A Guide to Vancity’s My Visa Rewards Plus Program
This post was sponsored by Vancity.
Many credit card rewards programs allow you to use your points to pay for travel. But some, like Vancity’s My Visa Rewards Plus Program, also give you the option to pay down your mortgage and give back to the community at the same time.
How to earn points
You earn points for the program by using an enviro Visa card, which come in both Classic and Gold options. To compare the annual net return on each one, the following spending profile has been used:
There are five enviro Gold Visa cards available, four of which give you rewards points.
With all enviro Gold rewards cards you also get:
- 2,500 points with your first purchase
- 3,500 points upon each card anniversary
- 2,000 points when you enrol at myvisarewardsplus.com
That’s a bonus of up to $80!
If you’re a sole proprietor or manage a small business, the enviro ExpenseGold Visa card is an ideal option; you can have up to four cards with a single statement, with transaction details categorized by user.
And there are three enviro Classic Visa cards to choose from, two of which help you earn points:
With all enviro Classic rewards cards you also get:
- 2,000 points when you enroll at myvisarewardsplus.com (value of $20)
What makes the card different is cardholders can help raise money for local environmental initiatives just by using their card to make purchases—which means it’s a rewards program that keeps giving!
Each year, 5% of Vancity’s enviro Visa profits are distributed to the local community through the Vancity enviroFund program. Since the program was created in 1990, the program has given more than $6 million to numerous organizations.
Redemption options
Points can be redeemed in a number of ways:
- Financial rewards
If you want to pay off a loan or save for the future, you can use your rewards points to achieve your financial goals. The points earned can be used to pay down your Vancity mortgage, loan, line of credit, and even your Visa. Minimum redemptions start as low as 5,000 points (equivalent to $50).
Want to save in an RRSP, RESP, or TFSA? You can also redeem your points to make a deposit into your savings account or invest in mutual funds. Redemptions start at 5,000 points.
- Charity
Use your points to donate to the Vancity Community Foundation as well as any registered charity in Canada with as little as 2,000 points. You’ll also get a tax receipt for any donation.
- Travel
The My Visa Rewards Plus program offers a lot of flexibility. You can use a combination of cash and points to redeem for travel that also includes your taxes and fees. You won’t be charged any booking fees and there aren’t any blackout periods.
You can start redeeming for travel with only 5,000 points. Best of all, you’ll earn double rewards points when you book online through the My Visa Rewards Plus Travel Service Centre or one of its travel agents.
- Merchandise
If those options don’t interest you, your points can be redeemed for a number of options such as home electronics, kitchen accessories, and jewellery. You can also get gift cards for some of Canada’s top retailers and restaurant chains.
Want to earn points and give back to the community at the same time? Visit the Vancity website to choose which enviro Visa is right for you.
Conditions apply. For complete terms and conditions visit vancity.com/visaterms. Make Good Money (TM) is a trademark of Vancouver City Savings Credit Union.