Quick overview of the CIBC Aventura® Visa* card
Are you looking for a travel credit card with no annual fee with some handy perks and easy to earn rewards? The CIBC Aventura® Visa offers new cardholders the opportunity to earn up to 2,500 Aventura Points† within the first 60 days of your account approval†. Add in a no annual fee, some travel benefits, and the ability to earn rewards on all purchases, and you have yourself a pretty decent travel credit card.
Who's it for?
The CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card is ideal for passionate travelers as it allows you to earn rewards for every purchase and later redeem those rewards for travel and more. Cardholders can also easily earn points through everyday spending. Once you have enough points, you can redeem them for a variety of products including travel.
Travel points aren’t the only thing you earn, you’ll also enjoy no annual fee for the primary cardholder, as well as up to three additional cards.
Pros and cons of the CIBC Aventura® Visa* card
Pros
-
Easy to earn welcome bonus
-
Points can be earned on all purchases
-
Use Aventura Points to cover full airfare including taxes and fees
-
Can book with any airline with no blackout periods and points don’t expire†
Cons
-
Lower earn rate than some other travel cards on the market
Main benefits and features
The CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card allows cardholders to quickly earn Aventura Points so they can travel faster and farther, with no limitations on airlines you can use your points to book with or blackout periods.
Welcome offer
Join and earn up to 2,500 Aventura Points† for no annual fee. Earn by completing all of the 5 following activities, worth 500 points each when completed within 60 days of of your CIBC Aventura® Visa* account approval.†
- Share your email address with CIBC
- Sign up for eStatements for your new Aventura Visa Card
- Add an authorized user on your new Aventura Visa Card
- Hold an eligible CIBC chequing account
- Add your Aventura Visa card with Apple Pay®, Samsung Pay or Google Pay™
How to earn rewards with the CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card
The welcome bonus is a great perk, but CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card cardholders can easily earn points on a daily basis based on the following structure:
- 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases made through the CIBC Rewards Centre†
- 1 point for at $1 spent on eligible gas stations, EV charging, grocery stores, and drug store†
- 1 point for every $2 spent on all other eligible purchases†
All you have to do is shop with your card and, for those who are wondering, no your points won’t expire† as long as you are a cardholder. Each point is worth about $0.0116, however the value changes based on how you choose to redeem each point.
How to redeem rewards with the CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card
When it comes time to redeem your rewards, you can do so easily online. Rewards can be redeemed in a number of different ways:
- Travel: flights, hotels, car rentals and more†
- Shopping: redeem for merchandise or gift cards through the CIBC Rewards online catalog†
- Points that pay the bills: your points can be used to pay down your credit card balance or credit card purchases moments after you make them.†
As a general rule of thumb, your points go the furthest when redeemed for travel, especially since with this card you can fly on any airline with no consideration for blackout periods.
To redeem for travel or merchandise, you’ll have to log into your CIBC Rewards account or call the CIBC Rewards Centre. If you want to use your points towards a flight through the Aventura® Airline Rewards Chart, you will need to have at least 80% of the required points. You can use your points to fly with any airline with no blackout periods. Also, it’s worth mentioning that your points can be used to cover taxes and fees on flight tickets which is not common with most travel credit cards
Aventura points for flights
| Destination | Aventura points needed | Max ticket price |
|---|---|---|
| Canada and U.S. (short haul) Within a province, territory or U.S. state or to an adjoining province or territory or US state. | 10,000 - 20,000 | $400 |
| Canada and U.S. (long haul) From and to any location in Canada or the U.S. | 25,000 - 35,000 | $800 |
| Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Central America, Caribbean | 40,000 - 60,000 | $1,000 |
| From Canada or U.S. to select destinations in Europe | 50,000 - 70,000 | $1,300 |
| From Canada or U.S. to select destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Middle East or South America | 75,000 - 125,000 | $2,000 |
If you would prefer to redeem your points towards your statement balance you can do this through your CIBC online banking account. Just click ‘payment with points’.
CIBC Aventura® Visa* card insurance coverage
- Out-of-Province Emergency Travel Medical Insurance†: Those 64 or under are eligible for up to $5M in coverage for 15 days. You get 3 days of coverage if you are age 65 and over on the day of departure.
- Common Carrier Accident†: Up to $500,000 coverage for loss of life or limb in a passenger vehicle/plane/ferry.
- Hotel Burglary Insurance†: This coverage protects your items in case of a hotel burglary, providing up to $2,500 in coverage.
- Purchase Security and Extended Protection Insurance†: Items you charge to the card are protected from loss, damages and theft for up to 90 days. And any item that comes with a manufacturer's warranty automatically gets an additional year of warranty.
- Flight Delay and Baggage Insurance: You are covered up to $500 per occurrence in case of a flight delay. Similarly, you have $500 for any delayed or lost baggage (Up to a maximum of $1,000 per occurrence for all insured people).
- Auto Rental Collision and Loss Damage Insurance†: This policy covers rental vehicles with an MSRP up to $65,000 for up to a 48-day rental period.
- Mobile device insurance†: Protects your mobile phone in case of theft or accidental damage, with coverage up to $1,000.
- Trip cancellation†: If your trip gets cancelled you can get up to $1,500 in coverage per person, with a maximum of $5,000 for all insured persons.
- Trip interruption/delay†: If a trip is interrupted or delayed, you can get up to $2,000 in coverage.
Additional perks and features
On top of the main benefits listed above, this card also comes with a few additional perks, including the following:
- 90-day purchase security protection in case your new purchase gets stolen or breaks†
- Auto Rental Collision and Loss Damage Insurance†
- $100,000 Common Carrier Accident Insurance†
- Extended Protection Insurance†
- Aventura Travel Assistant, which tailors travel bookings to your needs, with no booking fees†
Rates and fees
The CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card does not have an annual fee. You can also get up to three additional cards at no charge. Cardholders will pay a relatively standard 20.99%† purchase annual interest rate, 22.99%† (for non-Quebec residents only) cash advance annual interest rate, and a 22.99%† (for non-Quebec residents only) balance transfer annual interest rate.
CIBC Aventura Visa for Students
Being a student doesn't mean you have to pick a credit card that doesn't offer any rewards or benefits. In fact, student cards can help you develop responsible credit habits, and the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students is a perfect example. With this card, you'll enjoy rewards, concierge service, complimentary insurance coverage and a generous welcome bonus.
The CIBC Aventura Visa for Students Card comes with no minimum annual income requirement and a $1,000 minimum credit limit. And get ready for perks galore - you can take advantage of even more student benefits with a free SPC+ membership.
CIBC Aventura® Visa* card compared
Let's see how the CIBC Aventura® Visa* credit card compares to its competitors.
CIBC Aventura® Visa* card vs. TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
If you frequently fly with Air Canada and are looking for a great travel rewards credit card, you can consider the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card. This card helps you earn enhanced 1.5x Aeroplan points per dollar spent on eligible gas, grocery and Air Canada purchases. You earn 1x points on everything else. You also get great comprehensive insurance benefits, including travel interruption, baggage protection, mobile device coverage, and more. These benefits are in addition to other great perks, such as the free 1st checked bag for up to 8 guests on the same itinerary, Visa Infinite privileges and NEXUS security fast pass credits. However, the CIBC Aventura offers similar insurance benefits with no annual fee, while the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card has an annual fee of $139.
Ultimately, the choice between the CIBC Aventura Visa credit card and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card depends on individual preferences, spending habits and travel priorities.
CIBC Aventura® Visa* card vs. CIBC Dividend® Visa Card
If you are looking for versatile spending rewards like cash back, you can check out the CIBC Dividend Visa Card. This card is a no-fee cash back credit card that rewards you with 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases and 1% cash back on eligible gas, EV charging, transportation, dining, and recurring payments. Additionally, you earn 0.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases. You can also take advantage of the great 5% cash back welcome offer to quickly rack up rewards.
When it comes to comprehensive insurance benefits, this card falls short when compared to the CIBC Aventura Visa card as it only offers you extended protection insurance, purchase security and common carrier accident insurance.
CIBC Aventura® Visa* card vs. American Express® Green Card
The Amex Green Card is an excellent no annual fee rewards card with a highly flexible rewards redemption program. This card allows you to earn 1x point for each $1 spent on eligible everyday purchases and an additional point for hotel and car rental bookings through the Amex travel portal. You can use your Membership Rewards points to get instant statement credit, gift cards, or convert your points to great travel loyalty programs like Flying Blue and Aeroplan, enabling you to secure fantastic travel deals. The American Express Green card also has no income requirements, making it easy to qualify for if you have low income.
On the other hand, the CIBC Aventura® Visa* card offers superior travel insurance benefits, making it an excellent choice for frequent travelers. This card also boasts a higher acceptance rate at stores compared to an Amex card.
| Credit card | CIBC Aventura® Visa* card | American Express® Green Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome offer | Get up to 10,000 Aventura Points (up to $100 in travel value†); Earn up to 2,500 Aventura Points† for completing bonus activities within 60 days from your account approval† 7,500 Aventura Points after you make your first purchase within first 4 months.† | Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points1.* |
| Benefits |
Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on eligible gas stations, EV charging, grocery store, drug store purchases as well as travel purchases made through the CIBC Rewards Centre
Earn 1 point for every $2 spent on all other eligible purchases† |
Earn 1x point for each $1 spent on eligible everyday purchases and an additional point for hotel and car rental bookings through the Amex travel portal |
| Insurance coverage | Out of province medical coverage, Mobile device insurance, Trip delay/interruption insurance, Common carrier accident insurance, Auto rental collision/loss insurance, Baggage delay/loss insurance, Trip cancellation insurance, Hotel burglary insurance, Extended warranty, Purchase protection | Extended warranty, Purchase protection |
| Read our review | You are reading it! | Amex Green Credit Card review |
| Apply today | Apply Now | Apply Now |
CIBC Aventura® Visa* card eligibility requirements
In order to apply for this credit card, you need to meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a Canadian resident
- Have reached the age of majority in your province
- Have a fair credit score (>640)
- Have a minimum household annual income of $15,000
Is it worth it?
The CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card is a decent travel card, especially considering that it is free. You can earn points on all purchases, the welcome bonus is easy to obtain, and there are a couple of handy perks and benefits. We also appreciate that this credit card allows travellers to use their rewards towards paying for taxes and fees as well, not just the actual flight itself.
The point earn rates are a little low in comparison to a couple of other travel credit cards on the market and the fact that the amount of points required to redeem for flights through the Aventura Flight Rewards Chart is not a fixed amount can make things a bit confusing when trying to figure out how to get the most for your points.
Although the welcome offer might not be as high as other cards on the market, there is no spending minimum making it extremely accessible for cardholders. This card’s flexible points redemption means you can decide how you want the CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card to work for you. Whether you’re a frequent flyer or an avid online shopper, this card is a great companion for your wallet.
† Terms and Conditions apply
This is a digital-exclusive offer.†
To be eligible for this offer:
1) This offer must have been directly communicated to you from CIBC or from a partner/affiliate; and
2) You must apply for the eligible card through the link provided in the CIBC or partner/affiliate communication to you.†
This offer is reserved for you. Please do not forward it to anyone else. CIBC may approve your application, but you are not eligible to receive this Offer if you have opened, transferred or cancelled another eligible card within the last 12 months.†
This offer is not available for the residents of Quebec. For Quebec Residents offer - visit CIBC.com product page here
Résidents du Québec : Pour en savoir plus sur ce produit CIBC, suivez ce lien
Hannah Logan is a Canadian freelancer writer and blogger who specializes in personal finance and travel. You can follow her adventures on her travel blog EatSleepBreatheTravel.com or find her on Instagram @hannahlogan21.
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