The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card has consistently been a top contender for one of the best welcome bonus offers in Canada and that bonus has received an update. The actual amount of bonus Avios has not changed – it remains the same at 60,000 but the construct of how the bonus is earned has changed.
Recommended reading: RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card Review
Earn up to 60,000 Avios with the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card
The bonus on the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card remains the same but is now awarded as follows:
- Collect a 30,000 Avios Welcome Bonus when you spend $5,000 CAD in the first three months of account opening
- Collect a further 30,000 bonus Avios when you spend $5,000 CAD in months 4-6 of account opening.
If you do not meet the $5,000 CAD spend in the first three months, you can still collect 30,000 bonus Avios if you meet the spend requirement in months 4-6.
And compare this to the previous offer
- Receive 15,000 Avios as welcome bonus upon approval
- 35,000 bonus Avios when you spend $6,000 CAD in the first 3 months
- Another 10,000 bonus Avios after your first year
The end result remains 60,000 Avios with the new offer, but no longer can you get 15,000 Avios right on approval, you actually need to spend on the card to get any Avios and to get the entire bonus you now need to spend $10,000 in total compared to the previous $6,000. However the entire bonus can now be achieved within 6 months instead of 12+ months where you would have to pay the annual fee in the second year to finish off the entire bonus.
I get why they have changed this though – the previous offer was actually quite lucrative to get a lot of Avios within 3 months and a lot of people probably did just that. Make the spend required in three months to get 50,000 Avios and then shift spending to another card or like some in the community would do, just cancel the card as the additional 10,000 Avios in year 2 weren’t worth it. I mean to get 50,000 Avios in three months for only $165, you can’t ask for a better deal!
The new offer construct is still a really good deal but like many bonus offers that we see today, they require more spending and a longer timeline to earn the bonus. The banks want customers who provide long term value – not that 6 months and $10K in spend will provide much more to the bank’s bottom line, but it does close the gap on losses that they were most likely seeing with the previous offer.
Wrapping it up
Sure you need to spend more but the fact you can achieve the entire bonus in 6 months instead of 12+ months is great. Overall I’d say this is a positive change – especially for those in the points & miles community who are moving between cards on a more frequent basis. The reason why is that you no longer have to hold onto to card into year two to get the entire bonus and to score 60,000 Avios in 6 months at a cost of $165 and $10,000 in spending is still a swell deal!
Click here to learn more and to apply for RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card
