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In this variation of Head-to-Head, let’s comparison the 2 best nary overseas transaction interest recognition cards successful Canada: the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card.
If you’re a predominant flyer looking to minimize fees erstwhile travelling abroad, which 1 is close for you? We’ll comparison the cards utilizing a scope of criteria, including the invited bonus, earning rates, benefits & perks, and insurance, to assistance you determine which suits you best.
Card Basics
Let’s footwear things disconnected by looking astatine immoderate of the essentials erstwhile considering a recognition card: invited bonuses, yearly fees, and earning rates.
1. Welcome Bonus
First and foremost, let’s look astatine the invited bonuses, which is 1 of the astir compelling factors erstwhile deciding betwixt 2 recognition cards.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card some gain Scene+ points.
Until January 3, 2024, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card has a invited bonus of 25,000 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 (all figures successful CAD) successful the archetypal 3 months. This portion of the invited bonus is worthy $250 erstwhile redeemed for travel.
The paper besides rewards an further 10,000 Scene+ points each twelvemonth upon spending $40,000; however, this higher-volume walk is rather substantial, and your efforts whitethorn beryllium amended allocated elsewhere.
In the past, we’ve seen invited offers of up to 35,000 Scene+ points with an yearly interest rebate successful the archetypal year, truthful the existent connection is simply a spot little than the all-time high.
On the different hand, until July 1, 2024, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has a invited connection of up to 40,000 Scene+ points, structured arsenic follows:
- 20,000 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 successful the archetypal 3 months
- 20,000 Scene+ points upon spending $7,500 successful the archetypal year
We’ve seen the invited bonus spell arsenic precocious arsenic 45,000–50,000 Scene+ points successful the past; however, it’s worthy noting that the existent connection is rather competitive, particularly with a tenable minimum spending request implicit the people of the archetypal year.
Verdict: The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite has a higher invited bonus upon spending $1,000 successful the archetypal 3 months, but the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card gives different boost of 20,000 points upon spending $7,500 successful the archetypal year.
In this category, we’ll springiness the borderline to the Scotiabank Gold. While the archetypal boost of points is somewhat lower, maximizing the full bonus comes with a little full spend, which averages retired to $625 per period for the archetypal year.
2. Annual Fee
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card has an yearly interest of $150. It’s worthy noting that the paper has travel with an yearly interest rebate successful the past, but that’s not the lawsuit with the existent offer.
On the different hand, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card’s yearly interest measures successful astatine $120. We’ve besides seen an yearly interest rebate connected erstwhile offers; however, that’s not the lawsuit present either.
Verdict: With neither paper presently offering an yearly interest rebate, the borderline goes to the Scotiabank Gold Amex owed to the little yearly fee.
3. Earning Rates
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has a four-tier earning structure:
- 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent connected eligible purchases astatine Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, and more
- 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent connected eligible groceries, dining, and entertainment
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent connected eligible gas, transit, and streaming work purchases
- 1 Scene+ constituent per dollar spent connected each different eligible purchases
Every 100 Scene+ points tin beryllium redeemed towards $1 successful question purchases, which sets their baseline worth astatine a minimum of 1 cent per constituent (cpp) erstwhile redeemed for travel.
Therefore, you’ll gain anyplace from an effectual 1–6% instrumentality connected spending with the Scotiabank Gold Amex, depending connected which class your purchases suffice as.
On the different hand, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card offers the pursuing earning structure:
- 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent connected eligible purchases at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, and more
- 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent connected eligible purchases astatine different market stores, dining, entertainment, and transit
- 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent connected each different eligible purchases
Earn Scene+ points with the Scotiabank Passport and Scotiabank Gold AmexWith the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, you’ll gain an effectual 3% instrumentality astatine Sobeys-affiliated market stores, a 2% instrumentality connected eligible groceries, dining, entertainment, and transit, and a 1% instrumentality connected each different eligible spending, including travel.
It’s worthy noting that the baseline 1 Scene+ constituent per dollar spent connected purchases extracurricular of Canada applies with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card; however, the Scotiabank Passport’s class earning multipliers besides use extracurricular of the country.
Verdict: For this category, the Scotiabank Gold Amex has superior earning rates for purchases wrong Canada, portion the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite has higher earning rates extracurricular of the country.
Depending connected however you program to usage the cards, you’d gain much points extracurricular of the state with the Scotiabank Passport, portion the Scotiabank Gold Amex would gain much points successful Canada, arsenic agelong arsenic you’re leveraging the multipliers.
Perks and Benefits
Additional perks and benefits offered by recognition cards tin marque a beardown lawsuit for choosing 1 implicit the other, particularly erstwhile it comes to travel.
1. Redeeming Points
Many of Canada’s large banks unit you to redeem their proprietary points for question done in-house question agencies. Some of these question portals tin beryllium rather clunky and hard to woody with, and tin besides bounds your scope of options of what benignant of question to book.
Fortunately, with Scotiabank’s Scene+ points, you tin book with immoderate question provider and redeem points to offset the cost.
Therefore, you tin publication flights, car rentals, hotels, short-term rentals, trains, cruises, oregon thing other that codes arsenic travel, and past redeem your Scene+ points to partially oregon wholly offset the expense.
Redeem Scene+ to offset the outgo of question expenses, specified arsenic crusiesWhat’s more, you person up to 12 months after the complaint posts to redeem points against it. Therefore, if you’re abbreviated by a fewer points for a redemption, you tin proceed to gain points and past offset the outgo erstwhile your equilibrium is sufficient.
Verdict: It’s large to spot some cards offering flexibility erstwhile it comes to redeeming points for immoderate question purchase. Since you tin redeem points successful precisely the aforesaid way, we person ourselves a wide draw.
2. Foreign Transaction Fees
The Scotiabank Passport and the Scotiabank Gold Amex some connection no overseas transaction fees, which is 1 of the astir compelling features to some cards.
Indeed, these 2 cards are Canada’s 2 champion cards with nary overseas transaction fees.
The 2 products usage the American Expresss and Visa mid-market rates, respectively, which are adjacent oregon precise adjacent to the existent mid-market FX rate.
Most different recognition cards levy a 2.5% interest connected overseas transactions, making these 2 cards basal retired arsenic fantabulous choices erstwhile travelling abroad.
Verdict: Once again, we person a wide necktie successful this category, with some cards offering fantabulous worth acknowledgment to their 0% overseas transaction fees.
3. Airport Lounge Access
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite comes with a modular DragonPass membership, with six escaped lounge visits provided annually to cardholders.
Get six escaped lounge visits each twelvemonth with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite CardUnfortunately, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card doesn’t connection immoderate lounge access; however, you’ll get a discounted Priority Pass rank arsenic 1 of the card’s benefits. Just support successful caput that you’d person to wage for immoderate lounge visits.
Verdict: Since the Scotiabank Gold Amex doesn’t connection immoderate escaped passes, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card comes retired intelligibly connected apical successful this class acknowledgment to its six escaped lounge visits.
4. Amex Offers
One of the large features disposable to American Express cardholders is Amex Offers.
You tin manually registry the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card for Amex Offers connected the dedicated landing page for Scotiabank-issued Amex cards.
While the offers rotate passim the year, it’s not uncommon to find offers that supply hundreds of dollars of worth for question purchases, Shop Small connection credits, and different merchandise.
As a Visa product, the Scotiabank Passport isn’t eligible for Amex Offers.
Verdict: The Scotiabank Gold Amex emerges arsenic victorious successful this category, since cardholders person entree to Amex Offers and Scotiabank Passport cardholders don’t.
Other Factors
1. Supplementary Cards
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite offers 1 escaped further paper each year. Every further paper thereafter volition beryllium taxable to an yearly interest of $50.
The Scotiabank Gold Amex charges $29 for each further paper with nary archetypal escaped supplementary cards.
Verdict: This is simply a tiny triumph for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card owed to the escaped archetypal supplementary card, portion each further paper connected the Scotiabank Amex Gold costs $29 apiece.
2. Insurance
As travel-oriented recognition cards, some cards connection beardown security benefits, with a fewer cardinal differences.
Both recognition cards connection car rental collision security connected cars with an MSRP of up to $65,000.
Furthermore, some cards connection formation hold security for delays of much than 4 hours, up to $500 per person, arsenic good arsenic delayed and mislaid baggage security of up to $1,000.
The security offerings disagree with respect to exigency aesculapian insurance, travel cancellation insurance, and interruption insurance.
With the Scotiabank Passport, you’re eligible for exigency aesculapian security of up to $2 cardinal for you, your spouse, and babelike children connected unexpected aesculapian unwellness oregon wounded erstwhile travelling out-of-province for up to 25 days (3 days for property 65 and up). With the Scotiabank Gold, you’re eligible for up to $1 cardinal successful coverage.
The Scotiabank Gold Amex offers security for some travel cancellation and interruption for up to $1,500 per person, portion the Scotiabank Passport offers the aforesaid travel cancellation insurance, but up to $2,500 successful travel interruption security per person.
Both cards besides travel with Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty coverage; however, the Scotiabank Gold Amex besides comes with Mobile Device Insurance, worthy up to $1,000.
Verdict: If security is simply a precocious precedence for you, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card has amended sum connected balance, with much generous amounts connected exigency aesculapian security and travel interruption insurance.
However, if you worth Mobile Device Insurance, past you mightiness broadside with the Scotiabank Gold Amex.
3. Ease of Approval
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has a minimum idiosyncratic income request of conscionable $12,000 to qualify.
On the different hand, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card has a minimum income request of conscionable $60,000 oregon a household income of $100,000.
Verdict: The Scotiabank Gold American Express has a overmuch little obstruction to entry, and comes up successful this measure.
4. Acceptance
Depending connected wherever your travels bring you, you whitethorn find that Visa has a wider acceptance than American Express.
If this is the case, past you’d privation to person a Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite with you alternatively of the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, since you’d beryllium capable to usage it astatine a wider scope of businesses.
Verdict: The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card comes retired ahead, with wider planetary acceptance than the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card.
5. Visual Appearance
Both cards person a akin appearance, arsenic you mightiness expect for cards from the aforesaid bank.
The Scotiabank Gold Amex uses pops of golden to align with its name, portion the Passport has a plan that plays with texture.
Both cards are visually appealing, but neither has an outstanding diagnostic to differentiate itself, specified arsenic a metallic oregon a vertical design. Let’s telephone this 1 a tie.
Conclusion
Both the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card connection fantabulous flexibility for redeeming Scene+ points, and their standout nary overseas speech fees diagnostic makes them well-suited for those travelling abroad.
Choosing betwixt either paper volition yet travel down to the unsocial features offered connected 1 that aren’t offered connected the other.
If you tin marque usage of lounge passes and worth enhanced question security and wider acceptance, past see the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card.
On the different hand, if you’re looking for a paper with fantabulous earning rates for Canadian purchases, arsenic good arsenic entree to Amex Offers, past the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card mightiness beryllium a amended prime for you.
No substance which paper you choose, you’ll upwind up with 1 that saves you wealth erstwhile travelling abroad, and you’ll beryllium assured knowing that you’re utilizing 1 of Canada’s 2 champion nary overseas transaction interest cards.
The station Head-to-Head: Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card vs. Scotiabank Gold American Express appeared archetypal connected Prince of Travel by Ricky Zhang.
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