Scene+ Travel (Expedia) vs Statement Credit: Which Is Better for Maximizing Value?

The short answer

For most Canadians, statement credit for travel purchases (Apply Points to Travel) is the better option because you usually get the same 1.0 CPP value while keeping the benefits of booking direct — better change/cancel control, loyalty program earning, and elite treatment at hotels and airlines.

Scene+ Travel (Powered by Expedia) is still useful when you want to pay with points upfront at checkout, need a bundled package (flight + hotel), or you find portal pricing that beats booking direct.

If you're still getting up to speed on Scene+ points in general — how to earn them, what they're worth, and all the ways you can redeem — start with our Scene+ Points Guide first.

What are we comparing?

Scene+ gives you two main travel redemption options, and both target the same value per point:

1. Scene+ Travel (Powered by Expedia)

• An online travel portal (similar to Expedia) where you search for flights, hotels, car rentals, and activities, then redeem 100 points = $1 toward the booking at checkout. You can pay entirely with points, entirely with your card, or a mix of both.

2. Statement credit for travel purchases (Apply Points to Travel)

• Book travel anywhere you want — directly with the airline, through a hotel's website, or any other travel provider — using an eligible Scotiabank Scene+ credit card. After the charge posts to your statement, you redeem 100 points = $1 to offset that purchase. You have up to 12 months from the transaction date to apply points.

If you only care about value per point, they're often tied at 1.0 CPP. The real difference is how you want to book and the flexibility you get after booking.

Side-by-side comparison

Why statement credit is usually better

1) Same value, more flexibility

Both options give you the same 100 points = $1 rate for travel. Since the value per point is identical, the tiebreaker is flexibility — and statement credit wins that easily.

With Apply Points to Travel, you can:

• book wherever the best price is (airline direct, hotel direct, any OTA),
• pick the exact fare class, cancellation policy, and loyalty earning you want,
• and avoid being locked into the portal's search results and booking flow.

2) Better for people who book direct

If you prefer booking flights directly with the airline or hotels through their own site — which is almost always the best practice for earning loyalty points, getting elite perks, and having full control over changes — the statement-credit method lets you keep that habit and still offset the cost with Scene+ points at 1.0 CPP afterward.

This is especially valuable for frequent travellers who hold status with airlines or hotel chains, since portal bookings often don't count toward elite qualification.

3) You can decide later

With Apply Points to Travel, you don't have to commit to using points at the time of booking. You can:

• book the trip now on your eligible Scotiabank Scene+ card,
• see how the charge settles,
• then decide whether to apply points — up to 12 months after the transaction date.

This "decide later" flexibility is genuinely useful. If a better use for your points comes up (or you earn a windfall of points from a signup bonus), you're not locked in.

When Scene+ Travel is the better choice

Even though statement credit is the better default for most people, the portal genuinely wins in a few specific situations:

1) You want to pay with points upfront (no out-of-pocket)

If you don't want to put the charge on your card and wait to offset it later, Scene+ Travel lets you redeem points during checkout. You can cover the entire booking with points, pay entirely with your card, or split it any way you like — all decided at the moment of booking.

This is particularly useful if you're on a tight budget and want to avoid even a temporary charge on your statement.

2) You want portal-only inventory or packages

Expedia-style portals can surface bundled deals (flight + hotel, hotel + car) that you can't always replicate by booking each piece separately. If you're planning a vacation where bundling saves money, the portal may beat booking direct even before you factor in points.

3) You want the portal earn boost (especially for hotels, cars, and activities)

This is the one area where Scene+ Travel has a clear mathematical advantage. When you book through the portal, you earn:

• 3 points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and Things to Do — including taxes and fees, and even when paying with points.

That extra earning can add up quickly if you frequently book hotels or rent cars. For comparison, booking direct and using statement credit only earns whatever your card's base travel rate is (often 1–2 points per $1), so the portal's 3x rate is a meaningful bump.

Step-by-step: how to redeem each way

Option A: Book through Scene+ Travel (Powered by Expedia)

1. Log in to your Scene+ account at sceneplus.ca (or the Scene+ app) and open Scene+ Travel.
2. Search for flights, hotels, car rentals, or Things to Do — it works like a standard travel portal.
3. Select your booking and proceed to checkout.
4. At checkout, choose how much to pay with points (100 points = $1) and how much with your card. You can go all-points, all-card, or any split.
5. Confirm the booking. Your points are deducted immediately.

Option B: Use statement credit for travel (Apply Points to Travel)

1. Book travel anywhere — directly with an airline, a hotel, an OTA, or any other travel provider — using an eligible Scotiabank Scene+ credit or debit card.
2. Wait for the transaction to post to your statement (usually a few business days).
3. Log in to sceneplus.ca or the Scene+ app and select Apply Points to Travel.
4. Find the eligible travel purchase and choose how many points to apply (100 points = $1).
5. The credit is applied to your statement, offsetting the original charge.

You have up to 12 months from the original transaction date to apply points, so there's no rush.

A note on partial redemptions: Scene+'s FAQ has indicated that partial redemption on Apply Points to Travel may have limitations depending on timing and features. If you run into issues applying a partial amount, contacting Scotiabank directly is usually the quickest fix.

Common mistake: mixing up travel statement credit vs “Points for Credit”

This trips up a lot of people. Scene+ has a separate redemption option called Points for Credit, which lets you redeem points as a general account credit on eligible Scotiabank cards. It sounds similar to Apply Points to Travel, but the value is significantly worse.

The key difference:

• Apply Points to Travel: 100 points = $1 (1.0 CPP) — only for eligible travel purchases.
• Points for Credit: typically around ~0.67–0.7 CPP — a general credit against any purchase.

That's roughly 30–33% less value for the same points. Unless you genuinely have no travel plans and just want cash back, always use one of the two travel options.

Practical rule:

• Redeeming points for travel? Use Scene+ Travel or Apply Points to Travel — both give you 1.0 CPP.
• Redeeming for general credit on anything? Points for Credit works, but understand you're leaving real value on the table. Check our Scene+ Points Guide for a full breakdown of all redemption options and their values.

Quick decision checklist

• Do you want to book direct with an airline or hotel (or shop around for the best price)?

  • Yes → Apply Points to Travel (statement credit)
  • No / portal is fine → continue

• Do you want to pay fully with points upfront (or need a points + cash split at checkout)?

  • Yes → Scene+ Travel

• Are you booking hotels, car rentals, or activities and want to maximize earning?

  • Yes → Scene+ Travel (3 pts/$1 on those categories)

• Do you just want to wipe a non-travel purchase off your statement?

  • Points for Credit works, but expect ~0.67–0.7 CPP — significantly lower than the 1.0 CPP you'd get from either travel option.

Bottom line

If you're deciding between Scene+ Travel (Expedia) and statement credit for travel purchases, the answer for most Canadians is straightforward:

• Pick statement credit (Apply Points to Travel) for maximum flexibility, full loyalty benefits, and the same 1.0 CPP travel value. This is the best default for anyone who books direct with airlines or hotels.
• Pick Scene+ Travel when you want to pay with points upfront, bundle a vacation package, or take advantage of the 3x earning on hotel/car/activity bookings through the portal.

Either way, the most important thing is to avoid accidentally using Points for Credit for travel — that costs you roughly 30% of your points' value compared to both travel options.

For a deeper look at all the ways you can earn and use Scene+ points (including non-travel options like movies, groceries, and gift cards), check out our full Scene+ Points Guide.