【September 5, 2026 update】 A record-high welcome offer of $700 = 50,000 points + $200 third-party cash back (apply by October 31):
- Spend $2,000 in the first 3 months for 30,000 points
- Spend $7,500 in the first year for 20,000 points
- Apply through the blog-partner cash-back site for an extra $200
Apply for the extra cash-back page 🔗
Highlights
- A relatively low annual fee with broad insurance coverage
- No foreign transaction fee or currency-conversion fee
- 6x and 5x earn rates on the first $50,000 each year
Issuer: Scotiabank Payment network: Amex Card type: Credit card Annual fee: $120; supplementary card: $29
The card has no foreign transaction or currency-conversion fee. It earns Scene+ points, which are valued at 100 points = $1 for the redemption described here.
Related reading: 🇨🇦 Scene+ points in Canada
Welcome offer
[June 27, 2026 update] Apply by November 1, 2026 to receive 50,000 points plus $150 through the blog-partner cash-back site:
- Spend $3,000 in the first three months for 30,000 points.
- Spend $7,500 during the first year for another 20,000 points.
- Apply through the blog-partner cash-back link for an additional $150: apply here.
⚠️ Applicants who held any Scotiabank personal credit card in the previous two years—including a primary card, supplementary card, or product switch—are not eligible for the welcome offer. Scotiabank employees are also ineligible.
Previous welcome offers
[January 3, 2025 update] Apply by July 1, 2025 for 40,000 points, plus an additional $100 through FinlyWealth:
- Spend $2,000 in the first three months for 20,000 points.
- Spend $7,500 in the first year for another 20,000 points.
[October 23, 2024 update] Apply through FinlyWealth by October 31, 2024 for an additional $250 cash reward. The combined offer was 45,000 points, a first-year annual-fee waiver, and $250 cash:
- Spend $1,000 in the first three months for 25,000 points.
- Spend $7,500 in the first year for another 20,000 points.
[January 1, 2024 update] Apply by July 1, 2024 for 40,000 points:
- Spend $1,000 in the first three months for 20,000 points.
- Spend $7,500 in the first year for another 20,000 points.
Everyday spending
The issuer says the elevated earn rates are limited to Canada; however, data points show that eligible spending abroad can also receive the elevated rates. There is a $50,000 annual cap.
6x: groceries, including these stores:
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: dining, including dine-in, takeout, and delivery, plus other eligible grocery stores.
5x: entertainment, including movies, theatre, and ticket agencies.
3x: transportation, including gas and daily transit options such as rideshare, buses, taxis, and subway.
3x: streaming services.
1x: everything else.
[February 17, 2026 update] Two additional spending data points:
- An Uber gift card bought during an 85%-off promotion earned 3x, apparently under the transportation category.
- A Bravo reload earned 5x and was categorized as dining.
[June 16, 2025 update] The card can still earn elevated points abroad, as seen in the United States. A reader named DNE reported earning 5x on restaurant spending in Korea.
[September 9, 2024 update] Data points from English-language blogs suggest that, although the card emphasizes 5x dining and grocery spending in Canadian dollars, international travel can still earn 5x on dining and 3x on transportation. Combined with no foreign transaction fee, this makes the card a strong international-travel option. The main weakness is Amex acceptance, which is less universal abroad than Visa or Mastercard.
🇨🇦 Canadian no-foreign-transaction-fee credit cards
Benefits & insurance
- No foreign transaction fee or currency-conversion fee.
- Amex Offers: you can register the card for Amex Offers.
Register at https://global.americanexpress.com/card-offers/view-all?locale=en-CA. Enter your card details to register. Managing already registered Amex Offers does not appear particularly convenient, but registration does not change how the card works.
For example, a recent BC Transit Amex Offer provided $2 back on a $6 purchase. After registering on the page, the author used a Scotia Gold Amex reload for $10 and received $2 cash back the next day.
- Amex Front Of The Line ticket access
Cardmembers can purchase Front Of The Line® presale tickets to some of the most in-demand concerts, theatre productions, restaurants, and special events before the general public.
Cardmembers can also purchase Front Of The Line® Reserved tickets from a block of seats reserved exclusively for American Express during the public on-sale period for many major events.
- Travel Emergency Medical Insurance
Eligible persons under 65 are covered for up to 25 consecutive days, while eligible persons aged 65 and over are covered for up to three consecutive days.
If you are under 65 and travelling for more than 25 days, or 65 and over and travelling for more than three days, you may purchase additional days from the insurer before departure by calling 1-877-222-7342. The insurer will issue a separate Certificate of Insurance.
- Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption Insurance
You, your spouse, and your dependent children can receive up to $1,500 per person, to a maximum of $10,000 per trip, when at least 75% of the trip expenses are charged to the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card and a medical or non-medical covered cause forces cancellation or interruption. Coverage reimburses eligible non-refundable trip costs and additional ticket-change charges.
- Flight Delay Insurance
After a flight delay or missed connection lasting four hours or more, eligible necessary and reasonable living expenses can be reimbursed up to $500 per insured person on the same trip, provided at least 75% of the full ticket cost was charged to the card.
- Delayed and Lost Baggage Insurance
When common-carrier tickets are purchased with the card, checked baggage is covered if it is lost or delayed. Lost baggage coverage is limited to the lesser of the covered baggage value or the actual replacement cost, to a combined maximum of $1,000. Delayed baggage coverage is up to $1,000 for all insured persons on the same trip for essential replacement items when baggage is not delivered within four hours of arrival at the final destination.
- Travel Accident Insurance
You, your spouse, and eligible dependent children are automatically insured against accidental loss of life or dismemberment up to $500,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence. You must charge at least 75% of the ticket cost to the card, and coverage applies while travelling on a licensed common carrier such as an aircraft, cruise ship, train, or bus.
- Rental Car Collision Loss / Damage Insurance
You are automatically covered when the vehicle is rented in your name, you decline the rental agency’s collision or loss-damage waiver, and you use the card to pay the entire rental cost. If the vehicle is damaged or stolen, coverage applies to the amount owed to the rental agency up to the vehicle’s actual cash value. The rental period cannot exceed 48 consecutive days, and vehicles valued above $65,000 are not covered.
- Hotel / Motel Burglary Insurance
When you charge the full stay at a hotel or motel in Canada or the United States to the card, you, your spouse, and dependent children travelling with you are covered for theft of personal property if the room is broken into. If the claim exceeds the amount reimbursed by the hotel and other applicable insurance, this coverage pays the balance up to $1,000.
- New Mobile Device Insurance
New cell phones, smartphones, and tablets purchased on or after October 1, 2022 may be covered when the full device cost is charged to the card, or when all wireless bill payments for a device purchased through a financing plan are charged to the card. Coverage is up to $1,000 if the device is lost, stolen, accidentally damaged, or suffers mechanical failure.
- Purchase Security & Extended Warranty Protection
Most items purchased with the card are insured against theft, loss, or damage for 90 days from the purchase date, and the manufacturer’s warranty is doubled for up to one year. Items purchased anywhere in the world must be paid for in full with the card.
Coverage during the first 90 days is limited to the lesser of repair cost, replacement cost, or original purchase price and is excess to other insurance. The extended warranty is also limited to the lesser of repair cost, replacement cost, or original purchase price. Items with a manufacturer’s repair warranty of five years or more must be registered within the first year of purchase.
Keywords: Canadian credit cards, Scotia Gold Amex, Canadian no-currency-conversion-fee cards, Canadian no-foreign-transaction-fee cards
Further reading
