Georgia Rose
Beth Buczynski Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.
Great for travellers who collect Scene+ points.
If you’re looking for an Amex that earns extra Scene+ points and have always wanted a Priority Pass membership, this card may be worth considering.
Learn more about our star rating methodology.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express offers up to six times the Scene+ points per dollar spent, and a wide range of travel perks, such as travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees and a discount on Priority Pass membership.
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
-
Annual Fee$120
-
Interest Rates20.99% / 22.99%20.99% on purchases. 22.99% on cash advances.
-
Rewards Rate1x-6x PointsEarn 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. 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 5X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible entertainment purchases. Includes movies, theatre, and ticket agencies. 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.
-
Intro OfferUp to 40,000 PointsTo qualify for the 40,000 bonus Scene+ points offer: 1. Earn 20,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $1,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. 2. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year. Offer ends October 31, 2023.
- Earn up to $650* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points. NEW OFFER May 1, 2023 – October 31, 2023.
- You will not pay 2.5% foreign transaction fees on any foreign currency purchases, including online shopping and when travelling 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 5X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible entertainment purchases. Includes movies, theatre, and ticket agencies.
- 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.
- You must redeem a minimum of 5,000 points per travel-related rewards redemption, equivalent to $50 in travel savings. Points must be redeemed within 12 months of the purchase date.
- Discounted Priority Pass™ membership, which grants you access to over 1200 VIP lounges around the world.
- Score deals on shopping, dining, travel and more with Amex Offers®, and experience special events and discounts with American Express Invites®.
- Access to Amex Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets.
- To be eligible, $12,000 (individual) annual income is required. Also, you must have a Canadian credit file and be a Canadian resident of the age of majority in the province or territory where you live.
- Terms and Conditions Apply. Click ‘Apply Now’ for complete details.
Scotiabank Gold American Express full review
The Scotiabank Gold American Express is one of three Amex cards offered by the bank. You can earn Scene+ points on select grocery, restaurant, entertainment, transit and streaming purchases. However, you can’t earn cash back, and points can’t be spent outside of the Scene+ platform.
Benefits of the Scotiabank Gold Amex
- 24/7 concierge customer service.
- Discounted membership to Priority Pass, which grants access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide.
- Extensive travel insurance perks, including hotel burglary, flight cancellation and lost luggage coverage.
- No foreign transaction fees, which means you just pay the exchange rate.
Drawbacks of the Scotiabank Gold Amex
- Doesn’t offer cash-back rewards.
- Points can’t be used or transferred outside of the Scene+ platform.
Who should get the Scotiabank Gold American Express card?
The Scotiabank Gold American Express card is a great choice if you:
- Collect Scene+ points. Scene+ points can be used to purchase a range of products and services, such as movie tickets, flights, groceries and more.
- Don’t plan to carry a balance month-to-month. While not unusually high, the card’s 20.99% purchase APR is among the highest of Scotiabank’s credit cards. Therefore, this card may be a better fit if you’re confident you will pay off the balance in full each month.
Is the Scotiabank Gold American Express worth it?
It depends on how you want to earn rewards. If you’re looking for a card that offers Scene+ points, has Amex perks and a low income requirement, this card may be worth it. However, if you want a card that offers cash back rewards, 0% APR or low interest rates, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Scotia Bank customer ratings
- Below average in customer satisfaction: Scotiabank ranks 10 out of 13 in J.D. Power’s 2022 Canada Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
- Poor Trustpilot rating: 1.2 out of 5 possible stars based on more than 740 customer reviews, as of this writing.
- Low Better Business Bureau rating: 1.2 out of 5 possible stars based on more than 90 customer reviews, as of this writing. Scotiabank is not accredited by the BBB itself.
Scotiabank Gold American Express eligibility
Who qualifies for the Scotiabank Gold American Express card?
To qualify for the Scotiabank Gold Amex, you must:
- Be a Canadian resident.
- Be at least the age of majority.
- Have no history of bankruptcy in the last seven years.
- Have a minimum annual gross income of $12,000.
Approximate credit score needed for approval
Canadian credit card issuers rarely disclose required credit scores, which makes it hard to know your chances of approval when comparing credit cards. What we do know is that higher scores have better chances of approval — that’s true no matter what type of credit you’re applying for.
Want to learn more? Visit our “What Credit Score is Needed for a Credit Card?” page.
» MORE: How to Check Your Credit Score
Scotiabank Gold American Express rewards
Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points. Spend at least $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of card ownership and receive 20,000 points. Earn an additional 20,000 points if you spend at least $7,500 in the first year (offer valid until October 31, 2023 and available to new cardholders only).
You can earn Scene+ points on the following purchases.
- 6x points on purchases at Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland & Participating Co-ops, FreshCo, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Participating IGAs, Rachelle Béry, Les Marchés Tradition, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by Safeway and Voilà par IGA.
- 5x points on eligible restaurants, fast food purchases, food delivery and groceries.
- 5x points on eligible ticket purchases to movies and theatres.
- 3x points on gas and daily transit, including rideshare.
- 3x points on select streaming services.
- 1x points on everything else.
The value of Scotiabank Scene+ points may vary based on the redemption method you choose, but according to NerdWallet analysis, you can expect to get around 1 cent per point on travel, movies, dining, entertainment, banking, and retail, pharmacy and grocery shopping.
In the first year, you could potentially earn $647 in travel rewards, according to the Scotiabank website. The welcome bonus of 40,000 Scene+ points equals $400 in travel rewards. Plus, a year of everyday purchases can generate $247 in travel rewards, on average.
How to apply for the Scotiabank Gold Amex
You can apply for the Scotiabank Gold Amex via the company’s website. Follow the below steps to apply.
- Log in or sign up for a new account.
- Enter any personal details like a Social Insurance Number.
- Enter any employment or financial information requested.
- Review the card’s terms and conditions before you submit your application.
Scotiabank Gold Amex vs Amex Cobalt
The two cards have similar annual fees, but the way they earn points differs.
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | American Express Cobalt | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fees | $120 | $155.88 ($12.99/month) |
| Minimum annual income | $12,000 | None published |
| Rewards | ||
| Benefits |
Reasons you might want a different card
You may want to consider a different card if you:
- Want to earn cash back or non-Scene+ points.
- Want a card with customizable spending categories.
Scotiabank Gold American Express facts
| Scotiabank Gold American Express | |
|---|---|
| Card type | Rewards credit card |
| Fees and Interest Rates | |
| Annual fee | $120 |
| Regular/purchase APR | 20.99% |
| Penalty APR | 25.99% (27.99% on cash advances) if two or more payments are missed in a 12 month period. Penalty is removed after you make the minimum payment for 12 consecutive months. |
| Cash advance APR | 22.99% |
| Balance transfer APR | 22.99% |
| Foreign transaction fee | No foreign transaction fee. |
| Rewards and Benefits | |
| Intro offer | New cardholders can earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points in the first year. Earn 20,000 if you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months. Earn an additional 20,000 if you spend at least $7,500 on eligible purchases in the first year. Terms and conditions apply. Valid until October 31, 2023. |
| Reward earn rates | Earn between 1x and 6x Scene+ points on eligible purchases, such as groceries, gas and streaming services. |
| Other perks | |
| Insurance coverage | |
| Travel accident | Up to $500,000 ($1 million per occurrence). |
| Travel medical | Up to $1 million per insured person per trip. |
| Flight delay | Up to $500 for necessary expenses, such as accommodation, meals and sundries. |
| Baggage delay | Up to $1,000 of coverage per trip for all insured persons. |
| Lost or stolen baggage | Up to $1,000 of coverage per trip for all insured persons. |
| Hotel burglary | Up to $1,000 of coverage. |
| Rental car theft/damage | For up to 48 days. |
| Extended warranty | Up to one additional year. |
| Purchase Protection | 90 days. |
| Mobile Device Protection | Up to $1,000 of mobile device protection in case of loss, theft, accidental damage or mechanical issues. Conditions apply. |
Rating Methodology
NerdWallet Canada rates credit cards according to overall consumer value and their suitability for specific kinds of consumers. Factors in our evaluation methodology include annual and other fees, rewards rates, the earning structure (for example, flat-rate rewards versus bonus categories), redemption options, bonus offers for new cardholders, introductory and ongoing APRs, and other noteworthy features such as airline or hotel perks or the ability to transfer points.
Frequently asked questions about Scotiabank Gold American Express
You must have a minimum gross income of $12,000 to apply for the Scotiabank Gold American Express card.
Yes, for a discount. The Scotiabank Gold American Express card offers a discount on Priority Pass membership, which grants access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide.
About the Author
