CIBC Aventura Visa Card review

How the Aventura Visa earns points

The CIBC Aventura Visa Card earns 1 Aventura point per dollar on gas and EV charging, groceries, drug stores, and travel booked through the CIBC Rewards Centre (CIBC by Expedia). Everything else earns 1 point for every $2, or 0.5 points per dollar.

As an example, a household spending $500 a month on groceries, $150 on gas, $50 at drug stores and $1,000 on everything else would earn 700 points from the bonus categories and 500 from the rest. That’s 1,200 points a month, or 14,400 points a year, with no fee to cover.

The welcome offer

New cardholders can earn up to 12,500 Aventura points. You get 2,500 points for completing five onboarding activities within 60 days, and 10,000 bonus points for making $1,000 in net purchases in your first four statement periods. CIBC sets out which onboarding activities count, so check the list when your card arrives.

The spending target is low. $1,000 over four statement periods is about $250 per period, and the 10,000 bonus points alone are close to what the example household earns from ordinary spending in eight months.

Redeeming Aventura points

Aventura points can be redeemed for flights on any airline, hotels and more, so you aren’t tied to one carrier’s schedule or routes. Points never expire while your account is open, which gives you time to build a balance on a no-fee card.

Two practical extras round out the card. You can send money abroad to more than 120 countries with no transfer fee, and you can save up to 10 cents per litre on gas through Journie Rewards.

Fees, interest and the fine print

There’s no annual fee. Purchases in a foreign currency carry a 2.5% foreign transaction fee, so $1,000 of spending on a trip abroad or with a US retailer adds about $25.

Purchases are charged 21.99% interest and cash advances 22.99%. Pay your full statement balance by the due date to avoid purchase interest, which would quickly outweigh the points you earn.

Insurance coverage

Coverage is limited, as you’d expect on a no-fee card. There’s no travel medical or trip cancellation insurance listed, so arrange separate coverage before you travel. Check the certificate for the details of what is included.

• Common carrier accident insurance up to $100,000
• Purchase security and extended protection

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

The Aventura Visa suits people who want flexible travel points without an annual fee, and whose spending leans toward groceries, gas and drug stores. It’s also a sensible first travel card while you work out how much you’d really travel.

Heavier spenders will notice the 0.5x base rate. If most of your spending falls outside the bonus categories, you’d earn far more on a card with a higher flat rate or stronger categories.

How it compares

The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite is the step up within the same program. It costs $139 a year, earns 2 points per dollar on travel booked through the CIBC Rewards Centre, and offers a welcome bonus of up to 35,000 Aventura points.

Among no-fee options, the RBC ION Visa also has no annual fee and earns 1.5 Avion points per dollar on groceries, with a welcome offer of up to 7,000 Avion points. It’s worth comparing if groceries are your biggest category.

Before you apply

The recommended credit score is 660 or higher, and CIBC makes the final decision based on your full credit profile. Confirm the current welcome offer, rates and insurance terms on the CIBC website before you apply.