Scotiabank SCENE Visa Review 2024

The Scotiabank SCENE Visa card is part of Cineplex’s beloved SCENE loyalty program, which rewards moviegoers for purchasing tickets and concessions. Our Scotiabank SCENE Visa credit card review gives you all the details about this overwhelmingly popular card. It also lays out the options for SCENE members who want to earn points faster.

If you love heading to the theatre – the comfy seats, the popcorn, the spectacle- then this is the card for you. This no-fee Visa card is light on the perks but generous with the points.

Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card Review: The Numbers

Annual Fee: $0 ($0 per additional card)

Minimum Income: $12,000

Interest Rate: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances

Earn Rate:

• Earn 2 SCENE points for every $1 you spend at Cineplex theatres or at cineplex.com
• Earn 1 SCENE point for every $1 you spend everywhere else
• Earn a maximum of 300 points per transaction and of 600 points per day.

Insurance Coverage:

None (optional coverage is available for a fee).

Perks:

Save up to 25% off base rates at participating Avis and Budget locations.

Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card Welcome Bonus

Earn 5,000 SCENE points with your first $750 spent on the card within the first year.

Then, you can get another 5,000 points if you spend at least $5,000 in eligible purchases during that same year. The total of 10k total points is pretty much on par with what we are used to see with other Canadian credit cards. Offer is valid until April 30, 2024.

About The SCENE Program

SCENE is Cineplex’s loyalty program and is designed to reward cardholders for going to movies and dining out by letting them do it more often, for free. There are 3 kinds of SCENE cards: the original black loyalty card, the Scotiabank SCENE debit card, and the Scotiabank SCENE Visa card.

SCENE loyalty members use their black loyalty cards to earn points on purchases at Cineplex theatres, as well as for watching movies online through cineplex.com when they provide their SCENE card number. Loyalty cardholders earn:

• A free movie ticket after every 10 movies seen in theatres.
• 10 points per dollar spent at cineplex.com
• 5 points for every dollar spent on food and drink purchases at Cineplex theatres (with some exceptions).
• 1 point for every $3 spent at Cara-owned restaurants (including Harvey’s, Montana’s and East Side Mario’s)

As loyalty programs go, this is a fun one that earns rewards quickly. But it gets better. Scotiabank partnered with Cineplex to expand SCENE members’ earning options and allow cardholders to earn points with every purchase, anywhere.

Scotiabank offers both a SCENE debit and a SCENE credit card, which means you can choose to charge your purchases or spend the money in your bank account—and still earn SCENE points either way. While we love the flexibility, the different cards earn at different rates, and that can be helpful to know when you’re choosing which one to use.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the earn rates for the Scotiabank SCENE debit card vs. the Scotiabank SCENE Visa:

As you can tell from the chart, in terms of points earning, the Visa is the way to go. You earn 5 times the points in both purchase categories. This makes the Scotiabank SCENE Visa the most attractive SCENE branded card on the market.

SCENE Points Redemption Values

So, once you’ve got your points accumulating, what can you do with them? Here are some examples of redemption options—notice that you don’t need to earn a lot of them before you can start having fun:

• General admission to a movie in theatres: 1,250 points
• Enhanced movie ticket: 2,000 points
• VIP Cinemas movie ticket: 2,500 points
• $10 off participating restaurants: 1,000 points

If dining and movies aren’t your thing, you can redeem points for a variety of gift cards.  However, given that the Scotiabank SCENE cards are specifically designed for movie lovers, if you’re not into movies, these cards just may not be for you.

Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card Review: Do Your Research

The Scotiabank SCENE Visa is a great example of how not every card is good for everyone. If you’re a movie lover or someone who likes to eat out, this card will be an excellent addition to your wallet. If not, we recommend crossing this one off your list and looking for a card with rewards more tailored to your interests. Why earn points towards something you’re not interested in? Here’s our list of our favourite no-fee rewards credit cards in Canada to help you find one that fits you better if movies aren’t your thing.

If you decide you’d rather have the freedom of cashback rewards instead of discounts and free movies, but you still want to stick with Scotiabank, you might consider their Scotia Momentum Visa line. You can find an in-depth Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite review here.

The Momentum Visa Infinite is a premium card with an excellent earn rate and more perks than a no-fee card like the Scotiabank SCENE Visa. However, if you meet the minimum income requirements and don’t mind an annual fee, you can get a fantastic return on your investment. They also have a no-fee Scotia Momentum Visa with a lower required minimum income if that’s more your speed financially. Just some options to consider if you’re a Scotiabank fan who’s not really into movies!

How to apply for the Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card

• Personal Requirements: You can apply for this card if you are a Canadian resident who has reached the age of majority in your province/territory of residence.
• Required Minimum Income: $12,000 personal annual income
• Predicted Credit Score Requirement: 760-900 (Good to Excellent)

Scotiabank SCENE Visa Credit Card Review: Final Verdict

The Scotiabank SCENE Visa is an excellent no-fee credit card that’s part of a stand alone rewards program. Very few cards specifically reward cardholders for going out and having fun, and we appreciate that the Scotiabank SCENE Visa does this and does it well. It may not have many other perks to offer, but it does its job perfectly (and its job is getting you to more movies for free!).