Credit Cards

Get an unsecured credit card as soon as you arrive – even without a credit history1.

Choose from a variety of newcomer credit cards and start building your credit history in Canada with the Scotiabank StartRight® Program2.

Find the right card for me

Credit Cards

Ready to start building your Canadian credit history?

Choose from a variety of trusted credit card brands available through Scotiabank such as American Express*, MasterCard®* and Visa** with the Scotiabank StartRight® Program1 2.

Find the right card for me

Why do I need to build my credit history in Canada?

When you apply for credit in Canada, lenders will normally check your credit history to help with their decision.

Building good credit could help you save money on interest rates and get approved more easily for things like cell phones, lines of credit and car loans.

You can build a good credit history faster by doing the following:

Get a credit card and use it on a regular basis.

Always pay your bills on time.

Pay your bills off in full whenever possible.

Credit Card

Limit yourself to just one or two credit cards.

Know your credit score.

Credit scores are calculated by Canada’s two major credit-reporting agencies: Equifax and TransUnion. They calculate your score based on information in your credit report. Key factors that can affect your score include your payment history, how much debt you have and how long you’ve been using credit.

A Scotiabank account lets you access your credit report for free through your online banking. You are also entitled to free reports from Equifax and TransUnion Canada.

What are rewards?

Rewards are incentives you get when you use certain credit cards to pay for everyday purchases. In Canada, rewards can come in a variety of formats like points, miles, or cash back. Whatever the format, reward types typically give you some sort of benefit for using your card to make your everyday purchases.

Scotiabank has more reward options than any other bank in Canada3.

  • CASH BACK
    Earn cash back rewards on everyday purchases and have your cash deposited directly into your account.
  • TRAVEL
    Earn travel rewards with Scotia Rewards® and you can redeem them for flights, hotels, car rentals and more.
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    Earn rewards with SCENE points that can be put towards things like free movies, discounts on entertainment and more.

How can I get a credit card?

Scotiabank offers a variety of cards from trusted brands including VISA*, MasterCard®* and American Express®.

Book an appointment with a Scotiabank Advisor to apply for a credit card once you’re in Canada.

Find the right credit card for you.

Browse by card type:

All Newcomers Students

Browse by card features:

All No annual fee Cash Back Travel Entertainment Low interest

Newcomers

Our most popular credit cards for newcomers.

New

American Express* | No annual fee | Travel rewards

Scotiabank®* American Express® Card

Earn 5,000 bonus points with your first $500 in everyday purchases in first 3 months.6

  • Scotia Rewards®: Earn one Scotia Rewards® point for every $1 you spend on everyday purchases – redeem points for any travel purchase, selected merchandise, gift cards and more.7
  • Minimum credit limit: $1,000
  • Annual interest rate: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances and balance transfers and Scotia Credit Card Cheques
  • Annual fee: $0

Rates and fees are subject to change.

Apply now

VISA** | Low interest rate

Scotiabank Value® Visa** Card

0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.8

  • Low interest rate – you could save up to hundreds of dollars a year in interest if you carry a balance
  • Minimum credit limit: $500
  • Annual interest rate: 11.99%
  • Annual fee: $29

Rates and fees are subject to change.

Apply now

Gold American Express* | $5,000 limit | Travel rewards

Scotiabank Gold American Express* Card

Earn 15,000 bonus points with your first $1,000 in everyday purchases in the first 3 months.9

  • Scotia Rewards®: Four Scotia Rewards points for every $1 you spend on eligible gas station, grocery store, dining and entertainment purchases. One Scotia Rewards® point for every $1 you spend on all other eligible everyday purchases10
  • Minimum credit limit: $5,000
  • Annual interest rate: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, balance transfers and Scotia Credit Card Cheques
  • Annual fee: $99

Rates and fees are subject to change.

Apply now

VISA** | No annual fee | Entertainment rewards

SCENE† VISA** Card

Earn 2,000 bonus points with your first $500 in everyday purchases in first 3 months11.

  • SCENE Program Rewards: Earn 1 SCENE point for every $1 you spend on your everyday credit card purchases12. Earn 5 SCENE points for every $1 you spend on credit card purchases at Cineplex theatres†† or Cineplex.com13 14
  • Redeem for a FREE movie with just 1,000 points.
  • Get $10 off at participating restaurants when you redeem just 1,000 points.
  • Minimum credit limit: $500
  • Annual interest rate: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, balance transfers and Scotia Credit Card Cheques
  • Annual fee: $0

Rates and fees are subject to change.

Apply now

VISA** | Cash back rewards

Scotia Momentum® VISA** Card

2.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 6 months.15

  • A full 2% cash back on all eligible gas, groceries, drug store purchases and on recurring payments16
  • A full 1% cash back on all other eligible everyday purchases16
  • Minimum credit limit: $500
  • Annual interest rate: 19.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances, balance transfers and Scotia Credit Card Cheques
  • Annual fee: $39

Rates and fees are subject to change.

Apply now

See how quickly you can earn cash back

International Students

Our most popular credit cards for international students.

Found the card for you?

Book an appointment with a Scotiabank Advisor to apply for a credit card once you’re in Canada.

Have questions? We have answers.

Our StartRight® Program support team is here to help.

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  • 1.Subject to credit approval. To be eligible, you must be a participant in the Scotiabank StartRight Program. To qualify for a credit card, you must be a resident of Canada and the age of majority in your province/territory where you live. Your approval for a credit card and the credit limit assigned will be determined based on Scotiabank’s credit criteria, including your verifiable income and credit history (If available). A credit history in Canada is not required in order to be eligible for a credit card under the Scotiabank StartRight Program.
  • 2.Scotiabank StartRight Program, created for Canadian Permanent residents from 0–3 years in Canada, International Students and Foreign Workers.
  • 3.Calculation of reward options is based on the number of Scotiabank debit cards, credit cards and retail bank accounts associated with the Scotia Rewards® program, Scotia Momentum® Cash Back Program, premium interest on the Scotiabank Momentum Savings Account associated with our bundle offers, auto and retail related rewards program on credit cards and the SCENE† program, compared to the number of reward options publicly offered on similar products by other Canadian Schedule I banks. Calculation is current as at October 1, 2017.
  • 4.The introductory 7.99% interest rate applies to purchase only (the “Offer”). This rate applies when the new Scotiabank credit card account (“Account”) is opened by June 30, 2018 the (“Offer End Date”) and will continue for 6 months from that date (“the Promotional Period”). After the Promotional Period, balances at the promotional rate of 7.99% (including any unpaid balances) will increase to the preferred interest rate for purchases that applies on your Account. Offer applies to new Accounts only opened by June 30, 2018. In general, if you make a payment that exceeds the Minimum Payment on your statement, (we will apply your payment on a proportionate basis among each group of billed charges on your Account. We group charges based on the interest rate that applies to the group of charges. Your payment cannot be applied to the balance(s) of your choice. See your credit card agreement for more information about how we apply payments to your Account. Offer applies only to new Scotiabank credit card accounts opened by the Offer End Date. Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer. Rates and fees are subject to change.
  • 5.You will earn 1% cash back on your annual spend on gas station, grocery store and drug store purchases and on recurring payments. 1% cash back applies at merchants which are classified in the Visa Inc. (Visa) network as Grocery Stores & Supermarkets, Drug Stores & Pharmacies, Service Stations (with or without ancillary services), Automated Fuel Dispensers and Recurring Payments (Merchant Codes: 5411, 5541, 5542 & 5912). Recurring payments are defined as payments made on a monthly or regular basis automatically billed by the merchant to your Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa card. Recurring payments are typically telecommunication, insurance, membership, subscriptions etc. purchases. Not all merchants offer recurring payments. (Please check with your merchant to see if they offer recurring payments on Visa cards.) Some merchants may sell these products/services or are separate merchants who are located on the premises of these merchants, but are classified by Visa in another manner, in which case this added benefit would not apply. You will earn 0.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases made with the card. Purchase returns, payments, cash advances, balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques, credit vouchers, card fees, interest charges or service/transaction charges do not qualify for cash back.
  • 6.To be eligible for the 5,000 bonus points offer (this “Offer”), you must have at least $500 in net purchases (purchases less returns or similar credits) posted to your Scotiabank credit card account (“Account”) in the first 3 months from the Account open date. The bonus points will appear as an adjustment on your Account statement within 2 statement cycles after the third billing cycle has passed provided the Account is open and in good standing. Offer applies to a new Account only opened by June 30, 2018 (the “Offer End Date”). Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • 7.You will earn 1 point per $1 on eligible purchases. Points are not awarded for Cash Advances (including Balance Transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques and Cash-Like Transactions), Scotia Rewards Dollars, returns, refunds or other similar credits, payments, fees, interest charges or service transaction charges. Scotia Rewards points must be redeemed within 60 days of account closure or they will be deleted permanently. If your account is not in good standing, the accumulated Scotia Rewards points are not eligible for redemption.
  • 8.The introductory 0.99% interest rate applies to cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions) only (the “Offer”). This rate applies when the new Scotiabank credit card account (“Account”) is opened by June 30, 2018 (the “Offer End Date”) and will continue for 6 months from that date (“the Promotional Period”). This offer cannot be used to transfer a balance from another Scotiabank Account, or to make a payment or deposit to another Scotiabank account. After the Promotional Period, the 0.99% interest rate on any promotional balances (including any that remain unpaid after the Promotional Period ends) will increase to the preferred interest rate on cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions) that applies on your Account. In general, if you make a payment that exceeds the Minimum Payment on your statement, (we will apply your payment on a proportionate basis among each group of billed charges on your Account. We group charges based on the interest rate that applies to the group of charges. Your payment cannot be applied to the balance(s) of your choice. See your credit card agreement for more information about how we apply payments to your Account. Offer applies only to new Scotiabank credit card accounts opened by the Offer End Date. Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer.
    The preferred annual interest rates for the Account are: 11.99% on purchases and 11.99% on cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions). Rates and fees are subject to change.
  • 9.To be eligible for the 15,000 bonus points offer (this “Offer”), you must have at least $1000 in net purchases (purchases less returns or similar credits) posted to your Scotiabank credit card account (“Account”) in the first 3 months from the Account open date. The bonus points will appear as an adjustment on your Account statement within 2 statement cycles after the third billing cycle has passed provided the Account is open and in good standing. Offer applies to a new Account only opened by June 30, 2018 (the “Offer End Date”). Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • 10.You will earn 4 points per $1 on the first $50,000 in purchases made annually at American Express merchants classified in the American Express network as: Gas Service Stations and Automated Fuel Dispensers; Grocery Stores and Supermarkets; Eating Places and Restaurants, Drinking Places, Fast Food Restaurants; and Entertainment including Motion Picture Theaters, Theatrical Producers, Ticket Agencies, Bands, Orchestras and Miscellaneous Entertainers. Some merchants may sell these products/services or are separate merchants who are located on the premises of these merchants, but are classified by American Express in another manner, in which case this added benefit would not apply. You will earn 1 point per $1 on purchases made after you have reached the 4 points per $1 $50,000 annual spend maximum and on all other purchases made with the Card. Points are not awarded for cash advances (including balance transfers,, Scotia Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions),Scotia Rewards Dollars, returns, payments, fees, interest charges or other charges. Scotia Rewards points must be redeemed within 60 days of account closure or they will be deleted permanently. If your account is not in good standing, the accumulated Scotia Rewards points are not eligible for redemption.
  • 11.To be eligible for the 2,000 bonus points offer (the “Offer”), you must have at least $500 in net purchases (purchases less returns, refunds or other similar credits) posted to your SCENE Visa account (“Account”) in the first 3 months from the Account open date. The bonus points will be awarded within 2-3 business days of the completion of the $500 in purchases. Only one welcome bonus is awarded per SCENE Visa Account. In cases where both the primary and supplementary cardholders are SCENE members, the bonus points will be credited to the SCENE membership account that has been connected to the SCENE visa card. Offer applies to a new Account only opened by June 30, 2018 (the “Offer End Date”). Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer not applicable to SCENE Student Visa card
  • 12.SCENE Visa cardholders will earn points for purchases made with their SCENE Visa card (“Card”). A Card must be connected to a SCENE membership account to earn points on purchases made on the Card. Points are not awarded for cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions), returns, refunds or other similar credits, payments fees, interest, or other charges. Some conditions and limitations apply. Visit www.scotiabank.com/scenevisa for complete details.
  • 13.Registered trademark of Cineplex Entertainment LP, used under license.
  • 14.Maximum points per transaction are 300. Maximum daily points are 600.
  • 15.The introductory 2.99% interest rate applies to cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions) only (the “Offer”). This rate applies when the new Scotiabank credit card account (“Account”) is opened by June 30th, 2018 (the “Offer End Date”) and will continue for 6 months from that date (“the Promotional Period”). This offer cannot be used to transfer a balance from another Scotiabank Account, or to make a payment or deposit to another Scotiabank Account. After the Promotional Period, the 2.99% interest rate on any promotional balances (including any that remain unpaid after the Promotional Period ends) will increase to the preferred interest rate on cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques and cash-like transactions) that applies on your Account. In general, if you make a payment that exceeds the Minimum Payment on your statement, (we will apply your payment on a proportionate basis among each group of billed charges on your Account. We group charges based on the interest rate that applies to the group of charges. Your payment cannot be applied to the balance(s) of your choice. See your credit card agreement for more information about how we apply payments to your Account. Offer applies only to new Scotiabank credit card accounts opened by the Offer End Date. Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer. Rates and fees are subject to change.
    A 1% Promotional Rate Fee (minimum fee of $3.50) will be charged on the amount of any promotional rate cash advances (which includes balance transfer, Scotia® Credit Card Cheque and cash-like transactions).
  • 16.You will earn 2% Cash Back on the first $25,000 in purchases that are charged annually on your Scotiabank Momentum Visa Card Account (the “Account”) on gas station, grocery store and drug store purchases and on recurring payments. 2% Cash Back applies at merchants which are classified in the Visa Inc. (Visa) network as Grocery Stores & Supermarkets, Drug Stores & Pharmacies, Service Stations (with or without ancillary services), Automated Fuel Dispensers and Recurring Payments (Merchant Codes: 5411, 5541, 5542 & 5912). Some merchants may sell these products/services or are separate merchants who are located on the premises of these merchants, but are classified by Visa in another manner, in which case this added benefit would not apply. Recurring payments are payments made on a monthly or regular basis automatically billed by the merchant to your Account. Recurring payments are typically for purchases of subscriptions, telecommunication, insurance, gym memberships, etc. Not all merchants offer recurring payments. (Please check with the merchant to see if they offer recurring payments on Visa Accounts) You will earn 1% Cash Back on purchases made on the Account after the 2% $25,000 annual spend max has been reached. Cash Advances, balance transfers, Scotia Credit Card Cheques, returns, refunds or other similar credits, payments, fees, interest or service/transaction charges do not qualify for Scotia Momentum Cash Back.
  • 17.The introductory 7.99% interest rate applies to purchases only. This rate applies when the new Scotiabank credit card account ("Account") is opened and will then continue for 6 months from that date ("the Promotional Period"). After the Promotional Period, balances that were at 7.99% (including any unpaid balances) will increase to the preferred interest rate for purchases on your Account. Purchases exclude refunds, returns or other similar credits, payments, cash advances (including balance transfers, Scotia Credit Card Cheques or cash-like transactions),, interest, fees or other charges.
    In general, if you make a payment that exceeds the Minimum Payment on your statement, (we will apply your payment on a proportionate basis among each group of billed charges on your Account. We group charges based on the interest rate that applies to the group of charges. Your payment cannot be applied to the balance(s) of your choice. See your credit card agreement for more information about how we apply payments to your Account. Offer applies to new Accounts only that are opened by June 30, 2018. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer. Rates and fees are subject to change.
  • 18.You will earn 1% cash back on net purchases made with your eligible Scotia Momentum Mastercard credit card at gas stations, grocery stores and drug stores as classified by Mastercard (Merchant Codes: 5411, 5541, 5542 & 5912). Some merchants may sell these products/services or are separate merchants who are located on the premises of these merchants, but are classified by Mastercard in another manner, in which case this added benefit would not apply. Recurring payments are defined as payments made on a monthly or regular basis automatically billed by the merchant to your Card. Recurring payments are typically telecommunication, insurance, membership, subscriptions, etc. Not all merchants offer recurring payments. (Please check with your merchant to see if they offer recurring payments on Mastercard cards.) You will earn 0.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases made with your Scotia Momentum Mastercard credit card. Cash Advances (including Balance Transfers, Scotia Credit Card Cheques or Cash-Like Transactions), returns, refunds or other similar credits, fees, interest charges or other charges do not qualify for cash back. See your Scotia Momentum Mastercard Cash Back Program Terms and Conditions for full details.
  • 19.To be eligible for the 2,000 bonus points, a purchase must be posted to the new SCENE Visa account (“Account”) within 60 days of the Account open date. The bonus points will be awarded within 2-3 business days of the first purchase posted to the Account. Only one welcome bonus is awarded per SCENE Visa Account. In cases where both the primary and supplementary cardholders are SCENE members, the bonus points will be credited to the SCENE membership account that has been connected to the SCENE visa card. Offer applies only to new Scotiabank credit card accounts approved by June 30, 2018 (the “Offer End Date”). Former or current Scotiabank credit cardholders that transfer from an existing Scotiabank credit card account or re-open a closed Scotiabank credit card account are excluded from this Offer. Offer may be changed or extended and cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • 20.SCENE Visa cardholders will earn points for purchases made with their SCENE Visa card (“Card”). A Card must be connected to a SCENE membership account to earn points on purchases made on the Card. Points are not awarded for cash advances, balance transfers, Scotia Credit Card Cheques, returns, refunds or other similar credits, payments fees, interest, service or transaction charges on the Card. Some conditions and limitations apply. Visit www.scotiabank.com/scenevisa for complete details.
  • ®Registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia.
  • *Registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia. American Express is a registered trademark of American Express. This credit card program is issued and administered by the Bank of Nova Scotia under license from American Express.
  • ®*Mastercard, Priceless Cities and Tap & Go are registered trademarks, and the circles design, Masterpass and Mastercard Global Services are trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated and used under license by The Bank of Nova Scotia.
  • **Visa Int./Licensed User.
  • †Registered trademark of SCENE IP LP, used under license.
  • ††Cineplex Entertainment LP, used under license.