Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card Review

The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card is a great entry-level card perfect for students and new immigrants looking to build their credit history. With no annual fee and the ability to earn flexible points, this card is one of the best Scotiabank credit cards. That said, you won’t get many benefits with this card, so read my Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card review now for the full details.

Welcome bonus and earn rate

The first thing to understand is that the Scotiabank SCENE Visa is one of the best no fee credit cards in Canada. The welcome bonus is typically worth 5,000 Scene+ points, but you do need to spend $1,000 in the first three months of cardmembership to get it. This welcome bonus is one of the better offers for a no fee credit card.

As for the earning rate, it’s respectable. You’ll earn 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Empire-owned grocery stores (Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, etc.), Cineplex (theatres and online), and Home Hardware. All other purchases earn you 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent.

Benefits and perks

This card is often called one of the best student credit cards. However, as changes have been made to Scene+, it’s also good for newcomers to Canada and anyone who doesn’t want to pay an annual fee. Unfortunately, you get no significant benefits with this card.

Save on car rentals

When renting a car at participating AVIS and Budget rent a car locations in Canada and the U.S., you can save up to 25% off the base rate when you pay with your Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card.

3X points on some travel

Although it’s not advertised on the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card product page, you’ll earn 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals booked from Scene+ Travel powered by Expedia. This is clearly outlined on the Scene+ website, so there’s no doubt.

Free supplementary card

There’s no annual fee when you add a supplementary cardholder to your Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa* Card account. This allows all users to accumulate Scene+ points into a single account. That said, supplementary users won’t build their credit score and the primary cardholder is responsible for all charges.

How to redeem your points

In case you didn’t know, Scotia Rewards and SCENE merged a few years ago to become Scene+. Since then, the program has added additional partners which gives you more flexibility with your points. You can now redeem 1,000 Scene+ points to get $10 off at the following:

• Travel
• Cineplex movie theatres and Cineplex.com
• Participating restaurants (Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, East Side Mario’s and more)
• Participating grocery stores (Sobey’s, Safeway, Foodland, IGA and more) 

What’s great about Scene+ is that your travel redemptions are restricted to the Scotiabank travel portal. You can redeem your points on any travel purchase charged to your Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card. That said, there’s a 5,000 Scene+ points ($50) minimum when going to book any travel route.

You can use your points for gift cards, Apple purchases, merchandise and statement credit, but the value is lower, so it’s not recommended. For more information, read my detailed Scene+ guide.

Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card eligibility

• You’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• You’re at least the age of majority in your province or territory
• You have a minimum personal annual income of $12,000
• You haven’t declared bankruptcy in the past seven years
• Your home address matches your credit report home address

While the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card has a minimum income requirement of $12,000, some people students who bank with Scotiabank have reported that it has been waived occasionally. Since this is considered an entry-level card, it’s often targeted at students and newcomers. That means it’s possible to get this card even if you don’t have a credit history.

How the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card compares

When reading my Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card review, it’s essential to see how this card compares to others. Interestingly, this card could easily be compared to student, no fee, and travel credit cards. Let’s look at some other cards to see what they offer.

Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card vs. American Express Green Card

The American Express Green Card is arguably the most comparable card. It has no annual fee and typically comes with a 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points welcome bonus. Membership Rewards is a better program than Scene+ because you can redeem 1,000 points for a $10 statement credit. With Scene+, you only get that value on some redemptions. In addition, you can transfer your Membership Rewards points to other loyalty programs such as Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy.

Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card vs. Tangerine Money-Back Card

Although it’s a cash back card, the Tangerine Money-Back Card is worth considering since you’ll earn 2% cash back on up to three categories of your choice. All other purchases earn you 0.5% cash back. I wouldn’t call this a comparable student credit card since you need a minimum personal income of $12,000 to be approved. However, this card does deserve a mention since it’s one of the most popular no fee cash back cards. If you want to earn cash back over points, this card could be a good fit.

Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card vs. American Express Cobalt Card

Now, if you’re willing to pay a monthly fee of $12.99 for the ability to earn more points, the American Express Cobalt Card is the way to go. The earning rate is 5 points per $1 spent on eats and drinks, 3 points on streaming services, 2 points on travel and transit, and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else. American Express has no formal income requirement, but they often look at your credit history when considering your application. If you have an established credit profile and want more rewards, the American Express Cobalt Card is often the top choice for many people.

Final thoughts

My Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card review is positive. This card is ideal for people in the following situations:

• You don’t want to pay an annual fee – With this card, you don’t need to worry about any monthly or yearly fees.
• You’re a student – This card is typically aimed at students, so it has lower eligibility requirements.
• You want simple rewards – Scene+ is a respectable rewards program that allows you to use your points on travel, groceries, Cineplex and more.

Even though the card comes with limited benefits, it’s still a great entry-level card. It has no annual fee, you earn flexible rewards, and it’s ideal for students and new immigrants who are looking to build their credit scores.