Scotiabank fans will probably already be familiar with Scene+, the popular loyalty rewards program – and you can earn points even more quickly with a Scene+ credit card. We’ll walk you through the cards that earn you Scene+ points and highlight all your redemption options so that you can get the most value for your points.
Key Takeaways
- Scene+ is one of the most popular rewards programs in Canada, with big partners in Sobeys, Cineplex, and Scotiabank.
- There are 5 Scene+ credit cards available for members to earn points everywhere they shop.
- The best Scene+ credit card is the Scotiabank Gold American Express, which offers the most rewards on purchases.
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The best Scotiabank Scene+ credit cards
Here's a summary of all the personal Scotiabank credit card options that earn Scene+ points:
| Scene+ credit card | Current offer | Earn rate | Annual fee & income requirements | Apply | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Scotiabank Gold American Express Card |  $60 GeniusCash + Up to 50,000 bonus points, first year free (terms) | * 6 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, dining, and entertainment * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on gas, select streaming services, and transit * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases | * $120 * $12K personal | Apply now |
| Best no-fee | Scotiabank American Express Card | 7,500 bonus points (terms) | * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on grocery, dining and entertainment, gas, daily transit, and select streaming services * 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases | * $0 * $12K personal | Apply now |
| Best Visa | Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | $30 GeniusCash + 35,000 bonus points (terms) | * 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and more * 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on groceries, restaurants, entertainment, and daily transit * 1 Scene+ point per $1 on all other purchases | * $150 * $60K personal/$100K household | Apply now |
| Best no-fee Visa | Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card | 5,000 bonus points (terms) | * 2 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, Home Hardware, and Cineplex * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases | * $0 * $12K personal | Apply now |
| Best for perks and insurance | Scotiabank American Express Platinum Card | $175 GeniusCash + Up to 60,000 80,000 bonus points (terms) | * 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on all purchases | * $399 * $12K personal | Apply now |
While our focus is on personal credit cards, if you're interested in a business credit card, you can take a look at the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card.
Best Scene+ card overall
×1 Award winner 
GC: $60
1x Award winner The title of best Scene+ credit card belongs to the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. It's packed full of rewards, features (like a generous insurance package), and fantastic earn rates. Based on a typical $2,000 monthly spend, this card would earn you around 58,800 points per year.
To start, you’ll get a 50,000-point welcome bonus and earn up to 6 points for each $1 spent on groceries at select partners (and 5 points per $1 at other grocers, restaurants, and entertainment venues). Other purchases earn you 1 to 3 points per $1, so you’re sure to earn steady Scene+ points.
Pros:
- No foreign exchange fees
- Amex Offers and Front Of The Line benefits
- 12 types of insurance
Cons:
- $120 annual fee (waived the first year)
- Lower acceptance as an Amex
Best no fee Scene+ card
Scene+ has a couple of no fee cards to look at, with the best one being the Scotiabank American Express Card. You’ll earn 3 points per $1 for Sobeys, Safeway, and Freshco purchases, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment, transit, and some streaming services. All other purchases earn you 1 point per $1.
The card doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it won’t cost you anything to keep in your wallet, either.
Pros:
- No annual fee
- Low income requirements
Cons:
- Lower acceptance as an Amex
- Limited insurance coverage
Best Scene+ Visa card
GC: $30
Turning away from the Amex cards, the best Visa card in the Scene+ program is the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card. It offers a combination of solid rewards and premium perks like free airport lounge access for you and up to 6 companions with a Visa Airport Companion membership.
As a Visa, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding merchants who accept your Scene+ card – and you’ll earn up to 3 points per $1 spent on select purchases.
Pros:
- No foreign exchange fees
- Up to 35,000 bonus points
- 11 types of insurance included
Cons:
- $150 annual fee
- Income requirements of $60,000 personal or $100,000 household
Best no fee Scene+ Visa card
Scotiabank also offers a no fee Visa Scene+ credit card with the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card. It's the most basic card of the bunch but still packs in decent rewards, earning you 25,200 Scene+ points per year (based on a $2,000 monthly spend).
Enjoy a welcome bonus of 5,000 points and get 2 points per $1 on your purchases.
Pros:
- Low income requirements
- Student version available
Cons:
- Limited insurance coverage
Best Scene+ card for perks and insurance
GC: $175
The last card is a super-premium credit card with a high annual fee: the Scotiabank American Express Platinum Card.
The rewards are simple – 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on all purchases, which earns you around 48,000 points a year if you spend $2,000 per month.
But there's so much more to this credit card than just rewards. For an annual fee of $399, you'll earn 10 free passes to both Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges. If you add a supplemental cardholder, you'll get an additional 4 passes. You’ll also get travel benefits like no foreign exchange fee and automatic Hertz Club Gold membership.
Pros:
- Up to 60,000 80,000 bonus points
- 12 types of insurance included
- Low income requirements
Cons:
- $399 annual fee
- Lower acceptance as an Amex
Comparing Scene+ credit cards
If you’re struggling to choose a Scene+ card, it can help to compare their features based on your priorities.
Rewards
To evenly compare reward value, take a look at what you’ll earn based on spending $2,000 per month.
If you translate those points into dollars, here’s how much you’ll earn from using your card when points are redeemed for maximum value.
Although each of these cards gives several hundred dollars back in value, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card gives over twice as much value as the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card.
Annual fees
Annual fees range from free to $399, so it’s definitely important to learn about costs before applying for a card.
Here's a neat trick though: If you have the Scotiabank Ultimate Package, you can get an annual fee waiver for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card or the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card (a $120 or $150 value, respectively).
Scotiabank Ultimate Package
Insurance
The value of credit card insurance is often overlooked, but it can be a huge money saver, especially if you use your Scene+ points for travel. As you can see, some cards offer more financial peace of mind than others.
Perks
Premium cards usually offer the most perks (especially if you pay a high annual fee), but even basic credit cards usually have perks with some value. Here's the estimated dollar value for each card.
This is where the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card and Scotiabank American Express Platinum Card really shine, with the high value perks included.
Income requirements
Although this next factor isn’t a benefit, it’s a condition you have to meet in order to qualify for the card. Income requirements can vary significantly, so check your finances before you apply.
Fortunately, with the exception of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, these credit cards have low income requirements.
Pros and cons of Scene+ credit cards
There's lots to like about having a Scene+ card, along with a few drawbacks to consider.
- Lots of credit cards to choose from: Most rewards programs limit you to a couple of choices when it comes to credit cards; however, Scotiabank has 5 different personal cards you can choose from in 2 different networks.
- Flexible redemption options: When it comes to rewards, travel is almost always the best way to use them. But not with Scene+, where you'll get 4 options covering travel to everyday essentials, all for the same value.
- High reward opportunities: Scotiabank's selection of Scene+ credit cards will supercharge what you're earning at stores.
- Low income requirements: With 1 exception, all Scotiabank Scene+ credit cards have low income requirements.
- Plenty of no fee options: There are 2 no fee cards to choose from if you prefer not to pay an annual fee.
- Extra rewards at Sobeys and Safeway: With the exception of the Scotiabank American Express Platinum Card, all Scene+ credit cards will get you bonus rewards at Sobeys and Safeway stores.
- Lower acceptance as American Express cards: 3 out of 5 credit cards are Amex, which aren’t as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard. Some people – like Loblaws and Costco shoppers – might struggle if Amex is their primary credit card.
- No high-end travel rewards: Many rewards programs can get you even higher value with airline charts or transfers to airline programs. Sadly, Scene+ doesn't have them.
How do you redeem Scene+ points?
Scene+ offers several ways to redeem your points for high value – and not just for travel, either. Almost every option gives your points a value of 1 cents each.
In-store and online discounts
When you’re shopping in-store with a Scene+ partner, the cashier should ask if you’d like to redeem your points when you scan your Scene+ member card. Then, they’ll apply the discounted points before you complete your purchase.
If you’re shopping online, log into your Scene+ account before checking out so you can apply your points towards your purchase.
You can shop at Cineplex, pharmacies, restaurants, hardware stores, and more. Here are the grocery stores that currently partner with Scene+:
- Sobeys
- Safeway
- Foodland
- Fresh Co
- Chalo! Fresh Co
- Thrifty Foods
- IGA
- Rachelle Bery
- Les Marchés Tradition
- Voila
| Scene+ partner | Redemption method | Redemption value | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cineplex and the Cineplex store | In-store Online | * 100 points = $1 off movie tickets, rentals, concessions * 500 points = $5 off concessions | * None |
| Grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants | In-store | 1,000 points = $10 off | * Min. 1,000 points required |
| Home hardware stores and restaurants | In-store Online | 1,000 points = $10 off | * Min. 1,000 points required |
| Playdium | In-store | 1,000 points = $10 off | * None |
| Rec Room | In-store | 500 points = $5 off game credits, ticketed events, food and drink, live music | * None |
Note: There are a few limitations on what you can and can’t purchase. You can’t use Scene+ points for Needs Convenience stores or Rakuten purchases. You’re also prevented from using them to buy alcoholic beverages, taxes, tips, fees, and prescriptions (unless you’re in SK, MB, or NS).
Travel
Scene+ partners with Expedia to offer an easy-to-use platform for booking all types of travel - flights, hotels, car rentals, and experiences.
To use your points, log into the travel site and search for bookings. When you’ve found the trip you want, you can book using points. Don’t want to use all of your points for one purchase? No problem – Expedia allows you to use a portion of your points and pay for the remainder with cash.
We want to highlight an awesome feature of the Scene+ travel site: you’ll earn points even on trips you book using your reward points.
Scene+ cardholders get an additional travel redemption option. If you charge any travel booking with your card, you can use points to pay for a full travel transaction up to 12 months after you’ve taken it. Any type of travel counts as long as you redeem at least 50 points.
Here are some examples of travel that you can apply points towards:
- Airport parking costs
- Accommodations
- Bus fares
- Car rentals
- Cruise packages
- Flights
- Train tickets
- Travel agencies
As long as your Scene+ card categorizes the transaction as travel, you’ll have the option to apply points towards the trip.
Gift cards
Purchase digital or physical gift cards for over 60 Scene+ partners. You must redeem at least 1,000 points, which usually earns you a $10 gift card.
Unlike other redemption options that offer a flat value, your redemption value varies with gift cards depending on the retailer, whether you choose a physical or digital card, and your redemption amount.
For instance, if you get a gift card from a Scene+ partner, you’ll enjoy a standard 1 cent per point (CPP) value. If you choose a gift card from an unaffiliated partner like Apple, you might only get around 0.71 CPP.
To order a gift card, just log into your Scene+ account, select the gift card redemption option, choose the retailer, and determine how much you want on your digital or physical gift card.
Scotiabank statement credit
Since Scotiabank operates the Scene+ program, it makes sense that the bank would reward Scotia clients. To earn rewards even faster and enjoy additional redemption options, pair your Scotiabank credit or debit card with your Scene+ account.
When you’re ready to make a payment, log into your Scotiabank or Scene+ account and select how many points you’d like to put toward a payment or statement credit. The more points you cash in, the more they’re worth.
FAQ
Can I use Scene+ points to pay my credit card?
You can use your Scene+ points towards a statement credit, which essentially pays down the balance on your credit card.
Which bank offers Scene+ cards?
Scotiabank is the only issuer of Scene+ credit cards. They offer both Visa and American Express Scene+ cards.
What are the benefits of a Scene+ card?
Scene+ cards have some of the most flexible redemption options. For instance, you can redeem points for discounts at restaurants, cinemas, grocery stores, hardware stores, and travel companies. If you prefer, you can cash in points for statement credit or gift cards.
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