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Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card Review: Up To 10% Cash Back

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The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card is one of the best cash back cards available in Canada.

With a base offer of 4% cash back on grocery purchases and recurring bill payments and 2% cash back on your gas and daily transit spending, this card beats most of its close competitors on overall value.

Additionally, the $120 annual fee for the first year is waived, effectively giving you an added value of $120 in your first year.

Lastly, you earn a welcome 10% cash back on up to $2,000 spending in the first 3 months (a $200 value).

Looking at the cash back value the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card brings, it is no wonder it has been rated as the #1 cash back rewards card many times!

This Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card review covers its benefits, downsides, fees, and more.

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card Overview

Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card

Rewards: Earn 4% cashback on groceries & recurring bills; 2% cashback on gas & daily transit; 1% cashback on everything else.

Welcome offer: Earn 10% cashback in the first 3 months on up to $2,000 spent ($200 value).

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases; 22.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $120

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card Benefits

Scotiabank has a wide variety of credit cards that cater to the different needs and interests of its cardholders.

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card may be the top choice for you if you are interested in cash back rewards instead of travel or entertainment rewards.

Some of the benefits and features that make this card stand out include:

1. Cash Back Rewards: The cash back reward offers for this card are significant and include:

  • Earn 4% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend on groceries and recurring bill payments per year (up to $1,000 value/year).
  • Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend on gas and daily transit purchases (up to $500 value/year).
  • Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible everyday purchases.

As you can see from the above list, the cash back offers are mouth-watering, and the average spender will probably not exceed the maximum thresholds.

If you have a large family and spend a lot of money on grocery shopping, or you do a lot of driving (gas purchases), your cash back potential is huge. Even with an average spend on these categories, you are still looking at a decent amount of money back in your wallet.

And in the first 3 months of opening your account, the cash back reward is increased to 10% (worth $200 – assuming you spend at least $2,000).

2. Annual Fee: The annual fee for this card is $120. While I’d like to not have to pay any annual fees for a credit card, this Scotia card offers several premium benefits, which we will discuss later in this review.

When you sign up for a new card, your first-year annual fee is waived. This is equivalent to an additional $120 value in your first year.

Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite rewards

3. Travel Rewards: While this card is not focused on earning travel rewards points like the Scotia Gold American Express card, it does offer a variety of travel benefits that come in handy when you travel.

The travel benefits include:

  • Travel Emergency Medical Insurance: up to $1 million coverage for you and your family if there is an unexpected illness or accidental injury while you are travelling outside of your home province or territory within Canada (for up to 15 consecutive days)
  • Trip Interruption Insurance: up to $2,000 per person and $10,000 maximum per trip
  • Flight Delay Insurance: reimbursement of up to $500 per person
  • Lost Baggage Insurance: up to $500
  • Travel Accident Insurance: up to a maximum of $500,000

4. Car Rental and Insurance: You can get up to a 25% discount when you rent a car at participating AVIS and Budget locations when you pay with your card. In addition, you are eligible for free rental car collision insurance loss/damage insurance when you pay with your card.

5. Purchase Assurance and Extended Warranty: This gives you insurance coverage against theft, loss or damage; and an extended warranty that doubles the manufacturer’s warranty by up to 1 year.

6. Mobile Device Insurance: Smartphones and tablets purchased with your card are covered for up to $1,000 against loss, accidental damage or mechanical failure.

7. Exclusive VISA Benefits: The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card gives access to benefits that are exclusive to Visa Infinite cardholders.

These include access to:

  • Complimentary concierge services: They are available to help you buy tickets, make dinner reservations, plan your trip, and more 24 hours a day and seven days a week at 1-888-853-4458.
  • VIP access to top-notch entertainment events, wine tasting at over 60 wineries in British Columbia and Ontario, luxury hotel privileges (such as free WiFi, complimentary breakfast, 3 p.m. checkout), and dining.
  • Zero liability: You are fully protected against unauthorized use of your card.

Downsides of the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card

While my review of the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card is positive, there are a few downsides to note, including:

Supplementary card fees: If you are getting additional cards for a spouse or family member, you can expect to pay $50 for each one.

Income requirement: This card has a minimum individual income requirement of $60,000 or a combined household income of $100,000. Also, you will need to have a good credit score to qualify (700+).

Some may also not like that you need to wait till November to spend your regular cash back rewards as this is when it is credited to your account. In my opinion, this lump-sum payment can be considered as some form of savings and can go towards paying down debt or some other tangible goal.

The bonus cash back (i.e. from the promo offer) is credited to your account earlier and within 2-3 months after the promo ends.

Is Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite For You?

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card excels among cash back cards available in Canada.

For example: Assuming you spend $800 on groceries and recurring bill payments every month, and $200 on gas and daily transit, for a total of $1,000 spend on your card per month.

Groceries and Recurring Bills at 4% cash back: $800 x 4% = $32 | $32 x 12 months = $384/year in cash back

Gas and Transit at 2% cash back: $200 x 2% = $4 | $4 x 12 months = $48/year in cash back

The total is $432 in cash back for the year. Not bad for FREE money, eh?

Note: This calculation above does not include the $120 fee waiver for Year 1, the 1% cash back earned on all other purchases, and the 10% cash back offer in your first 3 months.

This realistic scenario shows you can easily earn $450 or more in cash back annually by using the infinite card. Even if you were to pay the $120 fee, it still leaves you with significant cash back earnings.

In the example shown above, we have also not considered the value of the travel benefits, extended warranty, rental car discount and insurance, concierge services, and more.

If you are using your Scotia card when you book your flights and hotel reservations, pay for rentals, or purchase everyday items, this can translate into a lot of money!

When these additional benefits are combined with cash back rewards, the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card ranks as one of the best cash back cards within its category in Canada.

APPLY FOR THE SCOTIA MOMENTUM VISA INFINITE

Another top rewards card worth looking at, depending on your needs, is the Scotiabank Gold American Express card.

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

Related:

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite Card is one of the best cash-back cards in Canada. Click to read about the pros and cons of this card, how to earn up to 10% cash back and the many more benefits this card offers. #Scotiabank #cashbackcards #rewards #creditcard
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Review
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Benefits
  • Rental Car Insurance
  • Extended Warranty
  • Eligibility
  • Annual Fee
Overall
4.5

Summary

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card is one of the best cash back cards available in Canada. This review covers what you need to know and how to earn up to 10% in cash back!

Pros

  • Competitive cash back rates
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • Access to exclusive VISA benefits
  • Mobile device insurance

Cons

  • $120 annual fee
  • Cash back paid out once yearly
  • $60,000 minimum income to qualify

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Author

Gravatar for Enoch Omololu, MSc (Econ)
Enoch Omololu, MSc (Econ)

Enoch Omololu, personal finance expert, author, and founder of Savvy New Canadians, has written about money matters for over 10 years. Enoch has an MSc (Econ) degree in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Aberdeen Business School and has completed the Canadian Securities Course. His expertise has been highlighted in major publications like Forbes, Globe and Mail, Business Insider, CBC News, Toronto Star, Financial Post, CTV News, TD Direct Investing, Canadian Securities Exchange, and many others. Enoch is passionate about helping others win with their finances and recently created a practical investing course for beginners. You can read his full author bio.

About Savvy New Canadians

Savvy New Canadians is one of Canada's top personal finance platforms. Millions of Canadians use our site each year to learn how to save for retirement, invest smartly, maximize rewards, and earn extra cash. We have been featured in prominent finance media, including Forbes, Globe and Mail, Business Insider, CBC, MSN, Wealthsimple, and TD Direct Investing. Learn more about Savvy New Canadians.

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2 thoughts on “Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card Review: Up To 10% Cash Back”

  1. Gravatar for Bruce

    [* Shield plugin marked this comment as “Trash”. Reason: Failed Bot Test (expired) *]
    This card started out great with 4% on gas and groceries. They took away gas but added recurring bill payments. The problem is that all of the things you would think are recurring that you can pay with your credit card are not as such – so this is proving to be totally of no value. For me, this was house and cottage insurance, car insurance and boat insurance. I even tried to pay my monthly itunes subscription but apple would not take this card. The Scotia call centre said this was a reported issue by other card holders and they were working to resolve the issue with apple. Also when I called the call centre on why my intact insurance bill payment was not showing up as being recurring, the agent said that on his side it was showing up as reccurring and that this would be corrected when my statement issued. Needless to say it wasn’t and it is my belief that he was BS’ing me. Shame on Scotiabank! I have just switched to Merdian Visa which offers 4% on gas and groceries.

  2. Gravatar for Adam

    Just don’t ever try to cancel this card or they will forfeit the previous year’s cashback you earned. You are basically “locked in for life” once you start paying the annual fees. We had a choice… either forfeit the cashback when we cancelled, or pay an extra year’s annual fees ($120 + $50 supplementary) to get the cash back and then cancel the card.
    Be prepared to spend several hours on the phone to customer service, and wait on hold for 30-40 minutes per call. I finally went into the local branch, the manager was very nice but this took an extra 1.5 hours of my time. It’s really unethical the way they hold customers hostage with the recurring annual fee and make it so hard to cancel the card while still receiving your cash back.

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