A comparison between the American Express Cobalt Card and the Scotiabank Gold American Express shows that these two credit cards offer some of the best combinations of travel rewards in Canada.
While the Scotiabank Gold AMEX comes out on top overall as the better-rated card, the AMEX Cobalt also does well and is worth checking out.
Read on to see how they compare.
| Features | Scotiabank Gold AMEX | AMEX Cobalt Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $155.88 |
| Welcome bonus | Up to 40,000 points | 15,000 points |
| Foreign transaction fee | 0% | 2.50% |
| Rewards | 5pts groceries, restaurants & entertainment; 3pts gas, daily transit & streaming services; 1pt everything else | 5pts groceries & restaurants; 3pts streaming subscriptions; 2pts gas, travel & public transit; 1pt everything else |
| Insurance coverage | Comprehensive travel insurance with 11 types of coverage | Comprehensive travel insurance with 9 types of coverage |
| Other perks | 0% balance transfer promo rate for 6 months; discounted Priority Pass membership, AMEX Invites, 24/7 concierge & Front Of The Line; | Up to $100 hotel credit, AMEX Invites, 24/7 concierge & Front Of The Line |
| Learn more | Apply | – |
AMEX Cobalt vs. Scotia Gold AMEX Comparison
The American Express Cobalt and the Scotiabank Gold American Express are on my list of the best credit cards for travel rewards in Canada.
Annual Fee
The Scotia Gold Amex’s annual fee is cheaper at $120. The Amex Cobalt costs $155.88 per year or $12.99/month.
If you want supplementary cards for family members, each one will cost you $29 for the Scotiabank Gold Amex. Supplementary Amex Cobalt cards do not cost an additional fee.
Welcome Points
The Scotiabank Gold Amex offers a sign-up bonus of 20,000 points ($200 value) when you spend $2,000 in your first three months. This bonus easily covers your annual fee for the first year. You also get an extra 20,000 bonus points when you spend up to $7,500 in the first year. This means you could get up to a $400 value in year one alone.
For the American Express Cobalt, you get 1,250 Membership Rewards (MR) points every monthly billing period in which you spend $750 or more, for a total of 15,000 bonus points in the first year.
The value of Amex MR points varies based on what you redeem for. As a statement credit towards travel purchases, each point is valued at 1 cent, for a total value of $150.
If you use your points for flights through the Amex Fixed Points Travel Program, you could potentially double the value of your rewards.
For the welcome points, the Scotia Gold Amex offers access to your free rewards easily within 3 months after spending $2,000. The Cobalt Card requires at least a 12-month commitment (and at least $9,000 in spending) to earn the extra 15,000 points.
Foreign Transaction Fees
When you use your card to make purchases abroad or to make payments in a foreign currency, a 2.5% foreign transaction fee is charged.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card waives this foreign exchange fee, while you will pay the 2.5% fee when you pay with the Cobalt Card.
Frequent travellers can save a lot of money with this perk.
Earn Rate
For the Scotiabank Gold Amex, you earn:
- 5x points for every $1 spent on groceries, restaurants and entertainment (up to 6x points at some grocery retailers)
- 3x points for every $1 spent on gas, daily transit and streaming services
- 1x point on everything else
There is an annual limit of $50,000 per year for the 5x rewards earn rate. Additional spending gets you 1 point per $1.
American Express Cobalt cardholders earn:
- 5x points per $1 spent on groceries and restaurants
- 3x points per $1 spent on streaming subscriptions
- 2x points per $1 spent on travel and transit
- 1x point on everything else
A maximum cap of $30,000 per year applies to the 5% earn rate categories.
Overall, you can earn more in rewards annually from the Scotiabank Gold American Express.
Travel Insurance and Benefits
Both cards offer comprehensive travel insurance benefits, with the Scotia Gold Amex offering 11 types of insurance coverage and the Amex Cobalt offering ten.
The Cobalt Card offers a travel emergency medical of up to $5 million for the first 15 days of each trip; the Scotia Gold Amex offers up to a $1 million coverage for trips up to 25 days.
Travel accident insurance: The Scotia Gold Amex provides up to $500,000 coverage against accidental loss of life or dismemberment (maximum of $1 million per occurrence). For the Cobalt Card, this coverage is up to $250,000.
Car rental insurance: You are covered up to an MSRP of $65,000 and for 48 days with the Scotiabank Gold Amex, while the Cobalt Card provides coverage up to $85,000.
Both cards also offer coverage for flight delays, baggage delays, hotel/motel burglary, purchase protection, lost or stolen baggage, and extended warranty coverage.
In addition, Scotiabank Gold offers trip cancellation, trip interruption, and emergency medical for travellers over 65 years for up to 3 days.
Mobile device insurance: Looking for the elusive mobile device insurance coverage benefit, the AMEX Cobalt Card offers it.
The Scotiabank Gold Amex and AMEX Cobalt Card are a close match regarding travel insurance benefits.
Other perks
Both cards also offer perks in addition to basic rewards.
Scotiabank Gold American Express
- Discounted Priority pass membership and access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide
- Waives the standard 2.5% foreign transaction fees
- Amex Front Of The Line
- 24/7 complimentary concierge service
- American Express Invites
- Exclusive Amex offers
Scotiabank Gold American Express
Rewards: Earn 5x Scene+ points/$1 on restaurants, food delivery, and grocery (up to 6x at some stores); 3x points/$1 in gas & travel; 1x points/$1 everything else.
Welcome offer: Get up to 40,000 points ($400 value).
Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases; 22.99% on cash advances.
Annual fee: $120
American Express Cobalt Card
- Up to $100 hotel credit to cover eligible amenities
- Complimentary room upgrade when available
- Amex Front Of The Line
- Amex Invites
- 24/7 customer service
- Exclusive offers from American Express
- The American Express Installment Program
American Express Cobalt Card
Rewards: Earn 5x pts per $1 spent on food & drinks; 3x pts on streaming subscriptions; 2x pts on travel; 1x pts everywhere else.
Welcome offer: Get up to 15,000 bonus points in the first year.
Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.
Annual fee: $155.88
Redemption Options
You can redeem your Scene+ points for travel, including flights, hotels, and car rentals at a rate of $1 per 100 points, shopping, entertainment, and more.
The Amex Cobalt Card offers several redemption options.
- Redeem for flights using the Amex Fixed Points Travel Program
- Transfer your points to other loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, and redeem for hotel stays or travel
- Redeem for travel purchases through American Express Travel Online
- Use to pay for purchases on membershiprewards.ca or Amazon.ca
Final Thoughts
The Scotiabank Gold Amex and Amex Cobalt Card are great credit cards to have in your wallet if you are looking for a premium travel credit card that does not break the bank.
In this faceoff, the Scotiabank Gold American Express takes the upper hand when you look at the combined benefits both cards have to offer.
It stands out by waiving the foreign exchange fee and offering a 5% earn rate on up to $40,000 in spending. It also has a lower annual fee.
That said, cardholders who redeem their Amex Membership Rewards via the Fixed Travel Points Program may be able to significantly stretch the value of the Amex Cobalt Card’s welcome bonus.
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