Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card Review 2023 ($350 Offer)

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card is a top travel card in Canada that offers (the often elusive) no foreign transaction fees, up to a 350 signup bonus, and many other rewards and benefits.

Frequent international travellers fully understand the impact that 2.5% foreign exchange fee markups can have on their budget. This Scotiabank card does away with this inconvenience and the additional cost of travel.

This Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card review shows why it ranks high on my list of the best travel and no foreign transaction fee credit cards in Canada.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card Benefits

1. $250 Sign up bonus: Earn 25,000 Scene+ points ($250 value) when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.

2. Everyday rewards: Earn 2 Scene+ points on every $1 you spend on groceries, dining, entertainment, and daily transportation. Additionally, earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

3. No foreign currency conversion markup when you make purchases in a foreign currency in or outside of Canada.

4. Complimentary Priority Pass membership that includes 6 free visits per year and is worth $379 per year.

5. Earn 10,000 extra points ($100 value) when you spend at least $40,000 annually.

6. Comprehensive travel insurance that covers:

• Travel emergency medical insurance of up to $1 million and with 25 consecutive days of coverage if you are under age 65 or 10 days if 65 years or older.
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance at up to $2,500 per insured person (up to a maximum of $10,000).
• Flight delay insurance for delays of 4 hours or more.
• Delayed and lost baggage insurance.
• Travel accident insurance up to a maximum of $1 million per occurrence.
• Rental car collision loss/damage insurance.
• Hotel/motel burglary insurance

7. Purchase security insurance, extended warranty, and price protection.

8. Complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership and Infinite Visa benefits.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card is an interesting credit card. While it comes with a $150 annual fee (waived in the first year), its benefits more than cover its cost.

One of the high points of the card is its no foreign transaction fee offer. You do not get dinged with 2.5% or more foreign exchange markup when you spend money abroad. Assuming you spend $5,000 on overseas travel or purchases in a year, this feature alone translates into $125 in savings.

When you spend at least $1,000 during your first 3 months of owning this card, you receive 25,000 points ($250 sign-up bonus) that can be redeemed towards travel, merchandise, and more.

If you use your card to pay for most things and spend at least $40K in a year, you receive an additional 10,000 points ($100 value), making for a total of 35,000 points or $350 in bonus rewards.

In addition, for every $10,000 spending above $40,000, you earn an extra 2,000 bonus points!

Other perks of this card, like the free Priority Pass airport lounge membership that includes six free visits per year and comprehensive travel insurance, are worth noting.

The Airport Lounge Access and Priority Pass membership alone exceeds a $350 CAD bonus benefit when you consider that Priority Pass membership costs $99 USD, and each lounge visit is worth $27 USD.

Downsides of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite

The main downside of the Scotia Passport is the $150 annual fee and the fairly high minimum annual income requirement of $60,000 (personal) or $100,000 (household).

Note that the annual fee is waived in the first year.

Also, cardholders are hit with a 20.99% APR interest rate on purchases when they carry a balance beyond the grace period and a 22.99% interest rate on cash advances.

Applying for the card is easy and can be accomplished online, by phone, or in person at a branch. Other minimum requirements are:

• You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
• You must be the age of the majority in your province or territory, and
• Must not have declared bankruptcy in the past seven years.

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Alternatives

Two top alternative credit cards to the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite for travel rewards are:

• American Express Cobalt Card
• The American Express Platinum Card

With the Platinum Card from American Express, you can take your travel rewards and perks to the next level.

Is The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite For You?

This card is a great addition to any traveller’s wallet.

The no-foreign transaction fee, travel rewards, free lounge access, insurance, and the other Scotia Passport Visa rewards and benefits are more than worth its annual fee.

If you would rather not pay an annual fee, the Home Trust Preferred Visa is a no-fee card that waives the 2.5% foreign transaction fee, but it lacks other perks.

Conclusion

My review of the Scotiabank Passport is positive.

The 25,000 ($250) bonus awarded when you spend $1,000 within 3 months is easy to redeem and is almost twice the annual fee. This is before considering your savings on FX.

Factor in the 2% rewards rate (2 Scene+ points) earned per $1 spending on groceries, dining, entertainment, and transit, plus the $379 in lounge access if you travel often, and this card solidifies its inclusion among the best travel cards in Canada.