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RBC ION Visa

RBC ION Visa
Review

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Card Details

Interest Rates


Purchase: 20.99%

Cash Advance: 22.99%□

Balance Transfer: 22.99%

□ Cash advance rate for Quebec residents is 21.99%

Annual Fees


Main Card: $0

Additional Cards: $0

Annual Income


Personal: N/A

Household: N/A

Credit Score Estimate


300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

Welcome Bonus


  • Get 7,000 Avion welcome points upon approval^ - that’s $50 of value in gift cards! Apply by November 4, 2025

Card & Reward Type


Card Type: Credit

Reward Type: Points

Loyalty Program: RBC ION Avion

Our Rating


2.6/5

Institution


RBC

Rewards


  • Earn 1.5X Avion points for every $1 spent on groceries, gas, rideshare, streaming services and more2
  • Earn 1X Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases2

Insurance & Benefits


Insurance

Coverage

  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to a year

Benefits

Details

  • gas station

    Gas Discount

    save 3¢/L on fuel and always earn 20% more Petro-Points at Petro-Canada
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall

Pros & Cons


Pros

  • Good savings on gas if you are a regular petro-Canada gas customer.
  • No annual fee.
  • Up to 1.5 points per $1 spent on purchases

Cons

  • Insurance coverage is the most basic.
  • Reward categories are not the best.
  • Avion reward points are generally less valuable.

RBC ION Visa Review


The RBC ION Visa is one of the newer credit cards offered by RBC, which has no annual fees.


This is a points card, part of the Avion Rewards program, allowing you to use your points towards several redemptions.


The Rewards


How You Earn Rewards


You may earn rewards on your purchases as:


  • 1.5 avion points per $1 spent on grocery, rideshare, gas & EV charging, streaming, gaming, and digital subscriptions.
  • 1 avion point per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases.

Compared to the RBC ION+ card, this card earns bonus points on much fewer categories and with a much lower earning rate, if you have a moderate spending rate, the ION+ will be a much better option.


Even with the best redemption of 1 cent per Avion point, the equivalent cashback rate for the grocery, rideshare, gas, and subscription is 1.5%, and for all the other purchases, it is 1%. One key category missing, which is usually a significant portion of the expense for many, is Food, Restaurants, and coffee shops, which means many lose out on a lot of potential rewards for their spending on these categories.


One thing some people mistake is that they believe digital subscription means all recurring and pre-authorized transactions, but that's a mistake. As the word says, only digital subscriptions count, so, for example a utility or other payment won't get 1.5 points.


The returns are okay, but in general, whenever the redemption percentage is low, it's better to go for a cashback card because you don't need to go through the trouble of maximizing your points value.


Due to the average rewards earned, the absence of some important categories, and the nuisance of redeeming the point in a specific way, this card only earns an average score for rewards earned.


How You Redeem Rewards


These are the multiple ways you can redeem your Avion points for ION cards.


ION Avion point redemption categories

Important Note:


It's worth noting that the ION credit cards don't offer the same redemption options as the regular Avion credit cards. The best option for you is to transfer your points to the airline partner WestJet.


Unfortunately, that's the only airline you can redeem for, and other options give lower redemption value.


Welcome Bonus


The RBC ION Visa card comes with a welcome bonus of up to 6,000 Avion points upon approval.


Approval


Obtaining the RBC ION Visa card is quite simple. There isn't a set minimum income needed, and if you have a credit score in the Good range, you'll likely be approved.

What's even better? If you qualify when applying for this card, you'll receive immediate approval.


2 Benefits of the RBC ION Visa Credit Card


1. No Annual Fee


The RBC ION Visa has no annual fee, so for people who want have very little spending this could be a good option to go for.


2. RBC Additional Features


  • You can save 3 cents per litre on fuel when you link your card to your Petro-Canada account. So, if you use Petro Canada a lot, this could add up.
  • You also earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall when you link your RBC card and scan your Be Well card.
  • You also get a 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription valued at almost $30.

3 Downsides of the RBC ION Visa Credit Card


1. Poor Avion Rewards Redemption


Unfortunately, this card has a lower redemption value when it comes to redeeming your Avion points compared to standard Avion credit cards because of the limitations imposed on ION Avion point redemptions.


2. Low Insurance Coverage


The ION visa only has basic purchase protection and an extended warranty. The minimum benefits almost all free cards have. This is a big downside because better cards have some good benefits to go for, like Roadside assistance, No foreign Transaction fee, etc.


So, if you are looking for good benefits, the ION visa is probably not the option you should be looking at.


3. Very Average Rewards


As mentioned in the rewards section, the ION visa does not cover some popular spending categories like food and restaurants. Also, the reward rate is not that high; therefore, it might be just easier to get a cashback card instead of an ION Visa to not go through the trouble of redeeming points.


When users use the calculator to calculate the best card for them, ION Visa rarely even shows up in the top 10, which means it's not doing that great in that section.


Final Verdict


The ION Avion card offers neither exceptional benefits nor rewards, even as a free card. It stands as a very average option, with many superior and inferior alternatives available, both paid and free. Consequently, its rating reflects its position as a middle-of-the-road card in the market.


To get $50 worth of gift cards/certificates, you will need a total of 7,000 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.


^This offer only applies to new applications for an RBC ION Visa credit card received between July 9, 2025 and November 4, 2025 (“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 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


1You will earn 1.5 Avion points for every $1.00 in Grocery, 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) are “Grocery Purchases”;


(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, Rides, Gas, Electric Vehicle Charging, Streaming, and 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 as an Eligible MCC. We cannot guarantee that any merchant, operating in whole or in part as a Grocery, 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, 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.


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.

Rewards Breakdown

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