Key takeaways
- Both: $0 annual fee, limit up to $15,000 through StartRight, eligible for Nova Credit limit increases
- Momentum: 1% cash back on groceries, gas, transit, recurring bills and subscriptions; 0.5% on the rest
- Scene+ Visa: 2 points per $1 at listed grocers, Home Hardware and Cineplex; 1 point per $1 on the rest
- Momentum has the lower purchase rate (20.99% vs 21.99%) and a 0.99% balance transfer offer
- On mixed spending, Scene+ Visa usually earns more after year one if points are worth about 1 cent each; Momentum suits people who want cash
Momentum vs Scene+ Visa side by side
| Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa | Scotiabank Scene+ Visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 (extra cards $0) | $0 (extra cards $0) |
| Purchase rate | 20.99% (25.99% standard rate if you do not get the preferred rate) | 21.99% |
| Cash advance rate | 22.99% (27.99% standard) | 22.99% |
| Ongoing rewards | 1% on groceries, food delivery, drugstores, gas, EV charging, transit, rideshare, recurring bills and subscriptions (first $15,000 a year); 0.5% on everything else | 2 points per $1 at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo and other listed grocers, Home Hardware and Cineplex; 1 point per $1 on everything else |
| How you redeem | Cash back as a statement credit or deposit, any time once you have $25 | Scene+ points for groceries, travel, movies, Home Hardware or account credit |
| Foreign-currency purchases | 2.5% fee | 2.5% fee |
| Limit through StartRight | Up to $15,000 | Up to $15,000 |
| Student version | Not shown on StartRight | Yes, Scene+ Visa for students |
Rates and features as of October 10, 2026, from Scotiabank’s card pages and fee schedule. The StartRight cards page shows 20.99% / 22.99% for Momentum. Your rate is in your card agreement.
Current welcome offers
Offer as of October 10, 2026. Momentum (offer dates unclear, see below): 5% cash back on all purchases in the first 3 months, on up to $2,000 of purchases (so up to $100). Also 0.99% on balance transfers for 9 months, with a fee of 2% per transfer ($5 minimum), then 22.99%. The bonus cash back is available about 4 to 5 months after opening. Scene+ Visa: 2,500 points for $250 of purchases and 2,500 more for $1,000 of purchases in the first 3 months, for cards opened July 2 to November 1, 2026. Banks change offers often; confirm on the bank’s site.
On October 10, 2026, the Momentum page showed two different offer windows: October 31, 2025 to April 30, 2026 in the summary, and July 2 to November 1, 2026 in the legal terms. Ask Scotiabank which applies before you rely on the 5%.
Neither welcome offer is open to anyone who held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the last two years. Either card can also count toward the $100 card bonus in the StartRight offer.
Worked example: $1,200 a month of spending
Amina spends $1,200 a month: $400 on groceries, $150 on transit and gas, $100 on recurring bills, $50 on streaming, and $500 on other purchases. We value Scene+ points at 1 cent each, the value Scotiabank uses in its own offers.
| Per year | Momentum | Scene+ Visa, groceries at a listed store | Scene+ Visa, groceries elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year two and later | $84 + $30 = $114 | 19,200 points = $192 | 14,400 points = $144 |
| Year one, with welcome offer | about $198 | 24,200 points = $242 | 19,400 points = $194 |
How we got year one for Momentum: 5% on the first $2,000 ($100), regular rates on the other $1,600 of the first three months (about $13), and about $86 for months 4 to 12.
The Scene+ Visa earns more for Amina after year one because it pays 1 point (about 1%) on everything, while Momentum pays only 0.5% outside its categories. Momentum comes close in year one because of the 5% offer.
Which fits you, by situation
- You want plain cash, not points: Momentum. Cash back goes to your account or bill once you have $25.
- You shop at Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo or Foodland: Scene+ Visa. The 2x rate makes the biggest difference.
- You are an international student: Scene+ Visa has a student version on the StartRight page.
- You moved a balance from another Canadian card: Momentum’s 0.99% transfer rate can help, but newcomers rarely have a Canadian balance to move. The 2% fee still applies.
- You might carry a balance: Momentum’s purchase rate is 1 percentage point lower. Better still, pay in full each month; interest costs far more than any reward.
- You spend in foreign currency: both charge 2.5%. See the Passport Visa Infinite+, which has no foreign fee.
Do both cards build credit the same way?
Yes. Both are regular Scotiabank credit cards, so the reward type makes no difference to your credit. Your score depends on paying on time and using a small part of your limit. Keep your balance under about 30% of your limit; check it with the credit utilization calculator.
Later, you can ask for a higher limit on either card with your home credit report through Nova Credit. This works for 15 countries, including India, Nigeria and the Philippines, if you have been in Canada less than two years. See transferring your foreign credit history.
How we handle offers. Offers on this page come from the bank’s own website and were last checked on October 10, 2026. Banks change offers often, so confirm the details on the bank’s site before you apply. No bank pays to be included or ranked here. If a link on this page ever earns us a commission, we will label it next to the link.
Common questions
Which is better for newcomers, Scotia Momentum or Scene+ Visa?
Do I need a credit history for these cards?
What is the Scotia Momentum No-Fee welcome offer?
How much are Scene+ points worth?
Can I have both cards?
Sources
- Scotiabank: Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card
- Scotiabank: Scene+ Visa Card
- Scotiabank StartRight: Credit cards for newcomers
- Scotiabank: Credit card fees at a glance
- Scotiabank StartRight: Newcomer offer and terms
- Scotiabank StartRight: Higher credit limit with Nova Credit
- FCAC: Credit report and score basics