Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card Review

Launched in March 2025, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card is the latest Ultra Premium card offering from Scotiabank for the Scene+ program. This card is considered the opulent big sibling to the very popular Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card.

The review of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card is broken down into the following sections:

Overview

The best way to describe this card is "a well rounded ultra premium credit card" With this card Scotia provides a little bit of everything that most Canadians want out of an ultra premium travel rewards credit card. Flexible points, excellent insurance coverage and lots of perks including airport lounge access and No Foreign Transaction fees.

Recommended reading: The new Scene+ program is now live, find all the details here!

 

Costs & Sign up Features

Annual Fee

The Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card has a $599 annual fee which is the standard fee you find on most Infinite Privilege Cards in Canada. Additional/supplementary cards are $199 each. If you have a Scotiabank Ultimate Package bank account you can get a $150 rebate each and every year on the primary card!

Welcome Bonus

The current welcome bonus on the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card provides up to 80,000 Scene+ points providing $800 in value when redeemed for travel or at Scene+ partners.

The bonus is awarded as follows:

• 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.

. This card actually makes up the Visa portion of Rewards Canada's Ultimate No Foreign Transaction fee Credit Card portfolio

Rates & Income Requirements

The interest rate on the card is 20.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances, balance transfers and Scotia Credit Card Cheques. The 20.99% on purchases is now 1% lower than most competing cards in the market who have boosted this rate to 21.99%

Most noteworthy with this card is that it offers No Foreign Transaction fees which will save you an average of 2.5% fee over most other cards for purchases made in foreign currencies. That's a huge benefit for online shopping from out of the country and of course when you travel outside the country.

The minimum annual income requirements for the card are $150,000 per year personal income or a minimum household income of $200,000, or a minimum of $400,000 assets under management..

Earning

The card earns Scene+ Points and earns them as follows

• Earn 3X the Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on eligible travel purchases globally
• Earn 2X the Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on eligible dining and entertainment globally
• Earn 1X the Scene+ points for every $1 you spend on all other eligible purchases.

It should be noted there are no monthly or annual caps on any of the accelerated earn rates and as you can see the 2x and 3x points per dollar are available on purchases outside of Canada and you won't pay foreign transaction fees on those purchases.

You’ll see on the landing page for the card it also states “earn an extra 3X the points on hotel bookings, car rentals, and things to do when you book through Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia” but it should be noted that’s the regular earn rate for all Scene+ members – it is not an accelerated earn rate for this card (learn more here)

 

Point Valuation Chart

Spending Category	Points earned per dollar spent	Rate of return when redeemed for travel or at Scene+ Partners	Rate of return Cash Back
Travel	3	3%	2% to 2.1%
Dining, entertainment	2	2%	1.33% to 1.398%
All other spending	1	1%	0.667% to 0.699%

 

Redeeming

Travel Redemptions

Falling into the Rewards Canada "Travel Points" category in our annual credit card rankings means the points earned are part of the credit card's semi-proprietary reward program, in this case Scene+ and not a totally separate co-brand program like Aeroplan or AIR MILES. For the vast majority of Canadians this is a good thing since you are not bound by the restrictions and limitations that frequent flyer programs and programs like AIR MILES like only booking certain airlines, not being able to book direct with hotel to get your elite status benefits and so on.

This card falls into the book any travel anywhere category of Travel Points cards which means you don't have to redeem via Scene+ Travel. All you have to do is book your travel on your own, whether it be aircanada.com, westjet.com, expedia.ca, marriott.com or anywhere else including your trusted travel agent and when that charge shows up on your statement you simply call up Scotia or go online and redeem points against the charge.

Points are redeemed at a rate of 100 points for $1. That is the beauty of this card and many like it, you don't have to have the full amount of points to begin to enjoy the rewards and you have complete control and flexibility of who you book with! If you buy an airline ticket for $600 and have 30,000 points you can choose to redeem those points for a $300 credit which means your flight only cost $300.

You also get 12 months after the travel charge posts to your account to redeem points so you can continue to pay off that vacation with points up to a year after! There aren't too many card programs in Canada that give you that amount of time to redeem after the fact.

Another benefit of this' book travel on your own' is you can be on vacation and buy travel on the card (say a rail ticket) and then redeem points when you get home. It can't be done with cards that don't have this feature as with those others you need to redeem the points ahead of time. Essentially the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card falls into the category of being one of the most flexible travel rewards cards.

Grocery Redemptions

Empire Company Limited stores like Sobeys, Safeway, IGA and more are part of Scene+ so you can redeem the points earned on this card directly at the till to help pay for your groceries. The redemption rate is 1,000 for $10, which means you receive the same return as you would if redeemed for travel. This is a great option from the card and the Scene+ program especially given with the inflation we are seeing in the nation.

Scene+ Partner Redemptions

You can also redeem the points earned on this card at all eligible Scene+ partners including Cineplex and Home Hardware plus their dining partners like Harvey's, Swiss Chalet and more. Depending on the partner the redemption rate is 100 points to $1 up to 1,000 points for $10 which means you receive the same return as you would if redeemed for travel or groceries.

Once again this is a great option from the card and the Scene+ program as you don't lose any value across any of these primary redemption options. You don't have to worry about redeeming 1,000 points at Home Hardware thinking their could be better value for travel or groceries - that's not the case here!

Cash Back Redemptions

There are also non-travel redemption options in the Scene+ program. This works in the same vain as the travel rewards option although with a different redemption rate. Basically you can apply points to receive a cash back credit on a non-travel charge. The redemption rates are as follows:

Cash Back Credit	Points Required	Rate of Return
$20	3,000	0.667%
$30	4,500	0.667%
$50	7,500	0.667%
$75	11,000	0.681%
$100	14,500	0.689%
$150	21,500	0.697%
$300	43,000	0.698%
$500	71,500	0.699%

 

For the points earned as 1 point per dollar your cash back return are the rates seen above and for your 2 points per dollar it will be double that and 3 points per dollar will be triple that. Not the most ideal seeing there are cash back cards that have better returns but at least the option is here on this card since it is primarily a travel rewards card.

Other Redemptions

You can also redeem Scene+ points for merchandise directly from Apple and Best Buy or via their own merchandise catalog. The last redemption option is using points to redeem for gift cards for dozens of stores, restaurants and more. All these redemption options also come in at a lower value than the above redemptions (Except for gift cards for Scene+ partners) but it is nice to have them as an option!

 

Features and Benefits

Annual Travel Credit

The card features a $250 annual travel credit to be used for travel bookings made via Scene+ Travel. It can be used for flights, hotels, car rentals, and travel packages anywhere in the world.

I like that this one can be used for flights as the only other annual travel credit offered on Canadian credit cards that can be used on flights is from The Platinum Card from American Express and this one from Scotia is actually $50 higher!

No Foreign Transaction Fees

A big benefit of this card that is the same as seen on other Scotiabank Premium and Ultra Premium cards from Scotia is No FX Fees. Purchase made in foreign currencies will not be charged an FX fee, which the majority of cards in Canada do charge at 1.5% to 3%.

Airport Lounge Membership + 10 annual passes

The card also offers free Visa Airport Companion membership which allows access to over 1,300 business class lounges Worldwide including Plaza Premium lounges. Normally the pass costs US$99 per year plus your entry fee into each lounge of US$35.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege card also provides ten (10) complimentary lounge access passes each year valued at a total of US$320. This lounge benefit is worth over C$500 alone if you use all ten passes every year - this benefit alone almost covers the entire annual fee on the card!

Recommended Reading: Rewards Canada's Guide to Business Class Lounge Access

Visa Infinite benefits

• GigSky Data Roaming Two (2) redemptions of a 1GB complimentary Gigsky plan per calendar year AND a 30% discount on all subsequent purchases Click here to learn more
• Visa Infinite Privilege Airport Benefits Receive exclusive perks at Toronto City Airport Terminal, Ottawa Airport and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport
  – Priority Security Lanes at International and Domestic checkpoints (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal-Trudeau)
  – Access to dedicated premium parking spots ( Ottawa)
  – Up to 20% off parking (Ottawa,, Montreal-Trudeau)
• Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection provides benefits like room upgrades, complimentary Wi-Fi and breakfast, late checkout, and so much more at over 900 Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection properties around the world.
• Visa Infinite Dining Series – Each event includes multi-course meals, drink pairings and an interactive experience. You’ll get to taste dishes from some of the country’s top chefs and restaurants as they guide you through each course.
• Wine country benefit from wineries across Ontario and British Columbia including complimentary tastings and tours. You can also get access to online offers like complimentary shipping and savings on wine purchases.
• Get golf perks with Troon Rewards® through your Visa Infinite card and automatically receive Silver Status. You’ll save 10% on golf fees, merchandise, and lessons at over 150 courses around the world.
• Access to private movie events and at-home offers as part of the Visa Infinite Screening Series. In the fall, get special perks at the Toronto International Film Festival®.
• Visa Infinite Privilege cards include a Complimentary Concierge service that can offer help with anything like the perfect travel itinerary, restaurant recommendations, finding the perfect birthday gift, and more
• RSVP Rewards Diamond Status: Enroll in the Visa RSVP Rewards Benefit and automatically receive Diamond status delivering benefits at 60+ participating Sandman, Sandman Signature and Sutton Place Hotels from coast-to-coast in Canada and beyond.

 

Insurance

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card comes with an excellent insurance coverage package. The coverage is as follows:

• Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance (31 days under age 65, 10 days for 65+)
• Trip Cancellation Insurance - $2,500 per person (up to $10,000 per trip)
• Trip Interruption Insurance - $5,000 per person (up to $25,000 per trip)
• Flight Delay Insurance - 4 hours up to $1,000 per person
• Baggage Delay Insurance - 4 hours $1,000 per person
• Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance - up to $2,500 per person (up to $5,000 per trip)
• Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance - 48 Days Up to $85,000 MSRP
• Hotel Burglary Insurance - Up to $2,500
• Travel Accident Insurance - Up to $500,000
• Purchase Security Insurance - 180 Days Up to $60,000 lifetime
• Extended Warranty Insurance - Up to 2 extra years
• Mobile Device Insurance - up to $1,000

What is good about this card

The earn rate on travel purchases is great! To be able to earn 3x points (up to a 3% return) on an unlimited amount of spending on travel makes this one of the best cards in Canada for earning on travel purchases.

The next best thing about the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege card is the no foreign transaction fee benefit. Whether you travel lots outside Canada, shop online a lot from the U.S. or other countries, being able to save 2 to 3% on each transaction is a huge deal.

The Visa Airport Companion benefit is excellent. Scotiabank covers the annual membership fee and gives you 10 free lounge visits. This provides well over C$500 in value if you are able to use all 10 visits annually!

The card also has a exceptionally strong insurance package including trip cancellation and up to 31 days of out of province emergency medical coverage for those under 65 years old and a rare 10 days for those 65 and over (with no age cap!). I would go so far as to say this card ranks as one of the top three when just looking at insurance coverage.

 

What is not so good about this card

The lack of any accelerated earn rates when using the card at Scene+ partners. Considering this is a Scene+ program credit card you would think there would be an incentive to use it at Scene+ partners like the grocery stores, Cineplex, etc. In fact they should have added accelerators for all Scene+ partners taking the accelerated earn found on other Scene+ credit cards and rolling them into this card.

Our next biggest gripe would be the rest of the earn rates on the card outside of travel. Don't get me wrong, this card is about balancing perks and rewards which makes it a well rounded card but when looking at earn rates only, especially the base everyday earn rate, this card comes up short when you compare it to some other Visa Infinite Privilege cards.

The Scene+ program does not provide any opportunity for redemptions with outsized value. Scotia counters this with the earn rates on their cards providing inherent outsized value and in the case of this card it means a maximum possible return on spending of 3%. There are cards and/or card+program combos out there that can provide significantly more than 3% so this is something to consider - especially if you are big spender (think high four or five figures per month) - outside of travel purchases of course!

Ultimately the trick here is to get the Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card for the perks and then the Scotiabank Gold American Express card to accelerate your points earning and guarantee yourself up to 6% returns..

Who should get this card

• Consumers who make a lot of travel purchases!
• Consumers who have a lot of foreign currency spending. Whether that's while travelling, online shopping or importing goods for from outside of Canada.
• Consumers who bank at Scotia and want to keep all financial products with one bank (especially if your account gives you that card for free)
• Consumers who want the utmost in flexibility with their points, that is making their own travel bookings and using the points for those or even redeeming the points for any purchase made on the card
• Consumers who want a strong insurance package combined with lots of the above features

 

Conclusion

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege card you get a well rounded ultra premium card that balances rewards and perks. It is a great choice for frequent travellers who do not have an allegiance to a single airline or frequent flyer program and want to ensure they are earning lots of points on those travel purchases.

Latest card details:

Other cards to consider if you are looking at this card:

• American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
  
• The Platinum Card from American Express
  
• CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
  
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege Card
• Scotiabank®* Platinum American Express® Card
• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card

This review was first posted on August 26, 2025 and is updated on a regular basis

 

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