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Big changes are coming to rewards earning at gas stations in Canada, particularly for those of us who enjoy earning points through everyday spend and redeeming for high-value travel. Shell Canada has officially joined the Scene+ loyalty program, ending its long-running partnership with AIR MILES and moving into Scotiabank’s growing rewards ecosystem. Over the next few months, Shell stations across the country will begin offering Scene+ earning and redemption on fuel, car washes, and eligible convenience store purchases, tying another major everyday spend category directly to Scene+.
The rollout starts in Alberta on March 3, 2026, and expands nationwide on May 26, 2026. Until then, Shell customers can continue earning and redeeming AIR MILES at Shell locations, with the AIR MILES partnership officially wrapping up in early March in Alberta and late May across the rest of Canada.
Shell’s move to Scene+ signals a clear transition away from the traditional coalition loyalty model toward a model more closely tied to banking, travel, and flexible redemptions. Scene+ has grown quickly over the past few years and turned into one of Canada’s largest loyalty ecosystems, now with over 15 million members. It’s co-owned by Scotiabank, Empire Company (Sobeys and other grocery brands), and Cineplex, and already covers groceries, entertainment, dining, travel, and now fuel.
Canadians will soon be able to earn Scene+ points when filling up at more than 1,400 Shell locations nationwide. On top of that, Scotiabank and Tangerine cardholders with eligible cards will also see instant savings at participating Shell stations, layering cash discounts with points earning.
For PMB readers, the bigger story is what those points can actually do. Scene+ is a much stronger travel rewards program and can be redeemed directly against almost any travel purchase at a simple rate of 10,000 points = $100. Flights, hotels, cruises, vacation packages, Airbnb, online bookings, travel agencies, as long as it codes as travel, you can apply points to it.
There’s no need to hunt for limited inventory, no complicated charts, and no blackout dates. You book travel however you want, then apply your points towards the purchase. That flexibility alone makes Scene+ far more useful for most travellers than traditional fixed reward programs.
With premium Scene+ earning cards like the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, gas purchases can earn as many as 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent. Having a major national gas brand now tied directly into a strong travel rewards currency makes everyday spending far more lucrative for Scene+ members and cardholders.
The transition period over the next few months will be important to watch, especially as Shell locations begin activating Scene+ earning nationwide. But once fully rolled out by late May, Scene+ will officially become one of the few major loyalty programs in Canada where you can earn points on groceries, gas, entertainment, banking spend, and redeem seamlessly for travel.
For PMB readers who already earn Scene+ points through Scotiabank cards or grocery spending, Shell joining the program is an upgrade. It turns another large monthly expense into flexible travel rewards and strengthens Scene+ as one of the most practical loyalty currencies in the country.
