WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard review

How the WestJet RBC World Elite earns

Travel, gas, groceries and transit all earn 2 points per dollar, and everything else earns 1.5 points. A 1.5-point base rate means spending outside the bonus categories still earns well, so you don’t need a second card to cover the gaps.

For example, a household spending $600 a month on groceries, $200 on gas and $100 on transit earns 1,800 points a month from those categories, or 21,600 a year. Another $1,000 a month of other spending adds 18,000, and $2,000 of travel adds 4,000, for 43,600 points a year.

That household spends $24,800 a year on the card, so it averages about 1.76 points per dollar. The narrow gap between the two tiers means your total depends more on how much you spend than on where.

The welcome offer

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

Check RBC’s website for the current offer before you apply, and make sure any spending target fits comfortably within your normal budget. Either way, judge the card mainly on its ongoing earning and the perks you’d actually use.

Free checked bag and lounge access

The card lists two travel perks: a free checked bag and lounge access. If you check bags often, the bag benefit can do much of the work of justifying the fee, and lounge access makes airport waits easier.

Check RBC’s terms for which flights and travellers the bag benefit covers and what the lounge access includes, such as the number of visits and whether guests can come with you.

Fees, interest and the fine print

The annual fee is $139, or just under $11.60 a month. Purchases in a foreign currency carry a 2.5% fee, about $25 per $1,000 spent abroad, so travel spending in other currencies costs more than the 2 points per dollar suggests.

Purchase interest is 20.99% and cash advances are charged 22.99%. Paying the full balance by the due date avoids purchase interest.

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

The card suits travellers with a personal income of at least $80,000 who spend steadily on groceries, gas and transit and fly often enough to use the checked bag and lounge perks. Because transit is a bonus category, commuters who pay for buses or trains with a card get extra value from everyday trips.

If you rarely fly or check bags, the perks lose much of their value, and the entry-level WestJet card may be enough. Frequent foreign-currency spenders should look for a card without an FX fee.

How it compares

The WestJet RBC Mastercard costs $39 a year and earns up to 1.5 points per dollar on WestJet flights, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations, with up to 15,000 WestJet points as a welcome offer. It’s the cheaper option if you mainly fly WestJet and don’t need the World Elite’s perks. The $100 gap between the two fees is what the World Elite’s broader earning, lounge access and bag benefit need to make up for you.

The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite also costs $139, earns 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar on groceries and offers up to 50,000 Aeroplan points. It’s the better fit if you fly Air Canada more than WestJet.

Before you apply

The card is aimed at applicants with a credit score of 720 or higher, and it has an $80,000 personal income requirement. RBC makes the final decision. Confirm the welcome offer and current terms on RBC’s website before you apply.