Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card vs RBC ION+ Visa: Which one is better?
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
4.9
RBC ION+ Visa
4.2
Welcome Bonus*
Earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+TM points†◊ and pay no annual fee in your first year.◊ Earn 30,000 bonus Scene+TM points by making at least $2,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. You are eligible to earn an additional 20,000 Scene+TM point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year.
Welcome Bonus*
Get up to $125 in groceries(1). Apply by September 9, 2025. Get 14,000 Avion points upon approval – that’s up to $100 of value in gift cards(1). Get 3,125 Moi points upon linking to your Moi Rewards card – a value of $25(1)
Our Cash Offer
$75 Cash Rebate offer from FinlyWealth
Our Cash Offer
N/A
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$644.5
Scene+
First Year Bonus Value
+
$500
Scene+
Annual Fee
-
$120
$0
First Year Waived
Finly Rebate
+
$75Exclusive Offer
First Year Value
$1,219.5
$524.5 in years after
Based on a hypothetical $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$425.98
RBC Avion Premium
First Year Bonus Value
+
$140
RBC Avion Premium
Annual Fee
-
$48
First Year Value
$517.98
$377.98 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*
- Earn 3X Avion points for every $1 spent on groceries, dining, gas, food delivery, rideshare, streaming services and more2
- Earn 1X Avion point for every $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases2
Insurance Included*
Mobile Device Insurance
$1,000
Extended Warranty
Up to 1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$500/person, $1000/trip
Baggage Delay
$500/person, $1,000/trip After 4 hours.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
$65K up to 48 days
Travel Accident
$500K/person, $1M/occurrence
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$1000/occurrence
Emergency Out of province Medical
$1M, Up to 25 daysEmergency Medical Over 65
$1M, Up to 3 days
Trip Cancellation
$1500/person, $10000/trip
Trip Interruption
$1500/person, $10,000/tripFlight Delay
$500/person
Insurance Included*
Mobile Device Insurance
$1,000Extended Warranty
Up to a yearPurchase Protection
90 days
Extra Benefits*
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Avoid the 2.5% foreign transaction fees incurred when spending in non $CAD.svg)
Concierge Services
Discount
Discount on PriorityPass Membership
American Express® Experiences
Extra Benefits*
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Gas Discount
Save 3¢/L instantly at the pump and get 20% more Petro-Points and 20% more Avion points
Extra points
Earn 1 extra Moi point for every $2 spent at participating Moi Rewards stores (minimum purchase required)Extra points
50 Be Well points for every $1 spent on eligible products at Rexall
Interest Rates*
Purchase:
20.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99%
Balance Transfer:
22.99%
Interest Rates*
Purchase:
20.99%
Cash Advance:
22.99%
Balance Transfer:
22.99%
Annual Fee*
$120
$0$
First Year Waived
Annual Fee*
$48
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*
Point Redemption Options*
Travel
1¢ / point
Merchandise
0.76¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.74¢ / point
Statement Credits (Cash)
0.7¢ / point
Entertainment
1¢ / point
Groceries (Sobeys)
1¢ / point
Restaurants
1¢ / point
Point Redemption Options*
Gift Cards
0.72¢ / pointMerchandise
0.7¢ / pointTravel
0.58¢ / pointStatement Credits (Cash)
0.58¢ / pointMost Optimal
Transfer to WestJet
1¢ / point
Financial Products
0.83¢ / point
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?
This card is not by any means one of our favorite cards. For an annual fee it offers almost no notable benefits, with many no annual fee credit cards offering much more. The points earned are fine, but given the inflexibility of ION Avion points, it's very hard to get good value for the points earned, and it's much easier to earn more and do the same with some other credit card reward programs.
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
- Save on fuel at Petro-Canada locations, with an overall 7 cents per litre value
- Great welcome bonus offer
- 3x points per $1 spent on high spend categories
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
- The ION Avion membership isn't quite as flexible as regular Avion
- Insurance coverage is very limited
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