TD vs RBC student banking after 2 years — my verdict
Opened TD student chequing when I arrived. Switched to RBC Advantage Banking for Students after a friend's recommendation. Here's what I found: TD — great app, more ATM locations, free international transfers via Wise integration. Monthly fee waived for students with proof of enrollment renewed annually. RBC — better credit card product (Avion points are valuable for travel), Petro-Canada discount (saves ~$0.03/L), fewer NSF fees if you run low. If you want to build travel rewards → go RBC. If you want simple banking and good mobile app → go TD. Both waive fees during full-time enrollment. Either is fine — the branch you open at matters more than the bank. Staff at university-adjacent branches are used to international students and move faster on things like credit card approval.
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Saved this post for later. Really thorough breakdown of the entire process. Will definitely share with my roommate who's just starting this journey.
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