Scotiabank Gold American Express
This card is great for those who eat in or dine out often or regularly enjoy movies and live events. It also provides a high return on grocery spending.
Rewards: Earn 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent at more than grocery stores owned by Sobeys (including Safeway, Foodland and FreshCo); earn 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent in Canada on dining, food delivery, food subscriptions, and other eligible grocery stores; earn 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent in Canada on entertainment (includes movies, theatres and ticket agencies); 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent in Canada on gas and transit (includes rideshares, public transit and taxis); 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent in Canada on eligible streaming services; and 1 Scene+ point on everything else.
Welcome Offer: 20,000 Scene+ points when you spend $1,000 within your first three months and an additional 20,000 points when you spend an additional $7,500 within your first 12 months for a total of 40,000 points (a $400 value).
Annual Fee: $120
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: You get the benefits of being an American Express cardholder, such as Amex Offers (dining, shopping, and travel offers), Amex Front of the Line (access to presale and reserved tickets) and American Express Invites (special offers and events). There are also complimentary concierge services and a discount on Priority Pass membership, which gives you access to airport lounges. There is insurance coverage for new mobile devices, trip cancellation/interruption, and flight delays. The main drawbacks are that American Express isn’t as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard and there’s no annual fee waiver for the first year.
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Rogers Red World Elite® Mastercard®
A cash-back card with no annual fee and many benefits for travellers.
Rewards: Earn unlimited 2% cash back (exclusively for eligible Rogers, Fido or Shaw customers) on non-U.S. dollar purchases, otherwise earn 1.5% unlimited cash back. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on U.S. dollar purchases.
Welcome Offer: N/A
Annual Fee: $0.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: You get extended warranty and purchase protection, vehicle rental collision/damage, out-of-province/country emergency medical, and trip interruption/cancellation insurance. There’s also free membership to Mastercard Travel Pass, which provides airport lounge access (a fee of US$32 ($42.83 CAD) per person for each visit applies). The major drawback is the annual income requirement of $80,000 for individuals or $150,000 for households. Also, the higher cash-back rate isn’t available for purchases made in countries other than the United States.
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Meridian Visa Infinite* Travel Rewards Card
A rewards card with good insurance coverage and the ability to earn more points while travelling.
Rewards: Earn 6 points for every $2 spent on purchases made outside Canada in foreign currencies. Earn 3 points for every $2 spent on all other card purchases.
Welcome Offer: 5,000 bonus points† (up to $50 value. Offer expires September 30, 2024)
Annual Fee: $99 (waived for the first year).
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Unlike the World Elite cards, the minimum annual income requirement for this card is $60,000 for individuals or $100,000 for households. There’s also a variety of insurance coverage, such as mobile device, travel emergency medical, trip cancellation, trip delay/interruption, delayed baggage and lost/damaged baggage, travel accident, vehicle rental collision/loss damage, and mobile device insurance. The drawback is the lower reward rate for everyday purchases made in Canada.
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Home Trust Preferred Visa Card
A cash-back card with no annual fees and a low minimum income requirement.
Rewards: 1% cash back on every eligible purchase.
Welcome Offer: None.
Annual Fee: $0.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: The annual income requirement is just $15,000. It has a zero liability policy, purchase security insurance, and a guaranteed hotel reservation worldwide if you arrive late. The insurance coverage isn’t as good as other no FX cards, including those with no annual fee. Also, this card isn’t available if you live in Quebec.
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KOHO Extra Mastercard® Prepaid Card
A cash-back prepaid card that’s geared towards those who likely wouldn’t qualify for a regular credit card or don’t want one.
Rewards: 1.5% cash back on groceries, dining and takeout, and recurring bill and subscription payments. Earn 0.25% back on everything else.
Welcome Offer: $20 cash bonus when you sign up for a KOHO account with our link when you make your first purchase within 30 days of registration
Annual Fee: $84 or $9/month (30-day free trial).
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: This card has a good cash-back rate for some of the more popular spending categories. It’s a prepaid card and you can currently earn 5% interest on your balance. It also has one free international ATM per month and you can subscribe to Koho’s credit building line of credit for $7 a month, instead of the regular $10 a month. While there are some good benefits, it doesn’t have any insurance coverage that most other no FX fee cards offer. Also, the fee is $84 if you pay annually, but it adds up to $108 if you choose to pay monthly ($9/month).
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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card
A rewards card for business owners who travel regularly, want airport lounge access and require additional insurance coverage.
Rewards: 1.5 Scene+ points per dollar spent.
Welcome Offer: 30,000 Scene+ points if you spend $5,000 in the first three months of opening your account and an additional 10,000 Scene+ points if you spend at least $60,000 in the first 12 months for a total of 40,000 points (a $400 value).
Annual Fee: $199
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: You get free membership to the Visa Airport Companion Program, which includes six annual visits to more than 1,200 airport lounges. The value of the six free visits is higher than the annual fee. There’s also purchase security and extended warranty protection, free Avis Preferred Plus membership for discounts on car rentals and a variety of insurance coverage, including travel emergency medical, trip cancellation/interruption, flight delay delayed and lost baggage, travel accident, rental car collision loss/damage, and hotel/motel burglary insurance. That said, the earn rate is quite low compared to other Scene+ cards. Also, the entire welcome bonus is likely difficult to earn if your business is fairly new or you don’t spend more than $60,000 annually.
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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
A card for someone who wants to earn rewards points at a higher rate and is looking for free airport lounge access.
Rewards: Earn 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent at grocery stores owned by Sobeys (including Safeway, Foodland and IGA) as well as 2 Scene+ points for dining and other grocery stores, entertainment (movie, theatre and concert tickets) and transit (rideshares, public transit and taxis).
Welcome Offer: Get 25,000 Scene+ points when you spend at least $1,000 in the first three months and an additional 10,000 points when you spend at least $40,000 in the first year for a total of 35,000 points (a $350 value).
Annual Fee: $150.
Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Included is free membership to the Visa Airport Companion program, which includes six complimentary visits to more than 1,200 lounges. If you use all six visits annually, it covers the cost of the annual fee. There’s also free Avis Preferred Plus membership, which provides you with discounts on car rentals. And there’s a lot of insurance coverage, including travel emergency medical, trip cancellation/interruption, flight delay, lost and delayed baggage, rental car collision loss/damage, hotel/motel burglary and travel accident insurance. The main drawback is it will be hard to earn the entire welcome bonus if you don’t spend more than $40,000 a year.
