Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Flytrippers opinion: A good offer on this card with one of the best earn rates.
Flytrippers Valuation
of Welcome bonus (net value)
ends October 31st

via Scotia secure application link
$ 655

Rewards: $775*

Card fee: $120

Earn Scene+ points
more simple rewards

Uses: for literally any
travel expense
How to unlock bonus
spend $7,500 in 1y (or $1000)

(*minimum value: $775 as fixed-value rewards
*maximum value: $775)
Card eligibility
minimum income required: $0

Welcome bonus eligibility
must not have had a Scotia card in the past 2 years
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Scotia is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.
Flytrippers opinion: A good offer on this card with one of the best earn rates.
Flytrippers Valuation
of Welcome bonus (net value)
$ 655

Rewards: $775*

Card fee: $120

How to unlock bonus
spend $7,500 in 1y (or $1000)

(*minimum value: $775 as fixed-value rewards
*maximum value: $775)
more simple rewards
Uses: for literally any
travel expense
ends October 31st

via Scotia secure application link
Card eligibility
minimum income required: $0

Welcome bonus eligibility
must not have had a Scotia card in the past 2 years
Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Scotia is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information.

Summary of Flytrippers' review

WHY GET THIS CARD

  • Excellent welcome bonus of $655
  • Option with minimum spend of just $1000 in 3 months ($130 net value)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Easy-to-use fixed-value rewards applicable to any travel expense
  • Great earn rates (6% at certain grocery stores and 5% at the others)
  • Excellent insurance coverage

WHO SHOULD GET THIS CARD

  • Those who want one of the best earn rates in Canada
  • Those who don’t want to pay foreign transaction fees (especially those with frequent US trips)
  • Those who want points that are less valuable but way simpler
  • Those who want great insurance coverage with a low minimum income requirement

Card details

Welcome bonus structure (2 separate bonuses)
(INCREASED OFFER)

20,000 points Bonus after spending $1,000 (in a maximum of 3 months)
20,000 points Bonus after spending $7,500 total (in a maximum of 12 months)

40,000 points Total with the 2 parts of the bonus

Earn on the minimum spending requirement

5,000 points Estimated earn on the minimum spending requirement of $1,000 (at multiplier earn rate of 5 pts/$)
32,500 points Estimated earn on the minimum spending requirement of $6,500 more (at multiplier earn rate of 5 pts/$)

Total rewards by unlocking the welcome bonus

77,500 points Welcome bonus + earn on the minimum spending requirement to unlock it

‣Apply for the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Flytrippers Valuation of the welcome bonus

$200 Welcome bonus after $1k (20,000 pts at 1¢/pt)
$200 Welcome bonus after an extra $6.5k (20,000 pts at 1¢/pt)
$50 Earn on the required spending of $1k (5,000 pts at 1¢/pt)
$325 Earn on the required spending of $6.5k (32,500 pts at 1¢/pt)
–$120 Card fee (deducted)

$655 in net value with the welcome bonus alone

(9% back on the minimum spending requirement of $7,500 in 12 months)

Learn more our Flytrippers Valuation of welcome bonuses

Rewards from welcome bonus

You will have 77,500 Scene+ points after unlocking the Welcome Bonus.

That gives you:

  • $775 in free travel at the Flytrippers Valuation

Concrete examples of redemptions

Here are some of the actual redemptions you can get with these rewards:

  • $775 as a simple travel credit that can be applied to any travel expense booked with any provider

‣Learn more about the best uses of Scene+ points (coming soon)

Earn rates

6 points per $ (6%):

  • Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, Co-Ops, IGA, Thrifty Foods, other Empire grocery banners
  • Voilà grocery delivery
  • Indirectly at all retailers offering gift cards at the grocery store

5 points per $ (5%):

3 points per $ (3%):

  • Gas stations
  • Transit (rideshares, taxis, buses, subways, and more)
  • Streaming services

1 point per $ (1%):

  • Everywhere else

Earning with additional cards

Fee for additional cards: $29
Quantity allowed: N/A
Minimum age: N/A

‣Learn more about additional cards (coming soon)

No foreign transaction fees
One of the few cards in Canada that does not charge a 2.5% fee for all foreign currency transactions. It’s worth mentioning that apart from the US, other international destinations don’t have as many merchants who accept Amex cards.

‣Learn more on foreign transaction fees (coming soon)

24/7 concierge service
You have access to a concierge service that can make restaurant reservations, organize deliveries for flowers or other things, and complete various research tasks for you.

‣Learn more about the Scotia Platinum concierge service (coming soon)

Amex Offers program
Access to discounts, credits, and special offers throughout the year.

Learn more about the Amex Offers program

American Express Experiences program
Access to exclusive virtual and in-person experiences and pre-sale tickets to lots of events.

‣Learn more about the American Express Experiences program (coming soon)

Free membership in the Priority Pass airport lounge network
Warning: Many cards offer free membership AND free passes; this one just gives membership and no free passes.

Learn more about the airport lounge access

Insurance included

Medical travel insurance for 25 days (64 years and under)
Medical travel insurance for 3 days (65 years and above)
Flight delay insurance ($500, 4hr minimum)
Car rental insurance
Baggage & personal effects insurance
Trip cancellation insurance
Trip interruption insurance
Travel accident insurance
Hotel burglary insurance
Mobile device insurance
Purchase protection
Extended warranty

‣Learn more about the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card’s insurance coverage (coming soon)

Insurance not included

None

‣Learn more about the different types of insurance coverage (coming soon)

Redemptions
Scene+ points can be used as a simple travel credit (which can be applied to any travel expense).

Learn more about the Scene+ rewards program (coming soon)

Value
Scene+ points are fixed-value rewards (fixed value of 1¢ per point).

Learn more about the value of Scene+ points (coming soon)

Expiry
Scene+ points never expire as long as you have the card. And even if you no longer have the card, you can easily extend the expiration indefinitely.

Learn more about Scene+ points expiry (coming soon)

Pooling
It’s not possible to pool Scene+ points with travel companions.

Learn more about pooling rewards (coming soon)

Transfers
Scene+ points cannot be transferred to more valuable rewards programs.

Learn more about point transfers (coming soon)

Other redemption options
Scene+ points can be used for rewards other than travel, but this should be avoided.

Learn more about why you should always use your rewards for travel (coming soon)

Rewards program logistics
You can use your points directly on the Scene+ website or app.

Learn more about how to get started with Scene+ rewards (coming soon)

Rewards program summary
Rewards: Scene+ points
Type: Fixed-value rewards
Subtype: “Eraser” fixed-value rewards
Variety: Bank rewards
Flytrippers Valuation: 1¢ per point
Minimum value: 1¢ per point
Maximum value: 1¢ per point
Transferable: No

Learn more about rewards programs basics (coming soon)

Card eligibility
Minimum personal/household income: $12,000
Age: Majority in your province
Estimated credit score: Good or Excellent
Credit bureau: TransUnion Canada

Learn more about credit card eligibility requirements (coming soon)

Welcome bonus eligibility
You must not have had a Scotia card in the past 2 years.

Learn more about credit card welcome bonus eligibility rules (coming soon)

Offer end date
Offer ends October 31, 2023

Subscribe to Flytrippers’ free travel rewards newsletter to get all card updates

Card details
Issuer: Scotiabank
Network: American Express
Card Type: Credit card
Product Type: Personal card

‣Learn more about credit card types (coming soon)

Fees and rates
Card fee: $120/year
Fee for additional card: $29
FX fee: 0%
Purchases annual interest rate: 20.99%
Cash advance annual interest rate: 22.99%
Balance transfer annual interest rate: 22.99%
Cash advance fee: $5
Balance transfer fee: $5
Return payment fee: $48

Learn more about why Flytrippers recommends ignoring fees and rates (coming soon)

  • Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points and first year annual fee waived. Offer ends October 31, 2023
  • You will not pay 2.5% foreign transaction fees on any foreign currency purchases, including online shopping and when traveling abroad. Only the exchange rate applies
  • Earn 5X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food, and drinking establishments. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions
  • Earn 3X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible gas and daily transit. Includes rideshare, buses, taxis, subway, and more
  • Earn 1X Scene+ point for every $1 spent on every other purchase
  • You’ll earn 6X Scene+ points for each $1 CAD charged to your account on all eligible purchases1 at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Rates

  • Purchase APR: 20.99%
  • Balance Transfer APR: 22.99%
  • Balance Transfer Fee: $5
  • Intro Annual Fee: Annual fee waived for the first year
  • Ongoing Annual Fee: The current annual fee is $120 for the primary card and $29 for each additional supplementary card
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 0% Cash
  • Advance Fee: $5
  • Cash Advance APR: 22.99%
  • Return Payment Fee: $48

Conditions apply.

Start earning rewards today

And make sure to download our free checklist for when you get a new card—it includes very important mistakes to avoid
(it will open in a separate tab, or you can click here)

via Scotia secure application

*Beta version of card page. Sign up to get updated guide soon.*

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