National Bank Business Mastercard vs Scotiabank Passport Business

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

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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card

Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Business* Card

5.0

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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

$821

Doesn't earn rewards

Every year after

$521

Only Scotiabank Passport Business 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

$720
in Scene+ points a year
—

Welcome bonus

+ $300
first year only
—

Annual fee

− $199
—

FX fees

− $0
no foreign transaction fee
—

First-year value

$821

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

$189
at 1.5x
—

US Dollar Purchases

$6,000 a year

$90
at 1.5x
—

Recurring Bills & Subscriptions

$4,800 a year

$72
at 1.5x
—

Gas & EV Charging

$3,600 a year

$54
at 1.5x
—

Dining & Restaurants

$3,600 a year

$54
at 1.5x
—

Office Supplies

$3,000 a year

$45
at 1.5x
—

Phone, Internet & Cable

$2,400 a year

$36
at 1.5x
—

Hotels

$1,800 a year

$27
at 1.5x
—

Shipping & Courier

$1,800 a year

$27
at 1.5x
—

Accounting & Bookkeeping

$1,800 a year

$27
at 1.5x
—

Electronics & Software

$1,200 a year

$18
at 1.5x
—

Air Canada

$1,200 a year

$18
at 1.5x
—

Transportation

$1,200 a year

$18
at 1.5x
—

Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)

$1,200 a year

$18
at 1.5x
—

Other Airlines

$600 a year

$9
at 1.5x
—

Car Rental

$600 a year

$9
at 1.5x
—

Other Travel

$600 a year

$9
at 1.5x
—

Rewards in a year

$720

Welcome bonus

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

National Bank Business Mastercard

No welcome bonus right now.

Scotiabank Passport Business

  • Earn up to $2,600* in first year savings and reward value, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+TM* points with the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Business* Card1
  • Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points.1
  • Earn 30,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $5,000 in everyday eligible business purchases in your first 3 months.
  • Earn 10,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $60,000 in everyday eligible business purchases in your first 12 months.

National Bank Business Mastercard

Scotiabank Passport Business

Worth $300 at your spending

30,000 Scene+ points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months

30,000 pts

10,000 Scene+ points when you spend $60,000 in the first 12 months

0 pts

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

$199
$0

Employee cards

$0 on 1st, $50 thereafter
2.5%

Foreign transaction fee

Better of the twoNone
No rewards

Rewards

Scene+
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

Scotiabank Passport Business

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:

$60,000

Min Household Income:

$100,000

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.

Scotiabank Passport Business

  • Earn 1.5X the Scene+TM‡ points for every $1 spent2 on purchases for your business
  • Enjoy no Foreign Transaction Fees3 whether you make purchases online or outside of Canada

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

National Bank Business Mastercard

Insurance

  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days

Perks

No extra perks.

Scotiabank Passport Business

Insurance

  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $1,000
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $1,000
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $65,000 up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000/insured, $1M combined
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1,000
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

    $2M/insured up to 25 days
  • travel accident medical

    Travel Medical Insurance (65 to 75)

    $2M/insured up to 10 days
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $2,500/person, $10,000/trip
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $2,500/person, $10,000/trip
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500/person after 4 hours

Perks

  • exchange money

    No Foreign Transaction Fees

    Avoid the usual 2.5% forex fees on your purchases when you travel outside of Canada
  • exclusive

    Visa Infinite Exclusive Benefits

  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass

    6 Free complimentary visits
  • gas station

    Gas Discount4

    Get up to 10¢/L in value with Shell Go+
  • concierge

    Concierge Services

  • star fall

    Status lift

    Avis® Preferred Plus membership

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

Scotiabank Passport Business

The standout feature is simple: no foreign transaction fees. For any business that regularly pays suppliers abroad, books international travel, or has USD expenses, this saves 2.5% on every foreign purchase — savings that add up fast. On top of that, you earn a flat 1.5 Scene+ points per dollar on everything with no caps or categories. The $199 fee is higher than average, but you get six airport lounge visits per year, solid travel insurance, and a 40,000-point welcome bonus. If your business spending is mostly domestic and you don’t travel, the fee is hard to justify. But for internationally active businesses, this is one of the best options in Canada.

  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Strong rewards
  • Generous welcome bonus
  • Airport lounge access
  • Shell Fuel Savings
  • Comprehensive travel coverage
  • Flexible redemptions
  • First additional card free
  • Visa Infinite benefits
  • Higher annual fee
  • Welcome bonus spending requirements
  • High income requirement
  • Additional card fees

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.


Scotiabank Passport Business

* * Savings and reward potential in first 12 months includes welcome offer value, first year point earn potential, foreign transaction fee and airport lounge savings as of October 22, 2025:

$300 in travel rewards (30,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card clients who spend $5,000 within the first 3 months;

 

$100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) when you spend $60,000 on your Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card within the first 12 months;

 

$166 in foreign transaction fee savings based on average first year annual foreign spend per Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card account (save the 2.5% foreign transaction fee markup typically charged by card issuers);

 

$1650 in first year point earn potential (165,000 Scene+ points) on eligible business purchases based on average annual first year spend per Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card account;

 

$383 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership that includes 6 lounge passes (based on “Preferential” membership valued at approx. CAD$383/USD$274). Currency conversion as at October 22rd, 2025.

Potential First Year Value = up to $2,599 (rounded up to the nearest hundred)

Actual offers, savings and rewards earned will depend on individual card usage and eligibility for applicable offers. Conditions apply.


1Offer Description and Conditions: The 40,000 Bonus Scene+ Points Offer (the “Offer”) applies only to new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business credit card accounts (“Account”) opened between May 1, 2026, and October 31, 2026 (regardless of the date you apply for the Card), and is subject to the conditions below.

 

To be eligible for 30,000 bonus Scene+ points (the “30,000 Point Bonus”), you must have at least $5,000 in eligible purchases posted to your new Account in the first 3 months of the Account open date.  To qualify for an additional 10,000 bonus Scene+ points (the “10,000 Point Bonus”), you must have at least $60,000 in eligible purchases posted to your new Account in the first year (12 months) of Account open date. Eligible purchases include purchases (less any refunds, returns or other similar credits) but do not include payments, cash advances (including balance transfers or cash-like transactions), interest, fees, or other charges.  

 

Point Bonus Fulfilment: The applicable point Bonus(es) will be credited within approximately 8 weeks after the qualifying amount in eligible purchases (i.e., $5,000 or $60,000) has been posted to the Account (within the first 3 months for the 30,000 Point Bonus or within the first 12 months for the 10,000 Point Bonus) provided the Account is open and in good standing. For Joint Accounts with a Primary Borrower and Co-borrower, the applicable point Bonus will be credited as follows: (i) the 30,000 Point Bonus and 10,000 Point Bonus will be credited to the Scene+ account linked to the Account of the borrower that completed the last transaction to meet the qualifying amount of eligible purchases (i.e., $5,000 or $60,000) in the appropriate time frame (i.e., first 3 months or first 12 months). If a supplementary cardholder completes the last qualifying transaction to meet the qualifying amount of eligible purchases for the 30,000 Point Bonus or the 10,000 Point Bonus, the applicable point Bonus will be credited to the Primary Borrower’s Scene+ account linked to the Account. Points can be transferred between Primary and Co-Borrower or Supplementary Cardholder’s Scene+ accounts by contacting Scene+.  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.   All other terms and conditions of the Scene+ Program continue to apply during the Offer period.  Offer may be changed, cancelled, or extended without notice at any time 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 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.

 

Rates and Fees: The current annual fee is $199 for the primary card, $0 for the first additional card and $50 for each additional card thereafter (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 (including balance transfers and cash-like transactions). All rates, fees, features, and benefits are outlined in the Welcome Kit you will receive if approved
and are subject to change. 


2 You will earn 1.5 Scene+ points per $1 on eligible business purchases. Points are not awarded for Cash Advances (including Balance Transfers and Cash-Like Transactions), returns, refunds or other similar credits, card payments, fees, interest charges or other charges.

Any unused Scene+ points will be subject to the cancellation or expiration terms that apply to them under the Scene+ program. See the Scene+ program terms at www.sceneplus.ca for more information.


3 Scotiabank will not charge you Foreign Transaction Fees on foreign currency transactions including purchases, only the exchange rate applies. The term “Foreign Transaction Fees” is a substitute for “Foreign Currency Conversion” as described in the disclosure section of the Welcome Kit for this Card.  This fee relates to the mark-up that is typically charged by credit card issuers in addition to the exchange rate. See the disclosure section of this Card’s Welcome Kit or download it by visiting https://www.scotiabank.com/welcomekits for full details. Rates and fees subject to change.


4Get up to 7 cents per litre in instant fuel discounts for a limited time and earn up to 3 cents per litre in Scene+ Points Value with an eligible Scotiabank payment card linked to a Shell Go+ Account:

  • Instant 3 cents per Litre Discount on Fuel Purchases (All Grades): Receive an instant 3 cents per litre discount on purchases of fuel (all grades) (“Fuel Purchases (All Grades)”) at participating Shell locations in Canada when you use any eligible Scotiabank debit card or credit card linked to a Shell Go+ Account, up to a maximum of 1,000 litres per month per Scotiabank debit card and per Scotiabank credit card account. This total limit resets at the start of each new month per payment card account. This discount is subject to the Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.

 

  • Instant 4 cents per Litre Discount on Premium Fuel: Between May 26, 2026 and June 1, 2027 (“Promotional Period”), receive an instant 4 cents per litre discount on purchases of V-Power®* gasoline, or V-Power®* diesel (“Premium Fuel Purchases”) at participating Shell locations in Canada when you use any eligible Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points linked to a Shell Go+ Account, up to a maximum of 1,000 litres per month per credit card account. This total limit resets at the start of each new month per credit card account. This promotional offer, including the Promotional Period, may be changed, extended, or withdrawn at any time without notice. These promotional offer terms are in addition to the Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions. 

 

  • Earn up to 3 cents per Litre in Scene+ Points Value (Equivalent) on Fuel Purchases: Each time you use your linked Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points on Fuel Purchases (All Grades) at participating Shell locations in Canada, you will earn at least 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent.  Plus, as a Scene+ Member you will also automatically earn 1 Scene+ point for each litre in Fuel Purchases (All Grades), and as a Shell Go+ member, automatically earn 1 additional Scene+ point for each litre in Premium Fuel Purchases, made with your linked Scotiabank credit card. This means that for every litre in fuel purchased with your linked credit card, you can earn the equivalent of up to 3 cents of redeemable Scene+ Points Value based on a redemption value of $10 for every 1,000 Scene+ points redeemed for fuel purchases at participating Shell locations.  Actual value may be lower depending on how you choose to redeem your Scene+ points. Earn and redemption limits may apply. See the Scene+ Program Terms and Conditions available at sceneplus.ca/terms-and-conditions for full details including redemption options and additional terms.

 

Note: Highest value of 10 cents per litre assumes a Premium Fuel Purchase made with a Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business card linked to a Shell Go+ Account. Actual value may be lower depending on whether or not the credit card is linked, fuel grade purchased, cost of fuel at time of purchase, whether or not you are a Scene+ member, and how you choose to redeem your Scene+ points.


®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.

™Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.

‡Scene+ and the Icon Design are trademarks of Scene Plus IP Corporation.


Terms and conditions apply. 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.