How to choose RBC’s three cards

From ION+ to Avion VI to Avion VIP: a complete playbook

Look at the ads and RBC card names feel like alphabet soup—Avion, ION, Infinite, Privilege. The real question for most people isn’t memorizing every perk; it’s this:

Given my current income and spending, which card should I open first, and how do I upgrade or pair them later?

From Perkmap’s view, the long-term core is just three cards: RBC ION+ Visa, RBC Avion Visa Infinite, and RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege. They’re not “good, better, best” in a vacuum—they form a clear ladder with distinct roles.

Think of it this way:

• ION+ turns daily life (food, transit, subs) into points.
• Avion VI turns those points into flights and trips.
• Avion VIP piles on “no-category, high earn” plus premium travel experience.

Let’s go from easiest to hardest, break down each card, then map picks for different user profiles.

1) RBC ION+ Visa

The everyday points engine most people can start with

If you want one RBC card to test the waters, ION+ is the obvious first pick. Its job is simple: turn the spending you already do into as many points as possible.

Core value:

• Long 3x list: grocery, dining, delivery, transit, gas, streaming, online subs, gaming.
• At ~1.8¢/pt, 3x ≈ 5%+ back—concentrate daily spend and you outrun most cash-back.

Fees & access:

• $4/month; waived with RBC Signature No Limit or student accounts, effectively $0 for many.

UX quirks:

• Banking shows 1x first; extra 2x posts separately and often only clear on the statement.
• MCC oddities: Walmart not grocery, Amazon as office, so no 3x there.

Takeaway: A long-term daily engine. Waive the fee, funnel daily spend, build points, then add an Avion card to redeem smarter.

2) RBC Avion Visa Infinite

The bridge from “earning” to “playing the Avion system”

For many, Avion begins with this Visa Infinite. Compared to the category-heavy ION+, Avion VI is a steady hub: a solid mid-tier travel card and a key redemption outlet in the Avion ecosystem.

Offer & pacing:

• Typical ~55K: 35K on approval + 20K after $5K/6mo; portals sometimes add $75–$100.
• A regular good price—apply when you’re ready, not in a panic.

Earnings:

• 1x everywhere, 1.25x travel; at ~1.8¢/pt that’s ~1.8% / ~2.25%.
• Edge is usability: transfers to CX/BA/AA; RBC Travel fixed awards support one-way/open-jaw.

Payments & coverage:

• Visa acceptance fills Amex gaps; doubles as your insurance carrier.
• $120 tier perks: mobile, extended warranty, travel accident, trip/bag delay/loss, hotel burglary, CDW.

Approvals:

• RBC has tightened; non-PRs or rapid multi-RBC apps see more denials.
• Use ION+ first to build history, then time your Avion VI app—avoid back-to-back RBC pulls.

Best fit: Stable income, 1–2 trips/year, willing to learn transfers. In the “ION+ earn fast, Avion VI burn smart” duo, it’s the redemption anchor.

3) RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege

The premium controller for high income, high spend, frequent flyers

If Avion VI is reachable with some effort, Avion VIP targets a higher tier of spend and travel. The “Privilege” suffix comes with meaningful jumps in earn and travel experience.

Offer & fee:

• Common structure ~70K (35K on approval + 20K after $5K/6mo + 15K anniversary in year two); built to reward keeping it.
• $399 AF, $99 AUs, stated household income bar $200K (sometimes flexed in-branch).

Upgrades over Avion VI:

• 1.25x Avion everywhere (~2%+), no category juggling—ideal for large, spread-out spend.
• Visa Infinite Privilege perks: expedited security/priority parking (major Canadian airports), six DragonPass visits, higher/longer travel insurance.

Tradeoffs:

• No FYF; higher psychological bar than Avion VI.
• Recent DPs: card no longer metal—ritual/feel downgraded.

Best fit: High income, big spend, frequent flyers who want simplicity. Make VIP the core, use ION+ sparingly for category boosts. If you lack Avion VI, start with ION+, validate your pattern, then climb when ready.

4) What to pick at each stage

Three common user profiles

The real value is “in my situation, how do I queue these cards?” Three typical paths:

• Students/newcomers/early-career: short credit, limited income, spend on grocery/dining/delivery/transit. Prioritize ION+. With the fee waived it’s free 3x. Use 1–2 years, build credit/points, then add Avion VI for flights.
• Steady income, at least one trip a year: need points that redeem well. Pair ION+ + Avion VI: ION+ for high-multiple daily, Avion VI for travel spend and redemptions. If you insist on one card, start with Avion VI; add ION+ later to speed earn—two cards have higher upside.
• High income, large spend, frequent flyers: want simple + premium. Make Avion VIP the core for flights/hotels/big spend; keep ION+ for a few categories. If you don’t have Avion VI, start with ION+, confirm fit, then move up.

5) Summary: get the sequence right before squeezing every perk

Each of the three RBC cards has specs you can obsess over—bonus size, fees, cash-back stacks, insurance line items. Useful, but sequencing drives the long-term experience.

For most newcomers, the sensible order is: begin with ION+ as a safe, low-cost engine; after income and travel frequency rise, hand off to Avion VI as the main redemption outlet; only when your spend and travel truly justify the fee does Avion VIP enter the conversation.

Get the order right and you’ll avoid carrying the wrong fee at the wrong time and missing your best value window. Once that foundation is set, then dive into partner transfers and award charts—that’s when the Avion system pays real dividends.