards as the extra 20% in Avion points represents a total of up to 2.8 cents per litre spent, according to RBC’s calculations. Your realized value may be lower.

Additional bonus: Rexall shoppers with a Be Well account will earn 50 Be Well points per $1 spent on eligible purchases when they scan their Be Well card and pay with a linked RBC card. This adds up to 2¢ back per dollar spent based on Rexall’s redemption guidelines.

This card does not have any annual fee or stated income requirements, which makes it more accessible for people who do not meet the thresholds for a premium Visa Infinite card. Approval still depends on RBC’s application assessment.

Its two closest siblings in the RBC Avion segment have an annual fee — $48 for the ION+ and $120 for the Visa Infinite. The latter also has a minimum income requirement of $60,000 personal or $100,000 household.

Though the card earns Avion points, the lack of any real travel perks is disappointing.

Some things that other travel cards may have include:

 As we discovered, the redemptions are of a lower value than the Visa Infinite tier as well.

The RBC Cash Back Mastercard is your typical no-fee cash back card. If you want something a little more jazzy, here are a few more options:

The fact that the RBC ION Visa earns Avion points doesn’t make it a stellar travel credit card. If anything, that’s its weakness. The strength it has over the dedicated travel card is that it has better earn rates with no annual fee or stated income requirements. This makes it a versatile card to earn points on without needing to crunch the numbers to see if you’ve made back a large annual fee.

If you don’t mind pulling out your calculator and putting on your thinking cap, you may find you get better value with the RBC ION+ Visa instead. Its relatively small $48 annual fee can be offset by having double the earning power of the non-plussed-up ION card if you can align your purchases right.

If you want elevated everyday earn rates but also expect to use Avion’s fixed-point flight pricing and travel benefits, your best bet may be to use this card in tandem with the Visa Infinite card and transfer the points over to where they can really make an impact. The ION will do all the hard work earning the points in this card, setting up a perfect slam dunk redemption with the Visa Infinite.