Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card
With a low annual fee of $39 and Visa payWave accessibility, Scotiabank’s cash back card is a great choice for 2019. The balance transfer interest rate is just 2.99% for the first six months, so take this opportunity to transfer your high-interest balances and get your debt free resolution out of the way before summer. The low-interest balance transfer deal is only good for new applicants, and it expires February 28, 2019.
This is a cash back card with a good reward structure. Apply here.
2% cash back on the first $25,000 in purchases annually:
- drug store purchases
- pharmacy purchases
- grocery store and supermarket purchases
- gas stations
- recurring automatic payments (subscriptions, gym membership, cell phone bill, etc)
Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter what you buy at these stores. You’ll qualify for 2% cash back because of the store’s classification with Visa.
After you reach the rewards spending limit for the year, you’ll have $500 in cash back rewards. For the rest of the year, you’ll get 1% cash back on spending with the card in these categories.
Other benefits of getting the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card
Cardholders also get a 25% discount on car rentals through participating AVIS and Budget locations in the U.S. and Canada when paying with the card.
Items purchased with the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card are insured against damage, theft, and loss for 90 days. Visa also doubles the manufacturer’s warranty on card purchases for up to one year.
If you are new to Canada, this card is an ideal choice. Scotiabank considers criteria other than credit scores to decide whether to issue the Momentum Visa Card to individual applicants.
Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card summary
- $39 annual fee for primary card + $15 for supplementary card
- 2.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers and cash advances for the first six months; 19.99% on purchases
- 2% cash back in certain spending categories on the first $25,000 for the year; 1% cash back after that
- 25% discount on car rentals at AVIS and Budget
- extended manufacturer warranty on purchases
- purchase protection
American Express Cobalt Card
You’ll get 30,000 Membership Rewards points over the course of the first year when you spend at least $500 each month with the card. Points are awarded at a rate of 2,500 per month. There’s a 7.99% interest rate on purchases within the first six months, as well.
The monthly fee is $10 and additional cards are free.
How to earn and redeem points with the Cobalt card
This is a great card for people who spend money on food delivery, eating out, and at restaurants, cafes, and bars. The rewards rate is 5 points for every $1 spent in these categories.
Travel and transit purchases, including cab fare, gasoline, hotel stays, and bus rides earn 2 points for every $1 spent. All other purchases get 1 point per $1 spent with the card.
The bonus points alone are worth $300 in travel credits. You can also use them for $300 worth of Ticketmaster.ca purchases or one eligible flight with the Fixed Points Travel Program.
Additional benefits you’ll get with the Cobalt card
Although this card comes with typical credit card benefits, you’ll also get a $75 hotel credit at participating hotels and resorts all over the world. You can also get a one-category room upgrade at check-in, subject to availability. Just book a minimum 2-night stay at a participating hotel by using American Express Travel online.
This card’s bonus program is good, and the ongoing benefits are decent, as well. American Express Cobalt doesn’t impose a cap or annual limit on the rewards you can earn, making it worth getting and keeping.
Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express
The welcome bonus with the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card from American Express is 50,000 bonus points, which will get you four free nights in a standard Category 2 hotel. To get the bonus points, you’ll have to be a first-time SPG credit card owner. You have three months to spend a total of $1,500 with the card.
Every year, as an SPG cardholder with an account in good standing, you’ll get a free night’s stay in a participating Mariott or Starwood Rewards hotel worth up to 35,000 points.
When you charge a total of $30,000 or more to the card throughout the year, you’ll attain Gold Elite Status:
- 2 p.m. late checkout
- 25% bonus points on stays
- mobile key
- no blackout dates
- complimentary enhanced in-room internet access
- room upgrades based on availability at check-in
Ongoing benefits of the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express
Every year, as an SPG cardholder with an account in good standing, you’ll get a free night’s stay in a participating Mariott or Starwood Rewards hotel worth up to 35,000 points. In many places, that’s a $350 per night hotel stay, which easily cancels out the annual fee with no effort on your part.
When you get the card, you are automatically upgraded to Silver Elite Status, which earns you a bonus 10% on all earned points. So, when you use the card at Marriott and SPG properties, you get 5.5 points per $1 spent. For all other purchases, you’ll get two points per $1 spent with the card.
When you charge a total of $30,000 or more to the card throughout the year, you’ll the extra perks that come with Gold Elite Status:
- 2 p.m. late checkout
- 25% bonus points on stays
- mobile key
- no blackout dates
- complimentary enhanced in-room internet access
- room upgrades based on availability at check-in
SPG points convert to more than 40 airlines
Canadians love this travel credit card because it’s simple to transfer their SPG points to Aeroplan. The transfer rate is 3:1 with a 5,000-point-bonus with every 60,000 points you transfer.
60,000 SPG points = 25,000 Aeroplan points
You can also use points for vacation enhancing experiences like sports events, food festivals, and concerts. For example, you could spend 45,000 points on a ticket to the O2 – Disney on Ice presents Dream Big show in the SPG Luxury Suite in London. For 20,000 points, you could see Twenty One Pilots play the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin from the SPG Luxury Suite.
This is one of the best travel cards you can get in Canada, and the bonuses alone should earn it a permanent place in your wallet.
Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Scotiabank’s travel card has a lot of great perks to help you reach your 2019 travel goals. Their 2019 bonus is 15,000 bonus points when new cardholders spend $1,000 on everyday purchases during the first three months of owning this card.
The Scotiabank Gold American Express card has an interest rate of 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers. The annual fee is $99 for the primary card + $29 for each supplementary card. The interest rate is a bit high, but that’s not an issue if you pay the balance in full each month.
Ongoing benefits of the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
Cardholders get four Scotia Rewards points for every dollar spent at gas stations, dining, entertainment, and grocery stores. Other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent with the card. This is a great travel card that also includes these perks:
- Complimentary concierge services 24/7
- Best price guarantee on airfare through Scotia Rewards Travel Service
- VIP lounge access with Priority Pass
- 25% off base rates at Budget and AVIS locations that participate in this SGAE promotion
- Points redemption at Scotia Rewards
Why you should apply for a Scotiabank Gold American Express Card: Scotia Reward Points
The minimum redemption amount for Scotia Reward Points is 5,000 points. Use points to donate to charity, get a credit on your bill, redeem for travel, or convert to SCENE points. Here are some examples of what you can do with Scotia Reward Points:
Redeem 14,000 Scotia Rewards Points for a $100 statement credit
Redeem 5,000 Scotia Rewards Points for a $50 statement credit toward eligible travel expenses
Redeem 10,000 Scotia Rewards Points for a $75 donation to charity
Redeem 2,000 Scotia Rewards Points to get 1,540 SCENE points (1,000 SCENE points = 1 general admission movie ticket, 500 SCENE points = $5 off food and drink purchases at the movies)
Redeem 6,700 Scotia Rewards Points for a $25 gift card
You can also redeem Scotia Rewards Points for travel at a rate of $.01 per point. There are no blackout dates and rewards don’t expire so long as your account is open and in good standing. You can even use rewards to cover taxes and fees. The value of your points is the same whether you book through the Scotia Bank travel partner or on your own.
Travel rewards offer the highest per-point value with this card. You can also redeem points for merchandise, but those offers have per-point values that vary and go down to $.31 per point.
Here’s how to earn maximum points with everyday spending by using the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
You could get a 3.2% return on money spent with the Scotiabank Gold American Express card, which is a great return for a rewards credit card program. To achieve this, spend a total of $11,000 throughout the year with the card to cover your expenses in grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and for entertainment. Use it for a total of $3,900 of spending in other categories, and you’ll have 49,500 points plus the 15,000 bonus points for a total of 64,500 points.
You’ll get the most value from your points by using an online travel price comparison tool to find the best deals on airfare. Book your travel using the card and when you get the bill, redeem your points for a $645 statement credit for qualified travel expenses.
Scotia Amex Gold is your best bet
Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card
With a rewards program that gets you free movies and snacks, Scotiabank SCENE Visa card is a great starter credit card. After you get approved for the Scotiabank SCENE Visa card, you’ll get a bonus of 2,000 SCENE rewards points when you spend $500 with the card within the first three months.
This is a no-fee card, so it’s worth keeping around for the long haul. For movie lovers, this card is a nice addition to your wallet. When you use it to buy tickets and snacks at a participating Cineplex Entertainment theater or at Cineplex.com, you’ll earn five points per dollar spent.
This card helps you earn points when you aren’t at the movies, too. You’ll get one SCENE rewards point for every dollar spent with the card everywhere else. When you dine in at any CARA restaurant, you’ll get a bonus SCENE point for every three dollars you spend. So, you’ll earn 4 points for every $3.
There are a few restrictions you should be aware of. You can earn a maximum of 600 SCENE points per day with the card and 300 SCENE points per transaction.
How to spend SCENE rewards points
Here’s what you can buy with your Scotiabank SCENE rewards points.
500 SCENE points:
$5 off food and drink at the movies
1,000 SCENE points:
$10 at restaurants
- Milestones
- East Side Mario’s
- Swiss Chalet
- Kelseys
- Harvey’s
- Bier Markt
- The Rec Room
- Montana’s
- The Pubs
FREE concession combo
FREE movie ticket – general admission
$10 off digital movie downloads
1,200 SCENE points:
WWE special events in high definition on the big screen, live
2.000 SCENE points:
Ticket to the Met Live at a Ceniplex Entertainment theater
2,250 SCENE points:
1#15 off fanxchange live events tickets
Here are the additional perks that come with your Scotiabank SCENE Visa card
- On Tuesdays, you’ll get 10% off movie tickets
- Participating Avis rental car locations offer an additional 25% off
- Apple Pay and My Mobile Wallet compatibility
- Purchase protection and extended warranty
The Scotiabank SCENE Visa card is a great option for a starter rewards card. With normal use, you can accrue enough points for the occasional night out at the movies or a nice discount on dinner.
RBC Visa Infinite Avion
New RBC Visa Infinite Avion cardholders get 15,000 welcome RBC rewards points to start off the year right. There’s an annual fee with this card of $120 plus an additional $50 fee to add an authorized user, but your welcome points alone are worth as much as $350 on a short-haul flight within the United States or Canada.
How to earn ongoing rewards with the RBC Visa Infinite Avion card
Cardholders get 1.25 points for every $1 spent with the card made with merchants that Visa classifies as with a travel merchant category code. This includes airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, travel agencies, tour operators, and accommodations. For all other purchases, the rewards rate is one point per $1 spent with the card.
If you use the card to shop through the RBC Rewards EMall, you’ll get varied reward rates, up to 15x bonus points.
There are no blackout dates or seat restrictions with this card, making this rewards system one of the easiest to use. You can also use points to pay for taxes and airline fees. Pay for any travel accommodations, fees, or flights with a 100 point to $1 CAD conversion ratio.
If you have a travel rewards program you’d rather use, it’s possible to transfer RBC points:
- AAdvantage: 10:7 Minimum redemption of 5,000 points per transaction with a cap of 500,000 points
- Asiamiles: 1:1
- Avios: 1:1
There are no blackout dates or seat restrictions with this card, making this rewards system one of the easiest to use. You can also use points to pay for taxes and airline fees. Pay for any travel accommodations, fees, or flights with a 100 point to $1 CAD conversion ratio.
Refresh Financial Secured Card
If you need a secured credit card, the Refresh Financial Secured credit card is a top choice in Canada. The low fees make it a user-friendly option and the no-credit-check approval process is a breeze.
This really is the easiest way to get a credit card. There is a low annual fee of $12.95 and the interest rate is 17.99%. There aren’t any big upfront costs, so you can start small if you are ready to start building credit slowly.
How to use the Refresh Financial Secured Card to build a solid credit history
After securing the card with some of your own money, you’ll have access to a line of credit. When you use the card to make a purchase, the charge will show up on your monthly credit card bill. Pay the bill on time and Refresh Financial will report the positive activity to the credit bureaus.
It’s not a credit card with a rewards program, but it will help you build the credit you need to qualify for more valuable cards later one. Whether you are starting from scratch or rebuilding your personal credit, there isn’t a better option. It takes about 11 minutes to go through the application process for a Refresh Financial Secured Card.
So, whether you have a long and unblemished credit history, or are just starting out, there’s a perfect credit card to help you start 2019 off right.
