Comparison: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card vs RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

Updated Jan 31, 2025
Fact checked by
Alexandrine Bertrand
Alexandrine Bertrand Alexandrine Bertrand
An avid solo traveller, Alexandrine is an expert on loyalty programmes such as Aeroplan, Avios, AIR MILES, Flying Blue and Marriott Bonvoy. With a budget-conscious approach, she helps travellers make the most of their points and miles to experience affordable, off-the-beaten-path getaways. She also shares a love of gastronomy and enjoys exploring local flavours and culinary traditions.
All posts by Alexandrine Bertrand
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CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card vs RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card
To the point Here is our detailed comparison of the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite and RBC Avion Visa Infinite cards.

RBC and CIBC each offer a travel rewards credit card:

But which of these Visa Infinite cards is the most advantageous?

Welcome Bonus

Both credit cards offer a welcome bonus.

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By subscribing to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Cardprogram, you’ll currently earn 55,000 points, worth up to $1,100:

  • 35,000 Avion points on approval (no minimum purchase) ;
  • 20,000 Avion points when you spend $5,000 within six months of approval.
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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 one-time refund of the annual fee ($139) to the primary cardholder.

Then, if there are up to three authorized users, another $50 annual fee refund is available for each.

All of these have a value of up to $1,139.

Advantage: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

The 35,000 Avion points from the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offer are extremely easy to obtain, and you don’t even need to make any purchases with the card to get the points.

Exclusive Benefits and Savings

Thanks to certain partners, credit cards offer more points or useful discounts for everyday purchases.

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The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has exclusive benefits for Visa Infinite cardholders.

  • Luxury Hotel Collection and its VIP benefits
  • Culinary experiences in top restaurants
  • Experiences in wine regions
  • Free concierge service

This card also entitles you 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
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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 top restaurants
  • Experiences in wine regions
  • Free concierge service

In addition, it offers:

 

Advantage: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

For both its travel benefits and offers as well as in everyday life, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card wins this round.

Access to airport VIP lounges

Having access to an airport lounge before a flight is a comfort to be discovered.

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The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card does not offer membership or access to airport lounges.

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This card gives you 4 free visits to airport lounges through the Visa Airport Companion Program.

Advantage: CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card

Between the two, only the CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card offers free access to airport lounges.

After the 4 free visits, admission to lounge costs US$32.

Earning reward points

Both credit cards offer purchase categories that allow you to earn more rewards points.

Purchase categories for travel

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The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has a rate of 1.25 Avion points per dollar 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%.

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With the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn :

  • 2 points / dollar of travel purchases made with CIBC by Expedia.

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 more flexibility and without any ties, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card is the best.

Basic Earning Level

Outside these accelerated purchase categories, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card and the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card offer a basic accumulation rate.

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With the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Cardyou can earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

This is a 1% value.

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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.

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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 site 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 during high season.

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

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 equals to about 2 cents per point ($350 divided by 15,000 points) on average.

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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 earn you a $50 Statement credit.

However, thanks to a no-limit promotion, you can use 35% fewer points ! This increases the value of your Aventura points and 10,000 Aventura points will give a $100 Statement credit. This has a value of 1 cent per point, which is excellent.

Another option is to use points through a fixed fare structure. Here’s their Aventura Airline Award Chart.

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 flights 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

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 exchange rate, the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card is the best … for now! Outside of this promotion, you’d be better off choosing RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card.

Points for other rewards

The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card and the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card both allow points to be used for other rewards: everyday purchases, gift cards, products, investments.

But we do not recommend these uses because of the low value.

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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:

  • obtain a gift card from our extensive catalog: 12,000 to 14,000 points for a $100 gift card (0.71 to 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)

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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 two cards apart in this respect: the utilization rate is poor 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 points to another program is a strength.

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The Avion points from the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card can be transferred to:

  • WestJet Rewards
  • American Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Asia Miles
  • Hudson’s Bay Reward Points
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CIBC Aventura Points cannot be transferred to another loyalty program.

Advantage: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has transfer partners and thus, more possibilities!

Please note that a few times during the year, RBC offers transfer bonuses. This is a great way to further increase the value of Avion points.

Annual Fees

Both credit cards have roughly similar annual fees.

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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.

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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.

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The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card has very comprehensive 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
Rental Vehicle 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
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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
Rental Vehicle 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 coverages, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card is slightly superior. The major differences are in travel medical insurance and flight delay insurance.

Minimum Income

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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
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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 ;
  • 4 free accesses to airport lounges;
  • Faster accumulation 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 excellent value, especially with its welcome offer. In addition, it is better for :

  • Easy to obtain 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.
HSBC NYC–

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!
Caroline Tremblay
Caroline Tremblay
Caroline, a loyalty program specialist, helps families maximize their points to travel more frequently and affordably. With expertise in Disney, AIR MILES, and Costco, she travels the world with her partner and two children through rewards. Passionate about the latest in loyalty programs, Caroline shares tips to help you earn more points and turn your travel dreams into reality.
All posts by Caroline Tremblay
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