This is the card I'd look at for a student who wants to start collecting travel points without a fee or an income test. It is the same product as the regular Aventura Visa, with the same 1 point per dollar at grocery stores, gas stations, EV chargers and drug stores (on the first $6,000 a year) and half a point on everything else, but CIBC drops the income requirement and caps the credit limit at $5,000.
CIBC prices Aventura Points at 1 cent per point (cpp) for Flexible Travel, so the earn works out to 1% in the bonus categories and 0.5% elsewhere. That is modest. From what I can tell, the value for a student is a first credit card that builds history, a welcome offer that is easy to earn, and points that don't expire while you figure out where you want to travel.
Welcome offer
CIBC is advertising up to 12,500 Aventura Points on the student card, verified on the CIBC page on October 13, 2026, for new cards approved from July 16, 2026. 2,500 points come from five setup activities worth 500 points each, completed within 60 days of approval, and 10,000 points come from $1,000 in net purchases posted during the first 4 monthly statement periods.
CIBC puts the 12,500 points at up to $125 in travel value. No end date is printed, transfers and product changes from other CIBC cards are excluded, and you are not eligible if you opened, transferred or cancelled another Aventura card in the last 12 months, so confirm the current terms on the issuer's page before applying.
$1,000 over four statements is about $250 a month, which groceries, a phone bill and transit can cover on a student budget. The activity points take a little admin: share your email with CIBC, turn on eStatements, add an authorized user, hold a CIBC chequing account and add the card to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay. Each is worth 500 points, so skipping one still leaves 2,000.
Fees & eligibility
The card has no annual fee, and additional cards are $0 for up to 3. There is no minimum income requirement: Canadian students can get a credit limit of up to $5,000 and international students up to $2,000, subject to CIBC's credit criteria, and the card carries a minimum credit limit.
The product page lists 21.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances, balance transfers and convenience cheques (21.99% for Quebec residents). Foreign currency purchases carry a 2.5% conversion fee, and new purchases get a 21-day grace period. On a student budget the rule matters more, not less: pay the full balance every month, because a single month of interest wipes out far more than the points earn.
Earning rewards
Grocery stores, gas stations, EV charging and drug stores earn 1 Aventura Point per dollar, and so does travel booked and charged to the card through the CIBC Rewards Centre (CIBC by Expedia). Everything else earns 1 point per $2.
The bonus categories share one limit of $6,000 a year, about $500 a month, which most student budgets will not hit. After that, those purchases earn 1 point per $2 like everything else. There is no cap on total points.
Redeeming rewards
Aventura Points are redeemed through the CIBC Rewards Centre. The simplest use is Flexible Travel: book a flight, hotel, car rental or package through CIBC by Expedia and pay with points, the card or a mix, at the rate CIBC uses for this card's offer, 100 points = $1, or 1 cpp.
The Aventura Airline Rewards Chart can stretch further on a trip home. Round-trip economy flights cost a set range of points per region, up to a maximum base fare: 10,000 to 20,000 points for short-haul trips up to $400, and 25,000 to 35,000 points within Canada and the continental U.S. up to $800. You need at least 80% of the points, taxes are paid separately in points or cash, and a fare below the maximum earns no credit back. If you later hold another Aventura card as primary cardholder, the points can be combined.
Perks & benefits
The extras lean toward everyday spending. A free SPC+ membership (registered through CIBC online or mobile banking while you hold a CIBC student product) gives discounts at partner brands, a linked card gets a free Skip+ membership with $0 delivery fees and a $10 monthly voucher after four orders of $30 or more, and Journie Rewards saves up to 10 cents per litre at participating stations. Paying for Disney+ Standard with Ads with the card gets 50% off for 6 months.
There is no lounge access, no travel credit and no foreign transaction fee waiver. CIBC Global Money Transfer sends money to more than 120 countries with a $0 transfer fee and no cash advance fee, which can help international students sending money home.
Insurance
The student card carries the same certificate as the regular Aventura Visa, underwritten by Belair. Common carrier accident insurance pays up to $100,000 for accidental death or dismemberment while riding a plane, train, bus or ship, when at least 75% of the fare is charged to the card or the ticket is booked with its points.
New purchases are covered for 90 days against loss, theft or damage, and manufacturer warranties are doubled for up to 1 extra year, with a $60,000 total limit per cardholder across all CIBC cards. There is no travel medical, trip cancellation, flight delay, baggage or rental car coverage, so a student travelling outside their home province should check what their school or provincial plan covers.
My take
I'd get this card if you're a student who wants travel points with no fee and no income test; if you mostly want money back on groceries, I'd pick CIBC's Dividend student card instead.
As a first card, it does the basics well: no fee, no income bar, a credit limit sized for a student, and a welcome offer most people can earn with $1,000 of normal spending. The points don't expire, so a few years of groceries and transit can add up to a short-haul flight on the airline chart.
The earn rate is the weak spot. At 1 cpp it pays 1% on groceries and gas and 0.5% on everything else, while CIBC's Dividend Visa for Students pays 2% on groceries and 1% on gas, transit, dining and recurring bills, also with no fee. I'd only choose this one if travel points are the goal.
The good
- No annual fee and no minimum income requirement
- 12,500-point welcome offer needs only $1,000 in spending plus five setup steps
- Points don't expire and work with the Aventura Airline Rewards Chart
The catch
- About 0.5% back on most spending at 1 cpp
- 1x categories stop after $6,000 a year
- 2.5% foreign transaction fee and no travel medical coverage