There are many travel credit cards in Canada, from frequent flyer program-branded cards to cash back ones, the choice is yours. However, credit card that don’t charge foreign exchange (FX) fees are beyond rare. Enter the Scotiabank Passport Infinite Card.
BONUS OFFER & POINTS
You can earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of enrollment. Another 10,000 Scotia Rewards points can be earned when you spend $40,000 per year.
Carholders will earn 2 Scotia Rewards points per $1 on:
- Grocery stores (metro, IGA, Loblaws, Safway & others);
- Restaurants;
- Entertainment purchases (cinema, shows, theaters);
- Transit purchases which cover taxi, metro, train, ferries & bus fares.
There’s a $50,000 cap on the 2 points for $1 earnings. This cap is calculated on a calendar year-basis. Any other purchase category will earn 1 point per $1 spent. It’s a good way to earn a lot of points on everyday purchases.
SCOTIABANK PASSPORT VISA INFINITE CARD TRAVEL BENEFITS
The card offers some travel benefits that bring a lot of value and savings to Canadians who travel outside Canada. Let’s see what they are and how they can be leveraged.
NO FX CHARGES
No Foreign Exchange (FX) charges is probably the top forte of the card. We know that the vast majority of credit cards charge on average 2.5% on foreign conversion. That can represent $50 in fees on a $2,000 spend.
This is good news for people who travel frequently. Also, Visa is accepted worldwide and makes it easy to charge the card without having to handle cash. Restaurants, coffees, groceries, hotels and other purchases can add up real fast. The card allows to save a few hundreds of dollars whether you travel once a year or frequently.
PRIORITY PASS PRIVILEGES
Cardholders get complimentary 6 Priority Pass access per 12 month-cycle from the date of enrollment. That means all 6 passes have to be used inside the 12-month period. Priority Pass membership ends when cardholder member cancels their Scotiabank Passport Infinite Card.
Priority Pass offers more than 1,000 lounges across the world. I have experienced some extraordinary lounges such as the Primeclass Lounge Muscat, Primeclass Lounge Zurich Terminal E and the Plaza Premium Lounge Heathrow Terminal 5A. Airport lounges access is of great value for the significant savings on food & beverages but also for a quieter space on a layover.
SOLID TRAVEL INSURANCE
The card comes with a suite of travel insurance coverage. You can go through them in the dedicated Scotiabank Passport Infinite Card Welcome Kit pdf made available online:
Travel Emergency Medical
Trip Cancellation
Trip Interruption
Flight Delay
Delayed & Lost Baggages
Hotel Burglary
Car Rental Collision & Damage
Common Carrier Travel Accident
ELIGIBILITY
Those who wish to obtain the card must have an annual income of $60,000 or more, or have a minimum household income of $100,000. Hence, use the income level scenario that will make your application more favorable.
HOW I USED THE CARD
I got the car in January 2020. I used it to pay for my 7 nights at the Doubletree Zagreb and Istanbul Old Town. I took the 30,000 bonus and subsidized the hotels stays. That’s $300 in cashback and zero foreign exchange fees.
VERDICT
As a travel you need a credit card which does not charge a fee on the foreign exchange payments. The Scotiabank Passport Infinite Card does a good on that in addition to providing 6 annual lounge passes.
