Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite review: Everything you need to know

If you’re looking to get one of the best rewards credit cards in Canada and have ruled out the idea of a travel card – either because you don’t want to deal with points or don’t spend much on flights or hotels – the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite should be high on your list. It’s high on ours.

A perennial favourite, the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite regularly takes the top spot on our annual rankings of the best cash back credit cards in Canada.

The card’s appeal comes down to its strong rewards on household spending (particularly groceries and bills), great insurance perks, and lucrative welcome bonus that can add up to an extra $350 to your wallet in your first year.

1. The welcome offer

Right off the bat, the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite offers some great value.

 No annual fee in the first year, including on supplementary cards. Offer ends January 1, 2022.

2. Everyday cash back rewards

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite offers some of the best rewards on your everyday spending with major bonuses across four different categories.

• 4% cash back on your grocery and supermarket bills.
• 4% on recurring bills: payments that you set to automatically charge your card on a monthly basis and can include everything from cable, smartphone/data plans, streaming services, car or home insurance payments, and more.
• 2% on gas.
• 2% on daily transit: public transit, taxis, and rideshares like Uber.
• 1% on everything else.

No other cash back card offers higher returns on groceries or recurring bills, and considering those two categories count towards some of your largest household expenses, that can add up to some serious savings.

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite is also one of just a few cash back cards to offer bonus rewards on transit purchases like taxis, public transit, and rideshares – upping the card’s appeal if you don’t commute behind the wheel of your own car.

One potential drawback of the card’s rewards is that its cash back on gas (2%) isn’t the most competitive. If you spend big at the pump, that could be a deal breaker and you might want to set your sights on another card like the TD CashBack Visa Infinite, which offers 3% on gas and even comes with a complimentary roadside assistance membership (though it does offer fewer rewards on groceries and bills).

Your cash back rewards on the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite are also only awarded once every twelve months in November, not monthly or at any time of the year like some other cash back cards.

3. Side perks

The Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite is one of only a dozen or so credit cards in Canada to offer complimentary mobile device insurance.

If you purchase a new device (or cover all of your cell phone bills) on your Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite, you’ll receive up to $1,000 in phone insurance that’ll kick in if your device is stolen or accidentally damaged. If you were to buy similar device insurance from a phone carrier, that could easily set you back $9 a month or $108 annually.

As a Visa Infinite cardholder, you’ll also get access to 24/7 concierge service, free room upgrades at eligible hotels, and the ability to attend unique dining events dotted across your city.

4. Travel insurance benefits

While the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite isn’t designed as a travel credit card, it still comes built-in with the full range of insurance benefits that’ll cover you while abroad including:

For the card’s coverage to apply, you’ll generally need to cover up to 75% of the travel expense with the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite.

As far as travel insurance goes, the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite’s coverage is pretty standard for a premium annual fee credit card. Contrary to how that may sound, that’s a positive note since it means you’ll receive solid coverage for almost all medical and travel emergencies.

Perhaps the one drawback worth highlighting is your travel emergency insurance will last for trips up to 15 days (as opposed to 21 days like on some full-fledged travel credit cards). But that won’t be much of an issue if most of your trips are under two weeks. Not to mention, you always have the ability to top up your coverage to carry you over an extra few days for longer trips.

5. Interest, fees, and income requirements

As a premium rewards card, there are very few surprises around the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite’s fees and rates.

The annual interest rate on this credit card is around average at 20.99% on any unpaid balances you owe, and 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers. Like with any rewards card, the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite is only really worth it as long as you pay off your balance in full. Otherwise you’ll owe interest which would undercut any rewards you earn.

• Also read: Best low interest credit cards in Canada

To qualify for this credit card, you’ll need to have a minimum annual income of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000.

The card does have a $120 annual fee, though it’s waived for the first year for new accounts opened by January 1, 2022 and is easily offset by its strong everyday rewards and perks.

Additionally, if you do choose to add another user, it’ll cost you an extra $50 per year. When considering some other premium cards charge anywhere from $0 to $29 to add an authorized user (including Scotia’s own Gold American Express Card and Passport Visa Infinite) this is a knock against the card. The silver lining is the fee for one authorized user is completely waived for the first year.

The bottom line

With some of the best cash back rewards on groceries, bills, and virtually every mode of daily transit – it’s easy to see how the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite ranks among the best rewards credit card in Canada. Although its rewards on gas aren’t the best out there, when considering the card as an overall package, it’s hard to beat.