Good evening! This post is a summary of the recent experiences I’ve had with product switching several of my credit cards (RBC in particular).
Product switching is the act of moving from one credit card to another through the same institution. Product switches are a valuable alternative when you want to take it easy on the credit checks from too many card applications within a short period of time. Most financial institutions offer product switches, although there are varying opinions and data points on whether or not the bonus points and promotions are honored with the switch.
Here’s a few simple steps on product switching your card.
Step One: Cover your bases
Before considering a product switch, make sure the following is done; You will run into significantly less issues and disappointment in doing so.
- The balance on your current card is paid off
- Check that you’ve received the bonus on your current card
- Ensure the points in your current account are either transferred to another account or are not connected to your institution (E.G: RBC Avion, CIBC Aventura, etc). In the case of RBC Avion Points, I transferred all my points to BA Avios before product switching to another card.
Step Two: Call in
Call into your financial institution and ask for the product switch to the card that you desire. While you’re on the call, make sure your customer representative provides you all details on your new card. Some of these things include:
- If there’s a FYF offer, make sure it’s been coded into the system
- Confirm that the bonus points will be available on your new card
Step Three: Receive the card (And start earning your points)!
Once you receive the card, you can begin spending towards the minimum spend for those new bonus points!
Earning free points with RBC Credit Card Products
Forget the AMEX train, get on board the RBC train! Since there aren’t any spending requirements for almost all of RBC’s travel credit cards, product switching between cards means free points/money. I’ve been a customer of RBC for a long time but have only had basic banking services with them, so YMMV.
The aspect that stood out to me was that upon product switching, every card credited back the prorated amount of the annual fee into my new card account. On top of this, every RBC card I’ve switched to was given a “First Year Free” offer. This meant that every time you switched cards within the first 2–3 months, you would “earn” $80-$100 back from the prorated annual fee on top of the bonus points!
Here are some of the cards that provide such bonuses:
RBC Visa Infinite Avion ($120 Annual Fee)
- 25,000 Avion points, $0 spend welcome bonus
RBC British Airways Visa Infinite ($165 Annual Fee)
- 15,000 BA Avios points, $0 spend welcome bonus
RBC Visa Platinum Avion ($120 Annual Fee)
- 15,000 Avion points, $0 spend welcome bonus
Summing it all up
Applying to the RBC Visa Infinite Avion first and then switching to the other 2 cards within 1–2 months of having each card, you will be able to collect:
- 40,000 RBC Avion Points — This can be transferred to ~52,000 BA Avios points during one of RBC’s Avion transfer promotions
- 15,000 BA Avios Points
- $300+ in statement credits from annual fee refunds
Given that the Avios points are most valuable on intra-Asia flights, I would save those for a few economy/business class flights between countries while I’m in Asia.
Here are some key BA Avios redemptions:
- Tokyo to Osaka in Economy for 4,500 Avios
- Tokyo to Hong Kong in Economy for 10,000 Avios
- Tokyo to Hong Kong in Business for 20,000 Avios
- Hong Kong to Singapore in Business for 20,000 Avios
And there you have it!
Whenever the terms and conditions work out, product switches are a hassle free way to take advantage of bonuses. If you’re ever in need of a quick supplement of points for your next Asia trip and want to try out a few business class experiences, try out some of the RBC premium travel cards. You can apply for the RBC Avion Visa Infinite through this unique link.
Points Smart 