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Mr. Loonie
RBC Ion+ Visa

RBC Ion+ Visa

Best for: Everyday spenders who want Avion points on groceries, gas, dining and streaming for a low fee

Your spending a month
What’s in each?
Light:
Groceries $400, restaurants $100, gas $100, recurring bills $100, everything else (base rate) $250, foreign currency $50
Typical:
Groceries $800, restaurants $250, gas $250, recurring bills $250, travel $150, everything else (base rate) $650, foreign currency $150
Big:
Groceries $1,200, restaurants $500, gas $400, recurring bills $400, travel $500, everything else (base rate) $1,600, foreign currency $400
Yours:
Your own amounts, saved on this device only
Year one
$1,245
Every year after
$1,007

Ranked #19 of 176 for year one. See the list

See how we worked it out
Welcome offer you’d get
$238
The full offer. Up to 14,000 Avion points.
Annual fee
$48 a year
Apply now on RBC’s site (opens in a new tab)
We may get paid if you apply through this link. It never changes our score.

Have this card?

Details from RBC’s site. Banks can update terms at any time, so give them a quick look before you apply. Source

Is it for me? What you’d earn Welcome offer Can I get it? Fees Similar cards
2 quick questions

Is it for me?

Do you spend $100 or more a month on groceries, gas and restaurants?

Do you pay your card off in full most months?

Answer the 2 questions to see if it fits.

From the numbers

The good and the bad

Stands out

  • Good: 3 points per $1 on groceries, gas, restaurants and food delivery At our value for these points, that’s about 5.1% back.
  • Good: Welcome offer up to 14,000 Avion points About $238 at our value for these points.

Watch for

  • Watch for: $48 a year You need about $100 a month on groceries, gas and restaurants to earn it back.
  • Watch for: 2.5% on foreign purchases Use a no foreign fee card when you travel.

Worked out from the card’s rates and fees.

Show your work

What you’d earn

With typical spending of $2,500 a month.

Avion points valued at 1.7¢ each.

  • Groceries $490
    3 points per $1 · 5.1% back $800 a month · 28,800 Avion points a year
  • Restaurants $153
    3 points per $1 · 5.1% back $250 a month · 9,000 Avion points a year
  • Gas $153
    3 points per $1 · 5.1% back $250 a month · 9,000 Avion points a year
  • Recurring bills $51
    1 point per $1 · 1.7% back $250 a month · 3,000 Avion points a year
  • Travel $31
    1 point per $1 · 1.7% back $150 a month · 1,800 Avion points a year
  • Everything else $133
    1 point per $1 · 1.7% back $650 a month · 7,800 Avion points a year
  • Foreign currency $31
    1 point per $1 · 1.7% back $150 a month · 1,800 Avion points a year
For you Year one Later years
Points you earn61,200 Avion points a year, at 1.7¢ each $1,040 $1,040
Welcome offer14,000 Avion points you’d reach $238 $0
Annual fee −$48 −$48
Foreign currency fee2.5% on $1,800 a year −$45 −$45
Phone insurance$60 a year $60 $60
Total $1,245 $1,007

Rows are rounded to the dollar. Insurance counts at what the same cover costs on its own, and only pays when you charge the trip, rental or phone to the card.

What counts in each category
Groceries
3 points per $1
Gas
3 points per $1 Including EV charging
Restaurants
3 points per $1 On rideshare and daily public transit
Food delivery
3 points per $1 On dining out and food delivery
Rideshare
3 points per $1
Transit
3 points per $1
Streaming
3 points per $1
Everything else (base rate)
1 point per $1

1.5 points per $1 spent on Streaming, Digital Gaming & Subscriptions

How Avion points work, and why 1.7¢

We count Avion points at 1.7¢ each, a typical value when you use them well. Depending on how you use them, they’re usually worth 0.58¢ to 2.3¢.

We set one value per points program and use it on every card in that program, so you can compare points cards and cash back cards on the same scale.

These are example budgets to compare cards side by side, not averages. Your own spending will give a different number.

Checked on Nov 8, 2026. Source

Welcome offer

Can your spending get the offer?

  1. 1

    14,000 Avion points · about $238

    Get approved for the card.

    • On purchases within the first 6 months
    • Get 7,000 points on approval
    • Another 7,000 as a one-time anniversary bonus points

Offer ends Jan 12, 2027.

Offer checked on Nov 8, 2026. Source

Before you apply

Can I get it?

  • Age 18 or older 19 or older in BC, NB, NL, NS and the territories
  • Where you live Canada
  • Newcomer program RBC Newcomer Advantage For permanent residents and international students who arrived in the last 12 months, and temporary workers who arrived in the last 48 months. No credit history needed, with a limit up to $15,000 based on income.
  • Credit score No minimum on record Most banks don’t publish one, and we don’t guess.

Mr. Loonie’s tip Each application shows up on your credit file. Leave a few months between card applications.

What critics say

Other reviewers on this card

  • Rewards Canada (opens in a new tab) Oct 2025

    “The RBC ION+ Visa Card is RBC's strongest points earning card and is an excellent one to have if you are looking to earn more WestJet Points or if you can pair it with an Avion card to extract the most possible value. If those two aspects aren't your cup of tea, then the ION+ card, in our opinion, is just an average rewards card. You'll do OK with it if you limit your spending to the 3x points accelerated earn rate categories. However, if you know you'll have lots of spending in categories where you will only earn 1 point per dollar, you'll be much better off with a different card.”

  • SAVVY New Canadians (opens in a new tab) Jan 2023

    “The RBC ION+ Visa card may be suitable if you are looking for a low-annual-fee RBC credit card that earns rewards. You should note that your Avion points do not carry the same redemption value when compared to the points you earn using an Avion credit card, such as the RBC Avion Visa Platinum or RBC Avion Visa Infinite cards. That said, these two cards have a higher annual fee. With the RBC Ion+ Visa, the annual fee is also divided into $4 monthly payments, so you don’t feel the impact as much.”

  • Yore Oyster (opens in a new tab) Oct 2022

    “RBC ION+ Visa may or may not be worth it in two ways – annual fees and rewards. RBC ION+ Visa may be worth it if you own a rewards credit card with annual payments for more significant rewards. However, it may not be worth it since its rewards are the same as the RBC ION Visa. The only difference is that you earn 3x Avion points on purchases.”

  • Finder (opens in a new tab) Sep 2022

    “The RBC ION+ Visa is a low annual fee card that lets you earn 3x the Avion points for gas, groceries, dining out, rideshares, ordering in and making select digital purchases such as gaming, streaming and digital subscriptions. It comes with practical benefits such as a 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription, gas savings at Petro-Canada with your linked Petro points membership, the chance to earn more Be Well points at Rexall and mobile device protection.”

  • Money We Have (opens in a new tab) Sep 2022

    “My RBC ION+ Visa review is positive, For a relatively low fee, you get a decent earn rate and mobile device insurance. While this card can’t compete with premium credit cards, it’s one of the best student credit cards in Canada and is ideal for someone looking for a low fee credit card.”

What cardholders say

Ratings from people with this card

No ratings yet. If you have this card, tell others what it’s like.

Applied and weren’t approved?

Insurance and perks

What comes with it

  • Extended warranty Included
  • Purchase protection Included
  • Mobile device $1,000 per device
  • Save 3¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more points at Petro-Canada
  • Earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at Rexall
  • Get a 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription
  • Mobile Device Insurance
  • Mobile wallets Apple Pay, Google Pay
Coverage limits

We haven’t recorded the coverage limits for this card yet. Read RBC’s insurance certificate before you count on any coverage.

Not included

Not listed for this card: travel medical, trip cancellation, trip interruption, flight delay, lost baggage and car rental damage.

Fees and interest

What it costs

Annual fee
$48 a year
Purchase interest
20.99%
Cash advance interest
22.99%
Foreign currency fee
2.5%
All fees and rates

Fees

Extra cards
None
Cash advance fee
$5.00
Balance transfer fee
3%, Maximum
Over-limit fee
$29
Source
Issuer page

Interest rates

Balance transfer interest
20.99%
Source
Issuer page

Read the card terms and conditions for the full terms.

Checked on Nov 8, 2026. Source

Before you decide

Similar cards for the same spending

With typical spending. This card: $1,245 year one, $1,007 every year after.

See all cards ranked for your spending

Some of these links pay us when you apply, at no extra cost to you. Most don’t, and pay never changes our score. How we make money

Common questions

Questions people ask

What is the annual fee on the RBC Ion+ Visa?

$48 a year.

How much is the RBC Ion+ Visa welcome offer worth?

14,000 Avion points when you are approved, worth about $238.

Does it charge a foreign transaction fee?

Yes, 2.5% on purchases in other currencies.

What is the interest rate?

20.99% on purchases. Cash advances are 22.99%.

Does it include insurance?

It lists extended warranty, purchase protection and mobile device insurance. Read the insurance certificate for the limits.

Rates, fees and offers come from the card issuers and change often. We work to keep this page accurate and current, but it may contain mistakes, so always check the issuer’s terms before you apply. This page is general information and isn’t financial advice.

Spot something wrong? We’ll check it with the bank. Suggest a correction

Card names, logos and trademarks belong to their owners. No issuer wrote, paid for or approved what we say about this card. Our scores and opinions are our own.

Mr. Loonie is independent and supported by affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you apply through some links, at no cost to you. How we make money

$1,245
year one for you
Apply now on RBC’s site (opens in a new tab)
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