National Bank Business Mastercard vs Scotia Momentum Business Visa

Both business cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.

Naitonal Bank Business Mastercard

National Bank Business Mastercard

2.8

Learn more
Scotia Momentum® for business Visa* Card

Scotia Momentum® for business Visa* Card

4.6

Apply now

Worked out on a typical small business spending $4,000 a month. Enter yours to see your own numbers.

Doesn't earn rewards

First-year value

$819

Doesn't earn rewards

Every year after

$559

Only Scotia Momentum Business Visa earns rewards we can work out.

Compare the fees, rates and perks below.

How the first year adds up

Rewards and the welcome bonus in, the annual fee, FX fees and employee cards out, at your spending.

—

Annual rewards

$817.8
cash back a year
—

Welcome bonus

+ $260
first year only
—

Annual fee

− $79
—

FX fees

− $180
2.5% on $600/mo
—

First-year value

$818.8

Where each card earns

A year of your spending on each card, category by category, biggest spend first.

—

All Other Business Expenses

$12,600 a year

$126
at 1%
—

US Dollar Purchases

$6,150 a year

$61.5
at 1%
—

Recurring Bills & Subscriptions

$4,800 a year

$144
at 3%
—

Gas & EV Charging

$3,600 a year

$108
at 3%
—

Dining & Restaurants

$3,600 a year

$108
at 3%
—

Office Supplies

$3,000 a year

$90
at 3%
—

Phone, Internet & Cable

$2,400 a year

$24
at 1%
—

Hotels

$1,800 a year

$18
at 1%
—

Shipping & Courier

$1,800 a year

$36
at 2%
—

Accounting & Bookkeeping

$1,800 a year

$36
at 2%
—

Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)

$1,230 a year

$12.3
at 1%
—

Electronics & Software

$1,200 a year

$12
at 1%
—

Air Canada

$1,200 a year

$12
at 1%
—

Transportation

$1,200 a year

$12
at 1%
—

Other Airlines

$600 a year

$6
at 1%
—

Car Rental

$600 a year

$6
at 1%
—

Other Travel

$600 a year

$6
at 1%
—

Rewards in a year

$817.8

Welcome bonus

Each offer as the issuer words it, then which milestones your spending reaches.

National Bank Business Mastercard

No welcome bonus right now.

Scotia Momentum Business Visa

Earn 5% cash back on up to $6,500 in purchases in the first 3 months.1 Plus, pay 2.99% on balance transfers for the first 6 months.1

National Bank Business Mastercard

Scotia Momentum Business Visa

Worth $260 at your spending

5% cash back on up to $6,500 in 3 months

$260

Fees, rates and eligibility

What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.

$0Better of the two

Annual fee

$79
$0

Employee cards

$29
2.5%

Foreign transaction fee

2.5%
No rewards

Rewards

Cash back
Mastercard

Network

Visa

National Bank Business Mastercard

Interest rates

Purchase:

20.99% or 14.5%^

Cash Advance:

22.99% or 14.5%^

Balance Transfer:

22.99% or 14.5%^

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
560
Fair
660⁎
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Scotia Momentum Business Visa

Interest rates

Purchase:

19.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
560
Fair
660⁎
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

How each card earns

The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.

National Bank Business Mastercard

  • Pay just $30 in annual fees with a minimum credit limit1 of $1,000 and reduce your rate to 14.5% on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.2,3
  • Get up to $10,000 in coverage against fraudulent uses of your credit card by authorized cardholders.

Scotia Momentum Business Visa

  • 3% cash back on eligible gas station, restaurant and office supply store purchases, and on eligible recurring bill payments2
  • 2% Cash Back on Shipping and Accounting and Bookkeeping Services2
  • 1% cash back on all other everyday purchases for your business2
  • 25-day interest-free grace period on new purchases3

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

National Bank Business Mastercard

Insurance

  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days

Scotia Momentum Business Visa

Insurance

  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days

  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Yes
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    Up to 8 days
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (65 to 75)

    Up to 3 days

Our take

National Bank Business Mastercard

This is a no-rewards, no-frills business card — and that’s exactly the point. There’s no annual fee, no points to track, and no complicated structure. What you get is a clean way to separate business expenses from personal ones, with the option to drop your interest rate to 14.5% for just $30/year. That makes it one of the better options if your business occasionally carries a balance. It won’t earn you anything on spending, but for businesses that just need a functional credit line without paying for features they’ll never use, it does the job.

  • $0 annual fee (including additional cards)
  • Option to lower interest rate to 14.5% with $30 annual fee
  • Helps separate business and personal expenses
  • No rewards program (no points or cash back)
  • Limited insurance coverage
  • No travel perks or premium benefits

Scotia Momentum Business Visa

One of the strongest cashback cards for businesses that spend heavily on gas, dining, office supplies, and recurring payments — 3% back in those categories with a generous $50,000 annual cap. At just $79/year, it doesn’t take much spending to come out well ahead. The 1% base rate on everything else is decent too. It comes with a very strong cash back welcome bonus, and the promotional 2.99% balance transfer rate can be useful if you’re consolidating business debt. Skip this if you want travel perks or lounge access — it’s purely a cashback play, and a good one.

  • Strong cashback
  • High annual spending cap
  • Reasonable annual fee
  • Promotional balance transfer rate
  • Interest-free grace period
  • Low-fee employee cards
  • Visa SavingsEdge discounts
  • Extensive travel medical insurance
  • Foreign transaction fees
  • Limited travel perks
  • Annual redemption
  • Basic insurance

More business card comparisons

Each card against every other business card we review.

Legal


National Bank Business Mastercard

Little details that matter


Customer service or report a lost or stolen card

Report fraudulent use by an authorized cardholder

Chargeback


®Mastercard and Mastercard BusinessCard are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank
 

TM ID Check and Identity Check are trademarks of Mastercard International Inc. Authorized user: National Bank.
 

1 Subject to credit approval from National Bank.
 

2 Grace period: No interest will be charged on purchases made during the month, provided the client pays the balance in full within twenty-one (21) days of the statement date. This grace period does not apply to cash advances or balance transfers. Minimum payment: If your account balance is lower than $10, you must pay the entire balance. If you reside in the province of Quebec, your minimum payment will correspond to 2.5% of the credit card account balance plus any overdue payment or $10, whichever amount is higher. If you are a business that chose the corporate responsibility, please refer to the cardholder agreement and account statement. Account statement: A statement is sent monthly. 

 

Average balance

Annual interest rate

$500

$3,000

22.99%

$9.45

$56.69

20.99%

$8.63

$51.76

14.5%

$5.96

$35.75

11.7%

$4.81

$28.85


*Variable interest rate in effect on April 24, 2023.

3 Subject to credit approval from National Bank. The total of all amounts transferred cannot exceed $5,000.
 

4 Certain conditions apply. Visit mastercard.caopens in a new tab for more information. Refer to the credit card terms and conditions.

This content is made available by National Bank and its affiliates for information purposes only. It does not create any legal or contractual obligations for National Bank and its affiliates. The conditions described herein are not exhaustive and are subject to change.

Some of our cards offer a compensation plan in the event of fraud by a cardholder. If necessary, the fraud compensation plan entitles you to a refund limited to the real loss resulting from fraudulent use of the card or account by the cardholder. This plan only applies in the event of fraudulent use by a cardholder who is not also an authorized signatory. The refund amount can be up to $100,000 per account per 12-month period. To use this plan, the company and all authorized signatories must fully collaborate with the Bank and file an official complaint with law enforcement authorities. The application of the fraud protection plan is governed by the conditions set out in section 14 of the credit card agreement. In particular, the plan does not apply if, through negligence, the cardholder contributed to the unauthorized or fraudulent use of the card or account by any person other than a cardholder.


National Bank is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for a National Bank Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from National Bank, which can be in the form of monetary payment.


Scotia Momentum Business Visa

1 Offer Description and Conditions: The 5% Cash Back and Introductory 2.99% Balance Transfer Rate Offer (the “Offer”) applies only to new Scotia Momentum® for business Visa* Card accounts (“Accounts”) that are opened, and any additional cards on the Account issued, between May 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 (regardless of the date you apply for the Account) subject to the conditions below. Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers.

 

Offer Eligibility and Exclusions: Individuals who are currently or were previously primary or secondary cardholders of a Scotiabank business credit card in the past 2 years, including those that switch from an existing Scotiabank business credit card, are not eligible for the Offer. Subject to the above exclusions, Scotiabank personal credit cardholders are also eligible for the Offer. By accepting this Offer you confirm you meet all Offer eligibility requirements. We reserve the right to revoke this Offer at any time if we determine you do not meet the Offer eligibility requirements, including after you have accepted the Offer or been approved for the Account.   

 

5% Cash Back Offer Description and Conditions: You will earn 5% cash back on the first $6,500 in eligible purchases you spend on your new Account within the first 3 months of the Account open date (the “Promotional Period”). Eligible purchases include purchases (less any refunds, returns or other similar credits) but do not include payments, cash advances (including balance transfers and cash-like transactions), interest, fees or other charges. After the Promotional Period, you will earn regular cash back on eligible purchases at the regular cash back rate (the “Cash Back Program Rate”) described in the Scotia Momentum® for business VISA* Cash Back Program Terms and Conditions (the “Program Terms”). The 5% Cash Back rate for any category is made up of the sum of: (i) the regular Cash Back Program Rate (variable by categories as set out under the Program Terms); and (ii) a “Cash Back Bonus Rate”. Cash back earned under this Offer will be credited to your Account in 2 installments so long as your Account is open and in good standing at time of payout of each: Bonus Cash Back: The amount earned under the Cash Back Bonus Rate will be credited to your Account within approximately 7 months from the Account open date; and

  1. Regular Cash Back: The amount earned under your regular Cash Back Program Rate will be credited to your Account according to the redemption terms as set out under the Program Terms.

The Account is considered in good standing if it is not past due or over limit and the Cardholder(s) is not in breach of the Revolving Credit Agreement that applies to the Account.

EXAMPLE: If the Regular Cash Back Program Rate for shipping/accounting services category is 2% then the Cash Back Bonus Rate will be 3% for that category so that you will earn a total of 5% on the amount of all eligible everyday purchases in that category during the Promotional Period.

If you make $2,000 in eligible everyday purchases in the 2% Cash Back category, your cash back earnings will be credited to your Account as follows:

  1. the Cash Back Bonus earnings of $60 (3% x $2,000) will be applied to your Account within approximately 7 months from the Account open date if you have met the Cash Back Bonus conditions and then available for redemption (min $25) as per the Program terms applicable to your Account, and 
  2. the Regular Cash Back earnings of $40 (2% x $2,000), will be applied to your Account and available for redemption (min $25) as per the Program terms applicable to your Account.

 

All other terms and conditions of the Program Terms continue to apply during the Promotional Period.

 

Introductory 2.99% Balance Transfer Rate Offer Description and Conditions: The Introductory 2.99% Balance Transfer Rate Offer (the “BT Rate Offer”) applies only to eligible balance transfers, subject to the conditions below. This introductory rate applies for 6 months from date of Account opening (the “Promo Rate Period”). After the Promo Rate Period, the introductory 2.99% interest rate on any balance transfers made during the Promo Rate Period will increase to the preferred interest rate on cash advances (currently 22.99%). There is no balance transfer fee applicable to balance transfers made during the Promo Rate Period.  This BT Rate Offer is subject to the approved credit limit on your Account as of the date of this BT Rate Offer. This means if a balance transfer amount(s) requested exceeds your approved credit limit as of the date this BT Rate Offer was provided to you, it may not be processed. This BT Rate Offer cannot be used for any Scotiabank account including to transfer a balance from another Scotiabank account, or to make a payment or deposit to another Scotiabank account.  All other terms and conditions of the Program Terms continue to apply during the Promo Rate Period.

 

Losing your promotional rate: If we don’t receive the minimum payment on your Account by the payment due date on your statement, two consecutive times, you will lose the benefit of this promotional BT Rate Offer and the interest rates that apply on any unpaid balance will increase to the standard annual interest rates that apply to your Account (currently 25.99% on purchases and 27.99% on Cash Advances).   

 

How we apply payments: Your payment cannot be applied to the balance(s) of your choice: In general, if you make a payment that exceeds the minimum payment on your statement, we will apply your payment on a proportionate basis among each group of billed charges on your Account. We group charges based on the interest rate that applies to the group of charges. See your credit card agreement for more information about how we apply payments to your Account.

 

Rates and Fees: The current annual fee is $79 for the primary card and $29 for each additional card (including those issued to co-borrowers and supplementary cardholders). The current preferred annual interest rates for the Account are: 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on Cash Advances. 

All rates, fees, features, and benefits are outlined in the Welcome Kit you will receive if approved and are subject to change.


2 3% CASH BACK EARN RATE: You will earn 3% Cash Back on eligible purchases on your account at gas stations, electrical vehicle (EV) charging, restaurants, office supply stores, and on recurring bill payments. 3% Cash Back applies at merchants that are classified in the payment network associated with your account as: service stations (with or without ancillary services) and automated fuel dispensers; restaurants, fast food restaurants and bars; stationery and office supply stores; and recurring payments (Merchant Classification Codes (“MCC”): 5541, 5552 & 5542; 5812, 5813 & 5814; and 5111 & 5943). Recurring payments are defined as payments made on a monthly or regular basis automatically billed by the merchant to your account. Recurring payments typically include telecommunication, insurance, memberships, and subscription-based purchases. Not all merchants offer recurring payments. Please contact your merchant to confirm whether they offer recurring credit card payments. 2% CASH BACK EARN RATE: You will earn 2% Cash Back on eligible purchases on your account for shipping and accounting or bookkeeping services. 2% Cash Back applies at merchants which are classified in the payment network as shipping (MCC: 4214 and 4215) and accounting or bookkeeping services (MCC 8931). ANNUAL SPEND LIMIT ON 3% AND 2% EARN RATE CATEGORIES (the “Accelerated Earn Rates”): The combined Cash Back that can be earned on eligible purchases under the 3% and 2% earn rate categories (the Accelerated Earn Rates) will be capped at $40,000 in purchases annually. See “ANNUAL SPEND LIMITS” for more information. 1% CASH BACK EARN RATE (the “Regular Earn Rate”): You will earn 1% Cash Back on eligible Purchases made on your Account after you have reached the combined annual spend limit of $40,000 on the 3% and 2% earn categories (the “Overflow”) and on all other eligible Purchases made with the Account. ANNUAL SPEND LIMITS: There are annual limits on the Cash Back you can earn at Accelerated Earn Rates, as outlined in these Cash Back Program Terms (scotiabank.com/ terms/momentumbusiness). These limits are based on purchases posted to your account annually, calculated from the first day of the statement period of the month your account was opened (“Account opening date”). The annual spend limit resets every 12 months from the statement period of the month of your Account opening date. Once you reach the annual spend limit for any Accelerated Earn Rate(s), you will continue to earn Cash Back at the Regular Earn Rate.


3 Account must be open and in good standing to earn and redeem Cash Back. You must have earned a minimum of $25 Cash Back to be able to redeem. Only primary cardholders can redeem. Supplementary cardholders are not eligible to redeem Cash Back. Cash Back will be credited to the primary cardholder’s account within 3- 5 days from the day the redemption request is made. Cash Back will be displayed and available for redemption (after monthly calculation) and posted in the next statement cycle after such calculation has been completed by us. Cash Back will continue to accrue until redemption is made. There is no limit to Cash Back that can be earned. For complete details on how to redeem Cash Back, please see the “Cash Back Program Terms and Conditions” at Scotiabank.com/ terms/momentumbusiness.


5 Visa SavingsEdge is an automated discount program offered by Visa Canada Corporation ('Visa Canada') to eligible businesses and their authorized cardholders that hold an eligible Visa Business card and whose enrolment in the program is accepted by Visa. Under the program, cardholders can receive discounts from participating merchants each time the cardholder uses an enroled Visa Business card to make qualifying purchases of goods or services pursuant to an active discount offered by the merchant and that transaction is processed or submitted through the Visa payment system. Discounts provided will appear as credits on future credit card statements 8-10 weeks after purchase date. Visa Canada, not Scotiabank, is responsible for the Program. For details, visit www.visasavingsedge.ca. The following Scotiabank VISA Business cards are eligible for this program: Scotia Momentum for business Visa* card, Scotia Gold Passport for business Visa* card, ScotiaLine for business Visa* Card and Scotiabank Visa* Business Card.


See Card Provider's website and Card Application for complete card details, terms and current offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.