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Side by Side Credit Cards Comparison
Which one is better?

American Express Gold Rewards Card®
4.3
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

RBC ION+ Visa
4.5
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*
Welcome Bonus
Welcome Bonus
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
Extended Warranty
Purchase Protection
Lost or Stolen Baggage
Baggage Delay
Car Rental Damage & Theft
Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
Hotel Burglary Insurance
Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)
Trip Cancellation
Trip Interruption
Flight Delay
Insurance Included
Extended Warranty
Purchase Protection
Mobile Device Insurance
Extra Benefits
Extra points
American Express® Experiences
Status lift
Travel Credit
Nexus Program Rebate
Complimentary Hotel Benefits
Airport Lounge - Priority Pass
Airport Lounge - Plaza Premium
Extra Benefits
Extra points
Extra points
Gas Discount
Discount
Interest Rates
Purchase:
21.99%1
Cash Advance:
21.99%1
1 Subject to approval. The preferred rate for purchases is 21.99% and funds advances is 21.99%. If you have Missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99% and/or 29.99%. See the information box included with the application for the definition of Missed Payment and which rates apply to charges on your account and other details.
Interest Rates
Purchase:
20.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99%
Balance Transfer:
22.99%
Annual Fee
$250
Annual Fee
$48
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Income Required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
Loyalty Program
Loyalty Program
Point Redemption Options
Statement Credits (Cash)
Gift Cards
Merchandise
Most Optimal
Aeroplan® Flights
Transfer to Airline Partners
Fixed Point Travel Program
Transfer to Hotel Partners
Amazon.ca
Point Redemption Options
Gift Cards
Merchandise
Statement Credits (Cash)
Most Optimal
Transfer to WestJet
Financial Products
Travel
Is this card worth it?
The American Express® Gold Rewards Card is an excellent choice for travelers seeking an entry-level card that offers a strong balance of generous travel benefits without excessive costs. With a relatively low annual fee, this card provides flexibility and a range of perks that make it stand out among other options. It’s ideal for those who want to maximize their travel rewards without being tied to a specific airline or compromising on the benefits offered.
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.
Pros
Pros
Cons
Cons
vs Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
vs American Express Platinum Card®
vs SimplyCash® Card from American Express
vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Card
vs CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
vs BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard®
vs SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express
vs TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
vs TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card
vs MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®
vs PC World Elite Mastercard
vs American Express® Green Card
vs Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard
vs Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card
vs Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
vs TD Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
vs American Express Cobalt® Card
Legal
*Terms and conditions apply.
Subject to approval. The preferred rate for purchases is 21.99% and funds advances is 21.99%. If you have Missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99% and/or 29.99%. See the information box included with the application for the definition of Missed Payment and which rates apply to charges on your account and other details.
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.
® / ™ 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 January 21, 2026 and May 6, 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.
14,000 additional Avion points (“Bonus Points”) will be awarded to you if a total of $1,500 (“Qualifying Transaction Amount”) or more in qualifying net purchases and/or pre-authorized bill payment transactions (“Qualifying Transactions”) are posted to your Credit Card Account within the first six (6) months from your Credit Card Account opening date (“Period”). The Bonus Points will appear on your monthly credit card statement within sixty (60) days after you reach $1,500 in Qualifying Transactions, provided your Credit Card Account is in good standing at the time the Bonus Points are credited to your account.
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, and credits for returns and adjustments posted to your Credit Card Account during the Period will reduce the amount of your Qualifying Transactions. 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 Bonus 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 of Canada 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 $150 worth of gift cards/certificates, you will need a total of 21,000 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.
2 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, and Discotheques” (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 as an 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.
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