How to Get the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Without Costly Mistakes

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The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card is one of Canada’s most popular airline credit cards, promising free flights, priority perks and generous welcome bonuses. Yet many travelers quietly leave hundreds of dollars in value on the table or pay more in fees and interest than they ever get back in rewards. If you are thinking about applying, it pays to understand the fine print and the real-world traps that do not show up in glossy marketing brochures. This guide walks through how to get the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card the smart way, with concrete examples of what to do and what to avoid before you click “Apply.”

Know Exactly What You Are Applying For

Before hitting submit on an application, make sure you are looking at the correct card and current offer. TD currently positions the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite as its flagship Aeroplan product for frequent Air Canada economy and premium economy travelers, with an annual fee around the mid‑$100 range and a welcome bonus often advertised in the 30,000 to 45,000 Aeroplan point range, depending on promotions. The earn structure typically offers 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar on eligible gas, grocery and purchases made directly with Air Canada, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. These details can change several times a year, so always read the card’s main product page and the fine print of the current promotion rather than relying on a blog post you saw months earlier.

It is also important to distinguish this card from its more premium sibling, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege, which carries a much higher annual fee and adds perks like unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access and boosted earn rates on travel and dining. Some travelers have mistakenly applied for the Privilege card thinking it was the standard Visa Infinite, then faced a yearly fee in the $500–$600 range that far exceeded the value they could extract. Conversely, others applied for the standard Visa Infinite when their travel patterns might actually justify the higher-end product. Take five minutes to compare the two TD Aeroplan cards on TD’s own site and confirm you are targeting the one that truly fits your budget and travel style.

Another frequent point of confusion is assuming this is a general travel cash‑back card. Aeroplan points are best used for flights on Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners, not for statement credits. If you mostly want flexible cash rewards to offset Airbnb stays or budget carrier flights, a general travel points card or a rich cash‑back Visa might fit better. Applying for the wrong type of card is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make because every dollar you spend will earn a currency that may not match your actual trips.

Check You Really Qualify Before You Apply

TD markets the Aeroplan Visa Infinite as a premium card that generally expects a solid income and credit profile. Publicly, Visa Infinite products in Canada are usually aimed at applicants with a personal income in the low‑to‑mid five figures or a higher household income, alongside a good to excellent credit score. While TD can be flexible, applying when your income or credit is well below typical thresholds can result in a quick decline and an unnecessary credit inquiry on your report. A couple in Toronto, for example, reported that an application was auto‑rejected for the premium Privilege version because of legacy flags on an old TD profile that a banker later had to manually override. That is avoidable friction if you have a conversation in-branch first.

Before applying online, pull your own credit report from TransUnion or Equifax in Canada and check that there are no errors, unpaid collections or very recent late payments. If your score is still recovering from a missed bill or a car loan in arrears, it might be better to wait a few months and focus on rebuilding rather than rushing into a premium card application. As a rule of thumb, if you are already carrying high balances on multiple cards or lines of credit, TD may see another credit application as elevated risk.

Also pay attention to TD’s internal relationship rules. If you have opened and closed TD credit cards aggressively in the past, or if you recently downgraded from another Aeroplan product, TD may quietly flag your profile. You could technically meet the income and credit criteria but still find your application pending or declined for reasons that only a human agent can clarify. A quick visit to a TD branch to discuss your profile, or a phone call to customer service, can surface these issues in advance so your online application does not get stuck in limbo.

Understand the Welcome Bonus Traps

The headline draw of the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is often the welcome bonus. For example, a recent promotion offered up to 45,000 Aeroplan points and a first‑year annual fee rebate when you spent a few thousand dollars in the first 90 days and kept the account in good standing. On paper, that can easily be worth several hundred dollars in flights. In practice, many cardholders never receive the full bonus because they miss one of the conditions hidden in the legal language.

First, check how many phases the bonus has. It is common to see a structure like a smaller chunk of points after your first purchase, a larger chunk after you spend a minimum amount in the first three months, and occasionally an additional bonus on your account anniversary if the card is still open. If you plan to cancel the card after redeeming the first batch of points, you may forfeit the anniversary portion. For instance, a traveler in Vancouver who canceled just before the 12‑month mark to avoid the second year’s annual fee later realized they had missed out on an extra 10,000 points that would have easily covered a one‑way economy ticket to Los Angeles.

Second, make sure the required spending fits your real life. If the promotion requires $3,000 of net purchases in 90 days, verify that your normal groceries, gas, insurance, subscriptions and other planned expenses will comfortably reach that amount without dipping into unnecessary shopping. A family that tried to hit an older $7,500 minimum by adding gift cards and speculative purchases later returned items and saw their net eligible spend fall below the threshold, which meant TD never triggered the full bonus. Returns, chargebacks and cash advances generally do not count toward the minimum; only net purchases do.

Finally, understand TD’s policy on repeat bonuses. The terms now explicitly allow TD to withhold or claw back welcome bonuses if you have previously received a similar Aeroplan welcome offer from TD or another issuer of the same card category. That means if you opened this exact card, collected a welcome bonus, canceled, and then re‑applied within a short window, you may not be eligible for a second set of bonus points even if the system approves your application. If you are switching from a CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite to the TD variant, it is worth reading the wording carefully because TD and other issuers increasingly coordinate on limiting serial bonus chasers.

Avoid Application Timing Mistakes Around Travel

Many travelers try to time their TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite application around a big trip, especially when promotions include a statement credit or extra bonus points for booking an Air Canada flight shortly after approval. In theory, you apply while buying tickets, pay with the new card, and enjoy both the travel protection and the promotional rebate. In reality, TD’s credit systems do not always move fast enough for same‑day approvals, and you could find yourself at the payment screen told to use a different card while your TD application sits in “pending” status.

One Air Canada customer, for example, attempted to apply for the card during checkout to capture a limited‑time Air Canada statement credit after spending a few hundred dollars on flights. The application did not auto‑approve, and the airline site instructed them to complete the transaction with an existing card instead. By the time TD approved them days later, the tickets were already paid for on another bank’s Visa, so they missed both the in‑path rebate and the added insurance coverage they had counted on. The takeaway is clear: apply for the card at least a week or two before you intend to buy major flights so you have the physical card and a confirmed credit line in hand.

Another timing pitfall is applying right before a busy travel period but forgetting how long it can take to receive and activate the card. Even if TD approves you instantly, mailing the plastic can take several business days. If you rely on the card to access perks like free first checked bags for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation, or to trigger priority check‑in with Air Canada, you will need the card details properly linked to your Aeroplan account before you show up at the airport. Applying the night before a family trip from Montreal to Paris and assuming everything will seamlessly link by morning is a recipe for disappointment at the check‑in counter.

Finally, consider your broader credit activity. Submitting multiple credit card or loan applications in the weeks before a mortgage or car loan review can make you look riskier to lenders. If you know you will be shopping for a home in six months, weigh the value of a 40,000‑point welcome bonus against the possibility that extra inquiries and new credit lines could marginally affect your mortgage rate. The bonus might be worth a long‑haul flight, but a slightly higher interest rate on a multi‑year home loan can cost far more.

Set Up Aeroplan Correctly to Avoid Lost Points

A surprisingly common and expensive mistake with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card is mismanaging the Aeroplan account link. When you are already an Aeroplan member, TD will attempt to link your existing number. If your name or date of birth does not match exactly between your TD customer profile and your Aeroplan profile, the system may create a duplicate Aeroplan account or fail to attach your credit card altogether. Several new cardholders have noticed that no points posted in the first month, only to discover later that their purchases were associated with a separate Aeroplan number they did not realize existed.

To avoid this, log in to your Aeroplan profile before applying and confirm your legal name format, middle initials and contact details. Then make sure your TD banking profile uses the same information. If your Aeroplan account says “Christopher J. Smith” but your TD profile uses “Chris Smith,” a mismatch can cause issues. After approval, check your Aeroplan dashboard and the Air Canada app for a note that you are a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite cardholder and verify that points start posting one or two statements after your first purchases.

If you have never had Aeroplan before, TD may help create a new account for you. Watch your email carefully for confirmation. If weeks go by with no Aeroplan welcome message and no points in sight, call both TD and Aeroplan to confirm the number attached to your card. One customer who upgraded from a basic TD rewards card to the Aeroplan Visa Infinite never received their Aeroplan number, kept using the card on daily expenses, and only realized months later that nothing had been tracking. They eventually got some points manually corrected, but only after multiple phone calls and a long delay.

Finally, remember that earning Aeroplan points from flights and from credit card spend are separate systems. Booking an Air Canada flight on your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card and showing your Aeroplan number at check‑in should earn you base flight points plus category bonus points on the card. But if you book through a third‑party site where Air Canada is not the merchant of record, you will likely only earn the base 1 point per dollar on your card spend, even though you still earn Aeroplan miles for flying. Misunderstanding this nuance leads some travelers to overestimate how many points they will receive for a trip booked through an online travel agency.

Use the Card Like a Tool, Not a Loan

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite can be a powerful tool for nearly free flights, but only if you pay your statement in full every month. The interest rate on purchases is typically around the high teens or low twenties. If you carry a balance, the interest charges can quickly exceed the value of any points or perks you earn. A cardholder in Calgary who used the card to pay for a $3,000 family vacation to Hawaii but only paid the minimum due for several months ended up paying hundreds of dollars in interest, essentially wiping out the benefit of the welcome bonus that first inspired them to apply.

To avoid this trap, build a simple routine before you even receive the card. Decide which recurring bills you will charge to the card each month, such as groceries at Real Canadian Superstore or Metro, fuel at Petro‑Canada, and your monthly mobile plan, then set up automatic payments from your chequing account to clear the full balance a few days before the due date. Treat the credit line as a convenience and protection tool instead of a way to spend money you do not have. If your budget feels tight, it may be better to postpone trips or reduce discretionary spending rather than letting a balance roll month to month.

It is also wise to avoid using the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite for cash advances. Withdrawing cash at an ATM on a credit card often triggers fees and a higher interest rate that starts accruing immediately, without the usual interest‑free grace period. In one widely discussed example, a traveler used their Aeroplan Visa Infinite to withdraw a few hundred dollars in a foreign currency from an overseas ATM, then was shocked at how much interest and fees accumulated by the time their next statement arrived. When you need cash abroad, a separate debit card that minimizes foreign ATM fees is usually the more economical choice.

Get Full Value From Aeroplan Perks

Once you have the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite in your wallet, maximizing value means using more than just the earn rate. One of the most valuable benefits for regular Air Canada flyers is the free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation when traveling on Air Canada flights. On a typical round‑trip domestic itinerary where checked luggage might cost $30 to $40 per direction, a couple flying from Halifax to Vancouver with one checked bag each can save around $240 on baggage fees across the two of them in a year. Forgetting to book with your Aeroplan number attached or mis‑linking your profile can make that saving disappear.

The card can also unlock preferred pricing on Aeroplan flight awards, meaning that when you log in with an eligible card, you may see lower point costs on some routes than a traveler without an Aeroplan credit card. For example, a midweek economy flight from Toronto to New York might show at 8,000 points one way for you but 10,000 points for a non‑cardholder. While the difference is not guaranteed on every route, over multiple redemptions the savings add up to an extra one‑way trip each year for a frequent traveler.

Another underused feature is Aeroplan Family Sharing. If you and your partner or close relatives all earn Aeroplan points, you can join a family sharing pool where everyone’s points combine for redemptions while each person still maintains their own account. A household in Ottawa that set up a family pool with two TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite cardholders and one CIBC Aeroplan holder found they could book a business class trip to Europe a full year earlier than expected because their combined earning accelerated award bookings. When you apply for the TD card, plan not only your solo earning but how it fits into a broader family strategy.

Remember that credit card Aeroplan points and elite status qualification are also distinct. Spending on the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite can help you reach Aeroplan Status through certain promotions and thresholds, but the bulk of Elite Qualifying Dollars and miles still come from actually flying. If your main goal is priority boarding, better upgrade priority and Star Alliance status recognition around the world, you will need to balance card use with targeted flying on Air Canada and partners.

The Takeaway

Applying for the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite can be one of the smartest moves a Canadian traveler makes, but only when approached with clear eyes and careful planning. The biggest mistakes people make are rushing an application just before a big trip, misreading the welcome bonus conditions, ignoring the importance of properly linking their Aeroplan account and treating the card as a long‑term loan rather than a monthly tool. Each of these errors can quietly cost hundreds of dollars in missed rewards, lost perks or interest.

If you verify that you truly meet TD’s income and credit expectations, time your application at least a couple of weeks before purchasing major flights, and build a plan to hit the minimum spend through your normal expenses, the card’s welcome bonus and ongoing perks can easily cover the annual fee and then some. Combine that with diligent account management, careful use of features like family sharing and preferred pricing, and an ironclad habit of paying the balance in full every month, and the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite becomes less a fancy piece of plastic and more a serious travel tool. With those safeguards in place, you can confidently click “Apply” and look forward to turning your everyday spending into your next trip.

FAQ

Q1. Is the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite worth it if I only fly once or twice a year?
If you take even one or two round‑trip Air Canada flights a year with checked bags, the baggage savings and occasional welcome bonus can outweigh the annual fee, provided you use the card for regular spending and always pay it off in full.

Q2. Can I get the welcome bonus if I already had a TD Aeroplan card in the past?
You may not be eligible if you received a recent welcome or promotional Aeroplan bonus on a similar TD Aeroplan card, because TD’s terms allow them to restrict repeat bonuses across the same card category.

Q3. How long does it usually take to get approved and receive the card?
Some applicants are approved instantly online, while others go to manual review that can take several days. Once approved, the physical card can take about a week to arrive by mail, so do not apply at the last minute before a trip.

Q4. Do my Aeroplan points expire if I earn them with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite?
Aeroplan points generally stay active as long as there is qualifying activity in your account within a specified period, and using your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite for purchases counts as activity, helping keep your balance from expiring.

Q5. Will using the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite hurt my credit score?
The application triggers a hard inquiry and opening a new account affects your average account age, which can cause a small, usually temporary dip. Over time, responsible use and on‑time payments can help your credit profile.

Q6. Do I have to book flights directly with Air Canada to earn the higher 1.5 points per dollar?
Yes, for the elevated earn rate on Air Canada purchases, the airline generally needs to be the merchant of record. Flights booked through some third‑party travel sites may only earn the base 1 point per dollar on your card.

Q7. Can I add a secondary cardholder and do they get the same travel perks?
You can add an authorized user for an additional fee, and they can share many card benefits, such as enhanced Air Canada travel perks when flying on the same reservation, while their spending also earns Aeroplan points on your account.

Q8. What happens if I miss the minimum spend requirement for the welcome bonus by a small amount?
If your net eligible purchases fall even slightly short of the required threshold within the time limit, TD will not award the full bonus, so it is important to track your spending carefully and allow a buffer above the minimum amount.

Q9. Is the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite good for everyday purchases like groceries and gas?
Yes, the card is designed to be used daily, and groceries, gas and direct Air Canada purchases usually earn a higher rate of 1.5 Aeroplan points per dollar, which can significantly speed up your accumulation of flight rewards.

Q10. Should I cancel the card after I receive the welcome bonus?
Cancelling right after receiving the bonus may cause you to miss anniversary perks and can affect your relationship with TD. Many travelers reassess around the first renewal, weighing the value of baggage perks, preferred pricing and their future travel plans against the annual fee.