To the point
Here is our detailed comparison of the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite and RBC Avion Visa Infinite cards.
Welcome bonus
Both credit cards offer a welcome bonus.
When you sign up for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you’ll get up to a $525 value:
- 35,000 Avion points on approval (no minimum purchase) ($525 value) ;
With the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, you’ll earn up to 45,000 Aventura Points:
- 15,000 Aventura points after first purchase
- 30,000 Aventura points if you spend $3,000 or more in total during the period covered by your first 4 monthly statements
In addition, it offers a first-year annual fee rebate to the primary cardholder ($139).
Then, if there are up to three authorized users, another $50 rebate for the annual fee is available for each.
All of these have a value of up to $1,139.
IT'S A DRAW
The 35,000 Avion points in the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offer are extremely easy to earn. On the first monthly statement, they are already in the Avion Rewards account after activating the card!
Plus, they have a value of up to $525 for travel purchases. Check the current welcome offer for this RBC Avion Rewards credit card.
As for the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, the offer is just as advantageous and rather easy to obtain, too, especially as you benefit from a first-year annual fee rebate via the exclusive welcome offer currently running for this CIBC Aventura credit card.
Exclusive benefits and savings
With some partners, credit cards offer more points or attractive discounts for everyday purchases.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has exclusive benefits for Visa Infinite cardholders.
- Luxury Hotel Collection and its VIP benefits
- Culinary experiences in the best restaurants
- Experiences in wine regions
- Free concierge service
With this card, you are also entitled to :
- 3 cents per liter savings and 20% more points at Petro-Canada
- 50 Be Well points per dollar at Rexall
- Free 12-month subscription to Doordash DashPass
- Tons of points and rebate offers at various retailers with RBC offers
The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card has the same Visa Infinite benefits as its competitor.
- Luxury Hotel Collection and its VIP benefits
- Culinary experiences in the best restaurants
- Experiences in wine regions
- Free concierge service
In addition, it offers:
- Link your card to Journie Rewards to save up to 10 cents per liter on gas at Ultramar, Pioneer, Fas Gas and Chevron
- A NEXUS application fee rebate (a $50 value)
Advantage: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
For both its travel benefits and offers and its everyday life, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card wins this round.
Access to airport VIP lounges
Being able to access an airport lounge before a flight is a comfort to discover.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card does not offer membership or airport lounge access.
This card provides 4 free airport lounge visits through the Visa Airport Companion Program.
Advantage: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
Between the two, only the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card offers complimentary airport lounge access.
After the 4 free accesses, any entrance to the show costs $32 US.
Earning reward points
Both credit cards offer purchase categories that allow you to earn more rewards points.
Purchase categories for travel
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, has a 1.25 Airline point per dollar fee for travel purchases. :
Travel” expenses include those incurred with:
- of an airline
- of a hotel
- a tour operator, cruise line or travel agency
- and a car rental company.
This has a value of 1.25%.
With the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn :
- 2 points / dollar of travel purchases made through the CIBC Rewards Centre
This is a 2% value.
Advantage: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card but ...
The point accumulation value for travel expenses is better with the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card with 2%.
However, the big drawback is that this expense must be done directly with the CIBC travel agency.
For added flexibility and no strings attached, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card Visa Infinite Airline Card is the best.
Basic earning level
Outside of these accelerated purchase categories, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Cardand the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card offer a base rate of accumulation.
With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
This is a 1% value.
With the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn :
- 1.5 points / dollar spent at gas stations, grocery stores and drug stores
- 1 point / dollar spent on the rest
This represents a value between 1% and 1.5%.
Advantage: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card provides more value for everyday expenses such as gas, groceries and drugstore.
Redeeming points
Both cards are reward point cards, mainly for travel.
However, the loyalty programs are completely different:
Points redeemed for trips purchased with the card
You can use the points from both credit cards for travel.
With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can apply your points to travel purchases.
The redemption rate is:
- 100 points = $1 for purchases of your choice that you make yourself, directly at the hotel or for airline tickets, cruises, car rentals, etc.
Or, via the Avion Rewards website, which acts as a travel agency, choose the airline, the one-way or round-trip flight and the date of your choice. There are no blackout periods or reservations imposed, even in high season.
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15,000 points Flight within a province or neighbouring state. Maximum ticket price: $350 |
35,000 points Fly anywhere in Canada or the United States (except Hawaii and Alaska). Maximum ticket price: $750 |
45,000 points Western Canada or the United States to Mexico, Hawaii or Alaska. Eastern Canada to Bermuda, Central America or the Caribbean. Maximum ticket price: $900 |
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55,000 points Eastern Canada or the United States to Mexico, Hawaii or Alaska. Western Canada to Bermuda, Central America or the Caribbean. Maximum ticket price: $1,100 |
65,000 points Flight from Canada or United States to Europe. Maximum ticket price: $1,300 |
100,000 points Fly from Canada or United States to … anywhere in the world! Maximum ticket price: $2,000 |
So this equates to about 2 cents per point ($350 divided by 15,000 points) on average.
With the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, you can apply your points to travel purchases charged to the card.
For more flexible use, Aventura Points can be used to book any trip with the Shopping with Points option. 8,000 Aventura Points will be used to earn a $50 account credit.
However, until March 31, 2024, you can use 50% fewer points ! This doubles the value of your Aventura points, and 8,000 Aventura points will give you a $100 statement credit. This has a value of 1.25 cents per point, which is excellent.
Another option is to use points through a fixed rewards grid. Here is their Aventura Airline Award Chart. The airfare must be booked on their CIBC Rewards site and has an average value of 2 cents per point.
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10,000 to 20,000 points Short-haul flight within a province or neighbouring state. Maximum ticket price: $400 |
25,000 to 35,000 points Long haul flight anywhere in Canada or the United States (except Hawaii and Alaska). Maximum ticket price: $800 |
40,000 to 60,000 points To Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Bermuda, Central America or the Caribbean. Maximum ticket price: $1,000 |
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50,000 to 70,000 points From Canada and the United States to some European cities. Maximum ticket price: $1,300 |
75,000 to 125,000 points Flights from Canada or the United States to select cities in Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, the Middle East and South America. Maximum ticket price: $2,000 |
Advantage: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
The 2 tariffs and their valuation are almost similar. Your choice between the 2 depends on the place of departure and the destination.
But for the best flexible redemption rate, the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card is the best… for now! Outside of its promotion, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card would be a better choice.
Points for other rewards
The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card and the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card Visa Infinite Avion Card allow you to use points for other rewards, such as everyday purchases, gift cards, products and investments.
But we do not recommend these uses because of the low value.
With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card, you can use 12,000 points for $100 (0.83 cents per point) on :
- RRSP and TFSA contributions
- Repayment of a line of credit or mortgage :
You can also:
- Get a gift card from the extensive catalog: 12,000-14,000 points for a $100 gift card (0.71-0.83 cents per point)
- make a donation (1 cent per point)
Finally, you can apply your points to everyday purchases: 4,300 points = $25 (0.58 cents per point)
With the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, you can use 12,000 points for $100 (0.83 cents per point) on :
- Paying off a mortgage or line of credit
- Contribute to an RRSP or TFSA
- Investment in the CIBC Investor’s Edge Portfolio
This has a value of 0.83 cents per point.
You can use 14,000 points for a $100 gift card (0.71 cents per point).
Finally, you can apply your points to everyday purchases: 4,000 points = $25 (0.63 cent per point).
IT'S A DRAW
It’s hard to tell the difference between the two cards on this aspect: the usage rate is bad and similar on both sides. Better to use the points for travel!
However, depending on your financial needs at the time, each can be practical. It is up to you to analyze whether you use these financial institutions in your daily operations.
Transfers to partners
Being able to transfer your points to another program is a strength.
Avion points can be transferred to RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card points can be transferred to :
- WestJet Rewards
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Asia Miles
- Hudson’s Bay Reward Points
The CIBC Aventura Program does not allow for the transfer of Aventura Points to another loyalty program.
Advantage: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has transfer partners, so more possibilities!
Please note that a few times during the year, RBC offers transfer bonuses. This is very interesting to increase the value of the Airplane points even more.
Annual fee
Both credit cards have roughly similar annual fees.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has an annual fee of $120. It is rare to have an annual fee rebate promotion for this card.
The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $139.
However, this card often has a first-year annual fee rebate (like right now!).
Advantage: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
For its $0 net annual fee, it’s a no-brainer.
Insurance
Both credit cards offer extensive insurance.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has extensive insurance coverage. View the complete insurance booklet here:
| Travel Medical Insurance | Unlimited up to 15 days |
| Trip Cancellation Insurance | $ 1,500 per person |
| Baggage Delay or Loss insurance | $ 500 per person |
| Trip Interruption Insurance | $ 5,000 per person |
| Car rental insurance | $ 65,000, up to 48 days |
| Purchase Insurance | 90 days |
| Extended Warranty Insurance | 1 year |
| Mobile Device Insurance | $ 1,500, for 1 year |
| Hotel/motel burglary insurance | $2,500 |
| Travel accident insurance | $500,000 |
| Flight Delay Insurance | $250 per day |
The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card offers something similar for insurance. View the insurance summary here:
| Travel Medical Insurance | $5,000,000 and 15 days |
| Trip Cancellation Insurance | $ 1,500 per person |
| Baggage Delay or Loss insurance | $ 500 per person |
| Trip Interruption Insurance | $ 2,000 per person |
| Car rental insurance | $ 65,000, up to 48 days |
| Purchase Insurance | 90 days |
| Extended Warranty Insurance | 1 year |
| Mobile Device Insurance | $ 1,000, for 2 years |
| Hotel/motel burglary insurance | $2,500 |
| Travel accident insurance | $500,000 |
| Flight Delay Insurance | $500 |
Advantage: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
With its slightly more generous insurance coverage, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card is slightly superior. The major differences are in travel medical insurance and flight delay insurance.
Minimum income
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card requires :
- a minimum individual income of $60,000
- or $100,000 minimum family income
- or total assets of $250,000 or more
To obtain a CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card you must meet one of the following criteria
- a minimum individual income of $60,000
- or $100,000 minimum family income
Advantage : Draw
Since they are both Visa Infinite and Visa sets the minimum income requirements, it is only natural that they are both the same.
Bottom Line
So? Which Card is the winner?
The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card has a slight edge with its mix of lifestyle and travel benefits:
- Net annual fee of $0 for the first year ;
- Four complimentary visits to airport lounges;
- Faster earning rate for everyday grocery, gas and drugstore purchases;
- Flexible use for travel expenses (during its current promotion only).
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has an excellent value, especially with its welcome offer. In addition, it is better for :
- Easy to get the welcome offer
- Its superior insurance for travel and mobile devices;
- Savings opportunities with exclusive offers and discounts on everyday expenses;
- Avion points can be transferred to other loyalty programs.
It’s up to you to choose between these two excellent credit cards according to your needs!
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
