Cineplex and Scotiabank have been busy reworking the Scene+ program over the last year.
Last year’s big news was the merger of Scotia Rewards and Scene,
Then we saw Scene giving Sobeys a piece of the ownership pie. The Scene program looks almost nothing like it did a year ago.
Scene credit cards have also seen some changes. Just recently, 2 of Scotiabank’s Amex cards were revamped.
And now, the upgrade train is set to continue. There are 4 more credit cards getting some small upgrades in October 2022. The Scene+ program is also getting a Sobeys themed upgrade. Let’s dive into the changes and see how you can take advantage of them.
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Select Scene+ credit cards to earn bonus rewards at Sobeys
On October 1, 2022, 4 credit cards will start earning bonus rewards when shopping at Sobeys stores.
Here’s the full list of stores that will start earning credit cardholders more rewards:
- Sobeys,
- IGA,
- Safeway,
- Foodland,
- FreshCo,
- Thrifty Foods,
- Les Marchés Tradition,
- Rachelle Béry, and
- Co-op.
There are a few other small changes coming – here’s a summary of what cards are seeing changes, and what is being changed.
| Credit Card | Earn Rate On Groceries | New Earn Rate At Sobeys | Other Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | 5 points per $1 spent | 6 points per $1 spent | * Adding mobile device insurance * Purchase interest rate increase to 20.99% |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite | 2 points per $1 spent | 3 points per $1 spent | * Annual fee increase to $150 * Purchase interest rate increase to 20.99% |
| Scotiabank American Express | 2 points per $1 spent | 3 points per $1 spent | None |
| Scotiabank Scene Visa | 1 point per $1 spent | 2 points per $1 spent | * Cineplex earn rate changing from 5 to 2 points per $1 spent |
Here’s a closer look at the changes.
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We covered this change when Scotiabank updated their other Amex card updates, but we thought it was worthwhile to have all these changes in one place.
With these changes, the
At Sobeys stores, you’ll be earning 6 points per $1 spent on your purchases. A return of 6% on groceries when redeeming your points for things like free food, travel, or movie tickets is so far not matched anywhere in Canada.
Plus, this card will be gaining mobile device insurance. It’s not the rare insurance it used to be, but it still provides valuable coverage for a device that goes where you do.
And nothing else is changing. It’s all sunshine and rainbows with the Scotia Gold Amex – nothing is being taken away, no extra fees are being charged. Sure, the purchase interest rate is being increased by 1%, but as long as you follow our golden credit card rule of paying your bill in full every month, it’s nothing you have to worry about.
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The
The good – you’ll be earning more rewards at Sobeys stores. The standard earn rate on groceries is 2 points per $1 spent, but that will increase to 3 points.
Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a cost to this increased earn rate. The annual fee is increasing by $11, from $139 to $150 for the primary cardholder. There is no change to supplemental card fees.
With that said, this annual fee increase is offset simply by spending $100 per month at Sobeys. But unlike the Gold Amex above, it would have been nice to get this new rate without the increased fee.
One last change – the interest rate on purchases will be going up to 20.99%. Again, if you pay your bill on time, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
The
But it’s still getting a new earn rate at Sobeys. The card currently earns 2 points per $1 spent on groceries, but that will increase to 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys stores.
3% back on groceries is among the best earn rates you can get for food on a no annual fee card.
The original Scene credit card – the
What’s changing? It’s getting a new earn rate on groceries at Sobeys – 2 points per $1 spent.
There is a cost to this. You currently earn 5 points per $1 spent at Cineplex theatres. But starting on October 1, 2022, you’ll only be earning 2 points per $1 spent. If you have this card because you go to the movies a lot and enjoy piling up the Scene points, this obviously isn’t great news.
Our suggestion if you’re bummed by this change? Switch to the Scotiabank Amex (the red one). As long as Amex acceptance doesn’t bother you, you’ll earn more points on purchases, get better benefits, and won’t be charged an annual fee.
Here’s exactly how the rewards you earn stack up after October 1, 2022.
First, the Scene Visa:
- 2 points per $1 spent at Sobeys and Cineplex, and
- 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else.
And the red Amex:
- 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys.
- 2 points per $1 spent on groceries, entertainment (which includes Cineplex), gas, daily transit, and select streaming services, and
- 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else.
There’s really no comparison. In fact, it can be hard to believe that the red Amex also has no annual fee when comparing these.
Of course, this is just a suggestion to keep in mind if you have the Scene Visa. Our compare cards page can help you find other options that may suit you better.
Redeem your Scene+ points at Sobeys
This is only part of the news. We also now know that you’ll be able to redeem your Scene+ points for free food at Sobeys.
If you’re already a Scene+ member, you may have already received an email detailing this new redemption option (it likely depends on where you live)
If you haven’t, here’s what landed in our inboxes recently:
I happen to live in Atlantic Canada, and we’re the region where this is dropping first (we get to be the beta testers, for better or for worse). For other regions, Scene+ will be gradually rolled out to the rest of Canada (probably once they get any kinks and bugs fixed), with the changeover from Air Miles finishing sometime in early 2023.
What exactly is coming? Here’s how you’ll be able to earn and redeem Scene+ at Sobeys.
We love seeing that a Scene+ point will be worth 1 cent when redeemed for free groceries. We were expecting to get personalized offers – that’s something Sobeys currently offers with Air Miles. The everyday rewards aren’t new either.
But the member pricing is. This is something new, and we can’t wait to see what this might entail.
Overall, when you combine Scene+, Sobeys, and the credit card updates, together this makes for an excellent combination to get you free groceries.
Your thoughts on the Scene+ credit card changes
Scene+ and Sobeys is starting to shape up quite nicely. We’re getting updated credit cards with bonus rewards at Sobeys and the ability to use your points for free food.
What are your thoughts on everything?
Let us know in the comments below.
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