Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

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amex simply cash card

SimplyCash® Card from American Express

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Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card vs SimplyCash® Card from American Express: 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

amex simply cash card

SimplyCash® Card from American Express

3.7


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

$311.78


First Year Bonus

$100


Annual Fee

$0


First Year Value

$411.78

$311.78 in years after

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

Insurance Included

  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

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

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days

  • 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
  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $1000/occurrence
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Out of province Medical

    $1M, Up to 25 days
  • travel accident medical

    Emergency Medical Over 65

    $1M, Up to 3 days
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1500/person, $10000/trip
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

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

    Flight Delay

    $500/person

Insurance Included*

  • heart lock

    Travel Accident

    Up to $100,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days or theft up to $1,000 per occurrence

Extra Benefits

  • exchange money

    No Foreign Transaction Fees

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

    Concierge Services

  • discount

    Discount

    Discount on PriorityPass Membership
  • Amex logo

    American Express® Experiences

Extra Benefits*

  • Amex logo

    Amex Experiences™

    Access events and special offers curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™

Interest Rates

Purchase:

20.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Interest Rates*

Purchase:

21.992

Cash Advance:

21.992

Annual Fee

$120

$0

First Year Waived

Annual Fee*

$0

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*

In your first 3 months as a new SimplyCash® Card from American Express Cardmember, you can earn a bonus 5% cash back on all purchases (up to $2,000 in purchases). That’s on top of your everyday cash back earn rates. That’s up to $100 in bonus cash back.

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*

  • 2% cash back on eligible gas and grocery purchases in Canada (up to $300 cash back annually)
  • 1.25% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Loyalty Program

Loyalty Program*

N/A

Point Redemption Options

  • entertainment popcorn

    Entertainment

    1¢ / point
  • travel - plane

    Travel

    1¢ / point
  • groceries

    Groceries (Sobeys)

    1¢ / point
  • food location

    Restaurants

    1¢ / point
  • online shop

    Merchandise

    0.76¢ / point
  • gift card

    Gift Cards

    0.74¢ / point
  • cash coins

    Statement Credits (Cash)

    0.7¢ / point

Point Redemption Options*

Not Applicable

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?

The SimplyCash® Card from American Express stands out for its no annual fee and strong cash-back earning potential, offering up to $100 in statement credits within the first 10 months. What makes it even more appealing are the unique perks, such as early access to concert tickets and extra layers of security for online shopping. These extra benefits, along with the affordability, make it a strong contender for those looking for a reliable cash-back card with no annual fee. It's an excellent choice for everyday spending while still enjoying exclusive Amex advantages.

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

  • No annual fee: The card does not charge an annual fee, making it accessible and cost-effective.
  • Attractive cash-back rates: Offers a solid structure for earning cash-back on eligible purchases.
  • Exclusive Amex perks: Provides benefits such as access to concert tickets and enhanced security for online shopping.
  • 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

  • Annual cash-back cap: Limits the total amount of cash-back you can earn within a year.
  • Limited travel and shopping insurance: The card lacks comprehensive travel and shopping coverage compared to other premium cards.
  • American Express acceptance: Amex is not accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard.
  • 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 If you have 2 separate missed Payments, the applicable rates for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate missed payments, the applicable rates will be 28.99%.

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