RBC ION+ vs Avion Infinite: How the Card Stack Works

RBC ION+ vs Avion Infinite is usually framed as a choice, but the two cards can work better as a pair. No single RBC consumer card combines the ION+ Visa's 3-point earn categories with the full redemption range of an Avion Elite account. The ION or ION+ does the earning. An RBC Avion Visa Platinum, Visa Infinite or Visa Infinite Privilege does the redeeming.

The transfer direction is the part people get backwards. RBC permits free 1:1 transfers between eligible accounts in either direction, but the useful move is from the ION card's Avion Premium account to the Avion card's Avion Elite account. The destination account's redemption rules apply immediately. Moving Elite points down to Premium would remove the options this strategy is meant to unlock.

RBC ION+ vs Avion Infinite: one job for each card

The ION+ Visa earns 3 Avion points per CA$1 on eligible groceries, dining, food delivery, gas, EV charging, rideshare, daily transit, streaming, digital gaming and subscriptions. It earns 1 point per CA$1 on other qualifying purchases and costs CA$48 a year. That makes it the workhorse for common household categories.

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite earns 1.25 points per CA$1 on qualifying travel and 1 point per CA$1 on other eligible purchases. Its CA$120 annual fee buys access to the Elite side of Avion Rewards, the Air Travel Redemption Schedule, broader airline conversion choices and travel coverage. Its everyday earn rate is the weak half of the package.

Avion Premium vs Elite points

Premium and Elite are membership tiers, not two unrelated currencies. The points look the same in marketing, but the card attached to the account controls the redemption menu. The names are unhelpful because Premium sounds like the higher tier. For travel flexibility, Elite is the stronger account.

ION and ION+ are associated with Avion Premium in current Canadian program guides. Consumer cards carrying the Avion name, including Avion Visa Platinum, Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Privilege, are associated with Avion Elite. RBC's public Avion overview confirms the three membership levels and warns that not every member can convert to every loyalty partner.

The stack works because holding both product families lets the member combine a higher category earn rate with the Elite redemption menu. It does not multiply an existing point balance. A transfer of 20,000 Premium points should produce 20,000 Elite points, not 40,000.

Which Avion cards belong in the stack

The ION+ and Avion Visa Infinite are the most balanced pair for someone who spends enough in the 3-point categories and can use Elite travel redemptions. The no-fee ION is a reasonable lower-cost alternative. The Infinite Privilege is too expensive to choose solely as an Elite unlock.

CardGenie would not pay CA$399 merely to create an Elite destination account. The Privilege card needs to justify its own fee through benefits you will actually use. At the other end, ION is the better Premium card when your eligible category spending is too low to recover ION+'s CA$48 fee.

RBC Avion points transfer: Premium to Elite

RBC publishes a transfer path through the Avion Rewards website. The safe workflow is to identify both accounts first and avoid confusing an internal account transfer with an irreversible conversion to an airline program.

1. Confirm that the ION or ION+ card and the eligible Avion card appear under the same Avion Rewards profile.
2. Sign in at the Avion Rewards website and open the Manage Points tab.
3. Select Transfer Points from the menu. RBC says eligible products will appear in the dropdown.
4. Select the ION account as the Premium source and the Avion card account as the Elite destination.
5. Choose a one-time transfer or set an automatic transfer. RBC says the transfer is free and the balance moves at 1:1.
6. Verify that the points appear in the Elite account before planning a fixed-schedule booking or airline transfer.

If the internal transfer option is missing, stop there. The cards may be attached to different profiles, one account may not be eligible, or RBC may have changed the process. Contact RBC using the number on the back of the card rather than converting points to an outside program as a workaround.

The spending math: when ION+ earns back CA$48

Assume transferred Elite points are used for travel at 1 cent each, the value RBC publishes for flexible travel purchases such as hotels and car rentals. ION+ earns 2 extra points per CA$1 in its 3-point categories compared with the 1-point base rate on an Avion Visa Infinite. Each eligible dollar therefore creates about 2 cents of incremental value under this assumption.

CA$48 divided by 2 cents equals CA$2,400 a year, or CA$200 a month, in eligible 3-point spending. That is the approximate point where adding ION+ recovers its fee compared with putting those purchases on a 1-point card. At CA$500 a month, ION+ earns 18,000 points a year instead of 6,000. The extra 12,000 points are worth CA$120 at 1 cent each, leaving CA$72 after the ION+ fee.

The comparison changes if you are choosing ION+ over the no-fee ION. The incremental earn falls to 1.5 points per CA$1 because ION already earns 1.5 points in its eligible categories. At 1 cent per point, ION+ needs about CA$3,200 a year, or roughly CA$267 a month, in those categories to beat ION by CA$48.

These are break-even calculations, not promised returns. Merchant category coding, excluded transactions, returns and your redemption choice can lower the result. Interest charges will overwhelm the reward difference quickly, so the strategy assumes every statement is paid in full.

What the Avion Elite account adds

RBC's Avion Visa Infinite page gives Elite cardholders access to the Air Travel Redemption Schedule. It uses fixed point bands with maximum ticket prices and allows bookings on available flights without the airline restrictions attached to a single carrier program. Taxes, fees and any amount above the schedule's maximum ticket price still matter.

Elite also opens the broader airline conversion set currently listed by RBC: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and WestJet. Transfer ratios, minimums and temporary bonuses can change. Check award availability and the live conversion screen before moving points because an airline transfer is normally one way.

A transfer partner is not automatically the best redemption. A simple booking at 1 cent per point may beat a speculative airline conversion that leaves an unusable balance. The fixed schedule can produce more value when the cash fare approaches the route's maximum ticket price, but it can be weaker for cheap flights.

Who Should Skip This

Skip the RBC Avion card stack if managing two statements increases the chance of interest or a missed payment. The extra earn is small beside a credit card interest charge. A single cash back card is cleaner for someone who does not want to track categories, point tiers and transfer menus.

ION+ is also a weak addition when you spend less than about CA$200 a month in its eligible 3-point categories under the 1-cent assumption. Use the no-fee ION if its 1.5-point categories fit your purchases, or keep the Avion card alone if simplicity matters more than maximizing every point.

Do not get the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege only to unlock Elite. Its CA$399 fee needs a separate case based on its higher earn rate and benefits. Travellers who will not use the Air Travel Redemption Schedule or airline partners may be paying Avion annual fees for flexibility they never use.

Frequently asked questions

The Short Version

Use ION+ for eligible 3-point everyday categories and an Avion Elite card for the stronger travel redemption menu. Transfer Premium points from ION+ to Elite at 1:1, not the other way around. At a 1-cent point value, about CA$200 a month in eligible ION+ spending recovers its CA$48 fee compared with a 1-point card.

Choose the no-fee ION when your spending is lower. Confirm the internal transfer option in your own Avion Rewards profile before applying, pay both statements in full and verify every live redemption or airline-conversion term before moving points.

CardGenie has no issuer partnerships. This editorial analysis is based on published terms and independent program reporting. It is general information, not financial advice. Card fees, earn rates, eligibility and program rules can change.