Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business is Scotiabank’s premium travel credit card for small business owners.

With an impressive 1.5% return on business spending and no foreign transaction fees (a unique benefit among business credit cards), this card is ideal for small business owners who are seeking a simplified and accessible rewards program in Scene+.

Bonuses & Fees

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business offers 30,000 Scene+ points after spending $5,000 in the first three months. Upon spending $5,000, you’ll have earned at least 37,500 Scene+ points, which can then be redeemed against $375 worth of travel purchases.

For the big spenders, there’s also a very mediocre bonus of 10,000 points after spending an exorbitant $60,000 in the first year, and spending at this level would probably be best put to use on another card.

The card has an annual fee of $199 for the primary cardholder. The first supplementary card is free, while subsequent supplementary cards are charged at $50 apiece.

Earning Rewards

The card offers a uniform earning rate of 1.5 Scene+ points per dollar spent on all purchases, which equates to a 1.5% return.

Among small business credit cards, a flat 1.5% earning rate is fantastic, and it’s technically one of the strongest fixed returns in the market.

Some other small business credit cards, like the American Express Business Platinum Card or the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, offer 1.25 points per dollar spent.

That’s weaker than the Scotia Passport Business on paper, but it’s worth noting that Amex and RBC’s points can be transferred to airline partners and redeemed at a higher value, whereas Scene+ are a fixed-value points currency.

Redeeming Rewards

Scene+ is one of the most flexible fixed-value points programs in Canada. Points have a value of 1 cent per point, and can be easily credited towards any travel expense.

This is far superior to fixed-value points programs from Canada’s other major banks, which force you to book your travel through their in-house travel agencies. With those programs, you’re effectively limited to using your points for flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacations.

On the other hand, with Scene+ points, you can apply your points to things like Airbnbs, train tickets, and award taxes and fees. Simply charge the travel expense to your credit card, and then redeem points to “offset” the charge within a 90-day period.

Throw in the fact that you can use the age-old “refundable hotel trick” to turn your Scene+ points into a pure statement credit, and this card is an absolute winner in the realm of fixed points travel cards.

Your points won’t expire for as long as you’re a cardholder. If you cancel the card, you’ll have 60 days to redeem your Scene+ points before they’re gone.

Perks & Benefits

The main draw of this card is the fact that it has no foreign transaction fees – indeed, it’s the first small business credit card in Canada to include such a benefit.

While most other credit cards charge a 2.5% markup on FX transactions, the Scotia Passport Business uses the Visa mid-market rate. This is therefore an excellent card to use when you’re travelling abroad.

In terms of airport lounge benefits, the Scotia Passport Business comes with a Priority Pass membership with six complimentary lounge visits per year.

You’ll also get an Avis Preferred Plus membership, as well as access to dedicated Visa Infinite perks like a concierge service, dining experiences, and hotel stays.

Insurance Coverage

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business comes with fairly strong insurance benefits. Coverage includes:

• Emergency medical insurance of up to $1 million for you, your spouse, and dependent children on unexpected medical illness or injury when travelling out-of-province for up to 25 days

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance of up to $2,500 per person

• Flight delay insurance for delays of more than four hours, up to $500 per person

• Rental car collision or damage insurance, which can help you save on the insurance fees usually charged by car rental companies

Plus, on the purchase protection side, you’ll get extended warranty of up to one more year, a 90-day protection period against damage, loss, or theft for most new items, as well as mobile device insurance of up to $1,000 for two years.