Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

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AmericanExpress Platinum Card

American Express Platinum Card®

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Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card vs American Express Platinum Card®: Which one is better?


Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

4.9


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

AmericanExpress Platinum Card

American Express Platinum Card®

4.5


RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE*

300
Poor
560
Fair
660
Good
725
Very Good
760
Excellent

Finly Rebate

Now $150 until Nov 30, 2024

Finly Rebate

N/A

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$644.5

Scene+


First Year Bonus

$450

Scene+


Annual Fee

$120


First Year Value

$1,094.5

$524.5 in years after

Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Rewards Breakdown

Annual Rewards

$581.26

American Express Membership Rewards


First Year Bonus

$0

American Express Membership Rewards


Annual Fee

$799


First Year Value

-$217.74

Based on $2,000/mo average spending. Calculate your rewards.

Insurance Included

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500/person, $1000/trip
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500/person, $1,000/trip After 4 hours
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    $65K up to 48 days
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $500K/person, $1M/occurrence
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1000/occurrence
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $1M, Up to 25 days
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1500/person, $10000/trip
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $1500/person, $10,000/trip
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500/person

  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Medical Over 65

    $1M, Up to 3 days

Insurance Included*

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $1,000
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $1,000
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Yes
  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    $500,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    120 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1000
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    15 days
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $2,500
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $2,500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $1,000

Extra Benefits

  • concierge

    Concierge Services

  • Amex logo

    American Express® Experiences


  • exchange money

    No Foreign Transaction Fees

    Avoid the 2.5% foreign transaction fees incurred when spending in non $CAD
  • discount

    Discount

    Discount on PriorityPass Membership

Extra Benefits*

  • concierge

    Concierge Services

  • Amex logo

    American Express® Experiences


  • gavel

    Trip and legal Assistance

  • star fall

    Status lift

    Upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold Status
  • star fall

    Status lift

    Upgrade to Marriott BonvoyTM Gold Elite status
  • reward cup

    Extra points

    Earn 2 points on Amex Travel Online purchases and extra points on American Express offers
  • travel

    Travel Credit

    $200
  • food location

    Dining Credit

    $200 at Select Restaurants
  • border guard

    Nexus Program Rebate

    $100 statement credit every 4 years
  • alcohol cheers

    Airport Lounge - American Express Global Lounge

    Take full advantage of The American Express Global Lounge Collection™ which unlocks access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges, and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience.
  • hotel

    Complimentary Hotel Benefits

    Hotels booked American Express Travel
  • airport waiting room

    Priority Travel

    At Toronto Pearson Airport get Priority Security lane, Complimentary valet and 15% discount at the Express Park and daily park

Interest Rates

Purchase:

20.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.99% - 30%2

Cash Advance:

21.99% - 30%2

Annual Fee

$120

$0

First Year Waived

Annual Fee*

$799

Income Required

Min Personal Income:

$12,000

Min Household Income:

$12,000

Income Required*

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

Welcome Bonus

Earn 25,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $1,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year.

Welcome Bonus*

New Platinum® Cardmembers, earn 100,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $10,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership. Plus, earn 40,000 points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of Cardmembership. Offer ends Jan 28, 2025.

Rewards Rate

  • 6 Points per $1 spent at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland & Participating Co-ops
  • 5 Points per $1 spent on eligible dining, other grocery stores, entertainment purchases including movies, theatre, and ticket agencies
  • 3 Points per $1 spent on rides which includes rideshare, buses, taxis, subways and more
  • 3 Points per $1 spent on eligible streaming service payments (Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, Crave and more)
  • 1 Point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Rewards Rate*

  • 2x points per $1 spent on eligible dining & food delivery purchases (restaurant, fast food, coffee shop, food delivery)
  • 2x points per $1 spent on eligible travel purchases (flights, hotels, tours and more)
  • 1x point per $1 spent for all other purchases

Loyalty Program

Point Redemption Options

  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.76¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.74¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    0.7¢ / point

  • entertainment popcorn

    Entertainment

    1¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Travel

    1¢ / point
  • groceries

    Groceries (Sobeys)

    1¢ / point
  • food location

    Restaurants

    1¢ / point

Point Redemption Options*

  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    1¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.765¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.63¢ / point

  • Most Optimal

    plane

    Transfer to Airline Partners

    2.1¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Fixed Point Travel Program

    1.66¢ / point
  • hotel

    Transfer to Hotel Partners

    1.66¢ / point
  • amazon logo

    Amazon.ca

    0.7¢ / point

Is this card worth it?

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card is one of our favorite cards. It has a very solid rewards program, earning one of the highest rewards among all credit cards in Canada. In addition, it offers comprehensive travel benefits, including the rare and valuable no foreign transaction fee benefit, making it a great and balanced credit card in terms of both rewards and benefits. The first-year annual fee waiver is the cherry on top, providing even greater value to cardholders.

Is this card worth it?

If you're a frequent traveler, the Platinum card is an excellent choice. It's highly recommended for its extensive travel benefits, including unlimited lounge access for you and a guest at the American Express Lounge collection, making it the best card for lounge access in Canada. The card also offers unique perks not commonly found with other Canadian cards, such as status upgrades at Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton, dining and travel credits, concierge service, airport benefits, Nexus application reimbursement, and more. These benefits can more than offset the annual fee. However, if you don't travel often or are mainly looking for a card that maximizes rewards, this card may not be the best option for you.

Pros

  • No foreign transaction fee saves you 2.5% on all non-CAD purchases.
  • Rewards cover all high-spending categories, including food, groceries, entertainment, and gas.
  • Comprehensive coverage of all travel insurance.

Pros

  • Offers more perks than any other credit card in Canada, catering to premium users who value extensive benefits.
  • Enjoy $400 in annual travel and dining credits, which can offset some of the card's cost.
  • Gain unlimited access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, enhancing your travel experience.
  • Multiple options for redeeming points for high value, giving you flexibility in how you use your rewards.
  • Includes 11 types of insurance coverage, offering comprehensive protection for cardholders.

Cons

  • The card network is American Express, which might not be widely accepted in some countries, making it a bit harder to use the no foreign transaction fee benefit.
  • Having a lounge pass would have made this card even more perfect, but there is access to a discount code for lounge access pass purchases.

Cons

  • As with other American Express cards, it may have lower acceptance in some locations compared to other networks.
  • The high annual fee of $799 may be a barrier for some users, especially those who do not fully utilize the card's benefits.
  • Some benefits are limited to specific airports and hotels.

Legal


*American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment. Check here for full details and current product information.
2 This Charge Card requires full payment of the Due in Full balance each month, with a 30% interest rate on late payments. The Flexible Payment Option balance has a 21.99% interest rate, which increases to 25.99% after two missed payments and 28.99% after three or more within 12 months. A 21-day interest-free grace period applies to new transactions if the full balance is paid by the due date.

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