Compare Scotiabank Credit Cards

Scotiabank

Scotiabank, founded in 1832, is one of Canada’s top financial institutions. It offers a wide range of products, with everything from student credit cards to top-tier rewards credit cards. Scotiabank credit cards are accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, allowing you to pay for your purchases safely and conveniently. See the best Scotiabank credit cards to find the perfect fit for your lifestyle.

Scotiabank offers several types of credit cards, allowing you to pick the best credit card for your spending needs. Scotiabank credit cards include:

• No annual fee credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Low interest credit cards
• Student credit cards

See our top Scotiabank credit card picks below.

2. Scotiabank^®* Gold American Express^® Card

The Scotiabank^®* Gold American Express^® Card is great for travellers looking to use their rewards to book their next vacation or make purchases abroad. This card is one of the few to offer no foreign transaction fees. So, you won’t get dinged for making purchases on your trip. Only the exchange rate applies.

Earn five Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible groceries, dining in or out and entertainment purchases. Collect three Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent on gas, public transit or streaming services. Earn one Scotia Scene+ point per dollar spent on everything else.

Based on our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian can earn $1,194 in Scotia Scene+ points within the first year.

Credit score requirement for approval:

Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least six years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on any existing credit cards for the past three months.

Annual fee:

$120

Annual fee for additional cardholders: $29

Limited time offer/bonus:

• Earn 25,000 bonus Scotia Scene+ points when you spend at least $1,000 in the first three months.
• Get an additional 20,000 Scotia Scene+ points when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday purchases in the first year.

Offer expiry date: April 30, 2023

Rewards:

• Earn five Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, restaurant, fast food, food delivery and entertainment purchases.
• Earn three Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, daily transit and select streaming purchases, including Netflix.
• Earn one Scotia Scene+ point for every $1 spent elsewhere.

Earning potential:

How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.

Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 119,400 Scotia Scene+ points
Monetary value = $1,194
Annual fee = $0*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $1,194
*The $120 annual fee is waived for the first year.

You can redeem your points for:

• Travel
• Experiences
• Merchandise
• Gift cards
• Statement credits
• Convert to SCENE points

Insurance:

• Travel emergency medical insurance
• Trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance
• Flight delay insurance
• Delayed and lost baggage insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Rental car collision loss/damage insurance
• Hotel/motel burglary insurance
• Purchase security
• Extended warranty
• Scotia Credit Card Protection (optional)

Other perks:

• Access all that American Express Invites offers, including special access to events, tickets and deals.
• Use the Scotia Rewards Travel Service for the Best Price Guarantee on airfare.
• Pay no foreign transaction fees abroad and online.
• Take advantage of the 24/7 complimentary concierge service.
• Receive a preferred discount on the Priority Pass membership and access 1200 VIP airport lounges worldwide.

Want to learn more about how the Scotiabank^®* Gold American Express^®Card stands-up against the competition? Read more from our "In the Ring" series:

In the Ring: American Express Cobalt Credit Card vs. Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

3. Scotia Momentum^®Visa Infinite* Card

Apply for the Scotia Momentum^®Visa Infinite* Card to earn 4% back on groceries, recurring bill payments and subscription purchases. Collect 2% back on gas and daily transit, including buses, taxis and rideshare services. Earn 1% back on everything else.

You could have an extra $564 in your wallet within 12 months, according to our Best of Finance methodology.

Credit score requirement for approval:

Excellent: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least 10 years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on your existing credit cards for the past six months.

Annual fee:

$120

Annual fee for additional cardholders: $50

Limited time offer/bonus:

• Scotiabank will waive the annual fee for both the primary and secondary cardholders for the first year.

Offer expiry date: April 30, 2023

Rewards:

• Earn 4% cash back on eligible groceries, recurring bill payments and select subscription purchases.
• Earn 2% cash back on eligible gas and daily transit, including taxi, rideshare and public transit purchases.
• Earn 1% back on everything else.

Earning potential:

How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.

Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $564
Annual fee = $0*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $717

*The $120 annual fee is waived for the first year.

You can redeem your points for:

• Cash back can be deposited into a Scotiabank chequing or savings account in November of each year.
• Cash back can be added as a statement credit in November of each year.

Insurance:

• Mobile device insurance
• Trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance
• Travel emergency medical insurance
• Flight delay insurance
• Delayed and lost baggage insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Rental car collision loss/damage insurance
• Purchase assurance
• Extended warranty
• Scotia Credit Card Protection (optional)

Other perks:

• Save on rental cars at participating AVIS and Budget locations across the U.S. and Canada.
• Save time with the 24/7 concierge services for booking reservations, tickets or trip preparation.
• Access the Visa Infinite Hotel Collection and the Visa Infinite Dining and Wine Country Program.

Want to learn more about how the Scotia Momentum^®Visa Infinite* Card stands-up against the competition? Read more from our "In the Ring" series:

In the Ring: Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card vs. BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard

4. Scotiabank Passport^TM Visa Infinite* Card

Apply for the Scotiabank Passport^TM Visa Infinite* Card to earn up to 45,000 bonus  Scotia Scene+ points in the first year. Regularly earn two Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining, entertainment and daily transit purchases. Get one Scotia Scene+ point for every $1 spent everywhere else.

Cardholders can access an array of Visa Infinite exclusive offers and collections, as well as a full suite of travel services. Not only that, but this card also offers no foreign transaction fees and several complimentary memberships to help make travel more convenient and comfortable.

According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would see around $654 in Scotia Scene+ points within the first year.

Credit score requirement for approval:

Excellent: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least 10 years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on your existing credit cards for the past six months.

Annual fee:

$150

Annual fee for additional cardholders:

• First supplementary card: $0
• Each additional card: $50

Limited time offer/bonus:

• Earn up to 45,000 bonus Scotia Scene+ points in the first year.

Offer expiry date: April 30, 2023

Rewards:

• Earn two  Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining, entertainment and daily transit purchases, up to $50,000 spent annually. After, earn one  Scotia Scene+ point per dollar.
• Earn one Scotia Scene+ point for every $1 spent everywhere else you shop.

Earning potential:

How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.

Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 65,400 Scotia Scene+ points
Monetary value = $654
Annual fee= $150
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $654

*The $150 annual fee is waived for the first year.

You can redeem your points for:

• Travel
• Experiences
• Merchandise
• Gift cards
• Statement credits
• Convert to SCENE points

Insurance:

• Travel emergency medical insurance
• Trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance
• Flight delay insurance
• Delayed and lost baggage insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Rental car collision loss/damage insurance
• Hotel/motel burglary insurance
• Purchase security
• Extended warranty
• Scotia Credit Card Protection (optional)

Other perks:

• Take advantage of the “No FX Mark-Up” feature, also known as no foreign transaction fees. You will not see a foreign currency conversion mark-up typically charged by providers, although the exchange rate will still apply.
• Get a complimentary Priority Pass Membership for airport perks and six free lounge visits per year.
• Receive a complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership for discounts, upgrades and special reservations.
• Benefits include the Visa Infinite Concierge services, Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection, Visa Infinite Dining Series and the Visa Infinite Wine Country Program.

5. SCENE^®* VISA* Card

The SCENE^®* VISA* Card rewards devoted moviegoers with free movies and merchandise for making everyday purchases. Earn five Scotia Scene+ points for every $1 spent at Cineplex theatres and Cineplex.com. Get one Scotia Scene+ point for every $1 spent everywhere else you shop.

According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $418 in Scotia Scene+ points over the first year. That is roughly 25 general admission tickets!

Credit score requirement for approval:

Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least six years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on my existing credit cards for the past three months.

Annual fee:

$0

Limited time offer/bonus:

• Earn 7,500 bonus Scene+ points with your first $750 in everyday purchases in first 3 months. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 2,500 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $5,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year.

Offer expiry date: April 30, 2023

Rewards:

• Earn one Scotia Scene+ point per dollar spent on eligible everyday purchases.
• Earn two Scotia Scene+ points per dollar spent at select grocery stores and at Cineplex theatres and Cineplex.com.

*A maximum of 300 points can be earned per transaction, up to a daily maximum of 600 points. When redeeming SCENE points at the theatre, additional SCENE points are earned, up to a maximum of one adult ticket and two child tickets per transaction and two transactions per day.

Earning potential:

How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.

Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 41,800 Scotia Scene+ points
Monetary value: $418
Annual fee = $0
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $418

You can redeem your points for:

• Use 1,000 points to get $10 off at participating restaurants
• Redeem 1,250 points for a General Admission or 3D movie ticket in a regular auditorium
• Redeem 2,000 points for a free Enhanced movie ticket, including UltraAVX, IMAX, DBOX and the 3D versions of these experiences
• Redeem 2,500 points for a VIP Cinemas ticket

Insurance:

• Scotia Credit Card Protection (optional)

Other perks:

• Get a free additional supplementary card.
• Save on car rentals at participating AVIS and Budget locations across the U.S. and Canada.

6. Scotia Momentum^® No-Fee VISA Card

The Scotia Momentum^® No-Fee VISA* Card offers 5% cash back for the first three months on up to $2,000 in total purchases. Regularly earn 1% cash back on grocery, gas, and drugstore purchases and recurring bill payments. Get 0.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

According to our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian would earn $256 in the first year using this card.

Credit score requirement for approval:

Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for at least six years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments on my existing credit cards for the past three months.

Annual fee:

$0

Annual fee for additional cardholders: $0

Limited time offer/bonus:

• Earn 5% cash back for the first three months on up to $2,000 in total purchases.
• Get a 0.00% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first six months, 22.99% after that.

Offer expiry date: April 30, 2023

Rewards:

• Earn 1% cash back on eligible grocery, gas and drugstore purchases and recurring bill payments.
• Earn 0.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

Earning potential:

How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.

Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $256
Annual fee = $0
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $256

You can redeem your points for:

• Deposit cash back into an eligible Scotiabank chequing or savings account annually.
• Apply cash back as a statement credit annually.

Insurance:

• There is no insurance coverage on this card.

Other perks:

• Get a free supplementary card and earn rewards faster as a family.
• Save on car rentals at participating AVIS locations and Budget locations across the U.S and Canada when you pay with your card.

Back to top

*Rates, product information, and reward estimates are subject to change at any time and do not constitute financial advice. This post was not sponsored. The views and opinions expressed in this review are purely those of RATESDOTCA. Information in this article is accurate as of the date of this posting, May 21, 2021. Read our full disclaimer.

Scotiabank security

Using your Scotiabank credit card is safer than using cash, as you can always track your purchases. You are protected against any unauthorized transactions when you use your card. Depending on the kind of Scotiabank credit card you have, you’re covered with the Visa Zero Liability Policy, American Express Fraud Protection Guarantee or Mastercard Zero Liability Protection.