Scotiabank, one of Canada’s Big 5 banks, has many credit cards aimed at travellers, socialites, and cash back collectors alike.Here are our top choices for the best Scotiabank credit cards in Canada.
Best Overall Scotiabank Credit Card
The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card is one of the best credit cards in Canada. It earns 5 points per dollar spent on groceries, restaurants, and entertainment, the highest rates in those categories on any credit card. Also, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on gas, transit, and select streaming services, among the best rates around.Plus, you'll earn 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent at Empire-affiliated grocery stores, such as Sobeys, Thrifty Foods, Safeway, and more.Of course, high rewards rates are only as good as the rewards themselves, and in that respect Scotiabank delivers as well.Scene+ points are extremely easy to use for statement credit. You can cover just about any travel expense at a fixed rate. With transparent value and unparalleled flexibility, just about anyone would benefit from having this card.You’ll also get additional benefits like no foreign transaction fees, making this card quite handy for when you’re travelling out of the country or shopping online. And as an American Express card, you’ll have access to many exclusive events, discounts and rebates, and presale offers.Finally, this card has no minimum income requirement. It’s a great choice if you’re a student or just starting out your career. Typically for a Visa or Mastercard with higher rewards, you’d need to meet a higher income threshold, but luckily Amex cards are available to anyone.
Best Premium Scotiabank Credit Card
The
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is a step up from its Gold counterpart, although whether or not you’ll benefit depends on your spending habits.
The Scotiabank Platinum Amex earns a steady
2 points per dollar spent on all purchases, with no limit on the number of bonus points you can earn. This is less than the
Scotiabank Gold Amex for the latter's elevated lifestyle categories, but an unequalled base rate for general spending.
Regardless of rewards, the $399 annual fee is really justified by the card’s travel benefits. You’ll get a
DragonPass membership with 10 free visits annually to their lounges, and out-of-province medical insurance for up to 31 days if you’re under 65, or up to 10 days for people of all ages.
For those perks alone, which aren’t found at such generous levels on most other cards, you might find it worth paying the annual fee.
Best Scotiabank Visa Credit Card
The
Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card is a great Visa alternative to the
Scotiabank Gold Amex, for any stores that don’t take American Express.
Like its Amex counterpart, the card has no foreign transaction fees and earns Scene+ points which can be used for any travel purchase.
The Visa’s earn rates aren’t as high as the Amex, topping out at
3 points per dollar spent. Instead, the card makes up for it with stronger travel perks and better insurance coverage.
In particular, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite comes with a complimentary
DragonPass membership, and six passes for lounge visits each year. This is an awesome benefit for a card with an annual fee of just $150 – usually this perk is reserved for Visa Infinite Privilege cards, with higher fees and income requirements.
Best No Fee Scotiabank Credit Card
The
Scotiabank American Express® Card is a nice choice for an entry-level card. It earns Scene+ points at a flat rate of
1 point per dollar spent, equivalent to 1% back.
While you don’t get any category bonuses, you do get a higher rate on all other purchases, whereas most no-fee cards only award 0.5% back.
Also, as an American Express card, you’ll get access to Amex Offers, exclusive events, and ticket presale opportunities. You can indeed dabble in the Amex lifestyle without shelling out for a premium credit card!
Best Cash Back Scotiabank Credit Card
The
Scotiabank Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card is Scotiabank’s flagship cash back card, and it’s one of the top cash back cards on the market.
You’ll earn
4% cash back on the ever-popular groceries category, and also on recurring bills. The latter is particularly interesting, as the highest earn rate offered by any credit card for recurring payments. If you have high bills and your payees accept Visa cards, you can certainly get some momentum going as you rack up rewards, including paying your rent with
Chexy.
Rounding out the bonus rates with 2% back on gas and transit, the Scotiabank Momentum® will ensure you have most of your needs covered.
The card often has the industry standard welcome bonus among cash back cards:
10% cash back on your first $2,000 spent and the first-year annual fee waived.
With an incentive offer that holds its own and daily earn rates that exceed many competitors, the Scotiabank Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card is a stellar option if you’re looking for a cash back card.
Best Scotiabank Credit Card for Business Owners
The
Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Business Card is one of the stronger business Visa cards on the market.
It mirrors many of the same perks as the
personal Passport card, like no foreign transaction fees, a
DragonPass membership with six annual free visits, and a good travel insurance package.
The card earns
1.5 Scene+ points on all purchases, a solid base earn rate and the best in Scotiabank’s business portfolio.
Given how flexible the points are, this card would be a good choice if your business expenses tend not to fall into the popular bonus categories, and if you can’t use American Express cards with your suppliers.
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