Scotiabank American Express Cards: New Welcome Offers for Winter 2022

Scotiabank is the latest Canadian credit card issuer to put up spectacular welcome bonuses in 2022, this time on their trio of American Express travel credit cards.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card: 45,000 Scene+ Points + First Year Free

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card is offering up to 45,000 points for new applicants, broken down as follows:

• Earn 25,000 Scene+ points upon spending $1,000 in the first three months
• Earn an additional 20,000 Scene+ points upon spending $7,500 in the first year
• Get a first year annual fee waiver (normally $120)

Scotiabank typically has very achievable spending requirements, and this offer is no exception: only $1,000 for the bulk of the bonus. 

And if you spend a lot on the card’s bonus categories, I’d say it’s well worth going for the second spend threshold. The Scotia Gold Amex earns 5 points per dollar spent on groceries, with a boost to 6 points per dollar spent at Empire grocery stores.

For $7,500 spent at the proper merchants, you’d earn up to 45,000 points on everyday spending, in addition to the full 45,000 points with the signup offer!

That would bring your grand total to 90,000 Scene+ points, or a value of $900. That’s incredible for a card that doesn’t offer outsized redemptions, only fixed-value points.

In case you spend in other categories, you might earn a bit less, but the rewards can still be quite plentiful. The full earning rates are as follows:

• 6 Scene+ points per dollar spent at Empire grocery stores, which includes popular brands like Sobeys and Safeway
• 5 Scene+ points per dollar spent on other groceries, dining (including restaurants, bars, cafes, and food delivery), and entertainment tickets
• 3 Scene+ points per dollar spent on gas, transit, and streaming services
• 1 Scene+ point per dollar spent on everything else

As before, the card has no foreign transaction fees – always a nice touch on a lifestyle card marketed to travellers.

And although the card isn’t issued by American Express (instead it runs on the Amex payment network), it’s still eligible for Amex Offers for cardholders, a timely benefit as Shop Small has just returned for the summer.

This offer is available until April 30, 2023, so you have lots of time to decide if you’re interested, or where this card will fit into your big-picture strategy.