RBC ION Visa
Card highlights
Welcome bonus
Annual fee
Ratehub’s review
Natasha Macmillan
The RBC Ion Visa is the best entry-level card offered by RBC with no annual fee allowing you to earn 1.5 Avion points per dollar spent on grocery, rides, gas, EV charging, streaming, digital gaming, and subscriptions and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Pros
- No annual fee or income requirement
- Flexible redemption options: You can use your points for pay bills, your credit card balance or even send money to friends with Interac e-transfer, with a minimum redemption of only $10.
Cons
- Limited insurance coverage
- Low points value: With this card, you earn a slightly modified Avion point which are worth less than those earned through other RBC Avion cards
Rewards & bonuses
See what you could earn based on how you spend.
Welcome bonus
Earn up to $100.
Get 7,000 Avion points upon approval. Get an additional 7,000 Avion points when you spend $500 or more within the first 3 months.
Earn rates
Caps apply where shown. Rewards are earned on eligible purchases only, see the card’s terms for full details. 151 points = $1.
Your earning potential
First year reward
Based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
Second year reward
Based on spending $2,200/mo after $0 annual fee
These numbers are based on estimations and the calculation breakdown below.
Adjust your spending
First year reward†
- If you spend $2,200/month, you’ll earn
- Welcome bonus
- Annual fee
- First year reward
Second year reward†
- If you spend $2,200/month, you’ll earn
- Annual fee
- Second year reward
† Estimate calculated by Ratehub.ca and is based on current offers and a monthly spend of $2,200. It is for illustrative purposes only.
Perks & insurance
Perks and insurance coverage included with the card.
| Perks | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | Not included | You’ll gain complimentary passes to airport lounges. The number of passes and lounges you have access to will vary. |
| No foreign exchange fees | Not included | A surcharge that credit card holders pay for purchases made in a foreign currency (typically 2.5%). |
| Extended warranty | up to a maximum extension of one (1) year | Either doubles the length of the item’s manufacturer’s warranty coverage or extends it by 1 year, whichever is less. |
| Price protection | Not included | If, within a certain amount of time of purchasing an item, its price drops or you find an identical item offered for a lower retail price than what you paid, you will be reimbursed for the difference. |
| Insurance | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel accident insurance | Not included | If you suffer a loss as a result of an accidental bodily injury sustained while occupying a common carrier, you are eligible for this coverage. |
| Travel emergency medical | Not included | If you require urgent medical care while on a trip outside of your home province, you will be covered for any eligible medical expenses incurred. |
| Car rental insurance | Not included | Credit card rental car insurance usually covers theft, loss and damage to your rental car in the case of an accidental collision. |
| Trip cancellation | Not included | If you have to cancel your trip before it’s even started, your prepaid travel costs will be covered up to a maximum amount if the cause of cancellation is eligible for the insurance. |
| Trip interruption | Not included | If your trip has to be cut short or is delayed after the scheduled departure date, you will be covered up to a maximum amount for an eligible cause of interruption or delay. |
| Flight delay insurance | Not included | If your flight departure is delayed by a certain number of hours, you’ll be reimbursed a certain amount for necessary and reasonable expenses. |
| Baggage loss insurance | Not included | If your checked bag cannot be located by a common carrier, you’ll be reimbursed for a portion of the replacement cost of lost personal property. |
| Baggage delay insurance | Not included | If your checked bag is not delivered within a specified time upon your arrival, you’ll be reimbursed for the cost to replace essential items. |
| Hotel/motel burglary | Not included | Provides protection, while you’re checked in, for your personal belongings when left unattended in your room up to a certain dollar amount. |
| Mobile insurance | Not included | Reimburses a portion of your cell phone in the event it’s damaged or lost. Device coverage is limited to a certain period of time after purchasing with your credit card. |
| Purchase assurance | up to ninety (90) days from the date of purchase | Automatically protects new purchases by insuring them for 90 days from the date of purchase in the event of loss, theft or damage. |
Details & eligibility
Fees
- Annual fee
- $0
- Balance transfer fee
- 3% of transferred balance
Rates
- Purchase interest
- 20.99%
- Balance transfer rate
- 22.99%
- Cash advance rate
- 22.99%
Type
- Provider
- RBC Royal Bank
- Card type
- Travel
- Payment network
- VISA
Eligibility
- Minimum personal income
- N/A
- Minimum household income
- N/A
- Minimum credit score
- 660+