RBC · Visa
Free, with 1.5 Avion points a dollar on groceries, gas, transit, rideshare, streaming and gaming. The stripped down version of the $48 ION+.
Rates and features verified 2026-08-18Full terms and conditionsHow we research cards
What we like, and what we don’t
Worth having
- No annual fee and no fee for additional cards
- 1.5 points a dollar on a wide list: groceries, gas, EV charging, transit, rideshare, streaming and gaming
- Up to 14,000 Avion points in the welcome offer, half of it on approval
- 1 point a dollar on everything else with no published caps
- Avion points can be redeemed against groceries at Rexall and Petro Canada as well as travel
Watch out for
- RBC quotes the welcome bonus value in gift cards rather than publishing a cents per point rate
- No mobile device insurance and no travel insurance of any kind
- The $48 ION+ pays 3 points a dollar on a broader list, so this tier is deliberately weaker
- Avion is a fixed value programme, so 1.5 points a dollar is about 1.5%
- RBC does not publish the foreign transaction fee on this card's own page
What this card earns
- Groceries
- 1.5x
- Gas
- 1.5x
- Transit
- 1.5x
- Entertainment
- 1.5x
- Everything else
- 1x
- Bonus categories at once
- 1 you choose which
- What we value a point at
- 1¢
The earning fine print
1.5 Avion points per $1 on groceries, gas and EV charging, daily transit and rideshare, and streaming services and digital gaming; 1 Avion point per $1 on all other qualifying purchases. RBC publishes no annual category caps for this card. The sibling RBC ION+ Visa (already in the comparison list) pays 3x on a broader category set for $48. The ION is the stripped-down tier.
The welcome offer
- Welcome bonus
- 7,000 points after you spend $0
- Second tier
- 7,000 points after you spend $500, within 3 months
- Offer ends
- 2026-11-04
What the offer actually requires
Up to 14,000 Avion points: 7,000 on approval and 7,000 more when $500 is spent in the first 3 months. RBC describes the total as 'up to $100 of value in gift cards'. Offer valid through November 4, 2026.
Fees and interest rates
- Annual fee
- None
- Additional card
- Free
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5%
- Purchase APR
- 20.99%
- Cash advance APR
- 22.99%
- Balance transfer APR
- 22.99%
Who can get this card
- Minimum personal income
- Not published by the issuer
Insurance and benefits
- Purchase protection
- Included
- Extended warranty
- Included
What the benefits really mean
Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Insurance only: eligible purchases covered against loss, theft or damage for 90 days, and the manufacturer's warranty doubled to a maximum of 5 years. No travel insurance and no mobile device insurance. Those sit on the ION+ tier. The welcome bonus value is quoted 'in gift cards'. RBC does not publish a fixed cent-per-point value, so 14,000 points is not automatically $100 in cash. No mobile device insurance and no travel insurance at all; the ION+ tier at $48 is where those start. The 2.5% FX figure is RBC's general disclosure, not a statement made on this card's own page.
Our verdict
For a free card, the category list is unusually good. Groceries, fuel, transit, rideshare, streaming and gaming at 1.5 points a dollar covers most of what a younger household spends money on, and 7,000 points simply for being approved is a decent start.
The question is whether you should pay RBC $48 for the ION+ instead, which pays 3 points a dollar on a broader list. At Avion values, the extra 1.5 points on $10,000 of category spending is $150, which pays the ION+ fee three times over. Take the free ION if your spending is light, and take the ION+ if it is not.
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Where this came from. RBC ION Visa product page and RBC's rewards cards hub page (both confirm $0 fee, 20.99%/22.99%, earn rates, welcome offer and the November 4, 2026 deadline). The 2.5% FX figure comes from RBC's Avion Information Box PDF stating RBC's standard currency conversion charge.. We take every figure from the issuer’s own pages, never from another comparison site, and we leave a field blank rather than guess at it.