CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business review
Best for: Small business owners who travel and drive for work and want points with no fee in the first year.
- Rewards rate
- 1x - 2x points
- Annual fee
- $120
- Interest rates
- 20.99% / 22.99% Purchase / cash advance
- FX fee
- 2.5%
The bottom line
The CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business earns 2 points per dollar on travel, 1.5 on gas and 1 on everything else. The $120 annual fee is rebated in the first year, which makes it easy to try. It’s a straightforward card with no bonus categories beyond travel and gas, and the 2.5% foreign transaction fee applies to purchases in other currencies.
Rewards & earn rates
You earn points in CIBC Aventura.
| Category | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| Travel | 2x |
| Gas | 1.5x |
| Everything Else | 1x |
Rates & fees
| Annual fee | $120First Year Rebate |
|---|---|
| Monthly equivalent | $10.00 |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.5% |
| Purchase interest rate | 20.99% |
| Cash advance rate | 22.99% |
| Network | Visa |
Eligibility
- Recommended credit score
- 720+ (excellent)
- Minimum personal income
- None stated
- Minimum household income
- None stated
Pros & cons
Pros
- 2 points per dollar on travel and 1.5 on gas
- First-year annual fee rebate
- Simple three-tier earning that’s easy to track
Cons
- 2.5% foreign transaction fee
- Only 1 point per dollar outside travel and gas
- $120 annual fee from the second year
Our detailed review
How the Aventura business card earns
Earning is simple. Travel purchases earn 2 points per dollar, gas earns 1.5 points, and everything else earns 1 point. That makes the card a better fit for businesses where travel and driving are regular costs than for those whose spending goes mostly to office supplies, software or suppliers.
For example, a business spending $6,000 a year on travel, $500 a month on gas and $3,000 a month on other expenses would earn 12,000 points from travel, 9,000 from gas and 36,000 from everything else, for 57,000 points a year.
Getting the most from the earn rates
Because only travel and gas earn bonus points, the card rewards you most when those costs go on it. Putting fuel for work vehicles and all business trip bookings on this card lifts your average return.
In the example above, $48,000 of annual spending earns 57,000 points, an average of about 1.19 points per dollar. A business with a bigger share of travel and gas would average more, while one with mostly general expenses would sit closer to 1 point per dollar.
The welcome offer
A welcome offer may be available on this card, but our data doesn’t include its current terms, such as how many points it pays or what spending it requires.
Check CIBC’s website for the current offer and confirm your normal business spending will meet any target in time, so you don’t have to move expenses around to qualify.
Fees and the first-year rebate
The annual fee is $120, but it’s rebated for the first year, so you pay no annual fee for your first year with the card. From the second year, the $120 fee applies, so use the first year to see whether your travel and gas spending earns enough to keep it.
In the example above, the business would collect 57,000 points in year one without paying an annual fee. From year two, the question becomes whether a similar haul of points is worth more to the business than the $120 it costs to keep the card.
Foreign currency purchases carry a 2.5% fee, so $1,000 of spending with a foreign supplier or on a trip abroad costs about $25 extra. Purchase interest is 20.99% and cash advances are charged 22.99%. Paying the full balance each month keeps your business from paying purchase interest.
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
The card suits small business owners and self-employed people who travel and drive for work and want their spending to earn points, with no annual fee in the first year to test it.
It’s less suited to businesses that pay foreign suppliers or spend heavily abroad, because of the 2.5% fee, or to businesses whose spending is mostly in categories that earn 1 point per dollar here.
How it compares
The RBC Avion Visa Business has the same $120 annual fee and earns 1 point per dollar on all purchases. The CIBC card earns more on travel and gas, while RBC’s is a flat-rate option.
If you’d rather not pay a fee at all, the BMO CashBack Business Mastercard has no annual fee and earns up to 1.5% cash back at gas stations, with a welcome offer of up to $150 cash back. It pays cash rather than points.
Before you apply
The recommended credit score is 720 or higher, but CIBC makes the final decision based on your application. Confirm the current welcome offer, the first-year rebate and other terms on CIBC’s website before you apply.
How it compares
- 56 of the 105 credit cards we track cost less per year, and 37 cost more.
- Charges the same 2.5% foreign transaction fee as 94 other cards we track.
- Spending $1,000 in a foreign currency adds about $25 in FX fees, or $125 on $5,000.
Side by side with similar picks
| CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business |  American Express Aeroplan Card |  American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card |  BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $120 | $120 | $120 |
| FX fee | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Rewards rate | 1x - 2x | 1x - 2x | 2x - 5x | 1% - 5% |
| Purchase interest | 20.99% | 20.99% | 21.99% | 20.99% |
| Welcome bonus | — | — | Up to 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points | Up to $260 cash back |
| Offered by | CIBC | American Express | American Express | BMO |
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Frequently asked questions
Does the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business have an annual fee?
Yes. The CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business has an annual fee of $120, about $10.00 a month. First Year Rebate.
Does the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business charge foreign transaction fees?
Yes. The CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business charges a 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases in currencies other than Canadian dollars.
How much does the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business earn?
2x on travel, 1.5x on gas, 1x on everything else. Rewards are earned in CIBC Aventura.
What is the interest rate on the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business?
20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. You can avoid purchase interest by paying your full statement balance by the due date.
What credit score do you need for the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business?
The recommended credit score for the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business is 720+ (excellent). CIBC makes the final decision based on your full credit profile.
How does the first-year fee rebate work on the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business?
The $120 annual fee is rebated for the first year, so you pay no annual fee in year one. From the second year, the card costs $120 a year.
Is the CIBC Aventura business card worth keeping after the first year?
It depends on how much of your spending goes to travel and gas. A business spending $6,000 a year on travel, $500 a month on gas and $3,000 a month on other expenses earns 57,000 points a year, so weigh whether points at that level are worth more to you than the $120 fee that applies from year two.
Does the CIBC Aventura business card earn bonus points on office supplies?
No. Only travel, at 2 points per dollar, and gas, at 1.5 points, earn above the base rate. Office supplies, software, phone bills and other business expenses earn 1 point per dollar.
Who offers the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business?
The CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business is offered by CIBC. Applications are reviewed and approved by CIBC, not by CreditLab.
Rates, fees and offers come from CIBC’s published terms and can change at any time. Confirm the current terms with CIBC before applying. CreditLab may earn a commission from partner links; this never changes the facts we show. See our methodology.