Rankings
Best RBC Credit Cards in Canada
WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard records the highest first-year value of the RBC cards we track at $865, and RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard leads the same lineup on net annual rewards at $343. Both figures are net of the annual fee.
Which RBC credit card earns the most in the first year?
The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard records the highest first-year value of the RBC cards we track: $865 on our example profile, after its $139 annual fee.
| Card | Annual fee | First-year value | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopWestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | $139 | $865 | $265 |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite | $120 | $673 | $123 |
| RBC Avion Visa Platinum | $120 | $670 | $120 |
| RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard | $120 | $643 | $343 |
| RBC British Airways Visa Infinite | $165 | $599 | $99 |
WalletReturn example spending of $2,000/month: groceries $500, dining $200, gas $150, transit $80, travel $100, recurring bills $200, entertainment $100, drugstore $40, online $300, other $330.
RBC spreads its cards across Avion, WestJet, British Airways and cash back, and the program you would actually use decides which of them is worth its fee.
First-year value counts the welcome bonus where our engine supports the offer; that is $600 of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard’s total, and it is paid once. Net annual rewards is the figure that describes year two onward.
Put it into practiceRBC cardsWhich RBC card is best after the first year?
The RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard records the highest net annual rewards of the lineup at $343 on our example profile.
| Card | Annual fee | First-year value | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopRBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard | $120 | $643 | $343 |
| WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | $139 | $865 | $265 |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite | $120 | $673 | $123 |
| RBC Avion Visa Platinum | $120 | $670 | $120 |
| RBC British Airways Visa Infinite | $165 | $599 | $99 |
Every card we track in this lineup records a positive net annual figure on our example profile.
None of these cards records a zero foreign transaction fee, so US-dollar spending carries the card’s recorded fee.
What do RBC credit cards cost a year?
Annual fees in this lineup run from $120 on the RBC Avion Visa Infinite to $165 on the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite.
| Card | Annual fee | Net annual rewards |
|---|---|---|
| TopWestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | $139 | $265 |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite | $120 | $123 |
| RBC Avion Visa Platinum | $120 | $120 |
| RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard | $120 | $343 |
| RBC British Airways Visa Infinite | $165 | $99 |
The value columns on this page are net of the annual fee: a card whose fee is larger than the rewards we estimate shows a negative figure rather than a hidden cost.
A fee is worth paying when the rewards and benefits you would actually use exceed it. Where a benefit needs a spending level or a booking channel you do not use, it does not count.
How does RBC compare with the rest of the catalogue?
The strongest RBC card records $865 of first-year value; the highest in the catalogue is $1,251 on the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card.
| Card | First-year value |
|---|---|
| TopWestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard | $865 |
| TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card | $1,251 |
A larger first-year figure usually means a bigger welcome bonus rather than a better ongoing rate: compare the net annual rewards column before reading a gap as a permanent advantage.
Every card is put through the same engine, the same example profile and the same earn rules, so a card cannot move up because of an affiliate relationship.
How do I check these RBC cards against my own spending?
Enter your monthly spending in Find My Card and the same engine re-ranks these cards on your numbers instead of our example profile.
WalletReturn example spending of $2,000/month: groceries $500, dining $200, gas $150, transit $80, travel $100, recurring bills $200, entertainment $100, drugstore $40, online $300, other $330.
WalletReturn is paid by affiliate links on some cards. That never changes an estimate, a cap or the order of a ranking, and an unrecorded fact stays unrecorded rather than being assumed in a card’s favour.
Keep reading
Choosing a cardCIBC Aventura Visa Infinite vs RBC Avion Visa Infinite in CanadaOn our example spending profile the RBC Avion Visa Infinite finishes the year $99 ahead: $123 of rewards net of its $120 regular annual fee, against $24 for the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite after its $139 fee. The RBC Avion Visa Infinite also pays the higher recorded rate in 8 of the 9 categories both cards price.
RankingsBest Scotiabank Credit Cards in CanadaScotiabank Gold American Express records the highest first-year value of the Scotiabank cards we track at $1,011, and Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + leads the same lineup on net annual rewards at $400. Both figures are net of the annual fee.- RankingsBest TD Credit Cards in CanadaThe TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card leads the TD lineup on both measures we track: $1,251 of first-year value and $357 in net annual rewards on our example profile. Both figures are net of the annual fee.
RankingsBest American Express Cards in CanadaEvery Amex and Amex-network card in Canada ranked by first-year value, including Scotiabank’s Amex cards. Top: Scotiabank Gold American Express ($1,011).
Official sources and further reading
Terms vary by product. Confirm the provider’s current terms before acting. This guide does not predict approval, realized value or credit-score changes. How WalletReturn calculates value