Best RBC credit cards in Canada
Money.ca / RBC/MasterCard
Updated: April 04, 2023
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Royal Bank of Canada (a.k.a. RBC) is the largest force in Canadian banking and provides over 17 million clients with a smorgasbord of financial services, from chequing accounts to credit cards, mortgages to investments, and everything in between. The bank currently offers 20+ credit cards to choose from, processed by both Mastercard and Visa, and armed with a wide range of features appealing to different types of people, like cash back, travel rewards, and low interest. The selection can be overwhelming, but weāll save you from the analysis paralysis by picking out RBCās top cards in different categories and identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
| Card | Best for | Annual fee | Special feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| RBC Cash Back Mastercard | No Annual Fee | $0 | Up to 2% cash back on groceriesĀ² |
| RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard | Cash back | $99 | Up to 1.5% cash back on all purchases1 |
| RBC ION Visa | Students | $0 | 1.5X Avion pointsĀ¹ on groceries; rideshares, gas and EV charging; streaming, digital gaming and subscriptions |
Best RBC no annual fee card
RBC Cash Back Mastercard
Quick Facts
Recommended credit score: Good
Minimum income: N/A
Age: You must be the age of majority in your home province
Residency: Canadian
The RBC Cash Back Mastercard stands out from other no annual fee cash back cards because of its ābaseā earn rate, giving 0.5% cash back for all purchases (aside from groceries) through the first $6,000 in spending per year, and bumping up to 1% cash backĀ² after spending $6K. Most no annual fee cash back cards earn just 0.5% for their base rate without the potential to earn more if you spend more. This high base earn rate might make it ideally suited to small families, or individuals/couples that can focus most of their spending onto one card and cross the $6K all-spending threshold relatively quickly. The card technically offers its highest cash back rate for grocery purchases, at 2%, though this rate only applies to the first $6K in grocery spending per yearĀ². After crossing the $6K mark the card earns 1% for the next $6k followed by 0.5% on groceries after a total of $12k. Maxing out your grocery spending at $500/month could net you $120 in cash back annually; a pretty good chunk of change, though not as much as you might be able to earn with other grocery credit cards that either have higher grocery cash back rates or no spending limits.
Key features:
- Annual Fee: $0
- Cash Back Rates: 2% back on groceriesĀ² and up to 1% cash back on all your other everyday purchases including pre-authorized paymentsĀ²
- Gas Savings: 3āµ per litre savings and 20% more Petro-Points at Petro-Canada when you pay with your cardāµ
- Purchase Protections: 90 day purchase security and up to 1 year extended warranty protectionĀ³
Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete RBC Cash Back Mastercard review.
Best RBC cash back card
RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard
Quick Facts
Recommended Credit Score: Good-Excellent
Minimum Income: $80,000 personal/$150,000 household
Age: You must be the age of majority in your home province
Residency: Canadian
For an annual fee of $99, the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard pairs āearn on everythingā cash back with a number of notable benefits. Cardholders get 1.5% cash backĀ¹ on all purchases up to $25,000 spent per year and 1% cash back on purchases over $25K for the year. There is no limit on how much cash back you can earn totalĀ². The World Elite status unlocks a suite of worthwhile features, including complimentary mobile internet access at over 1 million Boingoā” hotspots worldwide and on select airlines; car rental collision/loss damage insuranceā“; and exclusive promotional offers catered to World Elite members.
An annual spend of $25K (just over $2K/month) with the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard would net $375 in cash back. Though that cash back structure is decent, there are other cash back cards in Canada that earn 1.5% or more without spending limits or with no annual fee (or neither).
Key features:
- Annual Fee: $99
- Cash Back Rates: Up to 1.5% on all purchasesĀ¹ up to $25K spent per year; 1% after
- Gas Savings: 3āµ per litre savings and 20% more Petro-Points at Petro-Canadaā·
- Insurance and Protections: Rental car insuranceā“; 120 day purchase security and up to 2 year extended warranty protectionĀ³
- Other Benefits: Boingoā” Wi-Fi account for mobile internet access
Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard review.
Best RBC low income card
RBC ION Visa
Quick Facts
Recommended credit score: Good
Minimum Income: N/A
Age: You must be the age of majority in your home province
Residency: Canadian
If youāre a student or this is your very first credit card, youāll be able to have financial freedom in the palm of your hands with the RBC ION Visa card. Satisfy your taste buds by earning points on groceriesā±. Stay entertained while earning points on streaming, gaming, eligible digital subscriptions, eligible digital downloads, and in-game purchasesā±ā±ā±.
Enjoy earning points on gas, rideshare, daily public transit, electric vehicle charging, and moreā±ā±. Speaking of transportation ā at Petro-Canada, you can save 3Ā¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more points when you pay with a linked RBC cardā¶.
With Pay With Points, you can redeem your Avion points to pay bills, your credit card balance or even send money to friends with Interac e-Transferā“. Minimum redemption is only $10, so you can use your points where you need them most.
Key features:
- Annual Fee: $0
- Cash Back Rates: 1.5X Avion pointsĀ¹ on groceries; rideshares, gas and EV charging; streaming, digital gaming and subscriptions
- Gas Savings: 3Ā¢/L on fuel and earn 20% more points when you pay with a linked RBC card at Petro-Canadaā¶
- Insurance and Protections: Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Insurance5
- Other Benefits: 3-month complimentary DashPass subscription ā a value of almost $30āø; unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on qualifying orders of $15 or more when you pay with eligible RBC credit cardā¹.
Still undecided?
RBCās massive footprint in Canadian banking extends to its mammoth credit card offering, and itās very possible that you might find a great match among such a large catalogue of cards. But be wary of your own brand bias; just because RBC might be the bank youāre most familiar with, doesnāt necessarily mean it offers the perfect credit card for you. If youāre not 100% sold on the RBC cards listed here, navigate to the āCompare Cardsā menu on the top left of your screen and check out our lists of the top credit cards in Canada from all banks and issuers, including RBC and all its competitors.
Refer to RBC Page for up to date offer terms and conditions.
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