Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

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SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

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Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card vs SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express: Which one is better?


Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

4.9


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

SimplyCash™ Preferred Card from American Express

4.6


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

Welcome Bonus*

Earn 20,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $2,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year.

Welcome Bonus*

Earn a bonus 10% cash back on all purchases for your first 3 months (up to $2,000 in purchases). Plus, earn a $50 statement credit when you make a purchase in month 13. This could add up to $250 in bonus value in your first 13 months.

Our Cash Offer

$100 Cash Rebate offer from FinlyWealth

View Offer

Our Cash Offer

N/A

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$644.5

Scene+


First Year Bonus Value

+

$400

Scene+


Annual Fee

-

$120


Finly Rebate

Exclusive Offer


First Year Value

$1,024.5

$524.5 in years after

Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$534.23


First Year Bonus Value

+

$200


Annual Fee

-

$119.88


First Year Value

$614.35

$414.35 in years after

Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

How to Earn Rewards*

  • Earn 6x Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Freshco, Foodland and more
  • Earn 5x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on dining, food delivery and other eligible grocery stores. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions.
  • Earn 5x Scene+ points for every $1 you spend in Canada eligible entertainment purposes. Includes movies, theatre and ticket agencies stores.
  • Earn 3x Scene+ points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible gas and daily transit options. Includes rideshares, buses, subway, taxis and more
  • Earn 3x Scene+ points for every $1 CAD you spend in Canada on eligible select streaming services
  • Plus earn 1 Scene+ point for every $1 spent on all other eligible everyday purchases
  • Earn additional benefits + up to 4x Scene+ points for every dollar you spend on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do with Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia

How to Earn Rewards*

  • 4% cash back on eligible gas station purchases in Canada
  • 4% cash back on eligible grocery purchases in Canada (up to $1,200 cash back annually)
  • 2% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Insurance Included*

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500/person, $1000/trip
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500/person, $1,000/trip After 4 hours
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $65K up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $500K/person, $1M/occurrence
  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1000/occurrence
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $1M, Up to 25 days
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500/person

  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Medical Over 65

    $1M, Up to 3 days
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1500/person, $10000/trip
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $1500/person, $10,000/trip

Insurance Included*

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $85K up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $100,000
  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $5M/insured Person
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500

Extra Benefits*

  • exchange money

    No Foreign Transaction Fees

    Avoid the 2.5% foreign transaction fees incurred when spending in non $CAD
  • concierge

    Concierge Services

  • discount

    Discount

    Discount on PriorityPass Membership
  • Amex logo

    American Express® Experiences

Extra Benefits*

  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    Access events and special offers curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

20.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.99%2

Cash Advance:

21.99%2

Annual Fee*

$120

Annual Fee*

$119.88

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

$12,000

Min Household Income:

$12,000

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Loyalty Program*

Loyalty Program*

N/A

Point Redemption Options*

  • entertainment popcorn

    Entertainment

    1¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Travel

    1¢ / point
  • groceries

    Groceries (Sobeys)

    1¢ / point
  • food location

    Restaurants

    1¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.76¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.74¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    0.7¢ / point

Point Redemption Options*

Not Applicable

Is this card worth it?

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card is one of our favorite cards. It has a very solid rewards program, earning one of the highest rewards among all credit cards in Canada. In addition, it offers comprehensive travel benefits, including the rare and valuable no foreign transaction fee benefit, making it a great and balanced credit card in terms of both rewards and benefits. The first-year annual fee waiver is the cherry on top, providing even greater value to cardholders.

Is this card worth it?

The Simply Cash Preferred is one of the best cashback credit cards in Canada. The base cashback rate of 2% is great for all purchases, but the 4% on groceries and gas, which are two of the highest expenses for most people is the cherry on top of their great cashback program.

Pros

  • No foreign transaction fee saves you 2.5% on all non-CAD purchases.
  • Rewards cover all high-spending categories, including food, groceries, entertainment, and gas.
  • Comprehensive coverage of all travel insurance.

Pros

  • Highest cashback rate on groceries and gas in Canada
  • Great base cashback rate for all purchases
  • 10 different insurance types included

Cons

  • The card network is American Express, which might not be widely accepted in some countries, making it a bit harder to use the no foreign transaction fee benefit.
  • Having a lounge pass would have made this card even more perfect, but there is access to a discount code for lounge access pass purchases.

Cons

  • Cash back is only paid out to you once a year
  • American Express has a lower merchant acceptance compared to Visa or Mastercard

Legal


*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. Check here for full details and current product information.
**Terms and conditions apply. If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 28.99%. American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment. Check here for full details and current product information.
2 If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 28.99%.

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