Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card

Overview

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + Card is one of Canada's top cash back credit cards. It earns 4% cash back on groceries and recurring payments, 2% on gas, EV charging, daily transit, and food delivery, and 1% on everything else — delivering a strong return on the spending categories where most Canadian households spend the most.

What makes it stand out in a crowded cash back market is the combination of high earn rates, 11 types of insurance (including mobile device coverage), Visa Infinite + perks, and a first-year fee waiver. The current welcome offer — 15% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months on up to $2,000 in spend — adds up to $300 right out of the gate.

The catch? There’s still a $120 annual fee after year one and a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. But few competitors match this card’s raw earn rates on groceries and bills while also offering this much built-in insurance.

Earning Cash Back

The earn structure targets the two biggest spending categories for Canadian families:

• 4% cash back on groceries and recurring payments like bills and subscriptions (up to $25,000/year)
• 2% cash back on gas, EV charging, daily transit, and food delivery (up to $25,000/year)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases (no cap)

Real-World Earning Example

On a typical household spend of $600/month on groceries, $300 on recurring bills (phone, internet, insurance, subscriptions), $200 on gas, and $900 on other purchases:

After the $120 annual fee (waived year one), that's $468 in net cash back — a strong return for a straightforward card.

Welcome Bonus: 15% Cash Back

New cardholders earn 15% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months, up to $2,000 in spend. That's a potential $300 cash back offer, and it applies to every eligible purchase during the intro window. Combined with the first-year fee waiver, the first-year value is materially better than the prior spring offer.

The current offer runs until November 1, 2026.

Spending Caps

Both the 4% and 2% categories cap at $25,000 per year in spend each. That's $1,000 and $500 in potential annual cash back from the bonus categories respectively — more than enough headroom for the vast majority of households. After the cap, purchases earn at the 1% base rate.

Important: What Counts as "Groceries"

The 4% grocery rate applies to merchants with a grocery store merchant category code (MCC). This typically includes Sobeys, Metro, Loblaws, No Frills, Safeway, and most standalone grocery stores. However, Walmart and Costco (even though they sell groceries) are coded as general merchandise, so you'll only earn 1% there.

Cash Back Redemption

As long as you have at least $25 in cash back, you can redeem it any time through the Scotia mobile app or online banking as a statement credit or deposit to an eligible Scotiabank account.

Insurance & Benefits

The Momentum Visa Infinite includes 11 types of insurance — a robust package for a cash back card:

Travel Insurance

• Travel emergency medical insurance — Up to $1,000,000 for 15 days per trip
• Travel accident insurance — $1800,000
• Trip cancellation insurance — Up to $1,1800
• Trip interruption insurance — Up to $2,000
• Flight delay insurance — Up to $1800
• Baggage delay insurance — Up to $1800
• Lost or stolen baggage insurance — Up to $1800
• Car rental collision/loss damage waiver — Decline the rental company's coverage

Purchase & Device Protection

• Mobile device insurance — Up to $1,000 for accidental damage, theft, loss, or mechanical failure (charge your phone or phone plan to the card)
• Purchase protection — 90 days
• Extended warranty — 1 additional year

Visa Infinite + Perks

As a Visa Infinite + card, you also get access to:

• Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection — Room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, late checkout, and credits at premium hotels worldwide
• Visa Infinite Dining Series — Exclusive multi-course dining experiences across Canada
• Visa Infinite Wine Country — Complimentary wine tastings and experiences at select wineries
• GigSky data perks — complimentary annual mobile data plus discounted future GigSky purchases

Scotiabank Ultimate Package: Waive the Fee Permanently

The $120 annual fee can be waived every year if you hold the Scotiabank Ultimate Package bank account. The account has a $30.95/month fee, but that's also waived if you keep a $5,000 daily minimum balance.

So if you already bank with Scotiabank and keep $5,000+ in your chequing account, you're effectively getting a $120/year premium cash back card with 11 types of insurance for $0 in fees — permanently.

Momentum Visa Infinite vs. Scotiabank Gold Amex

Both are $120/year Scotiabank cards. Here's how they compare:

Choose the Momentum Visa Infinite if you spend heavily on recurring bills (4% vs. 1%), need Visa acceptance, or prefer straight cash back over points.

Choose the Gold Amex if you want no FX fees, higher grocery earn rates, or can't meet the $60,000 income requirement.

Best strategy: Carry both. Use the Momentum for recurring bills (4%) and merchants that don't take Amex, and the Gold Amex for groceries (5–6x) and dining (5x). Both are first-year free, so there's no risk trying them together.

Who Should Get This Card?

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite is ideal if you:

• Spend heavily on groceries and recurring bills — the 4% rate is among the highest in Canada
• Want Visa acceptance — works nearly everywhere, including Loblaws, Shoppers, and online
• Need insurance on a cash back card — 11 types including emergency medical and mobile device
• Prefer simple cash back over managing points programs
• Bank with Scotiabank — the Ultimate Package can waive the annual fee permanently
• Meet the income requirement — $60,000 personal or $100,000 household

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• If you want lower foreign exchange costs or more premium travel perks — consider a different Scotiabank travel card
• If you travel internationally — the 2.5% FX fee negates some rewards; get the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite
• If you shop at Costco — this is a Visa, not Mastercard; the Scotiabank Momentum Mastercard covers Costco
• If you don't meet the income requirement — the Scotiabank Gold Amex only requires $12,000

Pairing Strategy

The Momentum Visa Infinite works best as part of a multi-card setup:

Bottom Line

The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite + Card is one of Canada's best cash back credit cards. With 4% on groceries and recurring payments, 2% on gas, transit, EV charging, and food delivery, 11 types of insurance, and a current $300 cash back welcome offer, it delivers exceptional value for Canadian households that spend heavily in those categories. If you spend meaningfully on groceries and bills, this card can still pay for itself quickly even after the first-year waiver ends.