Unless you’ve been in a cave without internet, you probably know that Sobeys said sayonara to Air Miles and joined forces with Scotiabank and Cineplex and became an owner in the Scene+ program.
The rollout is well underway, with Atlantic and Western Canada having already made the switch, with the rest of Canada to be done sometime in early 2023.
So how have the rewards changed? How does earning Air Miles compare to Scene+? Has Sobeys made a change for the better?
Here’s what we found out.
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What you earned for Air Miles at Sobeys stores
Sobeys has long been one of Air Miles biggest partners, but obviously that is no more.
But what did you earn for Air Miles at Sobeys and Safeway stores?
For starters, you earned 1 mile per $20 spent on almost anything in the store (there were some exceptions like gift cards and fluid dairy products).
The weekly flyer was also filled with products that could earn bonus Air Miles on your purchases.
But there were also personalized offers – here is a sampling of some.
These offers are an easy way to earn bonus rewards on things you were likely to purchase anyway.
Redeeming Air Miles
Air Miles – what are they worth? You’ve got plenty of options, but the best way is by redeeming for travel. Our value for a mile is 12.7 cents for car rentals.
Of course, many people collect Cash Miles instead of Dream Miles. And in this case, your miles are worth 10.5 cents each.
What you now earn for Scene+ at Sobeys
So what about Scene+?
There’s actually no base earn rate anymore. What you earn is all based on personalized offers, like these ones.
With that said, Sobeys usually has offers where if you reach a certain spending threshold, you’ll earn a lump sum of points.
Here’s one example.
And of course, the weekly sales flyer is full of products that will earn you bonus rewards.
Redeeming Scene+ points
Redeeming Scene+ points is much more simple.
There are 4 redemption options that will get you a value of 1 cent per point:
- tickets and concessions at Cineplex,
- groceries at Sobeys and Safeway,
- travel through the Scene+ Expedia portal, and
- food at Recipe Unlimited restaurants.
The only differences between these options is the minimum redemption requirement. For travel, groceries, and restaurants, you’ll need to redeem 1,000 points to save $10.
If you want a free movie ticket, you only need to save 100 points to get $1, and 500 points to save $5 on concessions at Cineplex theatres.
Compare earning Scene+ points and Air Miles at Sobeys
So those are the details. But which is actually better? Show us the proof!
Well, here it is. We’ve taken 6 items from the above screenshots. We worked out the cost of each item to get a return on your spending.
Air Miles
Let’s start with Old Yeller – Air Miles.
We’ll look at your return for both Dream and Cash miles. Here is the return for 6 items as shown above.
| Item | Cost | Miles Earned | Miles Value – Dream | Miles Value – Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 pack Campbell’s soup | $23.88 | 15 | $1.85 | $1.58 |
| 12 pack organic eggs | $7.79 | 5 | $0.62 | $0.53 |
| $3 on celery | $3.00 | 5 | $0.62 | $0.53 |
| 4L of milk | $8.59 | 5 | $0.62 | $0.53 |
| Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner | $4.99 | 5 | $0.62 | $0.53 |
| 1 bag Old Dutch or Humpty Dumpty chips | $3.79 | 5 | $0.62 | $0.53 |
| Totals | $52.04 | 40 | $4.92 | $4.20 |
On top of that, you’re also earning 1 mile per $20 spent. For this $52 grocery bill, that’s another 2 miles.
So overall, you’ve earned 42 miles on a $52 grocery bill. Here’s the return of the rewards you earned.
- Dream – 9.9%
- Cash – 8.5%
Scene+
To the new guy – Scene+.
You’ve got 4 ways to redeem your points for max value, so we’ll assume you’ll be using one of them.
| Item | Cost | Points Earned | Points Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman ice cream bars | $5.99 | 50 | $0.50 |
| Compliments shredded cheese | $6.79 | 60 | $0.60 |
| $3 on lettuce | $3.00 | 50 | $0.50 |
| 2 packs Sun Chips | $7.98 | 90 | $0.90 |
| 2 packs compliments granola bars | $11.58 | 50 | $0.50 |
| 2 loaves Ben’s bread | $7.38 | 70 | $0.70 |
| Totals | $42.72 | 370 | $3.70 |
We’ve spent less – only $43. But this week there are no offers to earn bonus rewards at a set threshold.
So your return is 8.6%. Slightly higher than Cash Miles, but lower than Dream Miles.
With that said, if there was an overall spend offer, we would have earned more. Take the $50 offer we showed above. If we spent $50, we would have earned another 500 points.
In this case, our overall return would have been 17.4%, better than the Dream Miles return.
So which is better?
But you’re by no means guaranteed to get 12.7 cents per mile either. It could be less than that – much less (I recently used my miles for a car rental and only got 9.5 cents per mile). Scene+ will at least deliver a consistent value every time you use your rewards.
If you can take advantage of weekly spend offers at Sobeys, Scene+ is probably going to earn you more rewards.
Want to save at the grocery store? Here are 51 tips to saving on groceries and eating better.
Scotiabank Scene+ credit cards
Interested in collecting more Scene+ points? Scotiabank’s lineup of Scene+ cards are for you.
And they just got an upgrade – most of them are now earning more rewards at Sobeys and Safeway stores.
Here are 4 Scotiabank credit cards to look into.
| Scotiabank Credit Card | Welcome Bonus | Earn Rates | Annual Fee, Income Requirements | Apply Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotiabank Gold American Express Card |  $60 GeniusCash + Up to 45,000 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 |
| Scotiabank American Express Card | 5,000 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 |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | $150 GeniusCash + 50,000 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 |
| Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card | 10,000 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 |
1. The best Scotiabank Scene+ credit card
×3 Award winner 
GC: $60
3x Award winner
For the best Scene+ credit card, look no further than the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card.
Why this card? It has the best rewards of any of them. Here’s what you’ll get:
- 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
That’s a lot of rewards. In fact, we estimate that you would earn around $588 in annual rewards based on spending $2,000 per month. That’s a lot of free groceries (or travel, movie tickets, take your pick).
It has a few features beyond the rewards. They are:
- no foreign exchange fees,
- 12 types of insurance, and
- standard Amex benefits (Front Of The Line and Amex Offers).
The annual fee for all this? A standard $120, and a low personal income requirement of $12,000.
2. The best no fee Scotiabank credit card
Want a no annual fee card? The Scotiabank American Express Card is a no fee card packed with rewards.
Here they are:
- 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
That’s a lot of rewards – up to 3% back on your purchases.
In terms of annual rewards on a $2,000 monthly spending, you’re looking at $348. An incredible amount for a no fee card.
3. A Scotiabank Scene+ credit card with perks
×1 Award winner GC: $150
1x Award winner
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card is a premium travel credit card for anyone wishing to explore the world.
First, the rewards:
- 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
Unfortunately, they’re pared back compared to the 2 previous cards, getting you only $324 in rewards per year.
But this card offers far more than rewards. For starters, it charges no foreign exchange fees. Sure, the Gold Amex does too, but since this is a Visa, you’ll get better acceptance everywhere in the world.
It also offers free airport lounge access. You’ll get a membership and 6 free passes in the Visa Airport Companion program, which will give you access to over 1,200 lounges across the globe.
On top of that, you’ll get 11 types of insurance.
Just note – the annual fee is $150, and it has income requirements of either $60,000 personal or $100,000 household.
4. A no fee Visa offering Scene+ points
The last card to earn bonus rewards at Sobeys stores is a no fee Visa – the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card.
Here are the rewards this card earns:
- 2 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, Home Hardware, and Cineplex
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Less than the others. You’re only earning bonus rewards at Scene+ partners.
But, it checks 2 key boxes for people – it has no fee, and it’s not an Amex. If those are the things you want in a credit card, this is your best option.
Do you prefer Scene+ or Air Miles at Sobeys?
This is one comparison. Many have been worrying about losing out on rewards.
But that is far from the case. The only time you’ll lose out is if you can get high value for your Dream Miles every single time.
If you’ve experienced the switch to Scene+, what have your thoughts been?
Let us know in the comments below.
FAQ
When did Sobeys stores change their rewards to Scene+?
Sobeys started changing their stores to Scene+ in August of 2022. Sobeys started in Atlantic Canada, and the rollout will be complete across the country by early 2023.
What do you earn for Scene+ points at Sobeys?
At Sobeys and Safeway stores, members earn points based on personalized offers, and bonus points on select products.
Can you redeem Scene+ points at Sobeys stores?
Scene+ points can be redeemed at Sobeys stores. You can redeem 1,000 points for a $10 savings, and it can be done at checkout.
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