The Best Scotiabank Credit Cards in Canada for 2023
Have you ever wondered what the best Scotiabank credit cards in Canada are? Well, it really depends on how often you travel, the type of rewards you like to earn, and how much you spend each month.
What’s nice about Scotiabank credit cards is that you have a lot of choices when it comes to the rewards you earn. Depending on which card you use, you can earn travel, movie, or cash back rewards. You may even get some amazing additional benefits such as travel insurance, concierge service, and airport lounge access. Here’s a list of the best Scotiabank credit cards in Canada and what they offer.
| Credit card | Best for |
|---|---|
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite | Travel rewards |
| Scotiabank Gold Amex | Earn rate |
| Scotia Momentum VISA Infinite | Cash back |
| Scotiabank SCENE Visa | Students |
| Scotiabank Value Visa | Low interest |
| Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card | No fee |
Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card
- $150 annual fee
- 25,000 Scene+ points when spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- 10,000 points when spending $40,000 in the first year
- Earn 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Empire owned supermarkets
- Earn 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible grocery stores, dining, entertainment, and daily transit purchases
- Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
- Visa Airport Companion Program membership + 6 passes per year
- No foreign transaction fees
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card is one of the best travel credit cards in Canada since it has no foreign transaction fees and comes with a great sign up bonus. With this card you get a Visa Airport Companion Program membership and 6 free annual airport lounge passes. For context, that’s the most passes on any credit card with a fee of less than $150 or lesss. The lounge access and passes are worth more than $300, and you get them every year.
This card also has one of the best travel insurance packages out there, so this is arguably the best all-in-one travel credit card on the market. Read my Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card review now for my full thoughts.
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
- $120 annual fee
- 20,000 Scene+™ points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months
- 20,000 Scene+ points when you spend $7,500 in the first year
- Earn 6 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Empire owned supermarkets
- Earn 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent on grocery, dining, and entertainment
- Earn 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on gas, and daily transit purchases
- Earn 1 Scene+ point on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Some people don’t like the $120 annual fee that comes with the Scotiabank Gold Amex, but you’ll earn 5 Scotiabank Rewards points per $1 spent on grocery, dining, and entertainment which works out to a 5% return. You also get 3 points per $1 spent on gas, public transportation, rideshares and eligible streaming service purchases while all other purchases earn you 1 point per $1 spent. That’s one of the best earn rates available on any credit card in Canada.
Comprehensive travel insurance and concierge service are also included with this card as benefits which is why this is one of the best Scotiabank credit cards. Just like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, this card also has no foreign exchange fees. If you want to learn more about the Scotiabank Gold Amex, check out my review. I should also mention that Scene+ is one of the better bank travel rewards programs in Canada.
Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card
- $120 annual fee – first year free
- Earn 10% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases)
- Earn 4% caash back per $1 spent on groceries, recurring bills, and subscription purchases
- Earn 2% cash back per $1 spent on gas and daily transit purchases
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases with no cash back limit
- Travel and mobile device insurance included
If you don’t really care for travel rewards, then you should consider the Scotia Momentum VISA Infinite Card since it’s one of the best cash back credit cards in Canada. The regular earn rate is 4% cash back on grocery store purchases and recurring bill payments; 2% cash back on gas and transit purchases; and 1% cash-back on all other purchases. However, the card often has a sign up bonus of 10% cash back for 3 months (up to $2,000 in spending), and the annual fee for the first year is usually waived.
You also get extended warranty which doubles your manufacturer’s warranty up to one additional year. The included mobile device insurance can also be handy if you ever need to make a claim. Read my Scotia Momentum VISA Infinite card review to see my full thoughts about the card.
Scotiabank SCENE®* Visa* Card
- No annual fee
- 5,000 Scene+ points when you spend $750 in the first 3 months
- Earn 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Cineplex™ theatres, cineplex.com and Empire owned grocery stores
- Earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases
The Scotiabank SCENE Visa is one of the best student credit cards in Canada. Although this card is aimed at people who like movies, the card is much more versatile. As of Dec. 31, 2021, SCENE and Scotia Rewards merged to become Scene+. That means you can use your points for things such as movies, travel, gift cards, and merchandise.
Even though this is an entry-level card, the welcome bonus and earn rate are quite good. Remember, this card has no annual fee, so it’s perfect for those who don’t like paying a free to have a credit card.
Scotiabank Value Visa Card
- $29 annual fee – First year free
- 0% interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months
- 12.99% interest rate after the promotional period ends
- Up to 25% off at participating Avis and Budget car rental locations
If you’re currently in debt or you typically carry a balance on your credit card, then you should take a look at the Scotiabank Value Visa. What makes this card a winner is that you get an optional balance transfer where you’ll pay 0% interest for six months. With such a low interest rate, you can concentrate on paying down your debt. Once the promotional period ends, your interest rate goes up to 12.99%, but that’s still much lower than the standard interest rate of 19.99% that most credit cards charge.
Although the card does have an annual fee of $29 (sometimes waived for the first year), there is no fee to make a balance transfer. The Scotiabank Value Visa is one of the best balance transfer credit cards in Canada, so consider getting it if you want to reduce your debt.
Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card
- $29 annual fee
- Earn 5% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases)
- 0.99% interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months
- 22.99% interest rate after the promotional period ends
- Up to 25% off at participating Avis and Budget car rental locations
Many people don’t like the idea of paying an annual fee for their credit cards. Fortunately, there are still many options available. The Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card is my pick for the best Scotiabank credit card with no annual fee. As a cash back card, you’ll earn 1% on gas, grocery, drug store purchases, and recurring payments. All other purchases get you 0.5% back. While that’s not the most generous earn rate, it’s fair for a no fee card.
Why get a Scotiabank credit card?
Scotiabank is one of the big five banks in Canada so they have an established history that Canadians can rely on. If you have one of the premium Scotiabank chequing accounts, you can get one of their credit cards without having to pay an annual fee. This is obviously beneficial to you since you’ll be able to use a top tier card without worrying about any yearly fees. That said, even if you don’t bank with Scotiabank, getting one of their credit cards may be a good fit for you.
How to pick the best Scotiabank card
Since there are quite a few options when it comes to Scotiabank credit cards, you’ll need to figure out exactly what your needs are before you apply. Here are the things to look out for.
- Type of benefits – First off, determine the type of benefits you want when choosing one of the best Scotiabank credit cards. That could be travel rewards, cash back, low interest or even movie rewards. Once you know what you want, that makes things easy
- Annual fee – Do you mind paying an annual fee? If you said yes, make sure the benefits you’re earning are worth more than that yearly fee
- Welcome bonus – Always check to see what the welcome bonus is and what the criteria are to earn it.
- Additional benefits – For some people, the additional benefits such as no foreign exchange fees or lounge access are important so check to see what each card offers.
Final thoughts
Although the best Scotiabank credit cards are a bit subjective, there’s definitely a card that suits your lifestyle. Regardless of which credit card you choose, always pay the full balance on time every month so you don’t pay any interest charges.
Scotiabank is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
