Scotia Momentum Visa Card

Scotia Momentum Visa Card

Earn 2 times the cash rewards on everyday essential purchases like gas, groceries, and bills with this low fee card.

$39.00
Annual fee
Learn more
$0
Welcome bonus
Learn more
$354
Annual rewards
Learn more
Find your top card |Read our disclosure
creditcardGenius Disclosure
creditcardGenius receives a referral fee for some credit cards listed; however, our comprehensive and math-based algorithm solely dictates the results of our rating system. Our ratings and rankings are strictly independent of compensation. Click to read our detailed disclosure.
Monthly Spending:
$

Pros & cons

Pros

  • No welcome bonus at this time.
  • Up to 2% cash back on purchases.
  • 2.99% on balance transfers for 6 months.

Cons

  • Limited insurance included.
  • Rewards only paid out once per year as a statement credit.

Your rewards

How you earn rewards

Each card earns rewards differently. Part of choosing your card is deciding what type of rewards you want to get. With Scotia Momentum Visa Card, here's how you earn rewards:

  • 2% cash back on gas , groceries , drugstores , and recurring payments
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

For all reward details click here.

How much your rewards are worth

The dollar value of your rewards depends on the specific rewards program ‒ and what you choose to redeem your points for. For Scotia Momentum Visa Card in particular, if you spend $2,000 per month, here's our estimated annual rewards earned depending on which reward you choose:

Statement credits $354

Calculating your annual rewards

$24,000 annual spending x 1.48% return on spending = $354 annual rewards

$354 annual rewards $39.00 annual fee = $315 net annual rewards

Details and eligibility

Estimated Credit Score
660 - 724
Personal Income
$12,000
Household Income
N/A
Canadian resident who has reached the provincial age of majority.
Annual Fee
$39.00
Extra Card Fee
$15
Card type
Credit
Purchase
19.99%
Cash Advance
22.99%
Balance Transfer
22.99%
Balance Transfer
2.99%
Transfer Term
6 months

Insurance coverage

Extended Warranty
1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days

Please review your insurance certificate for details, exclusions and limitations of your coverage, terms and conditions apply.

Learn more about the value of credit card insurance coverage.

Genius Rating

Scotia Momentum Visa Card's 3.3 Genius Rating is based on the weighted average of the following scores:

Rewards
3.0
Fees
3.0
Insurance
0.6
Interest
1.7
Perks
0.5
Approval
3.8
Acceptance
4.6
User Reviews
3.3

Methodology

All scores are produced by our math-based rating algorithm that takes into account over 126 credit card features.

Learn more about our rating methodology.

Scotiabank Momentum Visa review

creditcardGenius Team
Fact Checked
Fact Checked
Accuracy is important to us so this article has gone through a thorough 3-stage review process and fact-checked by our team.

A low annual fee cash back credit card, the Scotiabank Momentum Visa (not to be confused with its Visa Infinite counterpart) offers high earn rates on a variety of categories.

Here's what this Scotiabank Visa has to offer.

Earning cash back with the Scotia Momentum Visa

It's a cash back credit card, which means for every purchase you make, you'll get a certain amount back on your account.

Here are the earn rates for this credit card:

  • 2% cash back on gas, groceries, drugstores, and recurring payments
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

For a low annual fee of $39, that's a lot of cash back in your pocket. Based on a typical $2,000 monthly spend, you're looking at annual rewards of around $354.

Your cash back gets paid out once per year in November, and you can choose to have it applied as a statement credit or deposited into a Scotiabank account.

2 benefits to the Scotia Momentum Visa

On top of earning rewards, here are 2 other things to like about the Scotia Momentum Visa.

1. Balance transfer offer

Have existing credit card debt? The Scotia Momentum card has a balance transfer offer. You'll get a low rate of 2.99% for 6 months. It's not the greatest offer out there, but will still help in tackling unwanted credit card debt.

2. Low annual fee and income requirements

For what you get, you're paying a low annual fee of only $39, and this card has low income requirements of only $12,000 personal.

If you don't qualify for credit cards with higher income requirements, this can be a good alternative to think about.

2 downsides to the Scotia Momentum Visa

On the flip side, here are 2 other things to be aware of.

1. Little insurance coverage

Despite having an annual fee, you won't get much in the way of insurance coverage. This card only includes basic extended warranty and purchase protection, the same level of coverage as most no annual fee cards provide.

2. Rewards pale in comparison with the Visa Infinite version

This depends on whether or not you qualify for it and how much you spend, but the Visa Infinite version can earn more than enough rewards to offset the higher annual fee.

With a typical $2,000 monthly spend, the standard Mastercard version earns $354 in rewards. However, the Visa Infinite version earns $498 in rewards, more than offsetting the extra $81 you'll pay for the boosted annual fee.

Comparison to the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite

How does this card compare to its big brother – the Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card?

Here's how they compare in a few key areas.

Scotia Momentum Visa Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite
Earn Rates * 2% cash back on gas, groceries, drugstores, and recurring payments
* 1% cash back on all other purchases
* 4% cash back on groceries and recurring bill payments
* 2% cash back on gas and transit
* 1% cash back on all other purchases
Insurance Coverage 2 types 11 types
Annual Fee $39 $120, first year free
Income Requirements * Personal: $12,000 * Personal: $60,000
* Household: $100,000

Which one you should get mostly depends on the income requirements. As shown above the rewards the Visa Infinite version offers are generally going to be superior, and will at least offset the higher annual fee.

So if you can meet its stricter requirements, it may be the better card for you.

However if you don't, you're still earning 2% cash back on 4 different categories, while still earning at least 1% cash back on all your purchases.

Your turn

For a low annual fee and no income requirements, we have a cash back credit card that can earn between 1% to 2% on all your purchases.

Do you have this card? What are your thoughts on it? Leave a review below so others can see what you thought of it.

FAQ

What does the Scotia Momentum Visa earn for rewards?

With the Scotia Momentum Visa, you'll earn cash back at these rates:

  • 2% cash back on gas, groceries, drugstores, and recurring payments
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

Does the Scotiabank Momentum Visa have a balance transfer offer?

The Scotia Momentum Visa has a balance transfer offer of 2.99% for 6 months. A low rate offer like this can help put a dent in existing credit card debt.

What is the annual fee and income requirements of the Scotia Momentum?

The Scotia Momentum Visa has an annual fee of $39, and a low personal income requirement of $12,000.

Key benefits

  • Earn 2% cash back on gas, groceries, drugstore purchases, and recurring bill payments.
  • Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
  • Comes with a balance transfer offer of 2.99% for the first 6 months. Ends October 31, 2024.
  • Save up to 25% on car rentals at participating AVIS and Budget locations.
  • Comes with purchase security and extended warranty coverage so you can shop with confidence.
  • Low annual fee.

User reviews

3.3 out of 5

Reviewed by 7 Canadians

5 stars
29%
4 stars
29%
3 stars
14%
2 stars
0%
1 stars
29%
Roger 6 months ago
1

The pending charge take 3-4 days to clear, but payment clear in one day, so example if you pay your car insurance one week 2K$/ card limit 3K$ your credit availability is limited until the charge pass from pending to posted, therefore you cannot make another large procurement that week even if you paid that charge the same day!!! This isssue just pop-up last Nov 2024, it was not like this before. It limit your travel procurements...

BALAJI CHANDRAN 3 years ago
1

One of the worst credit card bank in the world, don't even apply for it or get it even if they give it free. They cheat the customer by saying scotia plan of easy payments but you will not pay the amount till you die. Biggest scamming out of all the credit cards.

8 years ago
1

I love receiving cash back but absolutely hate paying that annual fee

john dickey 8 years ago
1

Excellent cash back for gas and groceries.

8 years ago
1

This card works great for me. Normally I end up getting a $350 credit each year with the 1% or 2% cash back on all purchases. The only flaw in the system is the payment date switches. I am self employed and pay my self once a month but the payment date for the card can range anywhere from the 7th of the month to the 16th of the month. I pay it off in full each month but this variable date sometimes disrupt my work flow. The one month i did forget to check the date they did waive my interest charges when I called.

Pairs well with...

Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $135
MBNA True Line Preferred Mastercard
MBNA True Line® Mastercard®0% on balance transfers for 12 months (3% fee) + No annual fee.*
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $125
Tangerine World Mastercard
Tangerine World Mastercard®Up to $100 bonus cash back* + 1.95% on balance transfers for 6 months.*
Scotiabank Value Visa
Scotiabank Value Visa CardLow permanent interest rates of 13.99% + First year free.*
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $150
BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®*Exclusive: Up to $480 bonus cash back + First year fee waived.*
American Express Cobalt
American Express Cobalt® CardTransfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.*
MBNA True Line Gold Mastercard
MBNA True Line® Gold Mastercard®Low interest rates of 10.99% + Low annual fee.*
CIBC Select Visa
CIBC Select Visa* Card0% on balance transfers for 10 months + First year fee rebate.*
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $125 + $25
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard®Up to 30,000 bonus points + birthday bonus worth up to 15k points.*
Credit Card Genius Cash IconGC: $125 + $25
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard (Quebec Version)
MBNA Rewards World Elite® Mastercard® (QC)Up to 20,000 bonus points + Annual bonus worth up to 15k points.*
BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard
BMO Preferred Rate Mastercard®*0.99% on balance transfers for 9 months + Very low interest rates.*

creditcardGenius is a smart credit card matchmaker that compares 126+ features of 229+ credit cards, with objective ratings, rankings and reviews. Built in 2017, for Canadians by Canadians, creditcardGenius is trusted by more than 200,000 people every month, 50,000 newsletter subscribers, and 15M people since launch.

Read more about creditcardGenius

About creditcardGenius

creditcardGenius

The creditcardGenius team of writers is dedicated to bringing factual, helpful, and thorough information to Canadian consumers. Each piece of content goes through a 3-step review process because quality is important to us.

Read more about creditcardGenius Team

About creditcardGenius Team

creditcardGenius Team

Rating Methodology

The most comprehensive credit card rating system in Canada.

126+ total data points analyzed
Data point breakdown