WestJet RBC Mastercard Review

The WestJet RBC Mastercard is great for anyone who doesn’t want to pay a high annual fee and wants to save money on future WestJet flights or vacation packages. Although you get limited WestJet benefits, the earning rate is still respectable.

Since this card has a low minimum personal income requirement of $12,000, it’s an excellent choice for those who don’t meet the higher income requirement that comes with the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. Read my WestJet RBC Mastercard review now for the full details.

WestJet RBC Mastercard

Welcome bonus and earn rate

When signing up for the WestJet RBC Mastercard, the bonus has consistently been worth up to 100 WestJet dollars. You’ll typically get 50 WestJet dollars after your first purchase and another 50 WestJet dollars when you spend $1,000 in the first three months of cardmembership.

As for the earning rate, you’ll earn 1.5% back in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights and WestJet vacation packages. All other purchases earn you 1% back in WestJet dollars. Although the earning rate may seem low, the rewards are reasonable for a card with an annual fee of just $39.

Benefits and perks

Since this is considered an entry level card, you won’t get many benefits. That said, it does come with one significant WestJet benefit that makes this card a keeper.

Annual round-trip companion voucher

The best benefit of the RBC WestJet Mastercard is the annual round-trip companion voucher. With this voucher, the primary cardholder can add a travelling companion to the same round-trip itinerary for a base fare of just $199 plus taxes, fees, and charges. This applies to anywhere in Canada and the continental U.S. (no Hawaii). Depending on your destination, this could save you a few hundred dollars.

Save on fuel at Petro-Canada

When you link your WestJet RBC Mastercard, you’ll instantly save three cents per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada gas stations. In addition, you’ll earn 20% more Petro-Points.

Earn Be Well points at Rexall

Anyone who shops at Rexall regularly will be interested to hear that your linked WestJet RBC Mastercard earns you 50 Be Well points per dollar spent on all eligible purchases. These bonus points are added to any in-store and personal Be Well offers.

No delivery fees with DoorDash for 3 months

The RBC WestJet Mastercard entitles you to $0 delivery fees for three months when making orders on DoorDash. This benefit usually costs $10 per month. To get your free delivery, you must order at least $15 and pay with your WestJet RBC Mastercard.

Travel insurance

• Travel accident – up to $500,000
• Hotel/motel burglary – up to $2,500
• Delayed baggage insurance – up to $500 / 4 hours
• Auto rental collision/loss damage waiver insurance – $65,000 – 48 days

Many people will be surprised about the travel insurance included while reading this WestJet RBC Mastercard review. Although you don’t get travel medical or trip cancellation insurance, you get a decent amount of extended travel insurance.

Purchase insurance

• Purchase security – 90 days
• Extended warranty – Up to one additional year

Purchase insurance is rarely used, but you’ll be glad you have it if you ever need to make a claim. When you charge the total cost of your purchase to your WestJet RBC Mastercard, you’re covered from loss, theft and damage for 90 days thanks to the included purchase security. As for the extended warranty, it’s doubled up to one additional year.

How WestJet Rewards works

WestJet Rewards is easily one of the best travel rewards programs in Canada. Instead of earning points or miles, you earn WestJet dollars, so it’s similar to a cash back program. If you’re using your dollars for a flight, you must have at least 15 WestJet dollars accumulated. There’s a 50 WestJet dollar minimum when redeeming for WestJet vacation packages. Note that WestJet dollars can only be applied to the base fare and not towards taxes or additional charges. On a positive note, there are no blackout dates when using your WestJet dollars.

Many people also like WestJet Rewards because of the benefits you get and how easy it is to earn higher status. WestJet Rewards has four tiers: teal, silver, gold and platinum. You get higher tier status based on how much you spend on qualifying WestJet flights and vacations (this does not apply to credit card spending). As your tier goes up, you get additional benefits.

If WestJet is the main airline you fly with, earning WestJet dollars and having a co-branded credit card will save you money on future flights and vacation packages.

WestJet RBC Mastercard eligibility

• You must be a Canadian citizen
• You must be the age of majority in the province or territory where you live
• You must have a personal income of $12,000

RBC doesn’t state a specific credit score that’s required to be approved. That said, I recommend only applying if your credit score is at least 660. That puts you in good standing, and it may increase the odds of you being approved.

How the WestJet RBC Mastercard compares to others

It isn’t easy to compare the WestJet RBC Mastercard to others since it’s pretty specific. That said, this is technically an airline credit card and another WestJet credit card is available, so we’ll use those as comparables.

WestJet RBC Mastercard vs. WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard

The WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard is a higher tier WestJet card. This card earns you 2% in WestJet dollars on WestJet flights and vacation packages. All other purchases earn you 1.5% back in WestJet dollars. In addition, you get a better companion voucher, more travel insurance, and the first checked bag free for the primary cardholder and up to eight guests travelling on the same reservation. While this card has better benefits, it has a higher annual fee of $119 and a minimum personal income requirement of $80,000.

WestJet RBC Mastercard vs. CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card

With the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card, you’ll earn 1 Aeroplan point per dollar spent on gas, groceries, and Air Canada purchases. All other purchases earn you 1 Aeroplan point per $1.50 spent. Although this earning rate may seem low, 1 Aeroplan point can be worth 1.5 – 2 cents each, so there’s some good value here. However, Aeroplan is the loyalty program of Air Canada, so if you mainly fly WestJet, you’d be better off with a WestJet credit card. The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card has no annual fee.

WestJet RBC Mastercard vs. American Express Green Card

One other card that’s worth comparing is the American Express Green Card. It has no annual fee, and you’ll earn 1 American Express Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all purchases. With Membership Rewards, you can redeem 1,000 points for a $10 statement credit. That means if you booked a flight on WestJet, you could use your points on the entire purchase, including taxes and additional charges.

Final thoughts

My WestJet RBC Mastercard review is positive. This card is ideal for people in the following situations:

• You fly WestJet regularly – With this card, you’ll earn WestJet dollars on all eligible purchases and get a free annual companion voucher.
• You don’t want to pay a high annual fee – The yearly fee of $39 is reasonable for what you get.
• You don’t have a high income – This card has a low minimum income requirement of $12,000.

If you fly WestJet regularly and you’re looking for a travel credit card, this card could be a good fit for you. The annual round-trip companion voucher within Canada for $199 plus taxes, fees, and charges is an incredible benefit that should be reason enough to sign up for the card.