The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite Privilege* Card is Scotiabank’s top-tier travel card, aimed squarely at frequent travellers who value comfort and convenience as much as points.
You’re looking at a generous welcome bonus, no foreign transaction fees, 10 annual lounge visits, and a $250 annual travel credit, all wrapped into one metal Visa Infinite Privilege product.
In this review, we’ll walk through what the card offers, how to get the most value from it, and who it actually makes sense for.
At a Glance
- Annual fee: $599
- Supplementary cardholders: $199 per card
- Minimum annual income: $150,000 personal, $200,000 household, or $400,000 in assets under management with Scotiabank
- Minimum credit limit: $10,000
- Estimated credit score: Excellent
- Rating: 4/5
What we love: No foreign transaction fees, 10 annual lounge visits, $250 annual travel credit, and strong travel insurance.
What we’d change: Raise the base earning rate on non-bonused spend to better match other cards in the same Privilege tier.
In This Post
Generous Welcome Bonus
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card currently offers a welcome bonus of up to 100,000 Scene+ points, typically structured in three chunks:
- A first-phase bonus after meeting a modest spend in the first three months (30,000 Scene+ points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months)
- A larger chunk after reaching a higher spend threshold within the first six months (45,000 Scene+ points upon spending $20,000 in the first six months)
- An additional bonus when you make at least one eligible purchase around the card’s 14th month of membership (25,000 Scene+ points when you make at least one eligible purchase during the 14th month after account opening)
The first installment of the bonus is straightforward, while the second requires more planning – but if you have large organic expenses (such as rent via platforms like Chexy, tuition, or business spend), it’s very achievable.
The final 25,000-point portion is easy from a mechanics standpoint, but it does require you to keep the card into the second year and make a purchase during the 14th month.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of this structure, since by that point you may have decided to cancel or downgrade. That said, even if you choose not to keep the card into Year 2, you still walk away with 75% of the total bonus.
Welcome offers change frequently. Always check Scotiabank’s website or our credit card database page for the latest structure and minimum spend requirements.
If you unlock only the first-year portions, you’re looking at:
- 75,000 Scene+ points from the welcome bonus, plus
- Roughly 20,000 Scene+ points from the required spending, assuming a conservative average of 1 Scene+ point per dollar
That’s about 95,000 Scene+ points, which we’d peg at $950 in value at 1 cent per point – before counting any category bonuses. Add in the $250 annual travel credit, and you’re at roughly $1,200 in value in the first year.
After subtracting the $599 annual fee, you’re left with around $600 in net value in Year 1, before factoring in savings from no foreign transaction fees or any value you get from lounge access.
- Earn 30,000 Scene+ points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months
- Plus, earn an additional 45,000 Scene+ points upon spending $20,000 in the first six months
- And, earn an additional 25,000 Scene+ points when you make at least one eligible purchase during the 14th month of account opening
- Earn 3x Scene+ points on eligible travel purchases
- Earn 2x Scene+ points on dining and entertainment purchases
- Visa Airport Companion membership with 10 free lounge visits per year
- $250 annual travel credit
- Redeem points for a statement credit against any travel expense
- Minimum income: $150,000 personal or $200,000 household
- Annual fee: $599
Strong Earning Rates
On the earning front, the card keeps things simple but attractive for travellers. You’ll earn:
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible travel purchases
- 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent on eligible global dining and entertainment
- 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent on all other purchases
If you book hotels, car rentals, or “things to do” through Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia, you’ll earn an additional 3 Scene+ points per dollar on those purchases, for a total of 6 Scene+ points per dollar on those specific categories.
Unlike the Scotiabank® Gold American Express®* Card, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite Privilege* Card‘s accelerated earning works globally, not just in Canada – and when you combine that with no foreign transaction fees, it becomes a very strong option for international travel and online foreign-currency spending.
Moreoever, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite Privilege* Card doesn’t cap your accelerated earn rates. As long as your purchases code correctly as travel, dining, or entertainment, you’ll keep earning at 3x or 2x with no annual ceiling.nual ceiling.
Given our 1 cpp valuation, this works out to an approximate 3% return on travel, 2% on dining and entertainment, and 1% on everything else, before you consider the card’s other benefits.
Flexible Scene+ Points Redemption
Scene+ points might not have the glitz of airline or hotel currencies, but they’re simple, flexible, and consistently valuable.
With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card, you’ll earn Scene+ points that can be redeemed at a fixed rate of 1 cent per point toward a wide range of purchases, including flights, hotels, car rentals, tours and activities, cruises, public transit, and even rideshare services.†
For the Miles & Points crowd, the most compelling angle is the ability to redeem Scene+ points against any travel purchase charged to the card at 1 cent per point.† You’re not boxed into a specific airline, hotel chain, or booking platform.
What really sets Scene+ apart is that you don’t need to go through a proprietary portal to get full value. You can:
- Book directly with your preferred airline, hotel, or cruise line
- Charge the expense to your Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card
- Go back and redeem Scene+ points against that transaction within 12 months
This setup avoids inflated portal prices, limited availability, and the headache of dealing with a third-party customer service rep when plans change.
Personally, the biggest perk of booking direct is that you preserve your hotel elite status benefits – something most third-party bookings strip away.
Whether it’s room upgrades, free breakfast, or late checkout, you’ll still enjoy those perks when you book with the hotel and simply wipe the charge with Scene+ points afterward.
Some fixed-value programs (like TD Rewards) reduce the redemption rate if you don’t book through their own portal, forcing you to choose between elite benefits or maximum value. Scene+ neatly avoids that trade-off: you get full value and direct bookings at the same time.
No, this isn’t the program to use for aspirational first class flights or ultra-luxury hotel redemptions at outsized value.
But for simple, flexible redemptions that match real-life travel spending, Scene+ does exactly what you want it to do.
Other Ways to Use Scene+ Points
Outside of travel, Scene+ points can also be redeemed directly at a number of partners, including:
- Empire Company grocery stores (Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, etc.)
- Cineplex, including The Rec Room and Playdium
- Home Hardware
- Recipe Unlimited restaurants (Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, Montana’s, etc.)
On top of that, you can redeem points for gift cards, merchandise, and statement credits, although these options often come in below the ideal travel redemption value.
For most Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders, the play is clear:
- Use the card heavily for travel and everyday spending
- Redeem Scene+ points at 1 cent per point against any travel purchase
- Treat grocery, dining, entertainment, and other partner redemptions as a nice backup when you’re not planning a trip but still want to trim day-to-day costs
Premium Travel Perks and Lounge Access
This is where the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite Privilege* Card starts to justify its premium annual fee.
10 Complimentary Lounge Visits
Through the Visa Airport Companion Program (powered by DragonPass), you’ll get 10 complimentary lounge visits per membership year.
With walk-up DragonPass visits often pricing around US$35–40, using all 10 passes can easily offset a large chunk of the annual fee on its own.
$250 Annual Travel Credit
Each year, the primary cardholder gets a $250 statement credit on the first eligible travel booking of $250+ made through Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia.
This applies to flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages, as long as you book through the portal and charge the trip to your card.
If you’re already using Scene+ Travel for bookings, this is essentially $250 off a trip every membership year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
One of the standout features is that the card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Most Canadian credit cards add a 2.5% markup to any purchase in a non-CAD currency. With this card, you’ll only pay the underlying Visa exchange rate, which can easily save you hundreds of dollars a year if you travel frequently, book hotels in foreign currencies, or shop online with international merchants.
Visa Infinite Privilege Lifestyle Perks
On top of the headline travel benefits, you’ll also enjoy the usual Visa Infinite Privilege suite:
- Priority security lanes and check-in at select Canadian airports
- Avis President’s Club status, with upgrades and priority service
- Access to the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection and Relais & Châteaux benefits
- Wine country perks, golf benefits, dining series events, and exclusive OpenTable reservations in select cities
These aren’t benefits you’ll use every week, but if you lean into them before trips, they help the card feel “premium” beyond just the welcome bonus.
Comprehensive Insurance Coverage
As you’d expect from a Visa Infinite Privilege product, insurance coverage is very robust. According to Scotiabank’s certificates of insurance, coverage includes:
- Emergency medical insurance: Up to $5 million in coverage for unexpected medical illness or injury while traveling, applicable for trips up to 31 days (10 days for travelers aged 65+).
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $2,500 per person for trip cancellation and $5,000 per person for trip interruption.
- Flight delay insurance: Coverage of up to $1,000 per person for delays exceeding four hours.
- Lost and delayed baggage insurance: Up to $1,000 per person for baggage delays or losses.
- Rental car collision and damage insurance: Coverage for rental vehicles with an MSRP of up to $85,000, eliminating the need for costly rental car insurance.
- Hotel burglary insurance: Up to $1,000 in coverage for stolen items if your hotel room is broken into.
- Common carrier travel accident insurance: Protection in case of accidental loss of life or dismemberment when the full cost of travel is charged to the card.
- Mobile device insurance: Coverage of up to $1,000 for lost, stolen, or accidentally damaged smartphones and tablets, provided the full purchase price was charged to the card.
- Purchase protection: Coverage for 180 days against theft, loss, or damage on most new purchases.
- Extended warranty: Triples the original manufacturer’s warranty, up to two additional years.
If you’re someone who prefers to self-insure through credit cards instead of buying standalone policies for each trip, this card checks essentially every box.
Always review the most recent certificate of insurance for precise coverage limits, age restrictions, and definitions before relying on any benefit.
Who Should Get This Card?
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card is not designed for everyone – and that’s okay.
It’s best suited to:
- Frequent travellers who fly several times a year and will actually use all 10 lounge passes and the $250 travel credit
- Big spenders in travel and dining, who can comfortably meet the welcome offer’s spend thresholds without forcing extra purchases
- Global travellers and digital nomads who value no FX fees and value-back on every foreign transaction
- High-income households that meet the Privilege-tier income or asset requirements
If you only take one trip a year, rarely visit lounges, or prefer to focus on airline-specific programs like Aeroplan, this card may feel like overkill relative to its $599 annual fee.
My Take: Is It a Keeper?
From my perspective, the biggest miss on this card is the base earning rate on non-bonused spend.
A lot of competing Privilege-tier products, like the RBC® Avion® Visa Infinite Privilege‡ Card or the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card, offer 1.25 points per dollar spent earning as a baseline on all purchases.
If Scotiabank had pushed the Passport Visa Infinite Privilege to 1.25 Scene+ points per dollar on uncategorized spend, I’d be very tempted to keep it long-term as my main premium Visa.
However, I’m more inclined to treat this as a strong first-year play, then:
- Downgrade to the regular Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card for ongoing no-FX coverage and lower fees, and
- Consider using another Privilege card – such as TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card or RBC® Avion® Visa Infinite Privilege‡ Card – for my premium Visa slot, especially if I’m leaning harder into Aeroplan or Avion for long-haul premium-cabin redemptions.
If your own spend pattern is very travel/dining-heavy and you love the Scene+ ecosystem, you might be perfectly happy keeping this card; but if a lot of your spend falls into “everything else,” that 1x base earn is hard to ignore at this price point.
Conclusion
The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite Privilege* Card is a true premium travel card: big welcome bonus, rich travel perks, no FX fees, and a serious insurance package – all of which can more than justify the annual fee if you travel often and play to its strengths.
However, the card’s high income/asset requirements and $599 fee mean it’s not a casual choice. You’ll want to run the numbers on:
- How reliably you can meet the welcome offer’s spending thresholds
- How many lounge visits you’ll actually use
- Whether you’ll consistently trigger the $250 annual travel credit
If you’re a frequent traveller who values comfort, flexibility, and predictable fixed-value redemptions, this card can easily become your go-to premium Visa for both everyday spending and big trips alike.
If not, you may be better served by its more accessible siblings – and keep this one on the radar for when your travel patterns (and income) scale up.
