Felicia Y.Toronto, ON · Mar 2026
★★★★★
Replaced my Amex Plat with this. Travel 5-6x/year and the FX savings alone covered the fee twice over. Priority Pass perfectly adequate for the volume I fly.
Overview
The Scotia Passport Visa Infinite single-handedly broke the Canadian travel card market when it launched. At $150/year — less than the Amex Cobalt — Scotiabank packed in benefits that previously required $399-$799 cards: unlimited Priority Pass enrollment, 6 free lounge guest passes per year, and crucially, zero FX markup on foreign purchases.
The Passport earns 3 Scene+ points per dollar on groceries (excl. Costco), entertainment (Cineplex, streaming), and select streaming services. 2 points on transit, dining, and gas. 1 point on everything else. While the per-category multipliers don't match the Cobalt's 5x dining, the Passport's FX advantage for international purchases is irreplaceable.
Scene+ has evolved from "points for movies" into one of Canada's most flexible rewards programs. You can redeem Scene+ points for Sobeys/Safeway/IGA grocery rebates ($1 per 1,000 pts), Cineplex movies, hotel stays, flights via the Scene+ travel portal, or 1 cent/point statement credit on travel purchases.
For Canadian international travellers — whether weekend Buffalo shopping trips, monthly U.S. business travel, or annual European vacations — the FX savings alone justify the card. A $5,000 European vacation saves $125 in FX fees vs a standard 2.5% card. That's essentially the entire annual fee back.
The catch: 6 free Priority Pass passes per year (not unlimited like Amex Platinum). Travel insurance is good but not best-in-class. And the Scene+ point value is lower than Membership Rewards or Aeroplan transfer options.
Welcome bonus
★ NEW CARDHOLDER OFFER
Earn up to 40,000 Scene+ points
Easy hit at $333/month. 40,000 Scene+ points = $400 cash value via Sobeys grocery rebate or statement credit. Welcome bonus alone covers 2.5 years of the annual fee.
40,000 pts
Spend $1,000 in first 3 months + sign up
≈ $400 in Scene+ value
Rewards & earn rates
Here's exactly what you earn per dollar across every category — and where this card pulls ahead of the field.
3xx
Groceries (excl. Costco/Walmart)Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Loblaws, Metro, Whole Foods
3xx
Entertainment & streamingCineplex, Netflix, Disney+, Crave, Spotify
2xx
Transit, dining, gasTTC, GO, restaurants, Uber, Petro-Can, Shell
1xx
Everything elseStandard rate on all other purchases
Benefits & perks
Beyond the rewards, here are the perks worth knowing about.
💱0% FX markup
The only Canadian premium card with no foreign currency conversion fee. Saves 2.5% on every international purchase.
🛋️Free Priority Pass enrollment
6 free lounge entries per year. Each additional entry $27 USD. Includes 1,400+ airports worldwide.
🎫6 free guest passes
Bring a companion to Priority Pass lounges 6 times per year free. Unusual perk among premium cards.
🛂Avis Preferred
Free upgrades + skip-the-counter at Avis car rentals worldwide.
🛡️Travel insurance package
Emergency medical ($1M, 25-day trips), trip cancellation ($1,500/person), interruption ($2,000/person).
👔Visa Infinite Concierge
24/7 concierge service. Less polished than Amex Platinum's but reliable for travel + restaurant bookings.
Fees & rates
The numbers that show up on your statement.
ANNUAL FEE$150One-fifth of Amex Platinum
SUPPLEMENTARY CARDS$50 eachUp to 9 supplementary cards
PURCHASE APR20.99%Standard for premium cards
CASH ADVANCE APR22.99%Higher than purchase rate
FX MARKUP0%★ The headline feature
MIN INCOME$60,000 personal$100,000 household
Pros and cons
✓ PROS
- Only Canadian premium card with 0% FX markup — saves 2.5% on every foreign purchase
- $150/year fee is one-fifth of Amex Platinum
- Unlimited Priority Pass enrollment + 6 free passes/year
- 6 free guest passes for lounge companions (very unusual perk)
- Scene+ Sobeys grocery redemption is genuinely flexible
- Strong Aeroplan and WestJet point transfers (with some restrictions)
- Universal Visa acceptance vs Amex gaps
✗ CONS
- Only 6 free Priority Pass passes/year (vs Amex Platinum unlimited)
- Scene+ point value lower than Membership Rewards or Aeroplan transfer ratios
- 3x grocery earn lags Amex Cobalt's 5x
- No auto Marriott Gold or Hilton Gold elite status
- Travel insurance coverage limits below Amex Platinum
- Sobeys grocery redemption requires shopping at Sobeys-banner stores
Who it's for
★ APPLY IF
- Canadians who travel internationally 2+ times per year (FX savings)
- Sobeys/Safeway/IGA grocery loyalists (Scene+ redemption maxes value)
- First-time premium card seekers ($150/year is approachable)
- Cineplex regulars (3x Scene+ on movies = bonus value)
- Travellers who want premium card benefits without Amex acceptance gaps
✗ SKIP IF
- Aeroplan or WestJet loyalists (RBC Avion better for Air Canada/WestJet partnerships)
- Light travellers (6 lounge passes wasted with under 4 flights)
- Costco shoppers (3x exclusion at Costco hurts)
- Foodies who eat out 5x/week (Cobalt's 5x dining wins)
- Anyone who needs unlimited lounge access (use Amex Platinum)
How it compares
We pitted this card against its closest rivals.
Amex Platinum8.8/10
$799/year. Unlimited Priority Pass + Marriott Gold + $200 credit.
Scotia wins on valueRBC Avion Privilege8.9/10
$399/year. Strong Aeroplan + WestJet integration.
Different nichesRogers Red World Elite8.4/10
$60/year. FX-free, but no lounge access. Lower-tier alternative.
Rogers cheaper, Scotia betterHow to apply
The eligibility checklist before you hit the application button.
MIN CREDIT SCORE725+ recommended
MIN INCOME$60,000/year personal or $100,000 household
OTHER ELIGIBILITYCanadian resident · 18+
DECISION TIME5-7 business days · card arrives 1-2 weeks
Editor's verdict
9.2/10
★★★★½
FINAL VERDICT
The smartest premium travel card in Canada. Period.
No FX markup + $150 fee + Priority Pass + 6 guest passes is mathematically unbeatable for any Canadian who travels internationally even occasionally. The Scotia Passport pays for itself with $6,000 of foreign spending (FX savings alone). Most Canadian premium-card optimizers pair this with Amex Cobalt for everyday spend. Add a Scene+ partnership at Sobeys/Cineplex and the value stack is hard to beat.
Apply for Scotia Passport ↗User reviews
What current and former cardholders are saying. Aggregated from Trustpilot, Reddit (/r/PersonalFinanceCanada), and our own community comments.
4.7 / 5 ★
3,214 reviews
Brendan O.Vancouver, BC · Feb 2026
★★★★★
Best value card in Canada full stop. NEXUS member + Scene+ Sobeys monthly grocery rebate + FX-free trips = essentially printing money.
Maya P.Calgary, AB · Jan 2026
★★★★★
Lounge access caps at 6 free / year was tight when I hit 12 flights for work. But $150 fee is so reasonable I just pay $27/extra entry when needed. Still cheaper than Platinum.
Cole D.Halifax, NS · Dec 2025
★★★★★
Travel to US monthly for cross-border work. Saved $850 in FX this year alone. Card is essentially free for me at this point.