Pros & cons
Pros
- 7,000 Avion points on approval ($50 in gift card value)^.
- Earn up to 1.5 points per $1 spent1 on purchases.
- Save 3 cents per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations.
- No annual fee.
Cons
- Qualifies you for the Avion Rewards Premium membership level, which is not as flexible as the Elite level.
- Limited insurance included.
Your rewards
$60 GeniusCash offer
On approval, receive $60 GeniusCash on us when you apply for RBC ION Visa using this offer page.
GeniusCash offer expires on Oct 31, 2025.
Getting your welcome bonus
Based on $2,000 in monthly spending, you can get up to 7,000 points which translates to an estimated $58.◊
For all welcome bonus details click here.
Welcome bonus offer ends Nov 25, 2025.
How you earn rewards
Each card earns rewards differently. Part of choosing your card is deciding what type of rewards you want to get. With RBC ION Visa, here's how you earn rewards:
- 1.5 points per $1 spent on groceries , daily transit , rideshares, EV charging , streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions1
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
For all reward details click here.
How much your rewards are worth
The dollar value of your rewards depends on the specific rewards program ‒ and what you choose to redeem your points for. For RBC ION Visa in particular, if you spend $2,000 per month, here's our estimated annual rewards earned depending on which reward you choose:
| Charity donations | $261 | |
| Transfer points to WestJet Rewards | $261 | |
| Merchandise | $227 | |
| RBC financial products | $217 | |
| Gift Cards | $188 | |
| Travel through RBC Rewards | $151 | |
| Statement credits | $151 |
| Redemption Option | Point Value | Total Value |
|---|---|---|
| Charity donations | 1 cent | $10 |
| Transfer points to WestJet Rewards | 1 cent | $10 |
| Merchandise | 0.87 cents | $9 |
| RBC financial products | 0.83 cents | $8 |
| Gift Cards | 0.72 cents | $7 |
| Travel through RBC Rewards | 0.58 cents | $6 |
| Statement credits | 0.58 cents | $6 |
Calculating your annual rewards
$24,000 annual spending x 0.90% return on spending = $217 annual rewards
$217 annual rewards − $0.00 annual fee = $217 net annual rewards
Details and eligibility
- Estimated Credit Score
- 660 - 724
- Personal Income
- N/A
- Household Income
- N/A
- Annual Fee
- $0.00
- Extra Card Fee
- $0
- Card type
- Credit
- Purchase
- 20.99%
- Cash Advance Δ
- 22.99%
- Balance Transfer
- 22.99%
Insurance coverage
- Extended Warranty
- 1 year
- Purchase Protection
- 90 days
Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage, terms and conditions apply.
Learn more about the value of credit card insurance coverage.
Genius Rating
RBC ION Visa's 3.8 Genius Rating is based on the weighted average of the following scores:
Methodology
All scores are produced by our math-based rating algorithm that takes into account over 126 credit card features.
RBC ION Visa review
Looking to pile up rewards for no annual fee? RBC's newest credit card is here for you with the RBC ION Visa.
Earning Avion points on all your purchases, you'll be able to use your credit card for a variety of redemptions. Here's what this card has to offer.
Earning Avion points with the RBC ION Visa
The RBC ION Visa belongs to the Avion Rewards family.
First, here's what you'll earn for rewards on all your purchases:
- 1.5 points per $1 spent on groceries, daily transit, rideshares, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions1
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
The card has a very unique rewards structure – not many credit cards reward users for things like gaming subscriptions and in game purchases.
But what does this all mean? We have an average rate of return for this card of 1.09%, which is among the best you can get with a no fee credit card.
Redeeming your Avion points
Earning Avion points is all well and good, but what are they worth? What can you do with them?
This RBC card falls in the Avion Premium tier. Here are the redemption options available for this card, and our estimated value for each point.
You can learn more about Avion Rewards in our guide.
3 benefits to the RBC ION Visa
This card offers a little more than just the rewards. Here are a few other things to like about it.
1. Standard RBC benefits
The savings with this card go beyond the rewards it offers. Like all RBC credit cards, there are extra benefits at your disposal.
The first is with Petro-Canada. You'll save 3 cents per litre on fuel and earn 20% bonus Petro Points. Another is at Rexall pharmacies. You'll earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent.
The third is Metro. You'll earn 1 extra Moi point for every $2 spent at Metro, Food Basics, Jean Coutu, Super C, Brunet and Première Moisson (minimum purchase required).
The last is DoorDash. You'll get a 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription.
2. Decent welcome offer
There's an easy to earn welcome offer with the RBC ION Visa. You'll earn 7,000 points after your account is approved^. You'll also earn 3,125 Moi points when you link your RBC and Moi accounts together.
That's an easy $50† in gift cards.
3. No annual fee
A big plus to this card – it has no annual fee. It won't cost you a thing to keep this card around.
It also doesn't come with any income requirements, making it easier for people to be eligible for the card.
2 downsides to the RBC ION Visa
It's not a perfect credit card (they rarely are). Here are 2 things to keep in mind.
1. Only basic insurance included
The insurance is very basic with this credit card, including only extended warranty and purchase protection.
While this is par for the course with no fee credit cards, there are others that offer more in this regard.
2. Standard credit card interest rates
If you pay your bill in full and on time, this won't matter to you. But if you tend to carry a balance, beware – this card has standard interest rates – 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers.
Comparison to the RBC ION+ Visa
RBC actually has 2 ION Visa cards – there's also the
Here is a quick comparison between these cards.
| RBC ION Visa | RBC ION+ Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Earn Rates | * 1.5 points per $1 spent on groceries, daily transit, rideshares, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions1 * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
* 3 points per $1 spent on groceries, dining, food delivery, daily transit, rideshares, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Welcome Bonus |  $60 GeniusCash + 7,000 Avion points (terms) |
$60 GeniusCash + 14,000 Avion points (terms) |
| Insurance Coverages | 2 types | 3 types |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $48 |
| Income Requirements | None | None |
There's really only 2 major differences. For an annual fee of $48, you're getting double the rewards on the accelerator categories.
Spend enough, and you're easily offsetting the annual fee.
You're also getting 1 extra insurance coverage in mobile device insurance. It's a valuable insurance category that protects your device that goes anywhere you do.
Is it worth paying $4 each month for the + version? That's for you to decide.
Leave a review
These are merely our thoughts on the RBC ION Visa, but what about you?
If you have this credit card, leave a user review so others can see what you think of it.
FAQ
What does the RBC ION Visa earn for rewards on purchases?
The RBC ION Visa earns Avion points on all purchases at the following rates:
- 1.5 points per $1 spent on groceries, daily transit, rideshares, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions1
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
What can RBC Avion points be used for?
The RBC ION Visa falls in the premium tier in the Avion rewards program. Here are a few things you can do with your rewards:
- redeem for gift cards
- pay bills, your balance, or send money to friends with Interac e-Transfer.
What are the income requirements and annual fee of the RBC ION Visa?
The RBC ION Visa has no annual fee and no income requirements.
Key benefits
Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions.
Corresponding legal references and product terms are available on the RBC website, which will be available and agreed upon in the customer onboarding process.
User review
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It's not an outstanding card, but good for students who want a card with some rewards and no annual fee. However, it is worth looking into the Ion+ as students now get the annual fee waived.
