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The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students allows students to optimize everyday purchases and start contributing to a credit history.
Jul 29, 2026 6:36 PM
If you're in school and looking to reward grocery, entertainment, and travel purchases, all while building a financial profile, consider the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students.
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on Scotiabank's website
Welcome Bonus
Earn up to 5,000 bonus Scene+ points within your first 3 months.
Annual Fee
$0
Interest Rates
21.99%* / 22.99%*
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
Purchase APR
21.99%*
Cash Advance APR
22.99%*
Balance Transfer APR
22.99%*
Annual Fee
$0
Additional Cards
$0
Minimum Individual Income
N/A
Minimum Household Income
N/A
Credit Score Estimate
Poor
Pros
Cons
There are a handful of ways to pocket Scene+ points with the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students.
Cardholders can expect:
With such solid rewards, students are motivated to use their card and start building a credit history.
Scene+ points are some of the most versatile rewards on the Canadian market, with high cent-per-point values on popular redemption categories.
Cardholders can put their Scene+ points towards:
To learn more about each redemption category and their respective values, check out our Scene+ Points Value Calculator.
There are several benefits that make the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students one of the best student credit cards in Canada.
For starters, this card avoids any annual fees, allowing students to focus all their earnings on their studies.
The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students is also extremely accessible, avoiding any annual income requirements.
Not only does this card earn generous Scene+ points on everyday purchases, it also allows students to redeem those points towards several high-value redemption categories.
Students save 25% off base rates at participating Avis and Budget locations across both Canada and the US. To activate this discount, simply pay for your set of wheels using your Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students.
Likewise, students also receive up to 10¢/L in value at Shell Canada gas stations once they link their Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students to their Shell Go+ account.
There are also a couple of drawbacks to consider before submitting an application.
While it's great that the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students optimizes grocery purchases, to receive Scene+ points on your cart, you'll need to shop at specific partner grocers.
Partners include:
Unfortunately, this card also lacks insurance coverage, leaving students vulnerable when purchasing or travelling, unless they opt into third party protections.
Before you commit to the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students, you'll want to weigh out all of your options.
Below, we've compared the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students against other leading student credit cards in Canada.

Tangerine
4.4
Annual Fee
$0
$0
$0
$95.88
$0
Interest Rates
Purchase
21.99%*
Cash advance
22.99%*
Balance transfer
22.99%*
Rate details
Purchase
21.99%
Cash advance
23.99%
21.99%
Balance transfer
23.99%
21.99%
Purchase
20.95%*
Cash advance
22.95%*
Balance transfer
22.95%*
Rate details
Purchase
19.99% - 29.99%
19.99% - 24.99%
Cash advance
22.99% - 31.99%
22.99% - 25.99%
Balance transfer
22.99% - 31.99%
Purchase
20.99
Cash advance
22.99%
Balance transfer
22.99%
Welcome Bonus
Earn up to 5,000 bonus Scene+ points within your first 3 months.
5% cash back for the first 3 months, up to $2,500 in spend
10% Cash Back (up to $100 value) + 1.95% balance transfer promo rate for 6 months
$25 bonus upon approval for new clients
Earn 5% Cash Back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases).1
Rewards
$293.87
First year rewards
$335.92
First year rewards
$382.86
First year rewards
0% - 1%
$254.14
First year rewards
on Scotiabank's website
on BMO's website
on Tangerine's website
on Neo Financial's website
on Scotiabank's website
Welcome Bonus Details
Earn Rates
Insurance Coverage
Extra Benefits
Requirements
If you prefer cash back over points, the BMO Student Cash Back Mastercard is one of the top student credit cards in Canada. This contender earns students solid cash back on grocery purchases, plus decent cash back on recurring purchases like bills or subscriptions. Unlike the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card, the BMO Students Cash Back Mastercard comes with basic extended warranty and purchase protection insurance. For added perks, cardholders can expect several discounts on rental cars, hotel bookings, Instacart, and Cirque du Soleil performances.
Verdict: The BMO Student Cash Back Mastercard is a valuable cash back alternative for students, boasting insurance coverage and better perks.
Why should the element of choice stop at course selection? With the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard, students have the opportunity to select two earn categories out of the 13 offered by Tangerine. You can even pick a third category when you deposit your cash back earnings into a Tangerine Savings Account. Now let's say your spending habits are constantly changing. With the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard, students can switch up their selected earn categories every 90 days. Unfortunately, this competitor lacks added perks, but luckily it comes with basic insurance coverage.
Verdict: The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is a great option for customizable cash back.
For guaranteed approval, students can consider the Neo Secured Mastercard. This contender earns cardholders some cash back on grocery and gas purchases, plus additional cash back when you shop at Neo Partners. That said, this card lacks any added perks or coverage.
Verdict: The Neo Secured Mastercard is a safe option for those worried about approval. It's also a lucrative option for those who shop at partner retailers.
Students who meet a small annual income requirement can also apply for the Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card for Students. This competitor collects a little bit of cash back on gas, grocery, drug store, transit, ride share, food delivery, and recurring purchases. While this card also lacks coverage, it comes with similar car rental discounts and nearly as many savings on Shell fuel.
Verdict: The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students is still more valuable for students overall with better rewards and no income requirements.
About the author

Sara Skodak
Lead Writer
Since graduating from the University of Western Ontario, Sara has built a diverse writing portfolio, covering topics in the travel, business, and wellness sectors. As a self-started freelance content ...
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