A premium card charges a high annual fee in exchange for perks you have to use to get the value back: airport lounge visits, travel or dining credits, hotel status and stronger insurance. The fee only pays for itself if those perks replace money you would have spent anyway. This roundup compares the premium tier in Canada, from the travel Visa Infinite cards near the bottom of the tier to the Amex Platinum at the top, and then sets out how to judge whether one is worth it for you. For travel cards at every fee level, see the best travel credit cards; this page is one of our credit card reviews and roundups.
Premium cards compared
| Card | Annual fee | Foreign transaction fee | Lounge access | Annual credit | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Platinum Card | $799/year | 2.5% | Amex Global Lounge Collection | Travel credit and dining credit | Frequent international travellers |
| CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card | $499/year | 2.5% | 6 DragonPass visits a year | Travel credit through CIBC Rewards | CIBC clients who fly often |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card | $599/year | 2.5% | 6 DragonPass visits a year | Annual lifestyle credit | BMO clients |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege | $399/year | 2.5% | 6 DragonPass visits a year | None | RBC clients |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite | $150/year | 0% | 6 DragonPass visits a year | None | Value at the low end of the tier |
| TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card | $139/year | %!s(<nil>) | 4 DragonPass visits a year | Hotel credit through Expedia For TD | TD clients |
| National Bank World Elite Mastercard | $150/year | 2.5% | Montréal-Trudeau international departures only | Travel credit | Quebec residents |
Lounge visit counts and credits are set in each card’s benefit terms; the issuer’s card page has the current version.
What separates the cards
The biggest differences are lounge access and the foreign transaction fee. The Amex Platinum’s lounge benefit covers the American Express Global Lounge Collection, more than 1,550 lounges; from January 1, 2027, complimentary Plaza Premium and Priority Pass visits are limited each year unless you reach $20,000 in eligible annual spend. The Visa Infinite Privilege cards cap you at a set number of DragonPass visits a year, which covers a few round trips but not a frequent flyer’s year. On foreign spending, the Scotiabank Passport charges 0%, while the Platinum charges 2.5%; the no foreign transaction fee cards page compares that feature on its own.
| Perk | Amex Platinum | CIBC Aventura Privilege | Scotiabank Passport | TD First Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $799/year | $499/year | $150/year | $139/year |
| Lounge visits a year | Global Lounge Collection | 6 DragonPass | 6 DragonPass | 4 DragonPass |
| Hotel status | Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold | None | None | None |
| Annual credits | a $200 Annual Travel Credit and a $200 Annual Dining Credit | A travel credit through the CIBC Rewards Centre | None | $100 a year on the first hotel, lodging or vacation rental purchase of $500 or more with Expedia For TD |
| Concierge | Platinum concierge | Yes | No | Yes |
Airport lounge access
Lounge access is the perk premium cards are bought for, and the networks differ:
| Card | Lounge network | Visits a year | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | American Express Global Lounge Collection (Centurion, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass and partner lounges) | Unlimited at most lounges; limited complimentary Plaza Premium and Priority Pass visits from 2027 below the spend threshold | Depends on the lounge |
| CIBC Aventura Privilege | DragonPass | 6 | Guest fee per visit |
| Scotiabank Passport | DragonPass | 6 | Guest fee per visit |
| RBC Avion Privilege | DragonPass | 6 | Guest fee per visit |
| BMO eclipse Privilege | DragonPass | 6 | Guest fee per visit |
| TD First Class | DragonPass | 4 | Guest fee per visit |
The Amex Platinum’s change matters for anyone counting on unlimited Priority Pass or Plaza Premium visits: American Express says that from January 1, 2027, complimentary visits to those two networks are limited each year unless the cardmember reaches $20,000 in eligible spend in the calendar year. Access to its other lounges stays unlimited. Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges are a separate benefit tied to the Aeroplan cards at the top fee tier.
Travel insurance
Every card in this tier carries travel medical, trip cancellation and baggage cover, but the days covered, age limits and dollar maximums differ by certificate. The credit cards with travel insurance roundup compares those terms card by card, and the credit card insurance guide explains the exclusions that most often cause denied claims.
Is a premium card worth it?
A premium card is worth it when the value you actually use is larger than the fee. The fee is certain; the perks are only worth what they replace.
Net value = rewards above what a no-fee card would earn + insurance you would otherwise buy + credits and perks you actually use − annual fee
How much extra spending covers the fee? If a premium card earns 1% more on your spending than a no-fee card, rewards alone cover a $150 fee once you put $15,000 a year on it, and a $599 fee at $59,900. At a 2% difference, those figures halve to $7,500 and $29,950.
Rewards are rarely enough on their own at the top of the tier, so the rest of the case rests on what you’d use:
| A premium card tends to pay off if you | A no-fee card tends to come out ahead if you |
|---|---|
| Fly several times a year and would use the lounges | Rarely travel or never use a lounge |
| Would otherwise buy travel medical or trip cancellation cover | Already have travel cover through work or another card |
| Use the annual credits as they’re designed (the right portal, merchant or booking) | Wouldn’t spend at the merchants the credits require |
| Value hotel status on stays you’d make anyway | Carry a balance, since interest wipes out any reward gain |
| Put most of your spending on one card | Spend modestly across many cards |
Credits are where the value most often slips: the Amex Platinum’s travel and dining credits pay out only on eligible bookings and restaurants, so a cardholder who doesn’t book that way gets less than the headline value. For the general question of whether any fee card beats a no-fee card, the are credit card rewards worth it guide works through the fee break-even, and the no annual fee roundup lists the cards to compare against.
The bottom line
At the low end of the tier, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite combines no foreign transaction fee with lounge visits and travel insurance for a moderate fee. The Visa Infinite Privilege cards and the Amex Platinum suit people who fly often enough to use the lounges and credits every year. If you travel once or twice a year, a mid-fee travel card or a no-fee card usually returns more after the fee.
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Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 5, 2026 and October 6, 2026. How we check facts.