RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold review

Quick overview of the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold Card

The RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold credit card is a US dollar credit card from RBC. The card allows cardholders to earn rewards and make purchases in US dollars (USD), without the foreign transaction fee or currency conversion costs. Cardholders earn 1x point for every $1 spent on purchases and enjoy extensive travel insurance protections for a fairly modest $65 annual fee ($30 for additional cards on the account).

Who can benefit from the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold?

USD credit cards aren’t for everyone, but they provide significant value to those who frequently visit, or live in the United States, or just prefer to shop with companies that charge in US dollars. Cards like the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold work within the US but also fit into the Canadian rewards ecosystem by letting you earn points that can be applied to your RBC Avion Canadian credit card. This allows you to supercharge your rewards across borders, without foreign transaction fees on USD purchases. 

Pros and cons

RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold welcome bonus

The RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold does not offer a welcome bonus for new accounts.

How to earn Avion points with the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold

While the card doesn't offer a welcome bonus, it does provide the opportunity to earn RBC Avion points with every purchase. Cardholders can earn Avion points on eligible purchases with the card according to the following rates:

• Earn one Avion point for every US dollar you spend^†

While the rewards with the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold may not be exceptionally generous, they are on par with offers from other major Canadian banks. This is especially good news for anyone who already banks with RBC and has another Avion credit card. They can earn points across most of North America without worrying about currency conversion fees (unless you make it to Mexico, that is).

We estimate that the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold provides approximately $240 in annual rewards value for cardholders.

How to redeem points

The RBC Avion rewards program offers great value when redeeming points. Your best value is booking award travel through the Avion Rewards website or app. Points apply towards flights, hotels and other travel packages. Avion shines when booking flights, thanks to no blackout dates and no airline restrictions or seats when booking with the RBC Air Travel Redemption Schedule.

Other Avion redemption partners include:

• American Airlines AAdvantage
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Hudson's Bay Rewards
• WestJet Rewards

You can redeem RBC Avion points towards other awards, including statement credits, charitable donations, gift cards, merchandise or as statement credits to your RBC credit card or another RBC financial product.  

What are RBC Avion points worth?

RBC Avion points are valuable, but how valuable depends on how you redeem them. On average, points are worth 1.5 cents per point, although some award options, like gift cards and statement credits, merchandise or charitable donations, may provide lesser value.

Booking reward flights provides your best value, with points worth as much as two cents per point or more, depending on the date, airline, seat and destination. Transferring to other frequent flyer programs provides slightly less value (around 1.5 cents per point).

Key benefits of the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold Card

No foreign transaction fees on US dollars

The main benefit of the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold is the ability to make purchases with United States merchants without worrying about the foreign transaction fee. That means you don't need to worry about geographic location; you’re covered if your merchant operates in USD. 

Earn rewards in the United States

Beyond the fact that there are no foreign transaction fees for USD purchases, the card is great for frequent US visitors or those who spend in USD. While rewards are not high (up to 1x points per $1 spent), the lack of a foreign transaction fee for USD purchases lets users earn easily redeemable points for travel, statement credits or select other RBC products.

RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold insurance coverage

The RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold Card offers quick insurance coverage for a US dollar credit card. The card provides plenty of protection beyond the basics of extended warranty and purchase protection coverage to include a variety of travel insurance perks not found with comparable cards.

Here’s a full rundown of the travel insurance coverage you can expect from the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa:

• Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000
•  Trip cancellation insurance: Up to $2,500
• Trip interruption insurance: Up to $2,500
•  Baggage delay/loss/theft: Up to $500
•  Rental car coverage: Up to $65,000

Few US dollar credit cards provide this level of protection, the closest being the TD U.S. Dollar Visa* Card, which provides delayed and lost baggage coverage, trip interruption insurance and up to $500,000 in common carrier travel accident coverage.

Cardholders can also opt for additional protection, including add-on travel insurance, RBC Road Assist and ID theft protection.

Extra benefits of the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold

• Fuel discounts at Petro-Canada: All RBC credit cards save you 3₵ per litre at Petro-Canada; when you connect your RBC credit card to your Petro-Points account, you’ll earn 20% more Petro-Points
• Earn more points at Rexall: You can earn 50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products when you link your RBC card to your Rexall Be Well account
• DoorDash membership trial: You’ll enjoy a three-month complimentary DashPass subscription when you sign up for DoorDash DashPass membership and use the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold Card as your default payment card. This benefit has a value of $30
• RBC offers: Save even more with access to personalised offers from leading brands
• Chip and pin technology for an added layer of security
• Mobile wallet compatibility with Apple Pay, Google Pay and more
• Access to the RBC mobile app

How does the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold Card compare?

The Scotiabank® U.S. Dollar Visa* Card is another USD credit card for Canadians. It has a lower annual fee than the RBC card, but lacks some of the other standout features of the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold, namely, insurance protections and basic rewards.

The BMO U.S. Dollar Mastercard®* is another US dollar option worth considering. While it doesn’t earn rewards like the RBC card, the BMO US dollar credit card does provide an annual fee rebate if the cardholder spends at least USD$3,000 on purchases each year.

*Terms and conditions apply

The CIBC U.S. Dollar Aventura® Gold Visa* Card offers a similar rewards structure to the RBC card. Cardholders earn 1 point for every $1 spent on purchases^†, but only for purchases made with the CIBC Rewards Centre. In contrast, the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold earns rewards on all purchases. Additionally, the RBC offer features much more substantial insurance protections versus the CIBC offer (although the CIBC card charges a much lower annual fee).

†Terms and Conditions Apply. This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.

The information for the CIBC U.S. Dollar Aventura® Gold Visa* Card has been collected independently by Money.ca. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Is the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold Card worth it?

US dollar credit cards are a unique subset of travel cards that often get overlooked, but they make perfect sense if you frequently travel to the United States or even prefer to shop with American brands. It lets you shop with USD foreign transaction or currency conversion fees, earn rewards that you can then apply to your Canadian credit card, and offers essential insurance protections to keep you safe wherever your travels may take you.

The biggest strike against the card is the $65 annual fee. Sure, other similar cards charge an annual fee, but not one as high as the RBC option. The Scotiabank U.S. Dollar Visa ($35), TD U.S. Dollar Visa ($39) and CIBC U.S. Dollar Aventura® Gold Visa* Card ($35) are all significantly cheaper. In the RBC card’s defense, it does provide exceptional insurance coverage over the CIBC and Scotiabank options. Still, the TD card provides similar protection at a $26 lower annual price point.

Ultimately, the RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold is a great choice if you currently bank with RBC and have another RBC Avion credit card. It allows you to avoid foreign transaction fees in USD and increases your purchasing power (and points potential) across a large part of North America. This enables you to maximize rewards and minimize hidden costs.

Eligibility requirements

The RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold is accessible to most Canadians. There is no minimum personal or household income required to qualify, although you'll need a Good credit score.