What is the CIBC Aventura Rewards program and is it worth considering?
CIBC Aventura Rewards (also known as the CIBC Rewards program) is a travel rewards loyalty program that gives cardholders the chance to earn and redeem points for various perks, including travel-related benefits. Launched by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), this program allows members to earn Aventura Points through various credit card options and redeem them for a wide range of travel rewards, including flights, hotels, vacation packages and more.
Top 3 CIBC Aventura credit cards
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Welcome Offer
What are Aventura points?
CIBC Aventura points are designed with adventure in mind (hence the Spanish name, Aventura). Aventura points have a flexible point value, with greater redemption possibilities when booking travel through CIBC's award-winning IBC Rewards Centre. You can transfer Aventura points between eligible CIBC Aventura credit cards at no cost, which can be useful for pooling points or managing multiple cards.
Even better, CIBC Aventura points don't expire as long as your credit card account remains open and in good standing.
How to join Aventura Rewards
Joining the CIBC Aventura Rewards program is simple. To join, you'll need to successfully apply for a CIBC Aventura credit card:
- CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite* Card
- CIBC Aventura Gold Visa Card
- CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card
- CIBC U.S. Dollar Aventura® Gold Visa* Card
After you receive your new CIBC credit card in the mail, you can register your card by creating a username and password at cibcrewards.com.
How to earn Aventura points
Earning Aventura points is easy.:
- 1 Earn points through CIBC Aventura welcome bonuses
- 2 Earn points by making purchases with an Aventura credit card
Earn Aventura points with CIBC welcome bonuses
The fastest way to quickly amass a huge tally of Aventura points is by taking advantage of CIBC credit card welcome bonuses.
Here's a table detailing CIBC's current Aventura sign-up bonuses:
Disclosures:
- †Terms and Conditions Apply.
Earn Aventura points with CIBC Aventura credit card purchases
The other way to earn Aventura points is equally as straightforward. You can earn even more Aventura points by using your eligible CIBC Aventura credit card to make purchases anywhere Visa is accepted worldwide.
Here's how the Aventura credit cards compare:
Disclosures:
- †Terms and Conditions Apply.
There are a couple of smart strategies to accumulate Aventura Points faster.
One of the most effective methods is to leverage the welcome bonuses offered by CIBC Aventura credit cards (note that not all of CIBC’s cards are Aventura cards so be sure to select a card linked to the rewards program).
These bonuses often provide a substantial number of points when cardholders meet specified spending requirements within the first few months of card ownership. This influx of points can be a significant boost to your Aventura balance, meaning you’ll earn flights and rewards faster.
The specific bonus you’ll earn and what you’ll need to spend to earn it will depend on the specific card you apply for. Also note that a good general rule of thumb is that the more premium the card, the bigger the bonus.
Keep in mind that while welcome bonuses are exciting and certainly accelerate earnings, they are a one-off way to earn a big point payoff. A better long-term strategy is to take advantage of higher earn rates with your credit card.
Different Aventura credit cards offer varying points-per-dollar ratios for different spending categories.
Choosing a card that aligns with your regular expenses, such as groceries, gas or travel, can result in more points earned for every purchase. By strategically using cards with elevated earn rates, you can optimize your point accumulation and thus get closer to your desired travel reward redemption.
Just how much your Aventura points are worth depends on how you choose to redeem those points. Travel offers the best value, but only when booking using the Aventura Airline Rewards Chart (more below). Other bookings using the CIBC Rewards Travel Centre offers significantly lower value for money.
Here's how much your Aventura points are worth by award option:
No. Aventura Rewards points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing, meaning you aren't late on any payments.
How to redeem CIBC Aventura rewards
You can redeem Aventura points for the following award options:
- Travel through the CIBC Rewards Travel Centre
- Statement credits
- Shopping with points
- Gift cards
- Merchandise through the CIBC Rewards portal
- CIBC financial product deposits
Redeem for travel
To redeem points, log in to your CIBC Aventura account on the CIBC Rewards Centre website or app, select the "Travel" tab and enter your travel details. The search results will display flights eligible for points redemption.
You’ll have the choice of going with either the Flex Travel option or the Flight Rewards (aka chart) option. It’s always wise to compare which of the two options gives you the most value for your points. While the chart will usually offer the best deal, it’s smart to spend a few minutes to compare.
When you’ve found the flight you like, just click “Continue” to be taken to the passenger information and payment site. This is where you'll be required to provide details for each passenger and complete the necessary payment information. Carefully review the flight details and the summary of costs, including taxes and fees.
Aventura Airline Rewards Chart
Always opt for the Flight Rewards chart when booking flights - it's your ticket to squeezing out up to 2.29 cents per point, compared to just 1 cent with Flex Travel. Non-travel redemptions? They're a last resort, offering measly values of 0.83 cents for statement credits or as low as 0.71 cents for gift cards. Remember, smart redemptions mean more adventures!
Cory Santos, Money.ca credit card expert
Other ways to use your Aventura rewards
In addition to using your Aventura points for travel, there are several other ways you can redeem them for various benefits and financial products:
- 1 CIBC financial products: Aventura points can be used toward a variety of CIBC financial products, including mortgage payments, Registered Retirement Savings Plans, Tax-Free Savings Accounts, Investor's Edge accounts, personal loans, lines of credit and even as statement credits on your CIBC credit card.
- 2 Gift cards: You have the option to redeem your Aventura points for gift cards from a selection of retailers, like Amazon and Best Buy.
- 3 Products: Aventura points can also be redeemed for a variety of products available through the rewards program. This might include electronics, merchandise or other items depending on the current offerings within the program.
CIBC Aventura travel insurance
There is no standard set of travel insurance that comes with a CIBC Aventura card. The type of CIBC Aventura travel insurance coverage you’ll receive will depend entirely on the card you go with. In general, the more premium the card, the more coverage you’ll get. For example, the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card features hotel burglary insurance, whereas the CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Business does not. So it’s always important to read the fine print to see exactly what insurance your card comes with. With that in mind, the CIBC Aventura travel insurance that may come with your card includes: emergency travel medical insurance, flight delay and baggage insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, auto rental insurance, $500,000 common carrier accident insurance, mobile device and hotel burglary insurance.
How does CIBC Aventura compare?
| Feature | CIBC Aventura | TD Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Point value | .71 cents to as high as 2.29 cents when using the flight chart. | .25 cents up to as much as .5 cents when using Expedia for TD redemptions. This is a much lower point value than CIBC Aventura. Of course, keep in mind that a TD credit card with high earn rates could possibly make up for a lower point value. |
| Welcome offers | Aventura often features competitive welcome offers, with bonus points ranging from 2,500 to 80,000 or more. | TD Rewards also offers attractive welcome bonuses, ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 TD Rewards points. |
| Points expiry | Aventura points do not expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing. | TD Rewards points do not expire as long as the account is open and in good standing. |
| Points transferability | Aventura points can’t be transferred to other loyalty programs or airlines. | TD Rewards points are not transferable to other loyalty programs or airline partners. |
| Points for travel | You can use a travel chart or just use your points toward any flight you choose. You can redeem for a range of travel expenses, like flights, hotels and car rentals. Value from 1 cent up to 2.29 cents for travel. | Book travel with Expedia for TD or book travel through any provider and then redeem points to pay for the purchase. Travel points are valued at .04 to .05 cents. |
| Redemption flexibility | Flexible: Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, financial products, statement credits and more. | Flexible: Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, education, statement credits and more. |
| Features | CIBC Aventura | Aeroplan |
|---|---|---|
| Point value | Aventura points are valued at anywhere from .71 to 2.29 cents, depending on what you redeem them for. | Aeroplan points are valued at approximately 0.71 to 2 cents each, with the highest value when redeemed for flights. |
| Welcome offers | Aventura often features competitive welcome offers, with bonus points ranging from 2,500 to 80,000 or more. | Various Aeroplan credit cards offer widely different welcome bonuses because they are offered by financial institutions. American Express currently offers as much as a 90,000 bonus. |
| Points expiry | Aventura points don’t expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing. | Aeroplan points don't expire as long as there is account activity every 18 months. |
| Points transferability | Aventura points can’t be transferred to other loyalty programs or airlines. | Aeroplan has one of the best transfer programs among all loyalty programs in Canada. You can transfer Aeroplan points to American Express Membership Rewards and certain hotel rewards programs. |
| Points for travel | With Aventura you can use a travel chart or just use your points toward any flight you choose. You can redeem for a range of travel expenses, like flights, hotels and car rentals. Value from 1 cent up to 2.29 cents. | You can redeem Aeroplan points for flights, vacations, car rentals and more with Air Canada and partner airlines. Value per point ranges from .82 cents for hotels up to as high as 2 cents. |
| Redemption flexibility | Flexible: Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, financial products, statement credits and more. | Flexible: Redeem for flights, gift cards, car rentals, hotels and merchandise. |
| Feature | CIBC Aventura | Scene+ (Scotiabank) |
|---|---|---|
| Point value | Aventura points are valued at anywhere from .71 to 2.29 cents depending on what you redeem them for. | 1 cent for travel (as well as groceries, movies and more) to as low as 0.74 cents for gift cards. |
| Welcome offers | Aventura often features competitive welcome offers, with bonus points ranging from 2,500 to 80,000 or more. | A variety of credit cards come with up to 60,000 Scene+ points. |
| Points expiry | Aventura points don’t expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing. | Expire after 24 months of inactivity. |
| Points transferability | Aventura points cannot be transferred to other loyalty programs or airlines. | Points can’t be transferred to other loyalty programs. |
| Points for travel | With Aventura you can use a travel chart or just use your points toward any flight you choose. You can redeem for a range of travel expenses, like flights, hotels and car rentals. Value from 1 cent up to 2.29 cents. | Book flights, vacations, hotels and car rentals with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia. Or redeem points for travel booked with any provider. Either way the value is 1 cent per point. |
| Redemption flexibility | Flexible: Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, financial products, statement credits and more. | Flexible: Redeem for movies, travel, statement credits, gift cards, donations, merchandise, groceries and more. |
| Feature | CIBC Aventura | RBC Avion |
|---|---|---|
| Point value | Aventura points are valued at anywhere from .71 to 2.29 cents depending on what you redeem them for. | Avion points can net as much as much as 2.3 cents when using the Avion chart or as low as .58 cents for a statement credit. |
| Welcome offers | Aventura often features competitive welcome offers, with bonus points ranging from 2,500 to 80,000 or more. | Up to 35,000 Avion points. |
| Points expiry | Aventura points don’t expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing. | Never expire, as long as the account is in good standing. |
| Points transferability | Aventura points cannot be transferred to other loyalty programs or airlines. | Transfer points to WestJet, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and American Airlines. |
| Points for travel | With Aventura you can use a travel chart or just use your points toward any flight you choose. You can redeem for a range of travel expenses, like flights, hotels and car rentals. Value from 1 cent up to 2.29 cents. | Offers a special flight chart (Avion Grid) and the flexibility to redeem points for any travel expense. Value of 2.3 cents with grid or 1 cent for other travel. |
| Redemption flexibility | Flexible: Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, financial products, statement credits and more. | Flexible: Travel, merchandise, gift cards, RBC financial products, statement credits and charity. |
| Feature | CIBC Aventura | AIR MILES |
|---|---|---|
| Point value | Aventura points are valued at anywhere from .71 to 2.29 cents depending on what you redeem them for. | As high as 12.7 cents for rental cars, 10.5 cents for flights to as low as 9.5 cents for merchandise. |
| Welcome offers | Aventura often features competitive welcome offers, with bonus points ranging from 2,500 to 80,000 or more. | BMO offers AIR MILES credit cards with bonuses as high as 3,000 AIR MILES. |
| Points expiry | Aventura points don't expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing. | Miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. |
| Points transferability | Aventura points can’t be transferred to other loyalty programs or airlines. | No. |
| Points for travel | You can use a travel chart or just use your points toward any flight you choose. You can redeem for a range of travel expenses, like flights, hotels and car rentals. Value from 1 cent up to 2.29 cents. | You can book travel with any partner you want on the AIR MILES website. Values range from 12.7 cents for rental cars to 9.8 cents for hotels. |
| Redemption flexibility | Flexible: Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards, financial products, statement credits and more. | Flexible: Two types of miles (Dream Miles and Cash Miles) with redemption options, including travel, merchandise and cash rewards |
Aventura top tip: Avoid low-value redemptions
Steer clear of merchandise redemptions, which typically offer the lowest value at around 0.5 cents per point. And, if you must redeem for gift cards, wait for promotional periods where values might increase to 1 cent per point or more.
Aventura pros and cons
Pros
-
Generous welcome bonuses
-
Competitive earning rates on everyday categories
-
No blackout dates for travel redemptions
Cons
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Limited to economy class flight redemptions
-
Limited to economy class flight redemptions
-
Higher income requirements for premium cards
Is CIBC Aventura worth it?
The CIBC Aventura rewards program is designed primarily for travellers, but others might struggle to find value when redeeming points for anything beyond travel or CIBC financial products.
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Sandra MacGregor has been writing about finance and travel for nearly a decade. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications like the New York Times, the UK Telegraph, the Washington Post, Forbes.com and the Toronto Star.
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