Best RBC Credit Cards in Canada 2026

RBC offers one of Canada’s broadest credit card lineups, covering everything from no-annual-fee everyday cards to premium travel cards with unlimited airport lounge access. This guide ranks the best RBC credit cards by category to help you find the right fit, whether you want flexible travel rewards, simple cashback, or a WestJet card for direct-airline earning. The other big banks’ lineups are covered on our credit card reviews hub, including the best CIBC credit cards and best TD credit cards.

For the full picture of credit card options beyond RBC, see best credit cards in Canada and best travel credit cards.

Best RBC Credit Cards by Category

Best Overall: RBC Avion Visa Infinite

Annual fee: $120 | Network: Visa Infinite | Earn rate: 1–1.25× Avion points

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite is RBC’s best mid-tier travel card and the standard choice for RBC customers who travel regularly. Avion points are flexible: transferable to British Airways Avios (1:1), WestJet Rewards, American Airlines AAdvantage, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: giving you options that Aeroplan-only cards do not.

Why it wins: its annual fee of $120/year is at the low end for a Visa Infinite travel card with full insurance. RBC’s welcome offer for this card has been structured across the first year (points on approval, plus additional points after meeting a spend threshold and at your account anniversary) rather than a single lump sum. Confirm the current offer and its terms on RBC’s credit cards page before applying, since amounts and structure change over time.

Best for: RBC customers who travel internationally 2+ times per year and want flexible point redemption.

Best for Cashback: RBC Cashback Preferred World Elite Mastercard

Annual fee: $99 | Network: World Elite Mastercard | Earn rate: 1.5% on everything

The Cashback Preferred World Elite earns 1.5% cashback on the first $25,000 in net purchases per year, then 1% thereafter with no maximum. At $99/year, it pays for itself at just $6,600 in annual spending: most Canadian households far exceed that.

World Elite Mastercard perks include Mastercard Travel Rewards, cellphone protection, and extended warranty benefits.

Best for: Canadians who want the simplicity of flat-rate cashback and prefer Mastercard for Costco compatibility.

Best No-Annual-Fee Card: RBC ION Visa

Annual fee: $0 | Network: Visa | Earn rate: 1.5× Avion points on key categories

The ION Visa earns 1.5 Avion points per dollar on groceries, gas, rideshare, and streaming/digital gaming subscriptions – categories that cover a large share of most households’ spending. Everything else earns 1 point per dollar. There is no annual fee. NOTE: there is no restaurant/dining bonus category on this card, and ION-earned Avion points have LIMITED redemption options compared to standard RBC Avion cards – WestJet transfer is effectively the best option, not the full Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

Why it wins: Most no-fee cards in Canada either earn a flat 1× everywhere or earn cashback with restrictive caps. The ION Visa’s 1.5× on everyday categories with Avion points is unusual for a no-fee card, even with its redemption limitations.

Best for: Students, young professionals, or anyone who wants RBC Avion points without paying a fee.

Best No-Annual-Fee Cashback: RBC Cashback Mastercard

Annual fee: $0 | Network: Mastercard | Earn rate: 2% on groceries (capped $6,000/yr spend, then 1%), 0.5% on everything else (then 1% after $6,000/yr in other spend)

The RBC Cashback Mastercard earns 2% back on grocery store purchases, a strong rate for a no-fee card. The grocery cap is $6,000/year, after which the earn rate drops to 1%. There is no separate “recurring bills” bonus category on this card.

Best for: Budget-conscious Canadians who grocery shop frequently and want Costco compatibility with no annual cost.

Best for WestJet Flyers: RBC WestJet World Elite Mastercard

Annual fee: $139/year ($59 per additional card) | Network: World Elite Mastercard | Earn rate: 2% on WestJet/WestJet Vacations/Sunwing Vacations and on groceries/transportation, 1.5% on everything else

WestJet points are straightforward: redeem accumulated WestJet points toward WestJet flights (WestJet dollars became points on April 30, 2025, at 100 points per WestJet dollar). The card also includes an annual round-trip companion voucher starting from $119 CAD (plus taxes/fees) after first purchase, renewed each year with sufficient spend, plus a free first checked bag for yourself and up to eight guests on the same reservation when you pay with the card.

One use of the companion voucher on a return trip can save more than the annual fee ($139/year), depending on what a second ticket would have cost.

Best for: Frequent WestJet flyers, particularly families where bag-fee savings and the companion voucher make the annual fee an easy win.

Best for Everyday Streaming & Subscriptions: RBC ION+ Visa

Annual fee: $48 | Network: Visa | Earn rate: 3x Avion points on groceries, gas, dining, food delivery, rideshare, and streaming/digital gaming subscriptions (all at the same 3x rate); 1x elsewhere

The ION+ earns 3 Avion points per dollar across a genuinely broad set of everyday categories, including dining and food delivery (which the plain ION Visa does not cover). If your household spends $200/month on Netflix, Disney+, Apple Music, and Spotify, that is 7,200 points per year from subscriptions alone at $48 cost: a strong value.

Best for: Younger Canadians with high streaming, dining, and grocery spend who want a low-cost card with broad category coverage.

Best Premium: RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege

Annual fee: $399 | Network: Visa Infinite Privilege | Earn rate: Flat 1.25× Avion on all purchases (confirmed – there is no separate travel-specific bonus tier on this card)

The Privilege card adds 6 complimentary DragonPass airport lounge visits per year (not Priority Pass, and not unlimited), emergency travel medical insurance with an unlimited maximum benefit (first 31 days of a trip if under 65, 7 days if 65+), VIP Concierge service. Eligible RBC banking clients may receive fee rebates.

Best for: High-income travellers who will actually use the 6 included DragonPass lounge visits per year (each visit is worth approximately $35–$60).

All RBC Credit Cards: Quick Comparison

How to Choose the Right RBC Card

Step 1: What do you want from a credit card?

• Travel rewards → Avion Visa Infinite or Privilege
• Simple cashback → Cashback Preferred World Elite (fee) or Cashback Mastercard (no fee)
• WestJet flights → WestJet World Elite Mastercard
• No annual fee → ION Visa or Cashback Mastercard

Step 2: Can you use the insurance? All Visa Infinite and World Elite Mastercard products include travel insurance. If you currently buy standalone travel insurance, one mid-tier RBC card usually covers the equivalent coverage and pays for itself.

Step 3: Do you shop at Costco? Costco Canada accepts only Mastercard. If Costco is a significant spend category, the RBC Cashback Mastercard (no fee, 2% groceries) or the Cashback Preferred World Elite Mastercard (1.5% on the first $25,000/yr, 1% after) are compatible; Visa products are not.

Should You Stack RBC Cards?

Many RBC customers benefit from two cards: a Visa Infinite travel card for insurance and Avion points on everyday non-Costco spending, plus a no-fee Mastercard for Costco. The ION Visa + Cashback Mastercard combination covers both networks at no annual cost.

Premium travellers sometimes pair the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege (for lounge access and top-tier insurance) with the ION+ (for 3× on streaming and dining), keeping the Privilege card for travel and the ION+ for daily spending.

See also: RBC Avion Visa Infinite review · best travel credit cards in Canada · RBC Avion Rewards program guide