No foreign transaction fees
Most Canadian credit cards charge 2.5% on purchases made in a foreign currency. On a $5,000 international trip, that is $125 in fees. On $10,000 in annual foreign-currency spending, it is $250. The Passport Visa Infinite eliminates this entirely. The saving grows proportionally with how much you spend internationally, and it applies to online purchases in foreign currencies as well as in-person transactions abroad.
No foreign transaction fee is the primary reason this card appears on most recommended card lists for Canadian travellers. Very few Visa or Mastercard products in Canada offer this feature. It stacks on top of the earn rate: you still earn Scene+ points on international purchases, and you pay no currency conversion surcharge.
Earn rates
The card earns at three tiers. Sobeys-owned grocery banners (Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods) earn 3x Scene+ points. Grocery stores outside those banners, restaurants, bars, food delivery, entertainment (movies, streaming, sporting events), and transit (buses, subways, taxis, rideshare) earn 2x. Everything else earns 1x.
| Spending category | Earn rate | Points per $100 spent |
|---|---|---|
| Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods | 3x Scene+ | 300 pts |
| Groceries (other stores) | 2x Scene+ | 200 pts |
| Dining and food delivery | 2x Scene+ | 200 pts |
| Entertainment | 2x Scene+ | 200 pts |
| Transit (bus, subway, taxi, rideshare) | 2x Scene+ | 200 pts |
| Everything else | 1x Scene+ | 100 pts |
Scene+ points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for travel through the Scotia Rewards travel portal, or for statement credits against travel purchases charged to the card. This makes the math straightforward: 200 points equals $2 in travel value.
Key benefits
Lounge access
The Visa Airport Companion program (powered by DragonPass) provides access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide. The six annual passes cover any mix of lounges in the network. Each pass admits one person; there is no built-in guest policy beyond using a second pass. Passes expire at the end of the card year and do not carry forward.
Six passes covers three return trips per year with one lounge visit each way. For a cardholder who takes more than three international trips per year, the included passes run out and additional visits are charged at the DragonPass standard rate (typically US$32–$45 per visit depending on the lounge). Cardholders who want unlimited lounge access should compare the Amex Aeroplan Reserve or TD/CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege, which both offer unlimited Maple Leaf Lounge access for Air Canada travel.
Scene+ points
Scene+ is a flexible rewards program operated by Scotiabank and Empire Company (the parent of Sobeys). Points earn at everyday spend and redeem for travel, movies, dining at participating restaurants, and grocery purchases at Sobeys-owned stores. The travel redemption rate is 1 cent per point against any travel purchase charged to the card, with no blackout dates and no seat restrictions.
Points do not transfer to airline loyalty programs like Aeroplan. If your goal is to accumulate Aeroplan miles for Air Canada redemptions, the TD, CIBC, or Amex Aeroplan cards are the more direct route. The Passport Visa Infinite suits cardholders who want flexible travel redemptions without being locked into a single airline program.
Travel insurance on the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite scores 69 of 100 on the figures its certificate publishes, joint 26th of the 59 Canadian cards compared. Emergency medical is capped at $2,000,000 for trips up to 25 days. At 65 the longest covered trip falls from 25 days to 3.
| Emergency medical | $2,000,000 · age 0–64: 25 days; age 65+: 3 days · 180-day stability window |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | $1,500 per person · $10,000 per account |
| Trip interruption | $2,500 per person · $10,000 per account |
| Flight or trip delay | $500 per person · after 4 hours |
| Baggage delay | $1,000 per person · after 4 hours |
| Rental car collision or damage | Pays first · rentals to 48 days · vehicles to $65,000 |
You must charge 75% of the trip cost to the card for the coverage to apply. A booking made with points still qualifies, though Scene+ points count toward the charge requirement across all benefits. You have 90 days from the incident to report a claim. Dependent children are covered to age 21.
Every figure from the certificate, with its own wording
| Emergency medical | limit: $2,000,000 (per Insured Person, in excess of any amount payable by a GHIP or Other Insurance) age 0–64: 25 days; age 65+: 3 days pre existing stability days: 180 days (365 days where the person is 75 years of age or older; measured prior to the date the Trip was booked) |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | per person: $1,500 (payable up to the cancellation penalties in effect on the date the covered cause arises) per account: $10,000 (per Trip for all Insured Persons on the same Trip) covered reasons: death of an Insured Person, a Travelling Companion, an Insured Person’s Immediate Family Member or a Travelling Companion’s Immediate Family Member occurring after the Trip is booked and within 31 days prior to the scheduled Trip departure date (enumeration truncated at 40 words; certificate lists six Medical Covered Causes for Cancellation (a to f) and seven Non-Medical Covered Causes (a to g)) |
| Trip interruption | per person: $2,500 (excludes the cost of pre-paid, unused return transportation) per account: $10,000 (per Trip for all Insured Persons on the same Trip) |
| Flight or trip delay | per person: $500 (covers expenses incurred within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time of the original flight) trigger hours: 4 hours (delay must result from strike, quarantine, civil commotion, hijack, natural disaster, inclement weather, mechanical breakdown or denied boarding due to overbooking) |
| Baggage delay | per person: $1,000 (maximum per Trip for all Insured Persons on the same Trip, not a separate per-person amount; Essential Items must be purchased within 96 hours of arrival) trigger hours: 4 hours (measured from the Insured Person's time of arrival at the Final Destination; no coverage on the return home to the province or territory of residence) |
| Lost, stolen or damaged baggage | per person: $1,000 (maximum per Trip for all Insured Persons on the same Trip, not a separate per-person amount; covers theft or permanent misdirection of Checked Luggage by a Common Carrier) |
| Travel accident | limit: $500,000 (loss of life for the Cardmember or Spouse; $50,000 for Dependent Children; $1,000,000 maximum for Loss resulting from any one occurrence) common carrier only: Yes (also in force travelling directly to or from the point-of-departure and point-of-arrival terminals shown on the Ticket) covers 24h: No (certificate enumerates the periods coverage is in force: occupying a Common Carrier, travel directly to or from the terminal, and time at a travel terminal) |
| Hotel or motel burglary | $1,000 (per occurrence for all Insured Persons, in excess of Other Insurance and payments made by the Hotel/Motel; requires evidence of forceful entry) |
| Emergency travel assistance | offered: Yes (administered by Active Claims Management (2018) Inc., operating as Global Excel Management) hotline url: www.manulife.ca/scotia (online claim filing page for the administrator; telephone assistance at 1-800-263-0997) |
| Rental car collision or damage | is primary: Yes (requires declining the rental agency's collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver) limit basis: the actual cash value of the damaged or stolen vehicle as well as any valid and documented Loss of Use, reasonable and customary towing charges, and administration charges (benefits capped at one vehicle rental during any one period) vehicle value cap: $65,000 (manufacturer's suggested retail price excluding all taxes, at the time and place of loss) max rental days: 48 days (no coverage at all if the rental period exceeds 48 days, and the period cannot be extended by renewing or taking out a new agreement) excluded classes: vans, other than minivans as described above, trucks, pick-up trucks or any vehicle that can be spontaneously reconfigured into a pick-up truck, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds or motorbikes, campers, trailers or recreational vehicles, vehicles not licensed for road use (enumeration truncated at 40 words; certificate lists thirteen excluded categories (a to m)) territory: This coverage is available on a 24-hour basis anywhere in the world, except where prohibited by law or where the coverage is in violation of the terms of the rental contract in the jurisdiction in which it was formed. |
| Purchase protection | days: 90 days (covers loss, theft or damage in excess of Other Insurance; full Purchase Price must be charged to the Account and/or paid with Scene+ points) limit per year: $60,000 (aggregate maximum lifetime liability for Purchase Security and Extended Warranty combined, not an annual figure) |
| Extended warranty | years added: 1 year (doubles the original Manufacturer’s Warranty period, capped at 1 additional year; items with a Manufacturer’s Warranty of 5 or more years must be registered within the first year) cap: $60,000 (aggregate maximum lifetime liability shared with Purchase Security; per-claim benefit is the lesser of the repair cost and the original Purchase Price) |
Figures above are from the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Plus Card Certificate of Insurance, effective 2021-07-01, underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) and First North American Insurance Company, under Group Policy BNS749 issued to The Bank of Nova Scotia. Checked against the certificate for 13 coverage types. Terms change without notice; verify with the issuer before relying on any figure.
What the earn math looks like
A cardholder spending $2,500 per month, split across typical categories:
| Category | Monthly spend | Rate | Monthly points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sobeys / IGA / Safeway | $400 | 3x | 1,200 pts |
| Dining and food delivery | $300 | 2x | 600 pts |
| Transit | $100 | 2x | 200 pts |
| All other spending | $1,700 | 1x | 1,700 pts |
| Total | $2,500 | 3,700 pts / mo |
44,400 Scene+ points per year at this spend mix. At 1 cent per point redeemed for travel, that is $444 in travel value against a $150 annual fee. Add the FX fee saving on international spend and the six lounge passes (worth roughly $30–$45 each), and the card pays for itself several times over for most travellers.
Good fit if
- You spend in foreign currencies regularly, whether travelling internationally or shopping online from foreign retailers.
- You shop at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, or FreshCo and want a grocery bonus rate that stacks with the no-FX benefit.
- You want flexible travel redemptions without being tied to a single airline program like Aeroplan.
If that describes you, apply for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite. Not sure yet? Book a free conversation and we will walk through it together.
Less useful if
- You primarily fly Air Canada and want to accumulate Aeroplan points: Scene+ does not transfer to Aeroplan, so a TD, CIBC, or Amex Aeroplan card earns more directly toward Air Canada redemptions.
- You need more than six lounge visits per year: the included passes run out quickly for frequent travellers, and unlimited access requires a premium card.
- You do not travel internationally or shop in foreign currencies: the no-FX-fee benefit, the card’s main differentiator, provides no value if all your spending is in Canadian dollars.