Choosing a card
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite vs RBC Avion Visa Infinite in Canada
On 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.
Is the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite or the RBC Avion Visa Infinite better?
On 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.
Flexible travel points from two issuers, with different programs and fees.
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.
Put it into practiceCIBC Aventura Visa InfiniteHow do the two cards compare, fact by fact?
The two cards at a glance, on the same recorded facts. RBC Avion Visa Infinite leads by $99 a year before any benefits you would use are counted.
| Card facts | CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite | RBC Avion Visa Infinite |
|---|---|---|
| TopAnnual fee | $139 | $120 |
| Rewards net of the annual fee (example profile) | $24 | $123 |
| First-year value (welcome offer included) | $538 | $673 |
| Welcome offer recorded | $375 | $550 |
| Rewards program | Aventura | Avion Rewards |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
| Income requirement | $60,000 | $60,000 |
| Purchase interest rate | 21.99% | 20.99% |
| Foreign transaction fee | Not recorded | Not recorded |
Rewards net of the annual fee are the year’s estimated rewards after the card’s regular fee, excluding any welcome offer. First-year value adds a welcome offer where the card supports one. Both use the same example spending profile for every card.
A “Not recorded” entry means our catalogue does not hold that fact for the card. It is an unknown, not a favourable fact, and we never fill the gap by assumption.
Which card pays more in each category?
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite pays the higher recorded rate in 8 of the 9 categories both cards price, and they are level in 1. An asterisk marks a rate that draws on a capped limit.
| Category | CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite | RBC Avion Visa Infinite |
|---|---|---|
| TopGroceries | 0.94% * | 1% |
| Dining | 0.63% | 1% |
| Gas | 0.94% * | 1% |
| Transit | 0.63% | 1% |
| Recurring bills | 0.63% | 1% |
| Travel | 1.25% * | 1.25% |
| Drugstores | 0.94% * | 1% |
| Online shopping | 0.63% | 1% |
| Entertainment | 0.63% | 1% |
A bonus rate applies only to purchases that record in that category. Merchant classification decides it, so a purchase in the same store can earn differently.
Across the 9 categories both cards price, the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite is higher in 0, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite in 8, and they are level in 1.
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite: a $80,000 annual cap on total card spending, after which 0.63% applies.
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite base rate: 0.63% on purchases outside its bonus categories. RBC Avion Visa Infinite base rate: 1% on purchases outside its bonus categories.
Do the bonus rates have caps?
Yes. CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite caps part of its bonus earning. Once a capped limit is reached every category inside that limit drops to the rate that applies afterwards.
CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite: a $80,000 annual cap on total card spending, after which 0.63% applies. RBC Avion Visa Infinite: no bonus-category cap recorded.
A cap is often shared between categories — groceries and dining on one card can use the same allowance, so spending in one reduces what is left at the bonus rate in the other.
An unrecorded cap is an unknown, not a promise that no cap exists. Confirm the current terms with the issuer before relying on a rate.
Is the extra annual fee worth it?
On our example profile, no: the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite charges $19 more a year and finishes $99 behind the RBC Avion Visa Infinite. Its fee has to be justified by benefits you would otherwise pay for, not by these earning rules.
| Measure | CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite | RBC Avion Visa Infinite |
|---|---|---|
| TopAnnual fee | $139 | $120 |
| Rewards net of the fee (example profile) | $24 | $123 |
| Difference | RBC Avion Visa Infinite by $99 |
This arithmetic uses 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. A smaller month of bonus-category spending has to earn the fee back on less.
The fee gap alone is $19 a year. Rewards net of the annual fee already account for that, which is why the two cards can be compared on one number.
If either card’s fee is waived or rebated in the first year, that changes year one only. Compare the regular fee for a card you plan to keep.
How do the first-year values compare?
With welcome offers included, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite leads the first year at $673, and it also leads on ongoing rewards at $123.
| Measure | CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite | RBC Avion Visa Infinite |
|---|---|---|
| TopWelcome offer recorded | $375 | $550 |
| First-year value (offer included) | $538 | $673 |
| Rewards net of the annual fee | $24 | $123 |
A welcome offer is conditional: it usually needs a minimum spend inside a set period, and it pays once. Ongoing rewards are what the card is worth in a normal year after its fee.
Which card should I pick?
On our example spending, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite. The RBC Avion Visa Infinite leads or ties in every category the two both price, so it stays ahead on any split of the same spending.
If you expect to carry a balance, the lower borrowing rate is 20.99% against 21.99%, and interest at those levels can outweigh a year of rewards. This comparison prices rewards only.
WalletReturn is paid by affiliate links on some cards. Compensation does not change an estimate, a cap or the order of any ranking, and we do not predict approval odds or eligibility.
How do I check this against my own spending?
Enter your own monthly amounts by category in Find My Card and the totals are recalculated for both cards with their caps and post-cap rates applied.
Compare puts two cards side by side, and the Rewards Calculator shows the arithmetic for one card at a time. My Wallet keeps the pair you actually hold.
Every card is put through the same earn rules, cap records and welcome offers. Where a card’s terms do not document something, it stays unrecorded on its product page and in this article.
Keep reading
RankingsBest RBC Credit Cards in CanadaWestJet 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.- RankingsBest CIBC Credit Cards in CanadaCIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite records the highest first-year value of the CIBC cards we track at $779, and CIBC Dividend Platinum Visa leads the same lineup on net annual rewards at $355. Both figures are net of the annual fee.
Choosing a cardCIBC Dividend Visa Infinite vs Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite in CanadaOn our example spending profile the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + finishes the year $134 ahead: $400 of rewards net of its $120 regular annual fee, against $266 for the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite after its $120 fee. The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + also pays the higher recorded rate in 1 of the 9 categories both cards price, and the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite in 2.- Choosing a cardBMO CashBack World Elite vs TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in CanadaOn our example spending profile the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard finishes the year $106 ahead: $430 of rewards net of its $139 regular annual fee, against $324 for the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite after its $139 fee. The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard also pays the higher recorded rate in 2 of the 9 categories both cards price, and the TD Cash Back Visa Infinite in 2.
Official sources and further reading
- FCAC: choosing a credit card ↗
- FCAC: how credit cards work ↗
- CIBC: product terms ↗
- RBC: product terms ↗
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