| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Card | CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Card |
| Issuer | CIBC |
| Annual Fee | $120/year |
| Additional Card Fee | $50/year |
| Income Requirement | $60,000 personal or $100,000 household |
| Base Earn Rate | 4% gas/EV charging/groceries, 2% transportation/dining/recurring payments/CIBC by Expedia travel, 1% everything else (bonus rates on the first $20,000 of bonus-category or $50,000 of total spending a year) |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 2.5% |
| Purchase Interest Rate | 21.99% |
| Cash Advance Interest Rate | 22.99% (21.99% in Quebec) |
Stable card facts (fee, income requirement, base earn rate, and any confirmed interest/FX rates) current as of 2026-10-03. Welcome/sign-up bonuses change frequently and are not included here — confirm the current offer on the issuer’s site before applying.
It’s a Visa Infinite card that earns cash back. Its insurance is covered below.
Cash Back Rates
| Category | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | 4% | Combined $20,000/year with gas |
| Gas | 4% | Combined $20,000/year with groceries |
| Dining | 2% | Combined $20,000/year with transportation & recurring payments |
| Transportation | 2% | Combined $20,000/year with dining & recurring payments |
| Recurring payments | 2% | Combined $20,000/year with dining & transportation |
| Gas, groceries, dining, transportation & recurring payments (after their respective $20K caps) | 1% | None |
| Everything else | 1% | No cap |
What Qualifies for Each Category
| Category | Included | Not Included |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Supermarkets, grocery stores | Costco, Walmart Supercentre |
| Gas | Gas stations, EV charging | None |
| Dining | Restaurants, fast food, cafes | Restaurant delivery apps |
| Transportation | Public transit, taxis, ride-share | Parking |
Important: Merchant category codes (MCC) determine eligibility. Some stores code differently than expected.
Cash Back Redemption
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Accumulation | Automatic on every purchase |
| Payout | Annual (December/January) |
| Minimum | None |
| Method | Statement credit, CIBC account deposit, or cheque |
You can also redeem mid-year for statement credits starting at $25 through CIBC Online Banking. Competing cash back cards are reviewed on our credit card reviews hub, and CIBC’s lineup is compared in the best CIBC credit cards.
Annual Cash Back Estimate
Example: Moderate Spender
| Monthly Spend | Category | Annual Cash Back |
|---|---|---|
| $500 groceries | 4% | $240 |
| $200 gas | 4% | $96 |
| $300 dining | 2% | $72 |
| $100 transportation | 2% | $24 |
| $500 other | 1% | $60 |
| Total | $492 |
Net return with fee waived: $444/year
Net return with $120 fee: $372/year
Example: High Grocery Spender
| Monthly Spend | Category | Annual Cash Back |
|---|---|---|
| $800 groceries | 4% | $384 |
| $300 gas | 4% | $144 |
| $400 dining | 2% | $96 |
| $150 transit | 2% | $36 |
| $600 other | 1% | $72 |
| Total | $732 |
Even at $800/month in groceries, combined gas + grocery spend here is $13,200/year – still well under the $20,000/year cap on that tier, so the full 4% rate applies throughout.
Grocery Cap: Does It Matter?
The 4% rate applies to gas and groceries combined, up to roughly $20,000/year in combined spend (~$1,667/month) – much higher than a single-category cap. Most households will never hit it:
| Combined Gas + Grocery Spending | Effective Rate |
|---|---|
| $1,667/month ($20K/yr) | 4% (full bonus, at the cap) |
| $2,500/month ($30K/yr) | ~3.1% blended |
| $3,000/month ($36K/yr) | ~2.8% blended |
For households that exceed $20,000/year in combined gas and grocery spending, consider the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite ($25,000/year cap on its grocery + recurring-bills category).
Annual Fee Waiver Strategies
The $120 fee can often be waived entirely:
| Method | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CIBC Smart Account | Hold premium chequing account |
| CIBC Smart Plus Account | Upgraded chequing package |
| CIBC Mortgage | Hold CIBC mortgage |
| Negotiation | Call retention when renewal approaches |
| First-year offer | Sign-up promotions often waive year 1 |
CIBC Relationship Value: If you bank with CIBC and get the fee waived, this card becomes one of the best no-fee premium cash back cards available.
Insurance Coverage
As a Visa Infinite card, the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite includes the following insurance (per the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Certificates of Insurance, amended and restated effective July 1, 2025). Note that this card does not include trip cancellation/trip interruption, flight delay, baggage delay, or hotel burglary insurance – those benefits are on some other CIBC Visa Infinite cards (like the Aeroplan Visa Infinite) but not this one.
Travel Insurance
| Coverage | Details |
|---|---|
| Out-of-province emergency medical | Up to $5,000,000 per insured person, per trip |
| Medical coverage period | 10 consecutive days per trip if age 64 or under on your departure date (no stated coverage for age 65+) |
Medical coverage conditions:
- A pre-existing medical condition (other than a minor ailment) must have been “stable” for the 90 days before your departure date to be covered
- Must be a Canadian resident with valid government health insurance
- Coverage is a second payor – it applies after your provincial health plan and any other insurance
Vehicle Rental Insurance
| Coverage | Details |
|---|---|
| Collision/damage waiver (CDW) | Rental cars with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of up to $85,000 |
| Rental period | Up to 48 days |
| Common carrier accident insurance | Up to $500,000 per insured person |
Important: Decline the rental company’s CDW to activate coverage.
Purchase Security & Mobile Device Coverage
| Coverage | Details |
|---|---|
| Extended Protection (warranty extension) | Up to 1 additional year beyond the manufacturer’s warranty |
| Purchase Security | Covers new items charged to the card against loss, theft, or damage for 90 days from the date of purchase |
| Purchase Security + Extended Protection combined cap | $60,000 total limit of liability per cardholder, across all CIBC cards held (not an annual allowance) |
| Mobile device insurance | Up to $1,000 per occurrence, per insured person, for devices lost, stolen, or accidentally damaged when the full purchase price (or financed balance) is charged to the card |
Source: CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite Certificates of Insurance (amended and restated effective July 1, 2025), checked September 14, 2026.
CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite vs Platinum
CIBC offers two Dividend cards:
| Feature | Visa Infinite | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $99 |
| Min income | $60,000 personal / $100,000 household | $15,000 household minimum |
| Gas + Groceries (combined) | 4% | 3% |
| Dining/Transportation/Recurring/CIBC by Expedia travel | 2% | 2% |
| Other | 1% | 1% |
| Travel insurance | Comprehensive | Basic |
| Car rental CDW | Yes | No |
| Lounge access | No | No |
Verdict: The Visa Infinite is worth the extra $21/year for the higher gas/grocery rate and better insurance, especially if you can get the fee waived.
Comparison: Premium Grocery Cards
| Feature | CIBC Dividend VI | Scotiabank Momentum VI | BMO CashBack Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $120 | $139 |
| Groceries | 4% (combined w/ gas, ~$20K/yr cap) | 4% (combined w/ recurring bills, $25K cap) | 5% (capped $500/mo) |
| Dining | 2% | 1% (no dining bonus) | 1% (no dining bonus) |
| Gas | 4% (combined w/ groceries) | 2% (combined w/ transit/rideshare/food delivery, $25K cap) | 3% (capped $300/mo) |
| Bills | 2% | 4% (combined w/ groceries) | 2% (capped $500/mo) |
| Other | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Fee waiver | With CIBC account | With Scotiabank account | No |
Comparison Analysis
Choose CIBC Dividend VI if:
- You bank with CIBC and can get fee waived
- Combined gas + grocery spending is under the $20,000/year cap on this card’s 4% tier
- You value transit rewards (2%)
Choose Scotiabank Momentum VI if:
- Combined grocery + recurring-bills spending is likely to approach or exceed CIBC’s $20,000/year cap (Scotiabank’s cap is $25,000/year)
- Dining is a major spending category (4% vs 2%)
- You want Scene+ points flexibility
Choose BMO CashBack Elite if:
- Recurring bills are a major category (3%)
- You want a 5% grocery rate
- Gas spending is high (4%)
Welcome Offer
CIBC periodically offers sign-up bonuses. They have taken these forms:
| Offer Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Cash back bonus | A cash back amount after you meet a spending requirement |
| First-year fee waiver | The annual fee is rebated for the first year |
| Elevated earn rate | A higher cash back rate for the first few months |
Check the current offer at cibc.com before applying. Offers change frequently.
Application Requirements
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Age | 18+ (19+ in some provinces) |
| Residency | Canadian resident |
| Income | $60,000 personal or $100,000 household |
| Credit history | Good to excellent |
Income qualification: CIBC may ask for income verification for first-time customers or large credit limits.
Pros and Cons
Pros
| Advantage | Details |
|---|---|
| High grocery rate | 4% is among the best |
| Fee waiver available | Free with qualifying CIBC account |
| Comprehensive insurance | Travel medical, CDW, purchase protection |
| Free supplementary cards | Add family members at no cost |
| Multiple 2% categories | Dining, gas, and transit all included |
Cons
| Disadvantage | Details |
|---|---|
| ~$20,000/yr combined gas+grocery cap | Very heavy spenders hit the limit |
| Income requirement | $60K minimum excludes some |
| 2.5% FX fee | Not ideal abroad |
| Annual payout | Wait for cash back |
| Relationship dependent | Best value requires CIBC banking |
Who Should Get This Card
| Profile | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| CIBC banking customer | ✅ Excellent: get fee waived |
| Grocery + gas spender under $20K/year | ✅ Good: 4% is strong |
| GTA commuter | ✅ Good: 2% on TTC, Presto |
| Heavy grocery + gas spender (>$20K/year) | ⚠️ Consider Scotiabank Momentum ($25K cap) |
| No CIBC relationship | ⚠️ $120 fee reduces value |
| Frequent traveler | ⚠️ Travel card may be better |
How to Apply
- Online: Apply at cibc.com in ~10 minutes
- In-branch: Visit any CIBC location
- Phone: Call CIBC
Decision timeline: Instant approval for many applicants; some require 7-10 business days for review.
Alternatives to Consider
| Alternative | Why Consider |
|---|---|
| Scotiabank Momentum VI | Higher grocery cap ($25K), plus 4% on recurring bills (dining is only 1% on this card) |
| BMO CashBack Elite | 5% groceries, 3% gas |
| Tangerine Money-Back MC | No fee, 2% on 3 categories |
| Rogers World Elite MC | 1.5% on most purchases, up to 3% on USD purchases (standard 2.5% FX fee still applies) |
Related Resources
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on October 3, 2026. How we check facts.