RBC Rewards Program Review

Do you want to earn rewards towards flights, gift certificates, gas, merchandise and more?  With over ten reward credit cards to choose from, the RBC Rewards Program most likely has a card that fits your needs.

RBC Rewards options

RBC Rewards members earn points that can be redeemed for travel, merchandise, registered investments and gift cards.  RBC rewards have several partners which earn additional rewards on top of those already provided with the card including Carlson Wagonlit Travel, restaurants in the By Rewards Network and Thrifty Car Rental.

Points can be redeemed via their online website or by phone, fax or mail.  100 RBC Rewards points are worth $1.

Let’s take a look at the three most popular tiers of RBC Rewards credit cards:

RBC Visa Infinite Avion

This card is recommended for individuals with a high income who spend at least $2,500 on their credit card each month.

  • Welcome bonus of 15,000 RBC Rewards upon approval
  • Earn 1 RBC Rewards point for every $1 you spend
  • Earn 25% more RBC Rewards points on travel related purchases (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.)
  • Redeem for flights on any airline – no blackouts, seat restrictions or point expiry, with flights starting at 15,000 RBC Rewards points.
  • Premium and Extensive Insurance package including emergency medical and protection for your trip, hotel, rental vehicle, and purchases.
  • Annual Interest Rates for purchases: 19.99%
  • Annual Fee: $120

How quickly would your RBC Rewards points add up with the RBC Visa Infinite Avion?

  • Welcome bonus = 15,000 points
  • Average monthly purchases ($2,500 x 12) = 30,000
  • Annual travel purchases ($3,000 x 1.25) = 3,750
  • Total spent = $33,000
  • Total points earned = 48,750
  • Free travel rewards earned = $487.50

RBC Rewards Visa Preferred

This card is recommended for individuals with a high income who spend at least $2,000 on their credit card each month.

  • Welcome bonus of 2,500 RBC Rewards upon approval
  • Earn 1 RBC Rewards point for every $1 you spend
  • Earn 25% more RBC Rewards points on travel related purchases (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.)
  • Redeem for travel rewards, merchandise, gift certificates and RBC Rewards with rewards starting as low as 2,500 points
  • Exchange RBC Rewards points for Esso Extra points.
  • Premium Suite of Insurances including protection for your trip, rental vehicle, purchases and more.
  • Annual Interest Rates for purchases: 19.99%
  • Annual Fee: $110

How quickly would your RBC Rewards points add up with the RBC Rewards Visa Preferred?

  • Welcome bonus = 2,500 points
  • Average monthly purchases ($2,000 x 12) = 24,000
  • Annual travel purchases ($3,000 x 1.25) = 3,750
  • Total spent = $27,000
  • Total points earned = 30,250
  • Free travel rewards earned = $302.50

RBC Rewards Visa Gold

This is a basic rewards card and is recommended for individuals who only spend about $500 on their credit card each month.

  • Earn 1 RBC Rewards point for every $2 you spend
  • Earn 25% more RBC Rewards points on travel related purchases (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.)
  • Redeem for travel rewards, merchandise, gift certificates and RBC Rewards with rewards starting as low as 2,500 points
  • Exchange RBC Rewards points for Esso Extra points.
  • Premium Suite of Insurances including protection for your trip, rental vehicle, purchases and more.
  • Annual Interest Rates for purchases: 19.99%
  • Annual Fee: n/a

How quickly would your RBC Rewards points add up with the RBC Rewards Visa Gold?

  • Average monthly purchases ($500 x 12) = 3,000
  • Annual travel purchases ($3,000 x 1.25) = 3,750
  • Total spent = $9,000
  • Total points earned = 6,750
  • Free travel rewards earned = $67.50

Final Thoughts On RBC Rewards

The RBC Rewards program is pretty disappointing when compared with the TD Travel Rewards program.  There is a $200/year difference in the amount of travel rewards earned from the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite compared to the RBC Visa Infinite Avion, with the same $120 annual fee.

When you factor in the annual fee, RBC Rewards members are only earning a 1.10% rebate on every dollar spent using the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card.  That just doesn’t cut it these days when consumers have other richer rewards programs to choose from.  Stay away from this program and check out the best travel rewards credit cards for a card that gives you more bang for your buck.

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