Scotiabank’s Best Credit Cards in Canada in 2023

As one of Canada's Big Five Banks, millions of Canadians trust Scotiabank to manage their finances. It offers many credit cards to suit everyone's needs, whether you're a frequent traveler or want to save money on your daily purchases. Below, Hardbacon shares its selection of the best Scotiabank credit cards according to your preferences. To push your research further, go to our credit card comparison tool.

 The best Scotiabank credit cards with no annual fee

Credit card fees can be a turn-off for many people. Fortunately, Scotiabank offers several cards with different benefits that have no annual fees. Paying less in fees can save you some money and still get your rewards.

 The SCENE Visa Credit Card

The SCENE Visa Credit Card continues to be a favourite of moviegoers across the country. For every purchase at Cineplex cinemas or at cineplex.com, you earn 2 SCENE points for every dollar spent. You also earn 2 SCENE points per dollar spent at participating grocery stores. For all other purchases, you get one point per dollar spent. You can redeem SCENE points for pretty much whatever you want like movies, travel, dining, shopping, a credit on your statement and more.

You could earn up to 10,000 SCENE points as a welcome bonus. This card also entitles you to a discount of up to 25% on car rental at Avis and Budget locations in Canada and the United States.

The SCENE Visa Credit Card is available at no annual fee. It has an interest rate of 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, and a minimum credit limit of $500. To apply, you must have a minimum annual income of $12,000. A student version of this credit card is also available, with a welcome offer of 1,250 points.

 Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card

If you want to pay less, the Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card is for you. As the name suggests, it has no annual fee. It also has an interest rate of 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. With this card, you earn 1% cash back at gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies and on recurring payments. All other purchases earn you 0.5% back per dollar spent.

Signing up gets you a particularly generous welcome offer. You get 5% back on all your purchases for the first 3 months, up to a maximum of $2,000 spent. You also benefit from an interest rate of 0.99% on balance transfers for the first 6 months after joining. These benefits make it a credit card particularly popular among new Canadian immigrants.

This card allows for a minimum credit limit of $500. To qualify, you must have a minimum income of $12,000. Another one of its benefits is a discount of up to 25% at Avis and Budget car rental locations in Canada and the United States.

 Scotiabank American Express Credit Card

The Scotiabank American Express Credit Card allows you to earn 3 Scene Points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases at participating grocery stores, 2 points per $1 on dining, movies, entertainment, gas and transportation, streaming services, and 1 Scene Point per $1 on everything else. The welcome offer allows you to earn up to 12,000 Bonus Scene Points by making $750 in eligible everyday purchases in the first 3 months of use and $5,000 in your first year.

This card has no annual fees, and you can get supplementary cards for free. Its interest rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers. It has a minimum credit limit of $1,000 and an annual income of $12,000 is required to apply.

The Scotiabank American Express Card offers the ability to take advantage of special offers and experiences as well as privileged access through the American Express Invites program. You are also entitled to discounts of up to 25% on car rentals at participating Avis and Budget locations in Canada and the United States.

Additionally, 3 types of coverage are available with this credit card:

• Mobile Device Insurance
• Purchase Security
• Extended Warranty Protection

The best Scotiabank cash back credit cards

Scotiabank offers cash back credit cards, a great way to save money every time you make purchases. How much you get back depends on how much you spend. It's still a great way to optimize your budget.

 Scotia Momentum Visa Credit Card

The Scotia Momentum Visa Credit Card allows you to earn cash back on your everyday purchases. For every dollar spent at an eligible gas station, grocery store, pharmacy, and on recurring payments such as phone bills, you earn 2% back. For all other purchases, you get 1% back for every dollar spent.

This card also entitles you to a discount of up to 25% on vehicle rental from Avis and Budget in Canada and the United States.

The Scotia Momentum Visa Credit Card is available for $39 annually, and each additional card is available for $15 per year. Its interest rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers after the welcome offer. To apply, your annual income must be at least $12,000.

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Credit Card

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Credit Card offers the highest discount rate on our list. You get 4% back on eligible grocery store purchases and recurring payments, including phone bills, and streaming subscriptions. You also get 2% on gas and public transport and 1% on all other purchases.

As a Visa Infinite credit card holder, you have access to exclusive benefits, such as 24/7 concierge service and the Visa Infinite Hotel Collection program, which comes with an automatic room upgrade at a wide selection of hotels. There's also the Visa Infinite Dining Series and Wine country program, which allows you to dine with some of the biggest names in the food and wine industry in a private setting.

Finally, like other Scotiabank credit cards, you can also take advantage of discounts at Avis and Budget car rental locations in North America. Additionally, you have access to a full range of travel insurance, including 15-day emergency medical insurance, as well as mobile device insurance with coverage of up to $1,000.

This card includes an annual fee of $120 and $50 for each additional card. It has an interest rate of 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. It has a minimum credit limit of $5,000 and to get it, you must have a minimum annual personal income of $60,000 or a household income of at least $100,000.

 The best Scotiabank credit cards for travellers

Do you travel often? Scotiabank offers cards that can pay off for globetrotters. This is great for travel hacking.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Credit Card

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Credit Card allows you to earn Scene Points. These points can be redeemed for travel rewards, thousands of online items, dining, movies, and even credit on your banking services.

You earn 3 Scene Points for every dollar spent at participating grocery stores, and 2 points per dollar at restaurants and other grocery stores, movies and entertainment venues, gas and public transit. You earn one Scene Point for every dollar spent on any other eligible purchase.

In its first year of use, you'll benefit from a welcome offer to earn up to 40,000 Scene Points. In addition, your annual fee will be waived for the first year.

No foreign exchange fees

A great benefit of this credit card is that there are no currency conversion fees, which usually amount to between 2.5% to 3%. This means that your purchases will be exempt from these fees, both for online purchases and for purchases at a business outside of Canada. Only the exchange rate applies.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Credit Card also entitles you to a complimentary Priority Pass membership and six free annual visits to thousands of airport lounges around the world. You can also benefit from automatic upgrades to a wide selection of hotels thanks to the Visa Infinite Hotel Collection.

You will be able to travel with peace of mind with the various insurances that come with this card, including a 25-day travel emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation / trip interruption insurance, flight delay insurance and delayed, lost or stolen baggage insurance, amongst others.

This card has an annual fee of $150. The first additional card is free, while each additional card costs $50 annually. It has an interest rate of 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. There is a minimum credit limit of $5,000 and a minimum income requirement of $60,000 per person or $100,000 per household.

ScotiaGold Passport Visa Credit Card 

With the  ScotiaGold Passport Visa Credit Card you earn one Scotia Rewards Point for every purchase you make. In addition, this card offers 5% cash back on travel booked through the Scotia Rewards Travel Service, a great benefit for frequent travelers. This travel agency also comes with a best price guarantee on airline tickets.

The ScotiaGold Passport Visa Credit Card offers five types of travel insurance including 25-day travel emergency medical insurance, delay and lost baggage insurance, rental car collision loss damage insurance and hotel or motel burglary insurance. Finally, it also offers additional protection for your purchases.

This credit card has an annual fee of $110 and a $30 fee for each additional card. Its interest rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. The minimum credit limit on this card is $5,000, and you must have a minimum annual income of $12,000 to apply.

The best Scotiabank rewards credit cards

Do you like to accumulate rewards? If you do, check out the following cards. They might appeal to you.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Credit Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Credit Card is one of the most generous when it comes to Scene Points. It gives you 6 Scene Points for every dollar spent at participating grocery stores, and 5 Scene Points on eligible purchases at:

• Other groceries
• Restaurants and drinking establishments
• Ready-to-cook meal subscriptions and meal delivery services,
• Entertainment purchases including movies, theatre, and ticket agencies.

You earn 3 Scene Points on every dollar spent on gas, rideshares, buses, taxis, and eligible streaming services. Finally, you earn 1 Scene Point for every dollar spent on every other purchase.

The current welcome offer allows you to earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene Points. For the first 20,000 points, you must spend at least $1,000 during the first 3 months after applying. For the additional 20,000 points, you must make a minimum of $7,500 in eligible purchases in the first year.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Credit Card has an annual fee of $120 and an interest rate of 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. There is an additional fee of $29 per year for any additional cards.

There are also no currency conversion fees, making it an attractive option for travellers. The minimum credit limit for this card is $5,000 and your annual income must be at least $12,000.

As an American Express credit card holder, you will be entitled to exclusive American Express Offers including discounts and rewards (shopping, dining, travel), the Front of the Line Amex Service that gives you access to pre-sale tickets to some of the most requested events, and access to American Express by Invitation Only experiences to enjoy exclusive events.

The best low interest Scotiabank credit card

Paying off your credit card every month can be a challenge for some. You are not alone. That's why Scotiabank offers the following low-interest credit card  to keep you out of debt.

Scotiabank Value Visa Credit Card

The Scotiabank Value Visa Credit Card is perfect for those who can't always pay their monthly balance. It has an interest rate of 12.99% on purchases and cash advances, allowing you to manage your monthly payments with more flexibility and without excessively affecting your credit score.

This card has an annual fee of $29 and additional cards are free. It has a minimum credit limit of $500 and requires an annual income of at least $12,000. Finally, like other Scotiabank credit cards, you can also take advantage of discounts of up to 25% at Avis and Budget in North America.

The best Scotiabank credit card for students

Starting school often means getting your first credit card. Scotiabank has the perfect card for students to take their first steps into credit.

L’earn Visa Credit Card

The L’earn Visa Credit Card for Students allows you to build your credit score while earning cash back. Each year, you will receive 0.25% back on the first $500 spent, 0.5% on the second $500 spent, and 1% on any amount over $1,000. There are no annual fees for this card and the first additional card is also free. Additional cards have an annual fee of $50. 

The interest rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. The credit limit is at least $500 and there is no minimum income required to obtain it. Cardholders are also entitled to discounts of up to 20% at Avis car rental locations around the world.

Students who sign up for the L’earn Visa Credit Card have a chance to win a $30,000 scholarship with the Scotia Funds Your Future contest. To be eligible, applicants must be at least 17 years of age, be enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution and reside in Canada.

The best Scotiabank credit cards for business

Small business owners are sure to find something to their liking with Scotiabank credit cards specifically designed to help businesses better manage their finances.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Credit Card

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Credit Card can be an indispensable tool for your business. With it, you get 1.5 Scotia Rewards Points for every dollar of eligible purchase for your business.

In addition, you do not pay any currency conversion fees for online and outside of Canada purchases. You are also entitled to a complimentary Priority Pass membership and six annual visits to airport lounges around the world.

There are several benefits created for business owners offered to you. In particular, you can turn your purchases into savings with the Visa SavingsEdge program. You can also enroll in the Visa Spend Clarity for Business program, an online tool that allows you to manage your budget more efficiently. Finally, this card comes with protection against unauthorized charges made by employees, up to a maximum of $100,000.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business credit card has an annual fee of $199. The first additional card is free of charge, and subsequent ones each cost $50 per year.

The interest rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances. The minimum credit limit is $10,000 and can go up to $100,000 unsecured. To be eligible, you must meet one of the following conditions:

• An annual sales revenue of more than $500,000
• An annual personal income of at least $60,000
• At least $30,000 in purchases paid for with your credit card each year
• An annual household income of at least $100,000
• Assets under management of more than $250,000.

The Scotia Momentum for Business Visa Credit Card

The Scotia Momentum for business Visa Credit Card  allows you to earn cash back on purchases necessary to run your business. You get 3% back on purchases at gas stations, restaurants, office supply stores and recurring payments. On all other eligible business purchases, you get 1% back

This card has an annual fee of $79 and each additional card is $29 per year. The interest rate on purchases is 19.99% and you have 25 days without interest. The interest rate is 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers. The minimum credit limit is $500, and the unsecured maximum is $100,000.