Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card vs Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Privilege Card: Which one is better?
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
4.9
Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Privilege Card
4.5
Finly Rebate
Finly Rebate
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$644.5
Scene+
First Year Bonus Value
$400
Scene+
Annual Fee
$120
Finly Rebate
$100Exclusive Offer
First Year Value
$1,024.5
$524.5 in years after
Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Rewards Breakdown
Annual Rewards
$322.93
Scene+
First Year Bonus Value
$300
Scene+
Annual Fee
$599
Finly Rebate
$225Exclusive Offer
First Year Value
$248.93
-$276.07 in years after
Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.
Insurance Included*
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
Mobile Device Insurance
$1,000
Extended Warranty
Up to 1 year
Purchase Protection
90 days
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*
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$2,500/person (max $5,000 per trip)Baggage Delay
$1000/personCar Rental Damage & Theft
Covers vehicles MSRP ≤ $85k, rentals ≤ 48 daysTravel Accident
$500,000/insuredMobile Device Insurance
$1,000Extended Warranty
2 yearsPurchase Protection
180 daysHotel Burglary Insurance
$2,500Emergency Out of province Medical
$5M/insured up to 31 daysEmergency Medical Over 65
$5M/insured up to 10 daysTrip Cancellation
$2,500/person, $10,000/tripTrip Interruption
$5,000/person, $25,000/tripFlight Delay
$1000/person
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*
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Avoid the usual 2.5% forex fees on your purchases when you travel outside of CanadaConcierge Services
24/7 Visa Infinite Privilege concierge (English & French)
Visa Infinite Exclusive Benefits
Airport Lounge - Dragon Pass
10 Free complimentary visits.svg)
Status lift
Avis President’s Club membership – two class upgrades, priority service..svg)
Travel Credit
$250 annual Scene+ Travel credit – automatic statement credit on your first Expedia‑powered booking each membership year.
Priority Travel
Dedicated security and taxi lanes, valet and parking discounts at select Canadian airports.
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
Annual Fee*
$599
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
$12,000
Min Household Income:
$12,000
Income Required*
Min Personal Income:
$150,000
Min Household Income:
$200,000
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 30,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $3,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. Earn an additional 30,000 bonus Scene+ points when you spend at least $20,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 6 months. Earn an additional 20,000 bonus Scene+ points when you make at least one eligible purchase that is posted to your new Account during the 14th month after the month the Account was opened.
Rewards Rate*
- 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
Rewards Rate*
- Earn 3x the Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on eligible travel purchases. Plus, earn an extra 3X the points on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do when you book through Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia.
- Earn 2X the Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on eligible dining and entertainment.
- Plus, earn 1X the Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on all other eligible purchases.
Point Redemption Options*
Entertainment
1¢ / point
Travel
1¢ / point
Groceries (Sobeys)
1¢ / point
Restaurants
1¢ / point
Merchandise
0.76¢ / point
Gift Cards
0.74¢ / point
Statement Credits (Cash)
0.7¢ / point
Point Redemption Options*
Entertainment
1¢ / pointTravel
1¢ / pointGroceries (Sobeys)
1¢ / pointRestaurants
1¢ / pointMerchandise
0.76¢ / pointGift Cards
0.74¢ / pointStatement Credits (Cash)
0.7¢ / 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?
For frequent flyers who want a single card that handles almost every travel need, this one’s hard to beat. It offers a hefty intro bonus of up to 80 k Scene+ points (worth roughly $800 toward travel), an annual $250 Scene+ Travel credit that’s as good as cash when you book through Expedia, and ten complimentary DragonPass lounge visits each year. Pair that with no 2.5% foreign‑currency markup, rich earn rates on travel (3x) and dining/entertainment (2x), and unusually comprehensive travel insurance, and the $599 fee can pay for itself quickly for anyone who travels a few times a year.
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
- No foreign‑transaction surcharge on any purchase made in a currency other than CAD—saves 2.5% every time.
- Up to 80k Scene+ welcome points after meeting tiered spending targets (up to $800 in value).
- $250 annual travel credit you can apply to flights, hotels, cars, or packages booked through Scene+ Travel.
- 10 free DragonPass lounge visits per membership year (primary cardholder and each supplementary card have their own quota).
- Accelerated earn rates: 3x points on travel and 2x on dining & entertainment, 1x everywhere else.
- Extensive protection: $5M emergency medical (31 days, 10 days if 65+), trip‑cancel/interruption, flight & baggage delay, car rental‑LDW, mobile‑device, purchase security & extended warranty.
- Premium extras such as Avis President’s Club, Relais & Châteaux, Visa Infinite Privilege concierge, wine‑country and dining‑series perks.
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
- High annual fee: $599 for the primary card and $199 per supplementary card.
- Steep qualification bar: personal income $150k, household $200k, or $400k in assets.
- Scene+ points are fixed‑value, so there’s no “first‑class sweet‑spot” like with airline programs.
- Not suited to carrying a balance – 20.99% purchase rate and 22.99% cash‑advance/BT.
- Lounge benefit is visit‑based (no restaurant credits) and relies on DragonPass locations and capacity.
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