RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite
Category cardWhat the roles mean
- Dining, gas and groceries: 3% cash back, no cap, plus transit, rideshare and streaming
Welcome offer now
Get 15% extra cash back on your first $2,000 in spend for 3 months
Ends February 2, 2027.
Checked on RBC's own page October 21, 2026. See RBC's page
What it earns in a year
$528 back a year
After the $120 annual fee.
Based on $30,000 a year of spending ($9,600 groceries, $3,000 gas, $3,000 dining…). Welcome offer not included.
Try it with your own spending →
- Groceries: 3% back.
- Dining & restaurants (Incl. food delivery): 3% back.
- Gas / EV: 3% back.
- Transit: 3% back.
- Entertainment (Streaming and digital gaming): 3% back.
- Everything else: 1% back.
Highlighted = use this card here.
How to apply for the RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite
Check first
- Welcome offer not for switches: you can't get it by switching an existing RBC personal credit card to this one
- Check you qualify Income: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household. You need to live in Canada and be the age of majority in your province.
- Have this ready Your address and how long you've lived there, your employer and yearly income, and your monthly rent or mortgage. Your SIN is optional for a credit card; you can leave it blank.
- Expect a credit check Applying adds a hard inquiry to your credit report, which lowers your score a little for a few months. Space applications about 90 days apart.
- Apply on RBC's own site Apply online from the bank's product page, where the offer above is shown. This isn't an affiliate link: we earn nothing if you apply.Apply on RBC's site →
- After you're approved Put the spending needed for the welcome offer on the card before the deadline, and pay the full balance every month.
How to use it
- Dining, food delivery, gas, EV charging: every purchase (3%)
- Groceries, transit, rideshare, streaming, digital gaming: also 3%
- Bills and everything else: use another card. This one pays 1%
- Welcome offer: 15% extra on your first $2,000 in 3 months, up to $300. Apply by February 2, 2027
- Redeeming: $25 minimum, by phone, until December 1, 2026. From December 2, any amount from $1 online or in the app
- Example: $800/month groceries + $250 gas + $250 dining = $468 a year back, $348 after the fee
Key facts
- Annual fee
- $120
- Purchase interest
- 21.99%
- Foreign currency fee
- 2.5%
- Min. personal income
- $80,000
- Min. household income
- $150,000
- Rewards
- Cash back
Annual fee waiver
- None
From rbcroyalbank.com product page, checked October 17, 2026. Not an affiliate link.
More RBC cards
Best paired with
Neo World Elite Mastercard
- This card: gas / ev, dining & restaurants, travel, transit, drugstore / pharmacy, entertainment, everything else
- Neo World Elite Mastercard: groceries, bills & subscriptions
- Together: $679 a year after both fees, vs $528 with this card alone
If your stores take Amex: Scotiabank Gold Amex for groceries, dining & restaurants, entertainment makes it $768 a year. Costco and Loblaw-banner grocers don't take Amex.
Computed on our standard household ($30,000 a year): each kind of spending goes to whichever card pays more, both fees taken off. Partners are everyday, category and churning cards on Visa or Mastercard. Points at their simplest redemption. Welcome offers not included.
Pros
- 3% across most everyday spending, with no cap
- Up to $300 extra in the first 3 months
- Cash back never expires while the account is open
- Travel medical, flight delay and $1,500 phone insurance
- 12 months of DashPass
Cons
- $120 a year, charged in year one too (+ $50 per additional card)
- 1% on bills and everything else
- 3% depends on the merchant's code; liquor stores earn 1%
- No trip cancellation or interruption cover
- Lounge access is pay-per-visit (US$32)
- 2.5% on foreign-currency purchases
- Needs $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income
- No welcome offer if you switch in from another RBC personal card
Insurance included
- Travel medical: unlimited, first 10 days of a trip under 65 (3 days at 65+)
- Flight delay: $500 per delay ($250 per person), after 4 hours
- Delayed bags: $500 per person
- Rental car damage: up to 48 days, cars up to $65,000
- Phone: $1,500, for 2 years after purchase
- Purchases: 120 days of theft/damage cover, warranty tripled up to +2 years
- Not included: trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel accident
Maximums as RBC lists them. Conditions apply; the insurance certificate decides claims.
Perks
- DoorDash: 12 months of DashPass
- Petro-Canada: save 3¢/litre and earn 20% more Petro-Points (link the card)
- Boingo: free Wi-Fi at 1M+ hotspots
- Rexall: 50 Be Well points per $1
Other cards for dining & restaurants
Back a year on $3,000 of dining & restaurants, caps included. Points at best-case value. Before annual fees.
| Card | Earns on dining & restaurants | Back a year | Annual fee | Terms checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Cobalt | 5× points≈ 10.0% in value | $300 | $192 | October 21, 2026 |
| Scotiabank Gold Amex | 5× points | $150 | $120 | November 2, 2026 |
| National Bank World Elite Mastercard | 5× points | $150 | $150 | October 21, 2026 |
| Simplii Cash Back Visa | 4% back | $120 | $0 | October 21, 2026 |
| RBC British Airways Visa Infinite | 2× points≈ 4.0% in value | $120 | $165 | October 23, 2026 |
| Desjardins Odyssey Visa Infinite Privilege | 4% back | $120 | $395 | October 21, 2026 |
| RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite | 3% back | $90 | $120 | October 21, 2026 |
Other cards for gas / ev
Back a year on $3,000 of gas / ev, caps included. Points at best-case value. Before annual fees.
| Card | Earns on gas / ev | Back a year | Annual fee | Terms checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SimplyCash Preferred | 4% back | $120 | $120 | October 21, 2026 |
| Amex Cobalt | 2× points≈ 4.0% in value | $120 | $192 | October 21, 2026 |
| Amex Gold Rewards | 2× points≈ 4.0% in value | $120 | $250 | October 21, 2026 |
| CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege | 2× points≈ 4.0% in value | $120 | $499 | October 21, 2026 |
| CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite | 4% back≈ 3.9% in value | $118 | $120 | October 21, 2026 |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite | 5× points≈ 3.4% in value | $101 | $120 | October 21, 2026 |
| RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite | 3% back | $90 | $120 | October 21, 2026 |
How the offer has changed
One row per check of RBC's page, newest first. Old rows are never edited.
| Checked | Welcome offer | Fee, year one | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2026 | 15% extra cash back on the first $2,000 of purchases in the first 3 months (up to $300), on top of standard rates. Apply Oct 1, 2026 – Feb 2, 2027Unchanged since October 17, 2026: same offer and window; fee $120/$50; 3%/1% unlimited; purchase rate 21.99%; income $80,000 / $150,000; Dec 2, 2026 redemption change still stated | $120, not rebated yr 1 (+ $50 additional card) | February 2, 2027 |
| October 17, 2026 | 15% extra cash back on the first $2,000 of purchases in the first 3 months (up to $300), on top of standard rates. Apply Oct 1, 2026 – Feb 2, 2027Card revamped: fee $99 → $120, additional card $0 → $50; earn now 3% on groceries, dining, food delivery, gas, EV charging, transit, rideshare, streaming, digital gaming and 1% other (was 1.5% flat to $25,000). Adds travel medical, flight delay, delayed baggage, mobile device insurance. Page purchase rate 21.99% | $120, not rebated yr 1 (+ $50 additional card) | February 2, 2027 |
General information, not financial advice. Offers change; confirm on RBC's page before you apply.