The Scotiabank Gold American Express card is one of the best Scotiabank credit cards, especially when it comes to travel rewards.
It’s an award-winning card that offers generous Scene+ points on your everyday purchases, which you can redeem for a wide range of rewards such as groceries, gift cards, and other services.
This Scotiabank Gold American Express card review covers the card’s benefits and downsides, as well as instructions on how to apply for it.
Main Highlights
- The main benefits of the Scotiabank Gold American Express card are earning Scene+ points, having no foreign transaction fees, and getting insurance coverage for the purchases you make using the credit card.
- Some downsides of the Scotiabank Gold American Express card are its slightly expensive annual fee of $120 and its relatively high APR of 20.99% for purchases and 22.99% for cash advances.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card – Summary
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Rewards: Earn up to 6x Scene+ points for every $1 spent.
Welcome offer: Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points in the first year, plus the first year annual fee waived.
Interest rates: 20.99% for purchases, 22.99% for cash advances.
Annual fee: $120
Recommended credit score:
Good to Excellent
On Scotiabank’s website
Benefits Of The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Below are several benefits Scotiabank American Express cardholders can enjoy.
Earn Scene+ Points
For every dollar you spend on your day-to-day transactions, you can earn up to 6 Scene+ points, depending on which category you spend your money on.
The table below shows the different ways to earn these reward points and how much you can earn through each spending category.
| Spending Category | Examples | Scene+ Points (For Every Dollar) |
| Groceries (Selected Retailers) | Sobeys/ Safeway/ FreshCo | 6 |
| Eat in and Eat out | Dining, Food Subscriptions, and Delivery | 5 |
| Watch and Cheer | Movies, Theatres, and Ticketing Agencies | 5 |
| Ride and Drive | Gas and Transit Expenses | 3 |
| Listen and Stream | Streaming Services | 3 |
| Other Eligible Everyday Purchases | – | 1 |
Note: You can redeem your Scene+ points for groceries, travel expenses, gift cards, credit and dining/entertainment services. You’ll get $1 towards your purchase for every 100 points you redeem.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Most Canadian credit cards charge a 2.5%foreign transaction fee when you make online transactions using foreign currencies or use your credit card abroad.
Fortunately, you won’t be charged this fee when using the Scotiabank Gold American Express card, as it’s one of the few credit cards with no foreign transaction fee.
Booking Assistance
Whether you need help booking flight tickets, restaurant reservations, or tickets for a concert or a show, you can enjoy Scotiabank’s concierge services to make the process easier and faster.
Exclusive Offers And Invites
With this credit card, you can enjoy invites to exclusive events, such as advance screenings of blockbuster movies and get special offers on pre-sale tickets to many of the most in-demand shows and concerts.
Moreover, you’ll have the Scotiabank Gold American Express card lounge access, which allows you to stay in over 1200 VIP airport lounges worldwide for a discounted price.
Insurance Coverage
This credit card gives you partial and full insurance coverage for some of the most common losses, accidents, cancellations, and delays. Those include:
- Flight Delay Insurance
- New Mobile Device Insurance
- Travel Emergency Medical Insurance
- Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance
- Rental Car Collision Loss/Damage Insurance
Other Benefits
Other benefits of this Scotiabank credit card include faster checkout through Apple Pay and receiving supplementary cards for your friends or family members.
Downsides Of The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Despite being an overall excellent credit card, the Scotiabank Gold American Express card still has several downsides you must be aware of before applying for one.
$120 Annual Price Tag: Considering that you can get many credit cards for free, the Scotiabank Gold American Express card’s $120 annual fee can be considered one of its major downsides.
High APR: The interest rates for this Scotiabank credit card are relatively high at 20.99% for purchases and 22.99% for cash advances. If you’re looking to save money in the long run, it may be worth considering low-interest credit cards instead.
Not Accepted In Certain Locations: American Express cards aren’t as universally accepted as Visa or Mastercards, which could potentially be problematic for frequent travellers, especially when travelling abroad.
How To Apply For The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Any Canadian resident that’s at least the age of provincial majority can apply for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. You may do so online, in person, or by calling the bank’s customer support.
Here are the Scotiabank Gold American Express card requirements:
- No bankruptcy in the past 7 years.
- Have a minimum income of $12,000 annually.
Note: You must give Scotiabank access to your credit bureau report when applying for the Gold American Express card.
How To Redeem Scene+ Points
Redeeming your Scene+ points is easy. All you have to do is install and open the Scene+ application on your iOS/Android device.
Once you’ve linked it to your Scotiabank credit card, just follow these steps:
- Go to the Scene+ application’s home screen.
- Click your Scene+ account.
- Tap Redeem now.
- Choose how you want to redeem your points.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card Alternatives
Below are some credit card alternatives to the Scotiabank Gold American Express card.
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
Rewards: Earn up to 3x Scene+ points on groceries, dining, and entertainment.
Welcome offer: Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points in the first year (up to $400 towards travel).
Interest rates: 20.99% for purchases, 22.99% for cash advances
Annual fee: $150
Recommended credit score:
Very Good to Excellent
On Scotiabank’s website
American Express Cobalt Card
American Express Cobalt Card
Rewards: Earn up to 5x Membership Rewards points on purchases.
Interest rates: 20.99% for purchases, 21.99% for cash advances.
Annual fee: $155.88 ($12.99 paid monthly)
Recommended credit score:
Good to Excellent
On American Express’ website
American Express Gold Rewards Card
American Express Gold Rewards Card
Rewards: Earn up to 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday purchases.
Welcome offer: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 additional points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of card membership.
Interest rates: 20.99% for purchases, 21.99% for cash advances.
Annual fee: $250
Recommended credit score:
Good to Excellent
On American Express’s website
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
Rewards: Earn 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Interest rates: 19.99% for purchases, 21.99% for cash advances.
Annual fee: $120
Recommended credit score:
Fair to Excellent
On American Express’s website
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card: Conclusion
The Scotiabank Gold American Express card is a popular Canadian travel card with generous rewards, no foreign transaction fees, comprehensive insurance coverage, and various perks.
Its straightforward sign-up process and minimal requirements make it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a credit card without too much hassle.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card vs Alternative Cards
| Credit Cards | Annual Fee | APR Purchases | APR Cash Advances | Rewards |
| Scotiabank Gold American Express Card | $120 | 20.99% | 22.99% | Up to 6X Scene+ points per $1 spent |
| American Express Cobalt Card | $155.88 | 20.99% | 21.99% | Up to 5X American Express points per $1 spent |
| American Express Gold Rewards Card | $250 | 20.99% | 21.99% | Up to 2X American Express points per $1 spent |
| Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card | $120 | 19.99% | 21.99% | Up to 5X Marriott Bonvoy Points for every $1 spent |
| Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card | $150 | 20.99% | 22.99% | Up to 3X Scene+ points per $1 spent |
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