RBC ION+ Visa

Overview

The RBC ION+ Visa is RBC Royal Bank's everyday high-earn rewards card — a Visa product earning 3 Avion points per $1 on groceries, dining, food delivery, rideshare, gas, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and digital subscriptions at a low $48 CAD annual fee ($4 per month). Avion points are transferable to British Airways Avios, American Airlines AAdvantage, WestJet Rewards, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, giving the ION+ access to multiple airline ecosystems. The fee can also be offset entirely with an eligible RBC bank account. With no income requirement, this is one of the best-value everyday travel cards in Canada for its price tier.

Who this card is for

This card is for Canadians who spend consistently on groceries, dining, and food delivery and want to earn Avion points at a rate that makes accumulation feel real — not symbolic. The 3x earn rate on modern everyday categories is strong enough to justify the card as a standalone product, and its value increases significantly when paired with an RBC Avion travel card for redemption. It suits younger cardholders, those without a high income requirement to clear, and anyone looking to maximise Avion earning across a standard Canadian household's monthly spend pattern.

Key benefits

The earn rate is 3 Avion Premium points per $1 on eligible groceries, dining, food delivery, rides, gas, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions — and 1 Avion Premium point per $1 on everything else. The breadth of the 3x category list is what makes this card stand out: it covers the majority of a typical Canadian household's discretionary spending in a single card.

Spend $1,200 CAD per month across groceries, dining, and gas — a realistic number for a two-person household — and you're accumulating approximately 43,200 Avion points per year. That's enough, when transferred to British Airways Avios, to cover a meaningful European short-haul redemption or contribute significantly toward a long-haul award.

The $4 monthly fee is waived entirely for cardholders with an eligible RBC Signature No Limit Banking or RBC Advantage Banking for Students account, making the effective annual cost $0 for those account holders. Welcome bonus offers have recently reached 21,000 Avion points; check RBC's site for the current promotion.

Potential drawbacks

Avion transfer ratios to partner programs are not always 1:1 — verify conversion rates for your target redemption before accumulating specifically toward a goal. The card earns 1x on non-bonus spending, so large non-grocery or non-dining purchases (insurance payments, rent, large retail) would be better directed to a flat-rate card. RBC's Avion portal redemptions may not offer the same value ceiling as airline transfer redemptions.

How it compares

The RBC ION Visa earns 1.5x on similar categories for $0 annually — the ION+ pays for itself if your combined bonus-category monthly spend exceeds roughly $200 CAD, which most households clear easily. The American Express Cobalt earns 5x on food and dining at $15.99/month, offering a higher ceiling on food spending specifically — but Avion's transfer partners include WestJet, which Amex MR points do not directly access.

Bottom line

One of the best-value everyday cards in Canada at its price point. At 3x on a category list broad enough to cover most of a household's spending, the $48 CAD annual fee — or $0 with the right RBC bank account — is easy to justify.