Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve vs The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Both business cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.

American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card

American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card

4.7

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The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

3.1

Learn more
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Worked out on a typical small business spending $4,000 a month. Enter yours to see your own numbers.

$1,674

First-year value

$1,363

$439

Every year after

$663

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve is worth $310 more to your business in year one.

From year two, The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card pulls ahead by $225 a year.

How the first year adds up

Rewards and the welcome bonus in, the annual fee, FX fees and employee cards out, at your spending.

$1,217.75Better of the two
in Aeroplan points a year

Annual rewards

$963.36
in RBC Avion (Elite) Rewards points a year
+ $1,235Better of the two
first year only

Welcome bonus

+ $700
first year only
− $599

Annual fee

Better of the two− $120
− $180
2.5% on $600/mo

FX fees

− $180
2.5% on $600/mo
$1,673.75Better of the two

First-year value

$1,363.36

Where each card earns

A year of your spending on each card, category by category, biggest spend first.

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve earns more on 17 of your 17 categories.

$299.14Better of the two
at 1.25x

All Other Business Expenses

$12,600 a year

$252
at 1x
$146.15Better of the two
at 1.25x

US Dollar Purchases

$6,150 a year

$122.88
at 1x
$114Better of the two
at 1.25x

Recurring Bills & Subscriptions

$4,800 a year

$96
at 1x
$85.5Better of the two
at 1.25x

Gas & EV Charging

$3,600 a year

$72
at 1x
$85.5Better of the two
at 1.25x

Dining & Restaurants

$3,600 a year

$72
at 1x
$71.14Better of the two
at 1.25x

Office Supplies

$3,000 a year

$60
at 1x
$57Better of the two
at 1.25x

Phone, Internet & Cable

$2,400 a year

$48
at 1x
$68.4Better of the two
at 2x

Hotels

$1,800 a year

$36
at 1x
$42.64Better of the two
at 1.25x

Shipping & Courier

$1,800 a year

$36
at 1x
$42.64Better of the two
at 1.25x

Accounting & Bookkeeping

$1,800 a year

$36
at 1x
$29.18Better of the two
at 1.25x

Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)

$1,230 a year

$24.48
at 1x
$28.5Better of the two
at 1.25x

Electronics & Software

$1,200 a year

$24
at 1x
$68.4Better of the two
at 3x

Air Canada

$1,200 a year

$24
at 1x
$28.5Better of the two
at 1.25x

Transportation

$1,200 a year

$24
at 1x
$14.14Better of the two
at 1.25x

Other Airlines

$600 a year

$12
at 1x
$22.8Better of the two
at 2x

Car Rental

$600 a year

$12
at 1x
$14.14Better of the two
at 1.25x

Other Travel

$600 a year

$12
at 1x
$1,217.75Better of the two

Rewards in a year

$963.36

Welcome bonus

Each offer as the issuer words it, then which milestones your spending reaches.

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

  • Earn up to 90,000 Welcome Bonus Aeroplan®* points
  • Earn 65,000 Aeroplan®* points after spending $10,500 on your Card within the first 3 months as a new American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Cardmember.
  • Plus, earn 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,500 in month 13.
  • You can earn up to $5,600 in value within your first 13 months. When you combine the Welcome Bonus offer of up to $1,800 in value, your earn potential in accelerated and everyday spend earn rate categories with approximately $2,825 in value, and the $1,000 in value you get from exceptional benefits, you can earn up to $5,600 or more in value within your first 13 months. Terms and usage assumptions apply.

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

  • Enjoy 35,000 Welcome Avion points upon enrollment1

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

Worth $1,235 at your spending

65,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $10,500 in the first 3 months

65,000 pts

25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,500 in month 13 (card year 2)

25,000 pts

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Worth $700 at your spending

35,000 Avion points on enrollment

35,000 pts

Fees, rates and eligibility

What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.

$599

⁕ Notice: As of Jan 12, 2027, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card annual fee will increase to $799. Annual fees charged on or after this date will reflect the new fee. The Employee Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card annual fee will increase to $249. The Employee Aeroplan®* Business Reserve No Fee Card will be renamed to the Employee Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Expense Card and the annual fee will increase to $25. Learn more about new benefits.

Annual fee

Better of the two$120
$0

Employee cards

$50
2.5%

Foreign transaction fee

2.5%
Aeroplan

Rewards

RBC Avion (Elite) Rewards
American Express

Network

Visa

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

Interest rates

Purchase:

21.99%1

Cash Advance:

21.99%1

1 If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 29.99%.

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
693
Fair
743⁎
Good
790⁎
Very Good
833⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on TransUnion scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Interest rates

Purchase:

19.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
560
Fair
660⁎
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

How each card earns

The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

  • 3x Aeroplan® points per $1 spent on eligible Air Canada® and Air Canada Vacations® purchases
  • 2x Aeroplan® points per $1 spent on eligible hotel and car rental purchases in Canada
  • 1.25x Aeroplan® points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

  • Earn 1 Avion point for every $1 spent in net purchases with your card3

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

Insurance

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $1,000
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $1,000/person after 6 hours
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $85K MSRP up to 48 consecutive rental days
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 years
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1000
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1,500/person, $3K/trip
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $1,500/person, $6K/trip
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $1,000/person after 4 hours
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    $5M/insured up to 15 days

Perks

  • airplane love

    Companion Voucher

    Annual Worldwide Companion Pass from $99 to a max of $599 After spending $25,000 on your card
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Complimentary upgrade to Avis® President's Club
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Get 1,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) for every $5,000 in eligible net purchases charged to your Card, up to 25,000 SQC
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Get a 10% Head Start. Starting in 2027, eligible Basic Cardmembers with Aeroplan Elite™* Status will receive a 10% head start toward qualification, based on Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) accumulated the year before. Roll over any unallocated unused eUpgrade Credits to the following year to enjoy during your travels.
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Primary Cardholders who also hold Aeroplan Elite Status will benefit from an extra 12 months to use eUpgrade credits, for a total of 24 months from issuance.
  • luggage

    Free first checked bag

    First checked bag is free for primary cardholder on Air Canada branded flight and up to 8 guests
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    Earn points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands and over 170 online retailers through the Aeroplan eStore
  • bed furniture

    Free Extra Night at Hotels

    Cardmembers can now get an extra night free for every 3 hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points. Enjoy even more at over 300,000 hotel properties worldwide
  • border guard

    Nexus Program Rebate

    $100 every 4 years
  • airport waiting room

    Priority Travel

    At Toronto Pearson airport get benefits such as Priority Security lane, Complimentary valet, premium parking spots, priorioty taxi and limo lane and discount for parking and car care.
  • airport waiting room

    Priority Travel

    Get Priority Check-in, Priority Boarding and Priority Baggage Handling, Priority Airport Standby & Priority Airport Upgrades for you, your authorized users and up to 8 companions on the same flight (Only AirCanada)
  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - Maple Leaf and AirCanada Cafes

    Unlimited Access for you and one guest
  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - Priority Pass

    Pass only. No Complimentary visits!
  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    Amex Experiences™ opens doors for you to access a number of special events, including special dining experiences, VIP parties, advance film screenings and more

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Insurance

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Included
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $2,500
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1,500
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $5,000
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500

Perks

  • gas station

    Gas Discount

    save 3¢/L on fuel and always earn 20% more Petro-Points at Petro-Canada and 20% more Avion points at Petro-Canada

Our take

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

The most aggressive Aeroplan earning card you can get for a business: 3x on Air Canada, 2x on hotels and car rentals, and 1.25x on everything else. The $599 annual fee is steep, but the perks are hard to match — unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access, Priority Pass membership, free checked bags, and an Annual Worldwide Companion Pass that alone can be worth hundreds. If your business spends heavily on Air Canada flights and travel, this card can return serious value. But be honest about your travel volume — at this fee, light travelers will lose money. This is a card you need to actively use to justify.

  • Premium earning rates
  • Comprehensive coverage
  • Unlimited airport lounge access
  • Priority Pass membership
  • Annual companion pass
  • Free first checked bags
  • NEXUS program rebate
  • Priority travel perks
  • High annual fee
  • Benefit limitations and conditions
  • Less valuable for non-travellers

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

A straightforward travel rewards card: 1 Avion point per dollar on everything, no bonus categories to chase. The real appeal is the flexibility — Avion points transfer to British Airways Avios, WestJet dollars, and Cathay Pacific miles, giving you multiple ways to get value from your spending. At $120/year it’s reasonably priced for a travel card, and the 35,000-point welcome bonus helps offset the fee in year one. The 1x flat rate won’t wow anyone, but if you want a simple earn-and-transfer card for a business that spends broadly, this does it well. Just know that non-travel redemptions are poor value.

  • Decent reward flat rate
  • Flexible redemption options
  • Comprehensive insurance
  • Interest-free grace period
  • Potential annual fee discount
  • Gas discounts
  • Low base earn rate
  • No lounge access
  • Supplementary card fees
  • Foreign transaction fees
  • Limited premium perks
  • No emergency medical insurance
  • Limited additional cards

More business card comparisons

Each card against every other business card we review.

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Legal

Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

*Terms and conditions apply.


If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 29.99%.


American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

1 To receive the 35,000 Welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”), your application must be approved by us. The Welcome Points will appear on your first credit card statement after your application has been approved. Only the primary business owner on the account is eligible for the Welcome Points; additional business owner(s) and cardholder(s), existing RBC Avion Visa Business cardholders, as well as existing RBC Avion Infinite Visa Business cardholders, applying for or transferring to the RBC Avion Visa Business credit card are not eligible for this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank of Canada reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time, 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 of Canada in its sole discretion.


3 Avion points are earned on net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and certain bill payments), interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the points earned by the amounts originally charged.