Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card vs American Express® Aeroplan®* Card

Which one is better? Both cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.

Scotia Momentum Visa
Finly rebate
$60

3.1

Apply nowGet $60 Finly rebate
American Express® Aeroplan®* Card

3.8

Apply now

Welcome bonus

Each offer as the issuer words it. The numbers below show whether your spending reaches it.

The offer

The offer

  • Get a 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months (2% fee per cash advance; 22.99% after that; annual fee $39).1
  • Offer valid from Jul 2, 2026 - Jan 3, 2027.

New American Express® Aeroplan®* Cardmembers can earn up to 45,000 Aeroplan points:

  • Earn 35,000 Aeroplan points after spending $7,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 6 months.
  • Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in month 13
  • You could earn up to $1,550 in value within your first 13 months. When you combine the Welcome Bonus offer of up to $900 in value, your earn potential in accelerated and everyday spend earn rate categories with approximately $515 in value, and the $140 in value you get from exceptional benefits, you can earn up to $1,550 or more in value within your first 13 months. Terms and usage assumptions apply.

What each card is worth

Rewards, the welcome bonus and any Finly rebate in, the annual fee and FX fees out, all on your spending.

Worked out on a typical $2,000 a month of spending. Enter yours to see your own numbers.

$346

First-year value

$1,010

$286

Every year after

$345

Amex Aeroplan® is worth $664 more to you in year one.

It stays ahead after that, by $59 a year.

How the first year adds up

Annual rewards

$324.83

cash back a year

Welcome bonus

+ $0

no welcome offer

Annual fee

− $39

Finly rebate

+ $60

paid by FinlyWealth

First-year value

$345.83

Annual rewards

$465.12

24,480 points a year

Welcome bonus

+ $665

first year only

Annual fee

− $120

First-year value

$1,010.12

1.9¢ a pointAeroplan, redeemed for Flights

Where each card earns

A year of your spending at each card's own reward rates, most first.

2%Groceries, Pharmacy, Gas, Recurring Transactions, Rental Car & Taxi, Public Transportation

$183.44

1%All other purchases

$141.39

1.5xFood and drinks

6,300 pts

$119.7

2xAir Canada

480 pts

$9.12

1xAll other purchases

17,700 pts

$336.3

Fees, rates and eligibility

What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.

$39Better of the two

Annual fee

$120

⁕ Notice: As of Jan 12, 2027, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Card annual fee will increase to $150. Annual fees charged on or after this date will reflect the new fee. The Additional Aeroplan®* Card annual fee will increase to $59. The Additional Aeroplan®* No Fee Card will be renamed to the Additional Aeroplan®* Companion Card and the annual fee will increase to $25. Learn more about new benefits.

$15

Additional cards

$50 For Aeroplan Card, $0 for No-fee Aeroplan Card

Interest rates

Interest rates

Purchase:

19.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Purchase:

30% Annual2

Cash Advance:

30% Annual2

2 As a Charge Card, the balance must always be paid in full each month. 30% annual interest rate applies to balances not paid in full. Payments must be received and processed by the date of the next monthly statement to avoid interest charges.

Recommended credit score

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
560
Fair
660⁎
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring
300
Poor
693
Fair
743⁎
Good
790⁎
Very Good
833⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on TransUnion scoring

Income required

Income required

Min Personal Income:

$12,000

Min Household Income:

N/A

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

How each card earns

The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.

  • 2% cash back on gas, groceries, transit, rideshare, food delivery, drug store and recurring payments (maximum $500 annually)
  • 1% cashback on all other credit card purchases.
  • Rates, fees, offers and other information are effective as of July 2, 2026.  Subject to change.
  • Earn 2X the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada®* and Air Canada vacations®*
  • Earn 1.5X the points on eligible Dining and Food Delivery purchases in Canada
  • Earn 1X the points on everything else

Points and how we value them

Points become dollars at each card's best redemption. Here's the value we used, and every other way to spend them.

Loyalty program

Loyalty program

Cash back: every dollar it earns counts as a dollar, so there's nothing to convert.

We count each point at 1.9¢ a point, what it's worth redeemed for Flights, its best value. Every dollar figure above uses that value.

Point redemption options

Point redemption options

Nothing to redeem: it pays cash back.

  • Most Optimal

    flight plane

    Flights

    1.9¢ / point
  • car rental

    Car Rentals

    0.9¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Travel

    0.825¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.75¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.72¢ / point

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

Insurance

Insurance

  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days, $1,000 per occurrence

  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500 (Aggregated with Flight Delay)
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $85K, up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500 (Aggregated with Baggage Delay)

Perks

Perks

  • car rental

    Car Rental Discount

    25% off base rate of Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car
  • gas station

    Gas Discount2

    Get up to 7¢/L in value on fuel purchases at Shell stations
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Get 1,000 Status Qualifying Credits (SQC) for every $20,000 in eligible net purchases charged to your Card, up to 25,000 SQC
  • luggage

    Free first checked bag

    Enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada®* flights
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    Earn points twice at over 150 Aeroplan partner brands
  • bed furniture

    Free Extra Night at Hotels

    Receive an extra night free for every 3 hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points
  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    From music and movies, to specially curated dining and online shopping opportunities, stay connected with all that we have to offer from the comfort of your own home

Our take

Why we like it

Why we like it

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa is a low annual fee cash back card that offers impressive earn rates on a variety of everyday spending categories, making it an excellent choice for those who want to maximize rewards without the higher cost of its Visa Infinite counterpart.

This card comes with the free checked bag benefit, which can save hundreds on a single trip for you and your family, more than making up for the annual fee of the card. In addition, the card helps you reach the next Aeroplan Status faster with spending on the card. However, if you don't have a specific use for these two benefits, there are many better cards in terms of benefits and rewards.

Pros

Pros

  • Decent optimization
  • Low balance transfer rate
  • Low annual fee
  • Car rental discounts
  • Expedited status upgrades
  • Free first checked bags
  • Free extra hotel night
  • Instant decision. No credit impact.

Cons

Cons

  • Limited insurance
  • Annual redemption
  • Limited rewards
  • Weaker insurance coverage

More comparisons

Other cards we've put each of these up against.

Legal


^Additional 3¢/L Fuel Discount Offer: Offer Valid from October 5, 2026  to December 31, 2026 ("Promotional Period"), eligible Scotiabank credit and debit cardholders enrolled in the Shell Fuel Benefits Program who have linked an eligible Scotiabank payment card (an "Eligible Card") to their Shell Go+ account will receive an additional instant fuel discount of 3 cents per litre on eligible fuel purchases at participating Shell-branded retail locations in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories (the "Eligible Provinces") excluding Shell Flying J locations. Fuel purchases made outside the Eligible Provinces are not eligible for this offer.

To receive the additional fuel discount, customers must pay with their linked Eligible Card at the time of purchase.

The additional fuel discount is in addition to the fuel savings available through the Shell Fuel Benefits Program and may be combined with other eligible fuel discounts, rewards programs, and promotional fuel offers unless otherwise stated in the applicable offer terms and conditions.

The additional fuel discount is available on up to 1,000 litres of eligible fuel purchases per calendar month for each Eligible Card. The 1,000-litre limit resets at the beginning of each calendar month.

The additional fuel discount is non-transferable, is not redeemable for cash, and cannot be substituted or exchanged.

Participation in the Shell Fuel Benefits Program is subject to the applicable program terms and conditions available at Scotiabank Fuel Benefit Terms and Conditions.

Shell Canada reserves the right to make changes to this offer and to terminate the offer at any time, for any reason and without notice.

All other applicable terms and conditions of the Shell Fuel Benefits Program, Shell Go+, Scotiabank continue to apply.

®™ Shell trademarks are owned by Shell Brands International AG. Used under license.


1. Offer Description and Conditions: The Introductory 0.99% Balance Transfer Rate Offer (the “Offer”) applies only to eligible cash advances (including balance transfers and cash-like transactions) (collectively “Cash Advances”) subject to the conditions below. This introductory rate applies if the new Account is opened between July 2, 2026 and January 3, 2027 (regardless of the date you apply for the Account) and will continue for 9 months from date of Account opening (the “Promotional Period”). After the Promotional Period, the promotional 0.99% interest rate on any Cash Advances (including any amount of those Cash Advances that remain unpaid after the Promotional Period ends) will increase to the preferred interest rate on Cash Advances (currently 22.99%). A balance transfer fee of 2% of the amount of each Cash Advance transferred or made during the Promotional Period applies (minimum fee of $5.00).   


This Offer is subject to any Cash Advance limits on your Account. This Offer is also subject to the approved credit limit that is being offered to you as of the date of this Offer.  This means if a balance transfer amount(s) requested exceeds your approved credit limit as of the date this Offer was provided to you, it may not be processed. This Offer cannot be used for any Scotiabank account including to transfer a balance from another Scotiabank account, or to make a payment or deposit to another Scotiabank account. Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers. 


Losing your promotional rate: If we don’t receive  the minimum payment on your Account by the payment due date on your statement, two consecutive times , you will lose the benefit of this promotional rate Offer and the interest rates that apply on any unpaid balance will increase to the standard annual interest rates that apply to your Account (currently 24.99%  on purchases and 27.99% on Cash Advances). All other terms and conditions of the Program Terms continue to apply during the Offer period.


How we apply payments:  Your payment cannot be applied to the balance(s) of your choice. For Quebec residents: In general, if you have different interest rate(s) that apply to your Account, we apply payments to transactions based on the interest rate(s) that applies to those transactions on your Account (from highest to lowest rates). For non-Quebec residents: In general, if you make a payment that exceeds the minimum payment on your statement, we will apply your payment on a proportionate basis among each group of billed charges on your Account. We group charges based on the interest rate that applies to the group of charges. See your credit card agreement for more information about how we apply payments to your Account. 


Eligibility and Exclusions: Individuals who are currently or were previously primary or secondary cardholders of a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, including those that switched to an existing Scotiabank personal credit card are not eligible for the Offer (and subject to these exclusions, individuals with a Scotiabank business credit card are also eligible for the Offer). By accepting this Offer you confirm you meet all Offer eligibility 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 $39 for the primary card and $15 for each additional card (including those issued to co-borrowers and supplementary cardholders). The current preferred annual interest rates for the Account are: 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on Cash Advances. All rates, fees, features and benefits are outlined in the Application Disclosure Statement and are subject to change. 


2.Cardholders with a Scene+ membership who link their Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card and their Scene+ account to a Shell Go+ Account can get up to 7 cents per litre in instant fuel discounts, Cash Back, and Scene+ points value when they purchase eligible fuel with their linked credit card: 


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.

Earn 2 cents per Litre in Cash Back: When you use your Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card on Fuel Purchases (All Grades) you will earn 2% Cash Back on eligible Net Purchases (up to an annual spend limit of $25,000) at Gas Stations (Merchant Category Codes (“MCC”): 5541, 5542). Assumes an average fuel price of at least $1.00/L. “Net Purchases” means eligible new purchases charged and posted on the Account during a statement period less, returns (including credit vouchers), refunds or other credits. Balance Transfers, Cash Advances, Cash-Like Transactions, interest charges, fees, and insurance premiums posted to your Credit Card Account are not eligible to earn Cash Back. This benefit is subject to the Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card Cash Back Program Terms and Conditions.

Scene+ Members earn up to 2 cents per Litre in Scene+ points Value: Scene+ Members earn 1 Scene+ point for each litre in Fuel Purchases (All Grades) when they present or make available their Scene+ account number or Scene+ membership card at the time of purchase. Plus, Scene+ Members who link their Scene+ account to the Shell Go+ app will automatically earn 1 Scene+ point for each litre of V-Power® gasoline or V-Power® diesel purchased (“Premium Fuel Purchases”). Scene+ points value is based on an average redemption value of $10 for every 1000 Scene+ points redeemed on fuel purchases. 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-conditionsopens in a new tab for full details including redemption options and additional terms.

 


Note: Highest value of 7 cents per litre assumes a Premium Fuel Purchase (minimum price of $1.00 per litre) made with your Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card linked to a Shell Go+ Account and with your Scene+ account also linked to the Shell Go+ account. Actual value will vary 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.


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.

*Terms and conditions apply.


As a Charge Card, the balance must always be paid in full each month. 30% annual interest rate applies to balances not paid in full. Payments must be received and processed by the date of the next monthly statement to avoid interest charges.


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.