Scotiabank has just extended the latest round of offers on its suite of cards that earn Scene+ points.
As a reminder, there’s a very attractive welcome bonus available on the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, with a first-year annual fee waiver, too.
Be sure to check out the below offers to see which card best suits your needs, and then take action before the new expiry dates.
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card: Up to 45,000 Scene+ Points†
There’s a great welcome offer available on the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, good for up to 45,000 Scene+ points for new applicants.† The offer is broken down as follows:
- Earn 25,000 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 in the first three months†
- Earn an additional 20,000 Scene+ points upon spending $7,500 in the first year†
As an added bonus, you’ll enjoy a first-year annual fee waiver as part of the current offer,† which means that you aren’t subject to the card’s $120 annual fee for year one.
Scotiabank typically has very achievable spending requirements, and this offer is no exception: only $1,000 in three months to unlock the first 25,000 points of the bonus.†
And if you spend a lot on the card’s bonus categories, it’s well worth working towards the second spending threshold of $7,500, especially since it’s spread out over the course of the first year.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card earns an excellent 5 points per dollar spent on groceries, with a boost to 6 points per dollar spent at Empire grocery stores.†
For example, if you were to spend $7,500 on eligible purchases at Empire grocery stores in the first year, you’d earn at least 45,000 Scene+ points on eligible everyday spending, which comes in addition to the full 45,000 points with the welcome offer!
That would bring your grand total to up to 90,000 Scene+ points in year one, or a value of $900, which is incredible for a card with a fixed-value points currency.†
The full breakdown of the excellent earning rates for the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card are as follows:
- 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Empire grocery stores, which include popular brands like Sobeys and Safeway†
- 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at other grocery stores, dining (including restaurants, bars, cafés, and food delivery), and entertainment tickets†
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible gas, transit, and streaming service purchases†
- 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases†
One of the best features of the card is that it doesn’t levy foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside of Canada,† which is always a nice touch on a lifestyle card marketed to travellers. Unfortunately, the category earning rates don’t apply to foreign transactions, and you’ll earn a flat rate of 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent outside of the country.
And although the card isn’t issued by American Express (instead it runs on the Amex payment network), it’s still eligible for Amex Offers for cardholders, so you can take advantage of deals as they become available.
You’ll need to have a minimum personal income of at least $12,000 to apply, which is quite low for a card with so much swagger.
This offer is now available through to January 2, 2025, so you’ve got plenty of time to consider the offer and work it into your overall points strategy.
- Earn 25,000 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 in the first three months
- Plus, earn an additional 20,000 Scene+ points upon spending $7,500 in the first year
- Earn 6x Scene+ points at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, and more
- Plus, earn 5x Scene+ points on groceries, dining, and entertainment
- Also, earn 3x Scene+ points on gas, transit, and select streaming services
- Redeem points for a statement credit for any travel expense
- No foreign transaction fees
- Enjoy the exclusive benefits of being an American Express cardholder
- Annual fee: $120 (waived for the first year)
Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card: Up to 35,000 Scene+ Points†
The offer available on the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card has also been extended, which is our pick for the best no foreign transaction fee credit card in Canada.
New applicants are eligible to earn a welcome bonus of up to 35,000 Scene+ points,† structured as follows:
- Earn 25,000 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 (all figures in CAD) in the first three months†
- Earn 10,000 Scene+ points upon spending $40,000 each year†
As has been the case in previous offers, you get the lion’s share of the welcome bonus upon completing a very reasonable $1,000 minimum spend in three months. 25,000 Scene+ points is worth $250 when redeemed for travel, which is a solid return.
The card’s $150 annual fee isn’t waived in the first year with the current offer; however, the card has a number of other features that make it worthwhile.
Aside from the welcome offer, the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card ‘s earning rates for daily spending are as follows:
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, and more†
- 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible transit, groceries, dining, and entertainment purchases†
- 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases†
While the earning rates for this card aren’t quite as generous as those on the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, you’ll still get a decent return on spending for many common expenses.
Plus, one of the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card ‘s primary strengths is that it comes with no foreign transaction fees,† and as a Visa Infinite product, you’ll enjoy wide acceptance worldwide.
This card also comes with six complimentary lounge visits per year through the Visa Airport Companion Program,† which is a nice feature geared towards travellers.
To be eligible for this card, you’ll need to meet the minimum income requirement of $60,000 in personal or $100,000 in household income to apply.
This offer is available through January 2, 2025.
Scotiabank American Express® Card: Up to 5,000 Scene+ Points†
The Scotiabank American Express® Card offers a modest welcome bonus of up to 5,000 Scene+ points for new applicants,† distributed as follows:
- Earn 2,500 Scene+ points upon spending $250 in the first three months†
- Earn an additional 2,500 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 in the first three months†
This is Scotiabank’s no-fee Amex product, so its lower welcome bonuses are also commensurate with the ongoing annual fee of $0.†
Aside from the modest welcome bonus and no annual fee, there’s another a very compelling reason to get this card: easy access to Amex Offers via no-fee primary and supplementary cardholders.†
While Amex-issued Amex cards can’t be manually registered for Amex Offers beyond the cards that are targeted, Scotiabank-issued Amex cards can be. Therefore, the Scotiabank American Express® Card can be particularly valuable for registering for Amex Offers.
On the earning side, the Scotiabank American Express® Card offers the following earning rates:
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Empire-affiliated grocery stores†
- 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible dining, entertainment, gas, transit, and select streaming service purchases, and at non-Empire grocery stores†
- 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases†
This card is right for you if you’re building your credit file or sticking to a tight budget in terms of annual fees. There’s no minimum income requirement to apply.†
If you don’t currently have this card and want to get it, be sure to apply before July 1, 2025, to capture the welcome bonus in its current form.
- Earn 2,500 Scene+ points upon spending $250 in the first three months†
- Earn an additional 2,500 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 in the first three months†
- Also, earn 3x Scene+ points on Empire grocery stores such as Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, and FreshCo
- Plus, earn 2x Scene+ points on dining, groceries, gas, transit, and streaming purchases
- Enjoy the exclusive benefits of being an American Express cardholder
- Annual fee: $0
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card: Up to 60,000 Scene+ Points†
As a reminder, the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is offering a welcome bonus of up to 60,000 Scene+ points for new applicants, divided as follows:
- Earn 50,000 Scene+ points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months†
- Earn an additional 10,000 Scene+ points upon spending $10,000 in the first 14 months†
The card has an annual fee of $399 for the primary cardholder.†
There’s also a Priority Pass membership with 10 lounge visits thrown in, and the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® card also gives you access to Plaza Premium lounges too.†
Fortunately, the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card also doesn’t levy foreign transaction fees,† making it superior to Amex’s very own Platinum cards in that sense.
Meanwhile, the earning rates on this card are more simplified than the Gold version, as the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card earns a flat 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent on all purchases.†
Even as a premium card, you’ll only need a minimum annual personal income of $12,000 to be eligible to apply.
This offer is available until January 2, 2025, so there’s plenty of time to pick up this card, boost your Scene+ balance, and add another slot for your Amex Offers.
- Earn 50,000 Scene+ points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months
- Earn an additional 10,000 Scene+ points upon spending $10,000 in the first 14 months
- Plus, earn 2x Scene+ points on all purchases
- Priority Pass membership with 10 free lounge visits per year
- Enjoy the exclusive benefits of being an American Express cardholder
- Annual fee: $399
Conclusion
Scotiabank often has some great deals on its suite of cards that earn Scene+ points, and the current round is no exception.
Right now, there’s a very competitive welcome offer on the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, and the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card is always worth considering. As Canada’s top no foreign transaction fee cards, there’s plenty of reasons to have them in your wallet.
The welcome bonuses on the Scotiabank American Express® Card and the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card aren’t quite as strong; however, there’s still value to be found in having the cards on your roster.
Now is a great time to get started with Scotiabank if you haven’t already, whether it’s for the flexibility of Scene+ points, saving on foreign transaction fees, the strong grocery earning rates on the Scotia Gold Amex, or the scalability of additional Amex Offers by registering manually.
† Terms and conditions apply. Refer to the card issuer’s website for complete, up-to-date information. Reason efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.