Earn rates
Three earn tiers. Air Canada purchases earn the highest rate. A wide set of business-relevant categories earns at the middle rate, covering most of what a typical business puts on a card. Everything else earns 1x. Unlike the TD Aeroplan Visa Business, there is no stated cap on bonus-category spending — elevated rates apply for the full year regardless of volume.
| Spending category | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| Air Canada flights and Air Canada Vacations | 2x Aeroplan |
| Travel and transit | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Dining | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Shipping | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Internet, cable, and phone services | 1.5x Aeroplan |
| Everything else | 1x Aeroplan |
Points also double at over 150 in-store Aeroplan partner brands and 170+ online retailers when you pay with the card and provide your Aeroplan number.
The earn cap difference
The TD Aeroplan Visa Business caps bonus-category earn at $80,000 per year combined — Air Canada, travel, dining, and telecom together. Once that ceiling is hit, those categories earn 1 pt/$1 for the rest of the year. The CIBC Business Plus has no stated cap. Elevated earn rates apply for the full calendar year regardless of spend volume.
The gap opens up at around $13,300 per month in total business spend, assuming a typical split between bonus and general categories. Below that level, both cards earn identically. For businesses with high-volume card spend — teams on the road, recurring telecom and SaaS subscriptions, frequent Air Canada bookings — the uncapped structure compounds meaningfully over a year.
| Monthly spend | TD annual earn (capped) | CIBC annual earn (uncapped) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000/mo | ~78,000 pts | ~78,000 pts | — |
| $10,000/mo | ~156,000 pts | ~156,000 pts | — |
| $15,000/mo | ~228,000 pts | ~234,000 pts | ~6,000 pts |
| $20,000/mo | ~288,000 pts | ~312,000 pts | ~24,000 pts |
| $30,000/mo | ~408,000 pts | ~468,000 pts | ~60,000 pts |
Assumes 10% Air Canada, 40% travel/dining/telecom/transit, 50% general. TD values reflect 1 pt/$1 on bonus-category spend above $80,000/yr.
What your monthly spend earns
| Category | Monthly spend | Rate | Monthly pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada flights | $250 | 2x | 500 |
| Travel, dining, telecom, shipping | $1,000 | 1.5x | 1,500 |
| All other spending | $1,250 | 1x | 1,250 |
| Total | $2,500 | 3,250 pts |
39,000 Aeroplan points per year from card spend. At a typical redemption value of ~1.5 cents per point, that is approximately $585 in travel value annually. Net of the $120 annual fee: ~$465.
Benefits
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Free first checked bag | The primary cardholder and travel companions on the same Air Canada booking each get their first checked bag free on Air Canada–operated flights. |
| Maple Leaf Lounge passes | Up to 4 complimentary Maple Leaf Lounge passes per year. TD Aeroplan Business cardholders must earn these at 1 pass per $10,000 in card spend; CIBC allocates them outright. |
| Aeroplan status acceleration | 1,000 Status Qualifying Credits per $20,000 in net purchases, up to 25,000 SQC per year across all Aeroplan co-branded cards combined. |
| Double points at Aeroplan partners | Points double when you pay with the card and provide your Aeroplan number at 150+ in-store partners and 170+ online retailers. |
| Skip+ membership | Ongoing Skip+ membership included with the card. Priority delivery and free delivery on eligible orders. |
| Avis Preferred Plus | Complimentary Avis Preferred Plus status, with upgrades and discounts at Avis rental locations. |
| Supplementary cards | $50 per additional cardholder; first three additional cardholders have the fee waived in year 1. |
Welcome bonus
The welcome bonus has three components that stack to a maximum of 75,000 Aeroplan points in year one.
| Bonus component | Points | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| First purchase | 10,000 pts | Make any purchase with the card |
| Mid-tier spend threshold | 25,000 pts | Spend $7,500 within 3 statement cycles of account opening |
| Annual spend threshold | 40,000 pts | Spend $40,000 in the first year |
| Maximum bonus | 75,000 pts | All three components met |
The TD Aeroplan Business tops out at 60,000 points and requires $25,000 in 365 days to reach the top tier. The CIBC threshold is higher in total but the early milestone ($7,500 in 3 cycles) is more attainable than TD’s $15,000 in 180 days mid-tier gate.
Air Canada perks
The free checked bag applies when Air Canada flights are booked with the card. The Maple Leaf Lounge passes — up to 4 per year — provide access to Air Canada’s domestic lounges at major Canadian airports. Status Qualifying Credits supplement flying toward Aeroplan Elite status tiers; the combined 25,000 SQC annual cap applies across all Aeroplan co-branded cards regardless of issuer.
Travel insurance
- Emergency travel medical
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Flight and trip delay
- Baggage delay and loss
- Auto rental collision and damage
Coverage limits and eligibility conditions apply. Review the certificate of insurance for full terms and verify current coverage directly with CIBC before travel.
Good fit if
- Your business carries high card spend — above ~$13,000 per month — where the absence of a bonus-category earn cap produces more points than the TD equivalent.
- You want the first two years fee-free and a faster path to the welcome bonus mid-tier milestone ($7,500 in 3 cycles vs. $15,000 in 180 days for TD).
- You fly Air Canada regularly and want guaranteed Maple Leaf Lounge passes regardless of monthly spend volume.
Less useful if
- Your team crosses into the U.S. frequently and values the Nexus rebate — TD includes up to $100 CAD every 48 months; CIBC does not offer this on the business card.
- Business spend stays under $13,000 per month — TD and CIBC earn identically below the cap threshold, and TD’s Nexus credit tips the value equation.
- You prefer to bank where you earn — CIBC’s Smart Plus fee waiver applies only to personal Aeroplan cards, not this business product.