RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege review

How the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege earns

There’s one earn rate: 1.25 Avion points per dollar on all purchases. Groceries, a hotel bill and a hardware store run all earn the same, which makes the card easy to use as your only card.

For example, a household that puts $4,000 a month on the card earns 5,000 points a month, or 60,000 a year. Compared with a card earning 1 point per dollar, that’s 12,000 extra points a year on the same spending.

Put another way, every $4,000 you spend earns 1,000 more points than a 1x card would. Because there are no bonus categories, the card’s return grows with your total spending rather than with where you spend, which suits big spenders whose costs are spread across many categories.

The welcome offer

A welcome offer may be available on this card, but our data doesn’t include its current terms, such as the number of points involved or the spending required.

Check RBC’s website for the current offer before you apply, including any spending target and deadline, so you can plan your first few months of spending around it.

Lounge access

Airport lounge access is the card’s listed perk. Before you count on it, check RBC’s terms for which lounge network is included, how many visits you get and whether guests are allowed.

For someone who flies several times a year, lounge access is one of the main reasons to choose a premium card over a cheaper one. If you rarely fly, it adds little. When deciding whether the $399 fee makes sense, count the lounge benefit only if you’d actually use it, not as an automatic offset.

Fees, interest and the fine print

The annual fee is $399, or about $33 a month. Purchases in a foreign currency carry a 2.5% fee, so $1,000 spent abroad adds about $25, a notable cost on a premium card you might use while travelling.

Purchase interest is 20.99% and cash advances are charged 22.99%. On a card with a fee this high, paying the full balance every month is essential to come out ahead.

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

The card suits high-income households that spend heavily across many categories, want one card for everything and will use lounge access. In the example above, $48,000 of annual spending earns 60,000 points.

If your personal income is below $200,000, you won’t qualify. If your spending is concentrated in groceries or dining, a card with bonus categories may earn more points for a lower fee, and if you often pay in foreign currencies, look for a card without an FX fee.

How it compares

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite earns up to 1.25 points per dollar on travel for a $120 annual fee and offers up to 55,000 Avion points as a welcome offer. It costs $279 less a year, though its 1.25x rate applies to travel rather than to everything.

The Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card has the same $399 fee but charges no foreign transaction fee. It earns 4 Scene+ points per dollar on Scene+ Travel and 2 on everything else, with up to 100,000 Scene+ points as a welcome offer, though it runs on American Express, which isn’t accepted everywhere.

Before you apply

The card is aimed at applicants with a credit score of 760 or higher, and you’ll need to meet the $200,000 personal income requirement. RBC makes the final decision based on your full credit profile. Confirm the current welcome offer and terms on RBC’s website before you apply.