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In Scotiabank’s suite of cards that earn Scene+ points, all are actually very powerful in their own right, but the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege and the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite still manage to stand out in a few key ways.
Let’s take a quick glance at the welcome offers and card perks before diving into why these two are my go-to credit cards for spending abroad. I’ve held both in the past and will switch between them depending on my travel needs.
An Overview of Welcome Bonus & Perks
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege
If you apply by April 30, 2026, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege is offering an extremely generous welcome bonus of 100,000 Scene+ points earned as follows:
- 30,000 points with at least $3,000 in everyday eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
- 45,000 points with at least $20,000 in everyday eligible purchases in the first 6 months.
- 25,000 points with one eligible purchase in the 14th month since opening the account.
The annual fee is $599, which is offset by the $250 travel credit and the card has an impressive everyday earn rate of 3X points on travel and 2X on dining.
Other perks include 10 complimentary lounge visits per year, no foreign transaction fees, and Avis President’s Club status.
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
The younger brother of the full-fledged Privilege variant, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, stands out in its own right and is my favourite credit card when travelling. The welcome bonus is also fantastic right now (apply by July 1, 2026):
- 40,000 points with at least $2,000 in everyday eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
- 10,000 points with at least $10,000 in everyday net eligible purchases in the first 6 months.
- 10,000 points with at least $40,000 in everyday net eligible purchases annually.
The sweet spot here is spending $10,000 in the first 6 months, with $2,000 spent in the first 3 months, to earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 Scene+ points. For most people, spending $30,000 more in the first year to earn an incremental 10,000 Scene+ points is not worth it.
The annual fee is a reasonable $150 with a strong earn rate of 2X on dining, entertainment, and transit (including rideshares). Generous benefits include no foreign transaction fees, six complimentary lounge access visits per year, and Avis Preferred Plus status.
Scene+ Points are Easy to Use
Scene+ points are the best fixed-value points currency because you can redeem them at 1 cent per point for travel charged directly to the card, with the value offset as a statement credit. There is no need to use the proprietary travel portal to unlock maximum value.
Redeem Scene+ at 1cpp
1x Base Earn Rate is Mediocre
The Scotiabank Passport cards are fantastic travel cards and great when spending abroad and in elevated earning categories, but I’d avoid using either on non-categorized spend at home as you can do much better than 1x using other cards. Having a base earn rate of 1x on even the Visa Infinite Privilege is definitely a weak point.
Lounge Access
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege is PMB’s recommended “show up and get in” at airport lounges. There are 10 complimentary visits through the Visa Airport Companion Program for the primary cardholder, which punches well above its weight class. As a point of comparison, the Amex Platinum will limit lounge access to 12 visits per year in 2027, but split into 6 Plaza Premium and 6 Priority Pass visits.
Access the WestJet Elevation Lounge with your Scotiabank Passport card
10 complimentary visits are more than those offered by competing Visa Infinite Privilege products. The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege offers just 6 lounge visits a year with a $100 difference in the annual fee and 4 extra visits is well worth $100. The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege allows 6 visits at an annual fee of $399, but the $250 travel credit on the Scotiabank card effectively gives it a lower annual fee.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite offers 6 complimentary visits a year, and, again, stands out amongst its Visa Infinite competitors as CIBC and TD offer 4 visits, while RBC offers none.
Lounge Access for Supplementary Cardholders
This is where Scotiabank really stands out, as supplementary cardholders can enrol for their account via the Visa Airport Companion Program and have their own complimentary lounge access visits.
Supplementary cards on the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege cost $199, but come with 10 complimentary visits. It gets even better with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite: the first supplementary is free and includes 6 complimentary visits. Another supplementary card will incur a $50 fee, but still come with 6 complimentary lounge visits.
No Foreign Transaction Fees + Category Earn Rate Works Abroad
Not having foreign transaction fees is great and easily sets apart the Scotiabank Passport cards from other popular travel cards like the Amex Platinum. But within Scotiabank’s own collection of no-foreign-transaction cards, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege stand out by allowing categorized earn rates abroad.
A Grab in Malaysia? A sushi restaurant in Tokyo? A hotel charge at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris? All are eligible for 3X or 2X earnings, depending on the Scotiabank Passport card and spending category.
Earn 2X on your sushi dinner in Tokyo
It’s impossible to over-emphasize how powerful the combination of not having a 2.5% foreign transaction fee and earning 3X points on travel is.
Takeaway
While the base earn rate of 1x on both the Scotiabank Passport cards is uninspiring, it is more than offset by how fantastic the cards for lounge access and spending abroad. The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege stands out in its class with 10 complimentary lounge visits a year and so does the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite with 6. Supplementary cardholders on either card can enrol in Visa Airport Companion and access their own 10 or 6 free visits.
The elevated earn rates on travel, dining, transit, and more also apply abroad when spending with Scotiabank Passport cards. That, combined with the 2.5% foreign transaction fee, makes these the best credit cards to use when travelling abroad.
When deciding between the two, I’d consider your travel frequency in how much lounge access you will reasonably need, as well as which elevated earn rates best match your spending patterns.
