RBC ION Visa Review

Jun 16, 2026 6:05 PM

Kevin Shahnazari
Written By
Co-founder
FinlyWealth Logo

The Bottom Line


This is a decent no annual fee card, great for starting out and low-intermediate rewards. It offers great gas savings, especially for petro Canada gas customers, though insurance coverage is quite limited.

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Welcome Bonus

Get up to 14,000 Avion points^ - that's up to $100 of value in gift cards†!

Rewards Rate

1x - 1.5x

Points

Annual Fee

$0

Interest Rates

20.99% / 22.99%□

RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE

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

Rewards

  • Earn 1.5X Avion points for every $1 spent on groceries, gas, rideshare, streaming services and more1
  • Earn 1X Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases1

Insurance

Coverage

  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection3

    90 days
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty3

    Up to a year

Benefits

Details

  • gas station

    Gas Discount

    Save 3¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more Petro-Points and Avion points when you pay with an eligible linked RBC card(4)
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    Earn 1 extra Moi point for every $2 spent at participating Moi Rewards stores (minimum purchase required)(7)
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall(5)
  • discount

    Discount

    Add your credit card to your DoorDash account and get a 6-month complimentary DashPass subscription(6)

Eligibility

  • Credit Score

    Good
  • Annual Income

    N/A

Welcome Bonus Details


Get up to 14,000 Avion points^ - that's up to $100 of value in gift cards†!

Apply by November 4, 2026

Card Details


Interest Rates

Purchase APR

20.99%

Cash Advance APR

22.99%□

Balance Transfer APR

22.99%

□ Cash advance rate for Quebec residents is 21.99%

Fees

Annual Fee

$0

Additional Cards

$0

Eligibility

Minimum Individual Income

N/A

Minimum Household Income

N/A

Credit Score Estimate

Good

Type

Card Type

Credit

Reward Type

Points

Pros & Cons


Pros

  • Petro Canada perks
  • No annual fee
  • Decent rewards
  • Gas discounts

Cons

  • Basic insurance coverage
  • Weak reward categories

Our Detailed Review


The Rewards

How You Earn Rewards

You may earn rewards on your purchases as:

  • Earn 1.5X Avion points for every $1 spent on groceries, gas, rideshare, streaming services and more1
  • Earn 1X Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases1

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

There are the multiple ways to redeem your Avion Premium points:

  • Transfer to WestJet
  • Charitable Donations
  • Financial products
  • Gift Cards
  • Merchandise
  • Travel
  • Statement Credits

To learn more about these redemption categories and the rewards program as a whole, check out our Points Value Calculator.

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

Currently, cardholders receive a generous amount of Avion points upon approval and when certain spending requirements are met within the first few months.

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

There are a couple of benefits that make the RBC ION Visa card one of the best RBC credit cards in Canada.

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

  • Save 3¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more Petro-Points and Avion points when you pay with an eligible linked RBC card4
  • 50 Be Well™ points on every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall5
  • You also get a 6-month complimentary DashPass subscription6

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.

About the author

Kevin Shahnazari

Kevin Shahnazari

Co-founder

Kevin started FinlyWealth and juggles a bit of everything—digging into data, running our marketing, and keeping the finances on track. Before this, he spent years as a data scientist at tech companies...

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RBC ION Visa

RBC ION Visa

3.8

FinlyWealth Rating

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RBC ION Visa Points Calculator

® / ™ 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 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.


1 You 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.


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 is underwritten by RBC Insurance Company of Canada. All insurance is subject to terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Refer to the insurance certificate for complete details.


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 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.

RBC ION Visa
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on RBC's website