The 7 Best Scotiabank Credit Cards in Canada
By Maude Gauthier | Published on 13 Dec 2023
As one of Canada’s Big Five Banks, millions of Canadians trust Scotiabank to manage their finances. It offers many credit cards to suit everyone’s needs, whether you’re a frequent traveler or want to save money on your daily purchases. Below, we share our selection of the best Scotiabank credit cards. To push your research further, go to our credit card comparison tool.
Scene+ Visa Credit Card – Best Scotiabank card for students
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f32b19192ec22115033b2d5″]The Scene+ Visa Credit Card continues to be a favourite of moviegoers across the country. It’s also perfect for students and any other person looking to build their credit history. With no annual fee, it’s easy to get for a variety of credit scores and gives decent rewards.
For every dollar you spend at Sobeys, IGA, Marché Tradition and many other grocery stores, you earn 2 Scene Plus points, as well as at Cineplex theatres or cineplex.com and Home Hardware. For all other purchases, you earn 1 point per dollar spent. As a cardholder, you can also get a 25% discount on a car rental at participating AVIS and Budget locations in Canada and the U.S.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 600 |
| Annual income | None disclosed |
| Minimum credit limit | $500 |
Scotiabank American Express Credit Card – Best Scotiabank credit card for rewards
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”62c453858e710d4f783b951d”]With the Scotiabank American Express credit card, you earn a lot of Scene+ points. Compared to other free credit cards, you definitely get more for your money!
You’ll earn 3 Scene+ points for every $1 spent at Sobeys and other Empire grocery stores, as well as 2 points for gas, public transit, streaming services, restaurants, fast-food outlets, liquor stores and other grocery stores, movie theaters and more. Then, you get 1 point per $1 spent on any other purchase.
The Scotiabank American Express card offers exclusive benefits such as special offers and experiences, as well as privileged access via American Express Invites. You can redeem your points for travel at Scene+ Travel. However, you will need to take out separate travel insurance, as it is not included with this card.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 660 |
| Annual income | None disclosed |
| Minimum credit limit | $1,000 |
Scotia Momentum Visa – Best Scotiabank credit card for cash back
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f32b7cc92ec22115033b2d7″]The Scotia Momentum Visa credit card doesn’t cost much, and gives you cash back on everyday purchases. You get 2% on all eligible purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, drugstores and on recurring payments such as telephone bills. For all other purchases, you get 1% back on every dollar spent.
The card also entitles you to a discount of up to 25% on car rentals at AVIS and Budget in Canada and the United States. It comes with purchase insurance and extended protection. Your purchases are insured against loss, theft and damage for 90 days. Coverage is limited to the lesser of repair costs, replacement costs or the original purchase price. Extended protection doubles the original manufacturer’s warranty up to a maximum of another year.
Please note that there is a free version of this card, but it only gives 1% and 0.5% back on your spending. Let’s say you spend $5,000 per year on groceries and $5,000 on categories with the lowest cash back rate. You would have $150 back after one year with the Momentum Visa, or $111 once the annual fees are subtracted, but only $75 with the no-fee version.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 660 |
| Annual income | None disclosed |
| Minimum credit limit | $500 |
Scotiabank Gold American Express – Best credit card for groceries
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f32aa0a63ae8636997fa6a7″]The Scotiabank Gold American Express credit card is one of the most generous when it comes to Scene+ points. It gives you 6 points for every dollar spent at Sobeys and other participating grocery stores, and 5 points on eligible purchases at other grocery stores, restaurants and drinking establishments, ready-to-cook meal subscriptions and meal delivery services, entertainment purchases including movies, theatre, and ticket agencies. You also earn 3 Scene+ points on every dollar spent on gas, rideshares, buses, taxis, and eligible streaming services. Finally, you earn 1 point for every dollar spent on every other purchase.
Scotiabank’s American Express Gold credit card has a relatively low annual fee to take advantage of all its rewards. There are also no currency conversion fees, making it an attractive option for travellers. You also get a discount on the Priority Pass membership and travel insurance.
As an American Express credit card holder, you will be entitled to exclusive American Express Offers including discounts and rewards (shopping, dining, travel), the Front of the Line Amex Service that gives you access to pre-sale tickets to some of the most requested events, and access to American Express by Invitation Only experiences to enjoy exclusive events.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 700 |
| Annual income | None disclosed |
| Minimum credit limit | $5,000 |
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite – Best premium Scotiabank credit card
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f32a25c92ec22115033b2cf”]The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite credit card offers the highest cash back rate on our list, but it is not the easiest to qualify for. You’re entitled to a 4% cash back on groceries, recurring payments including telephone bills, insurance premiums, utility bills, gym memberships and streaming services. You also get 2% off gas and public transit, and 1% off all other purchases, with no limit.
As a Visa Infinite credit card holder, you have access to exclusive benefits, such as 24/7 concierge service and the Visa Infinite Hotel Collection program, which comes with an automatic room upgrade at a wide selection of hotels. There’s also the Visa Infinite Dining Series and Wine country program, which allows you to dine with some of the biggest names in the food and wine industry in a private setting.
Like other Scotiabank credit cards, you can also take advantage of discounts at Avis and Budget car rental locations in North America. Additionally, you have access to a full range of travel insurance, including 15-day emergency medical insurance, as well as mobile device insurance with coverage of up to $1,000.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 700 |
| Annual income | $60,000 personal or $100,000 household or $250,000 assets under management |
| Minimum credit limit | $5,000 |
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite – Best Scotiabank credit card to travel
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f31a9ab92ec22115033b2c2″]The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite credit card allows you to earn Scene+ points. A great benefit of this credit card is that there are no currency conversion fees, which usually amount to between 2.5% to 3%. This means that your purchases will be exempt from these fees, both for online purchases and for purchases at a business outside of Canada. Only the exchange rate applies.
You earn 3 Scene+ points for every dollar spent at Sobeys and other eligible grocery stores, and 2 points per dollar at restaurants, in other grocery stores, for movies and entertainment venues, on gas and public transit. You earn 1 point for every dollar spent on any other eligible purchase. These points can be redeemed for travel rewards, thousands of online items, dining, movies, and even credit on your banking services.
The Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport sits at the top of our list of the best cards for airport lounges! It entitles you to complimentary membership of the Visa Airport Companion program, which translates into six free visits per year to over 1,200 lounges worldwide. You will be able to travel with peace of mind with the various insurances that come with this card, including a 25-day travel emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation/interruption, flight delay and delayed, lost or stolen baggage insurance, among others.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 660 |
| Annual income | $60,000 personal or $100,000 household or $250,000 assets under management |
| Minimum credit limit | $5,000 |
Scotiabank Value Visa – Best low interest credit card
[Offer productType=”CreditCard” api_id=”5f32dd5563ae8636997fa6ab”]The Scotiabank Value Visa Credit Card is perfect for those who can’t always pay their monthly balance. It has an interest rate of 12.99% on purchases and cash advances, allowing you to manage your monthly payments with more flexibility and without excessively affecting your credit score.
This card has a low annual fee and additional cards are free. Finally, like other Scotiabank credit cards, you can also take advantage of discounts of up to 25% at Avis and Budget in North America.
| Criteria | Description |
| Credit score (estimated) | 660 |
| Annual income | None disclosed |
| Minimum credit limit | $500 |
What are the advantages of the best Scotiabank credit cards?
In Canada, credit card issuers are fiercely competitive. Here are the main reasons for choosing a Scotiabank card.
You’re already a Scotiabank customer
As a Scotiabank customer, ordering one of its credit cards seems like the obvious choice. Many cards come with a discount on the annual fee if you have a Scotia Ultimate Package chequing account. So you can get a top-of-the-range credit card with benefits, for free.
You love the Scene+ rewards program
The Scene+ points you earn when you spend with your Scotia credit card give you access to interesting experiences. You can go to the movies, travel or order meals, for example. Collecting points is easy. For example, at Sobeys grocery stores, you can now earn a high number of points for every dollar you spend.
You want to avoid foreign transaction fees
Some of the best Scotiabank credit cards don’t charge you foreign transaction fees. Only the exchange rate applies. This translates into savings of around 2.5% compared to using another card. Few major banks offer such an attractive deal for travelers. And you don’t have to travel to another country several times a year. Your online purchases in foreign currencies also benefit from this advantage.
