There are a 8 different Aventura Visa cards on offer from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, otherwise known as CIBC (one of Canada’s Big Five banks). These cards are linked to the Aventura rewards program, which is a CIBC-specific travel rewards program that lets you earn points to put towards travel expenses, merchandise and more.
Keep reading to find out how you can start earning and redeeming Aventura rewards points with your Visa card, and compare theses credit cards to find the best fit for your unique set of needs, lifestyle and budget.
Get 1 Aventura Point for every $1 you spend on gas, groceries, drug store purchases and travel through the CIBC Rewards Centre, and 1 Aventura Point for every $2 you spend elsewhere.
$15,000 household
Car rental, Common Carrier Accident, Purchase protection
Earn 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on daily purchases like gas and groceries, 2 points on travel purchased through the CIBC rewards centre and 1 point on everything else.
$15,000 household
Emergency Travel Medical, Flight Delay and Baggage, Car rental, Common Carrier Accident, Purchase protection, Hotel Burglary, Mobile Device
Earn 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on daily purchases like gas and groceries, 2 points on travel purchased through the CIBC Rewards Centre and 1 point on everything else.
$60,000 (or $100,000 household)
Emergency Travel Medical, Flight Delay and Baggage, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Car rental, Common Carrier Accident, Purchase protection, Hotel Burglary, Mobile Device
Earn 3 Aventura Points on travel with the CIBC Rewards Centre, 2 points for every $1 spent on daily purchases like gas, groceries and transportation, and 1.25 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
$150,000 (or $200,000 household)
Emergency Travel Medical, Flight Delay and Baggage, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Car rental, Common Carrier Accident, Purchase protection, Hotel Burglary, Mobile Device
The CIBC Aventura Rewards program is owned and operated exclusively by CIBC. It is tied to the 8 Aventura Visa cards CIBC offers – 6 personal credit cards, including a student card and a US dollar card, and 2 business cards. Although they offer both basic and premium Aventura Visa cards, each one will allow you to earn a fixed number of points for every dollar you spend. In addition to earning points, each card will offer various additional benefits like different types of travel insurance.
You can redeem the CIBC Aventura rewards points you earn through your credit card in a number of ways, including:
Paying for flights with any airline
Paying down your credit card balance
Contributing to your CIBC TFSA, RRSP or other CIBC investments
Getting merchandise like housewares, fashion, electronics and gift cards
Donating to charity
How much is each point worth?
CIBC Aventura points are worth around $0.01 per point, which is less than what you’ll get with frequent flyer programs like Aeroplan and AIR MILES. That said, you might be able to get a better return on your points if you use them to book flights instead of other types of rewards. If you want to purchase Aventura points to pay for flights, they’ll typically cost around $0.03 per point.
Unlike Aeroplan and AIR MILES, Aventura doesn’t have any partners. This means it can take longer to collect points because you won’t be able to collect double the points when you shop at certain stores. That said, you’ll be able to redeem your points for all sorts of merchandise including flights, hotels, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards and more.
You’ll be able to earn CIBC Aventura rewards points whenever you spend money on your credit card. With some Aventura Visa’s cards, you’ll get a flat rate of points for every purchase. With other cards, you might be able to earn accelerated points for making daily purchases like gas or groceries.
Most of Aventura’s credit cards will also let you earn bonus points when you sign up. Just be aware that if you do want to take advantage of one of these offers, you may need to spend a certain amount of money on your card over a specific time period to qualify.
You may also be able to earn extra points by checking out CIBC’s promotional offers. These offers may give you the chance to earn more points for every purchase you make at featured stores or at certain times of the year.
How to decide which CIBC Aventura Visa card is right for you
If you think that the CIBC Aventura rewards program is the right fit for you, you should start by comparing the cards on offer to find the specific card that best fits your needs. Try asking these 6 questions to narrow down your options:
1. How many points will I earn?
Look at how many points you’ll earn for every dollar you spend on your CIBC Aventura Visa card and weigh that against the cost of your annual fee. It’s a good idea to consider if your typical spending habits will allow you to earn enough points on the card to at least make up for how much you’ll spend on the annual fee.
2. Is there a welcome offer?
Aim to pick the credit card that will give you the biggest return on points right off the bat. On of the best Aventura welcome offers available right now comes with the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card: Earn 50,000 Aventura Points when you spend $3,000 or more during your first 4 monthly statement periods. Also, in your first year, you can earn an additional 2,500 Aventura Points each monthly statement period in which you spend at least $2,000. That’s up to 30,000 points.
3. What kind of benefits and insurance is offered?
Think about what kind of benefits you want and pick the CIBC Aventura card that gives you the best mix of perks for your lifestyle with the lowest annual fee. As a frequent traveler, finding a card that covers you when the unexpected happens – like if your baggage gets lost or your hotel room is burgled – can help save money and relieve some stress when your travel plans get interrupted. The card with most travel perks is the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card but it comes with the hefty annual fee of $499. In that case, you’ll want to make sure that you’ll use credit card’s perks enough within the year to justify paying the annual fee.
4. What is the annual fee?
Almost all CIBC Aventura Visa cards come with an annual fee. Generally, the larger the annual fee, the more perks you get. Figure out how much you’re willing to pay each year to get the benefits you want, or consider a $0 fee option like the CIBC Aventura Visa Card.
5. What will my interest rates be?
Check out how much you’ll pay in interest on your outstanding balances before you sign on to the card of your choice. Most Aventura cards come with the typical 19.99% purchase interest rate, but make sure to look at cash advance rates too if that’s something you might need to take advantage of.
6. What other fees could I be charged?
Make sure to read your contract fully and pay attention to fees for services like cash advances and foreign transactions. Aim for the card that charges the smallest fees for the services you use regularly.
How to redeem your Aventura points
It’s fairly easy to redeem your Aventura rewards points. All you need to do is head over to the CIBC Rewards homepage and click the red “Sign On” button in the top right to login. You then have the fun job of figuring out what type of rewards you want. You can choose from flights, hotels, travel packages, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards and more.
When you decide on what you want, you’ll be able to use your online account to exchange your points. You can also cash them in over the phone by speaking to a customer service agent. It’s also possible to visit CIBC’s Rewards Centre to bid for rewards using Aventura’s special online auction site.
Why you should redeem your Aventura points for flights
Flight redemptions are often the best way to cash in your CIBC Aventura rewards because you’ll get the best return. There are also a number of other benefits to flight redemptions that are unique to CIBC’s Aventura program.
No blackout dates or restrictions. Unlike other frequent flyer programs, Aventura lets you use your points to book any flight you want at any time of year.
Use points to cover taxes and fees. You’ll be able to use your points to cover the taxes and fees for your flights so you don’t have any out-of-pocket expenses.
Points won’t ever expire. Your points won’t expire so you won’t ever have to worry about losing them if you don’t use them within a certain time.
No booking fees. You won’t have to pay additional fees to CIBC to book your flights through its Rewards Centre.
What else can I redeem my CIBC Aventura rewards points for?
In addition to flights, you’ll also be able to redeem your Aventura rewards for a number of different travel purchases:
Travel package. If you have enough points, you may be able to cash them in for an all-inclusive vacation package or cruise.
Hotel stays. Book budget or luxury accommodation with your points when you travel abroad or within Canada.
Car rentals. Rent a budget or upscale vehicle so that you can reach your next destination without paying out-of-pocket for the trip.
Merchandise. Grab a wide range of merchandise in CIBC’s online rewards store, ranging from clothing and jewellery to homewares and electronics.
Gift cards. Cash in on in-store or online credit at some of your favourite stores with a wide selection of gift cards.
Bill payments. Pay down your credit card balance or bills, or use your points to invest in CIBC’s suite of financial products.
Charitable donations. Transfer your points into a cash donation for the charity of your choice.
Compare other travel points credit cards
Not sure if a CIBC Aventura Visa card is right for you? Compare features of other travel points credit cards in the table below. Once you’ve decided on the best option for your needs, click the “Go to site” button to apply.
Bottom line
Earn Aventura rewards points to redeem for travel and other purchases every time you spend money on your CIBC Aventura Visa credit card. Make sure you compare the Aventura Visa cards so you can build up and redeem points through CIBC’s online Aventura Rewards store.
CIBC Aventura FAQs
You can only earn points using your CIBC Aventura Visa card and you won't be able to earn points at partner stores because Aventura doesn't offer a frequent flyer membership program. Aventura also offers no blackout periods on travel, and your points will never expire.
No. You can use your points to pay the taxes and fees as long as you have enough points to cover them. This is another feature that sets Aventura apart from programs like AIR MILES and Aeroplan.
Yes. Unlike frequent flyer programs that let you earn points with partner stores through a membership, Aventura only lets you earn points by using its selection of credit cards. To do so, you'll need to spend money on your card, and you'll typically earn between 0.5 and 1.5 points for every dollar you spend.
You won't be able to exchange your points for cash in hand. However, you can apply your points as a statement credit on your credit card so it will help to pay down your outstanding balance.
Yes. You can apply online for the card of your choice by clicking "Go to Site" next to the card you're interested in.
Claire Horwood is a writer at Finder, specializing in credit cards, loans and other financial products. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from the University of Victoria, and an Associate’s Degree in Science from Camosun College. Much of Claire’s coursework has focused on writing and statistics, with a healthy dose of social and cultural analysis mixed in for good measure. In her spare time, Claire enjoys rock climbing, travelling and drinking inordinate amounts of coffee.
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Why you should redeem your Aventura points for flights