CIBC · Visa (standard)
Does the CIBC Aeroplan Visa include an eSIM?
A discount, but no free data
The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card is a Visa (standard) card. Visa runs its Canadian cardholder eSIM program through GigSky, and at this tier that means none, plus 10% off GigSky plans.
Where it runs out
There is no complimentary allowance on this card, so every megabyte you use abroad comes from either your Canadian carrier's roaming rate or a travel eSIM you buy yourself. The gap is the part worth planning, and it is cheaper to close than most people expect.
Closing the gap
Our Europe+ plans start at $4.99 USD, and a 10GB plan valid 30 days costs less than a single day of most Canadian carrier roaming. You keep your Canadian SIM active for calls and 2FA texts, switch data roaming off on that line, and run data over the eSIM.
Browse Europe+ plansThe card itself
- Annual fee
- $0
- Foreign transaction fee
- 2.5% of the converted amount
- Network tier
- Visa (standard)
What it earns
| On what | Rate |
|---|---|
| Gas, EV charging, groceries and Air Canada | 1 point per $1 |
| Everything else | 1 point per $1.50 |
Travel perks worth naming
- No annual fee at all
- Points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partners and 170+ eStore retailers
Best for
Keeping an Aeroplan earning line open without paying for it.
Watch out
It is the weakest card here for a foreign currency purchase: 1 point per $1.50 against a 2.5% conversion fee leaves you meaningfully behind, and a standard Visa gets the GigSky discount only.
The conditions on the eSIM benefit
- GigSky gives Visa Debit, Classic, Gold, Business and Platinum cards the discount only. There is no complimentary data at this tier.
- The eligible Visa card has to be set as the default payment method inside the GigSky app. Pay with anything else and GigSky says you lose the discount and pay full retail.
- You have up to 365 days to activate, after which GigSky activates the plan for you whether you are travelling or not.
- The benefit renews every 365 days from redemption, not on a calendar year.
Other Visa (standard) cards
These carry the same network tier, so the eSIM answer is identical. They differ on fees, earn rates and whether they charge you to spend in another currency.
Sources
Card facts were read off the issuer's own product pages and regulated disclosures on 2026-08-23. Network eSIM terms come from the program operator's own Canadian terms page, not from a rewards blog. Both operators can change or withdraw these programs without notice, so confirm before you rely on one. We sell travel eSIMs and none of these card links pays us a commission.