Working hard in the background...
Working hard in the background...
Side by Side Credit Cards Comparison
Which one is better?

RBC ION+ Visa
4.5
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

CIBC Costco Mastercard
2.0
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*
Welcome Bonus
Welcome Bonus
N/A
Rewards Breakdown
Rewards breakdown is not available for this card.
Rewards Breakdown
Rewards breakdown is not available for this card.
How to Earn Rewards
How to Earn Rewards
Insurance Included
Mobile Device Insurance3
Extended Warranty3
Purchase Protection3
Insurance Included
Mobile Device Insurance
Extended Warranty
Purchase Protection
Extra Benefits
Gas Discount
Discount
Extra points
Extra points
Extra Benefits
N/A
Interest Rates
Purchase:
20.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99%
Balance Transfer:
22.99%
Interest Rates
Purchase:
20.75%
Cash Advance:
22.49%
Balance Transfer:
22.49%
Annual Fee
$48
Annual Fee
$0
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
$15,000
Min Household Income:
N/A
Loyalty Program
Loyalty Program
N/A
Point Redemption Options
Most Optimal
Transfer to WestJet
Financial Products
Gift Cards
Merchandise
Travel
Statement Credits (Cash)
Point Redemption Options
Not Applicable
Is this card worth it?
The RBC Ion+ Visa delivers exceptional value for its modest $48 annual fee, offering an impressive 3x Avion points on a comprehensive range of everyday spending categories including groceries, dining, gas, streaming, and transit. What makes this card particularly appealing is its standout mobile device insurance coverage up to $1,000 for two years, plus the fee waiver for students with qualifying RBC accounts. While the card earns Avion Premium points, they can be converted 1:1 to the more valuable Avion Elite points when paired with an eligible RBC Avion card, unlocking premium travel redemptions and airline transfers, making this one of the best low-cost rewards cards available in Canada.
Is this card worth it?
The CIBC Costco Mastercard offers one of the highest cashback rates on restaurant purchases in Canada, making it an excellent choice for optimizing rewards in this specific category, especially since it has no annual fees. If you use Costco Gas or shop on Costco Online, there is a decent cashback rate as well. However, for other categories, the cashback rate is average. Notably, you will be better off using other credit cards for warehouse Costco purchases, as you will only earn 1% cashback. If you are looking for no annual fee credit cards only, this is a good card to go for.
Pros
Pros
Cons
Cons
vs SimplyCash® Card from American Express
vs Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card
vs CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
vs BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard®
vs Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard
vs Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard®
vs SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express
vs Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card
vs PC World Elite Mastercard
vs American Express® Green Card
vs Simplii Financial™ Cash Back Visa* Card
vs Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard
vs Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
vs Rogers Red Mastercard
vs American Express Cobalt® Card
Legal
® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).
^ This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC ION + Visa credit card received 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.
14,000 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 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.
If you close or change your RBC ION+ Visa credit card for another type of RBC Royal Bank credit card before the Welcome 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.
1 You will earn 3 Avion points for every $1.00 in Grocery, Dining,Food Delivery, Rides, Gas, Electric Vehicle Charging, Streaming,and Digital Gaming & Subscriptions Purchases you make on your RBC ION+ Visa credit card at merchants classified by Visa’s “Merchant Category Code” (MCC). Depending on how certain merchants are categorized by Visa’s “Merchant Category Code” (MCC) they may not qualify as an eligible MCC. Eligible MCCs are listed as:
(i) “Grocery Stores and Supermarkets” (MCC 5411), “Eating Place sand Restaurants” (MCC 5812), “Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) – Bars, Taverns, Nightclubs, Cocktail Lounges, andDiscotheques” (MCC 5813), “Fast Food Restaurants” (MCC 5814), “are“ Grocery, Dining, and Food Delivery Purchases”. Government liquor agencies and package stores that sell beer, wine, and liquor do not qualify as part of the “Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)– Bars, Taverns, Nightclubs, Cocktail Lounges, and Discotheques” MCC;
(ii) “Service Stations (With or without Ancillary Services)” (MCC 5541), “Automated Fuel Dispensers” (MCC 5542), “Taxicabs and Limousines” (MCC 4121), “Local and Suburban Commuter Passenger Transportation, Including Ferries” (MCC 4111), “Electric Vehicle Charging” (MCC 5552) are “Rides, Gas & Electric Vehicle Charging Purchases”. Non-commuter passenger railway purchases and non-commuter bus line purchases do not qualify as part of “Rides, Gas & Electric Vehicle Charging Purchases”.
(iii) “Digital Goods Media – Books, Movies, Music” (MCC 5815), “Digital Goods – Games” (MCC 5816), “Digital Goods – Applications (Excludes Games)” (MCC 5817), “Digital Goods – Large Digital Goods Merchants” (MCC 5818), “Cable, Satellite and Other Pay Television/Radio/Streaming Services” (MCC 4899) are “Streaming,Digital Gaming & Subscriptions Purchases”. The “Digital Goods –Games” MCC does not include games of chance and gambling.
You will earn 1 Avion point for every $1.00 on all other purchases (including pre-authorized bill payments) you make on your RBC ION+Visa credit card.
Even though some merchants may sell Grocery, Dining, Food Delivery, Rides, Gas, Electric Vehicle Charging, Streaming,Digital Gaming & Subscriptions merchandise, purchases made at these locations may not necessarily qualify as Eligible MCCs if the merchant is not classified as such by Visa. Also, you may make a purchase at a merchant that is not classified as an Eligible MCC but is located on the premises of a merchant that is classified as an Eligible MCC, in which case your purchase would not qualify asan Eligible MCC. We cannot guarantee that any merchant, operating in whole or in part as a Grocery, Dining, Food Delivery, Rides,Gas, Electric Vehicle Charging, Streaming, and Digital Gaming & Subscriptions merchant is classified as an Eligible MCC and in no event will we be liable or responsible for any claims with respect to a Grocery, Dining, Food Delivery, Rides, Gas, Electric Vehicle Charging, Streaming, and Digital Gaming & Subscriptions Purchase made at a merchant that is not classified as an Eligible MCC. Avion points are earned on net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorized charges that you set up with a merchant), interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the points earned by the amounts originally charged.
2 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.
3 Coverage underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada. All insurance is subject to limitations and exclusions. Please refer to the insurance certificates included in your printed Welcome Kit for complete details or online at https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/cardholders.html
4 To participate in this offer, you must have an RBC debit card or a credit card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC business clients will only be able to link up to two (2) RBC business credit cards and one (1) RBC business debit card to a Petro-Points card.
You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app in order to link your RBC Card to your Petro-Points card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before savings and bonus points can be applied to purchases. A linked RBC Card means an RBC Card linked to a Petro-Points Account. Your linked RBC Card acts as your Petro-Points card. You will automatically earn Petro-Points when you pay for qualifying purchases with your linked RBC Card at Petro-Canada locations and you do not need to swipe your Petro-Points card before you pay. You can redeem your Petro-Points at Petro-Canada using your linked RBC Card.
Each time you use your linked RBC Card to purchase any grade of gasoline, or diesel, at a Petro-Canada location, you will save three cents ($0.03) per litre at the time of the transaction.
Each time you use your linked RBC Card to pay for qualifying purchases at a Petro-Canada location, you will earn a bonus of twenty percent (20%) more Petro-Points than you normally earn, in accordance with the Petro-Points terms and conditions available at www.petro-canada.ca/en/personal/terms-conditions.
Only certain RBC cards earn Avion points on net purchases. Each time you pay for purchases at a Petro-Canada location using your linked RBC Card that earns Avion points on net purchases, you will earn a bonus of 20% more Avion points than you normally earn for every $1 in purchases. Further details on terms and conditions are available at www.petro-canada.ca/en/personal/terms-conditions#petropoints.
Petro-Points are not awarded on tobacco products, vaping products, gift cards, transit tickets and taxes on non-petroleum purchases.
5 To participate in this offer, you must have an eligible RBC Debit Card, Personal Credit Card or Business Credit Card which is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (excluding RBC commercial credit cards) (“RBC Card”). RBC Business Owners will only be able to link up to two (2) Business Credit Cards and one RBC Debit Card to a Be Well Card.
Eligible RBC Debit Cards are debit cards tied to a personal banking or savings account or a business banking or savings account in good standing that is set up to pay for goods and services at a store or merchant that has point of sale or other designated debit card terminals that accept debit card payments.
You must be enrolled in RBC Online Banking or the RBC Mobile app in order to link your RBC Card to your Be Well Card. Card linking may take up to 2 business days to process before Be Well points can be applied to purchases. Each time you scan your Be Well Card and pay with your Linked RBC Card, you will earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall Locations, in accordance with the Be Well Terms and Conditions available at https://www.letsbewell.ca/terms-conditions.
Be Well points are not awarded on taxes; tobacco products; products containing codeine; lottery tickets; alcohol; bottle deposits; gift cards; prepaid cards and wireless or long distance phone cards; event tickets; transit tickets and passes; post office transactions; stamps; passport photos; cash back; gifts with purchases; delivery charges; environmental levies; Home Health Care services/rentals and any other products or services that we may specify from time to time or where prohibited by law.
6 To receive a complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants when you pay with your Eligible RBC Credit Card, you must subscribe to DashPass by adding an Eligible RBC Credit Card, accept the DoorDash terms and conditions, and activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” before November 16, 2028 (“Offer Period”). If you are an existing DashPass subscriber and have already added an Eligible RBC Credit Card to your account you must activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” during the Offer Period. If you have been charged for DashPass you will receive a refund to the method of original payment, in the amount of the monthly subscription fee for the month you activate your complimentary subscription. For all clients, by clicking on “Activate Free DashPass” you agree to the DoorDash terms and conditions which can be found at https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/terms-and-conditions-ca?language=en_US.
The DashPass monthly subscription fee will be waived (“Complimentary DashPass Subscription”) and you will receive either a 6 months or 12 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription based on the Eligible RBC Credit Card you use to subscribe to DashPass. DashPass subscriptions purchased through third parties, including third-party payment accounts, or online or mobile digital wallets (like Apple Pay and Google Pay) are not eligible for the Complimentary DashPass Subscription.
Eligible RBC Credit Cards: Your Eligible RBC Credit Card may only be used with one DoorDash account to receive a Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Once you have received a Complimentary DashPass Subscription you cannot use the same eligible RBC Credit Card to obtain a Complimentary DashPass Subscription with another DoorDash account. Eligible RBC Credit cardholders include primary cardholders, co-applicants, authorized users, primary business cardholders and secondary business cardholders on an Eligible RBC Credit Card account. View eligible RBC credit cards
You are only eligible for one 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription and one 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription during the Offer Period. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription commences on the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 6 months Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.
In order to validate your credit card as an Eligible RBC Credit Card, Royal Bank may need to administer a $0.50 charge to validate your card enrollment. This charge will be reversed in 3 to 5 days once your account has been validated. For full details on the Complimentatry DashPass Subscription visit: rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/documentation/pdf/full-doordash-tcs-en.pdf
DoorDash not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for (i) services and products provided through DoorDash; (ii) DashPass, including the DashPass Benefits, the administration of DashPass and (iii) the DoorDash terms and conditions. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription offer may be amended or withdrawn at any time. To learn more about DashPass, visit www.doordash.com/dashpass. For full DashPass for RBC Program Terms and Conditions, visit rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/documentation/pdf/full-doordash-tcs-en.pdf
7 Subject to credit approval. If you are either i) post-secondary student of any age, or ii) a non-student age 24 and under, and an owner or co-owner of an RBC Advantage™ Banking Account for students (“Eligible Student Bank Account”) and the primary cardholder of one of the eligible RBC Royal Bank credit cards listed below (each, an “Eligible Credit Card”), the annual fee of your Eligible Credit Card may be fully rebated, every year. Rebates that apply to eligible credit cards are (listed in order of highest standard annual fee to lowest standard annual fee): RBC ION+ Visa, WestJet RBC Mastercard. For any other RBC Royal Bank credit card, regular annual fees apply as they are not eligible for a rebate. The annual fee of your Eligible Credit Card will continue to be fully rebated: i) until you close your Eligible Student Bank Account, or ii) until you turn 25 (provided you are no longer a full-time student), or iii) if you are 25 or older, until the Expected Graduation Year you have provided at the opening of your Eligible Student Bank Account. Thereafter, the annual fee will no longer be rebated. If, for some reason, the Expected Graduation Year you have provided at the opening of your Eligible Student Bank Account differs from the one you have indicated on your credit card application, the Expected Graduation Year you have provided at the opening of your Eligible Student Bank Account will prevail and be used for determining the expiry of this offer. If your Expected Graduation Year occurs after your 25th birthday, or you are turning 25 and are still a full-time student but have not yet notified us of your Expected Graduation Date, please visit a branch to ensure continuity of benefits pertaining to your Eligible Student Bank Account (proof of enrollment required). Additional cardholders (co-applicant and authorized user(s)) do not qualify for the annual fee rebate even if they are also owners of an Eligible Student Bank Account. Only one credit card annual fee rebate per Eligible Student Bank Account is allowed. If you already have an Eligible Student Bank Account, the rebate will be applied at the time you open your Eligible Credit Card account. If you open your Eligible Student Bank Account after you have opened your Eligible Credit Card account, the rebate will be applied at your next annual renewal and won’t be applied retroactively. Other conditions and restrictions may apply. Royal Bank of Canada reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time, even after acceptance by you.
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.
Refer to RBC page for up to date offer terms and conditions. The Website may engage in affiliate marketing, which is done by embedding tracking links into The Website. If you click on a link for an affiliate partnership, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.