Prepaid cards

You need an active CIBC Canadian or CIBC US$ Personal Account, or a CIBC personal line of credit. You also need to have a valid Canadian address and a valid form of identification. There is no minimum age requirement.

If you are not a CIBC client, you can buy a prepaid card using debit or credit at Greater Toronto Area Airport banking centres. You must provide 1 piece of identification to purchase a prepaid card using your debit or credit card. 

Non-residents and visitors can also buy prepaid cards. However, in order to buy a prepaid card, you must have a valid Canadian address and provide 1 piece of identification. 

Learn more about valid ID.

No, prepaid cards are not credit cards.

Unlike a credit card, which allows you to access a credit limit and pay the bill later, prepaid cards let you load what you need in advance.

A prepaid card is a reloadable Visa card where the funds never expire, whereas a credit card is revolving credit that goes against your liabilities.

You can load funds onto your prepaid card from a CIBC bank account or personal line of credit.

Unlike a credit card, statements will not be mailed out. Statements for prepaid cards are available online. It is recommended to review your history at least once every 30 days to report any fraudulent or disputed transactions. 

Cash advances are not applicable with the prepaid Visa card at merchant point-of-sale (POS) terminals. You can, however, withdraw cash at ATMs.

No rewards programs are affiliated with the prepaid Visa card. The card is solely used for purchasing purposes.

There is no trip cancellation, trip interruption coverage or any type of trip insurance on this card. It’s not a credit card, but a reloadable prepaid card. Only transactions that fall within the prepaid fraud guidelines may be covered.

No, you may only buy a prepaid card for your own use. Additional cards can’t be issued under your account. If you’d like to give a gift card and you collect Aventura Points, you may redeem for a CIBC Visa Prepaid Gift Card. For more information, visit CIBC Rewards Opens in a new window..

An expiry date is required to process transactions such as online purchases.

The money on your card doesn’t expire. Your card expires on the last day of the month shown on the card.

Before your card expires, a replacement will be sent to you if:

• Your card has a positive balance and you’ve used it in the last 12 months, or
• Your card has zero balance and you’ve used it in the last 30 days

To request a replacement card, call 1-855-887-3888 Opens your phone app. or 1-650-432-1298 Opens your phone app. outside Canada and the U.S.

If you purchased your card at a banking centre, the card will be active and ready for use once you have loaded the card with funds from your personal CIBC bank account. You can use your prepaid card once you’ve signed the back. Your PIN is enclosed in the package given to you by the banking representative.

If you order your card online, you will have to wait for your card to arrive in the mail. You can use it after you’ve activated it and signed the back. Your PIN will be sent separately in the mail. 

To activate your card, call Prepaid Cardholder Services at 1-855-887-3888 Opens your phone app. or 1-650-432-1298 Opens your phone app. outside Canada and the U.S., or visit Prepaid Cards Opens in a new window..

Your card will be accessible on your online banking within 5 business days after activation. 

To change your PIN, simply:

1. Insert your card into any CIBC ATM.
   
2. Select the “More” option, then “Change PIN” and follow the instructions.

You can also change your PIN by signing on online Opens in a new window., which will provide further instructions. Or you can call the Prepaid Support Group at 1-855-887-3888 Opens your phone app., or 1-650-432-1298 Opens your phone app. outside Canada and the U.S.

To load a prepaid card:

If you are a CIBC client, sign on to online banking or mobile banking. Select the dropdown menu next to the prepaid card you want to load, then choose “Reload” and follow the instructions. 

You can use an active CIBC personal bank account, including the CIBC US$ Personal Account, or a personal line of credit.

Non-CIBC clients can reload their card at a banking centre at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

To unload a prepaid card:

You can withdraw cash from an ATM and deposit the funds back into your account. Or, to submit an unload request by phone, call 1-855-887-3888 Opens your phone app. or 1-650-432-1298 Opens your phone app. outside Canada and the U.S.

The funds will be returned within 2 to 3 business days to the account you last used to load money onto your prepaid card.

CIBC clients can buy and load from an existing bank account, including a US$ account, or Personal Line of Credit. If you want to buy or load your prepaid card using cash, simply deposit the cash in your CIBC account and complete the purchase or load your card from that account.

If you are not a CIBC client, you can buy or load your prepaid card from a debit or credit card at banking centres in Toronto Pearson Airport.

Yes. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay allow you to add your prepaid card onto your wallet via the Mobile Wallet app. This allows you to pay for purchases in-store straight from your smartphone device via the Mobile Wallet app.

You can withdraw money using your prepaid card from ATMs worldwide. Just look for the Visa or Plus symbol.

If you are withdrawing funds from a country with a different currency than your prepaid card, your funds will be converted to local currency and a foreign conversion fee will apply.

You can only withdraw Canadian funds from CIBC ATMs in Canada. Even if a CIBC ATM in Canada dispenses USD, the prepaid card can only withdraw Canadian funds from the ATM.

You can’t use your Smart Prepaid Travel Visa card to withdraw funds from CIBC multi-currency ATMs in Canada.

Note: You can’t get cash back from a merchant or ask for cash advances.

No. Even with the U.S. dollar CIBC Smart Prepaid Travel Visa card, you can only withdraw Canadian funds from ATMs in Canada.

There is no additional conversion fee charged when funds are being withdrawn in a country with the same currency as your prepaid card.

Yes, but some merchants may advise you to use a credit card instead.

Some merchants such as restaurants, salons, hotels, cruise lines and car rental agencies may place a hold on funds for the total amount of your purchase, plus up to an additional 20% for things like tips or incidental charges. If the authorization or hold amount is higher than your prepaid card balance, the transaction may be declined. 

You will need to present your prepaid card and the merchant receipt for a refund. The merchant can return funds to the same prepaid card that was used to make the purchase.

Refunds to your card will be processed within 10 business days.

When paying at the pump, you’ll be prompted to enter a 5-digit zip code. Enter the 3 numbers in the Canadian postal code listed on your CIBC credit card statement and add 2 zeroes to the end of it. For example, if your postal code is A1B2C3, enter 12300.

If the card is not accepted at the pump, you can pay inside the station.