Scotiabank American Express Card for Students review

How the student Amex earns points

The card earns 3 Scene+ points per dollar at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, IGA and other Sobeys-family stores. Other grocery stores, dining and food delivery, entertainment, gas, daily transit (including rideshare, buses, taxis and subway) and eligible streaming services earn 2 points per dollar. Everything else earns 1 point per dollar.

The 2x and 3x rates apply to the first $50,000 a year in purchases in those categories, then drop to 1x. Few students will get near that limit.

A worked example

Say a student spends $300 a month at Sobeys-family grocers, $150 on dining and delivery, $100 on transit and gas, $50 on streaming and $300 on everything else. That earns 900, 300, 200, 100 and 300 points, or 1,800 Scene+ points a month and 21,600 a year.

Scotiabank values 10,000 points at $100, so that’s about $216 a year with no annual fee. The category spending in the example totals $7,200 a year, well under the $50,000 limit. If you shop at a grocer outside the Sobeys family, that $300 earns 600 points a month instead of 900.

The welcome offer

New cardholders can earn up to 10,000 bonus Scene+ points: 2,500 points after $250 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months, plus 7,500 more after $1,000 in eligible purchases in the same 3 months. Scotiabank puts the offer at up to $100. It applies to accounts opened between May 1, 2026 and November 1, 2026.

The offer isn’t available to anyone who held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, so a student switching from another Scotiabank card won’t qualify.

Using Scene+ points

Scene+ points can be applied to travel booked with any provider within 12 months of the purchase, or used through Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia, for flights, hotels and car rentals. Hotels and car rentals booked through Scene+ Travel earn an extra 3 points per dollar. Points can also go toward groceries and movies at Scene+ partners.

Fees, interest and the fine print

There is no annual fee and supplementary cards are free. Purchases are charged 21.99% interest, and cash advances, balance transfers and cash-like transactions 22.99%. The minimum credit limit is $1,000, which is higher than the $500 minimum on Scotiabank’s student Visa cards.

Purchases in a foreign currency carry a 2.5% fee, or $25 for every $1,000. Paying the full balance each month matters more than the earn rate: one month of interest at 21.99% can cancel out the points.

Insurance and extras

Mobile device insurance covers a new phone or tablet for up to $500 against loss, theft, mechanical breakdown or accidental damage, if you charge the full price to the card or pay all of its wireless bills with the card. Most new purchases are covered against theft, loss or damage for 90 days, and extended warranty doubles the manufacturer’s warranty for up to 1 year.

Other extras include up to 11¢ per litre in value at Shell with a linked Shell Go+ account, Amex Experiences and Amex Offers, up to 25% off base rates at participating Avis and Budget locations, and Scotia SelectPay instalment plans on purchases of $100 or more.

• Mobile device insurance, up to $500
• Purchase security, 90 days
• Extended warranty, up to 1 extra year

How it compares

The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card for Students also has no annual fee but earns 2x only at Sobeys-family grocers, Home Hardware and Cineplex, with up to 5,000 bonus points. Visa is accepted in more places, so some students carry both.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card costs $120 a year, earns up to 6x at Sobeys-family grocers and has no foreign transaction fee. It’s a step up once your spending and income grow.

Before you apply

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply online; international students book an in-person appointment. Scotiabank doesn’t publish a minimum credit score. Its page notes that students with steady income over $12,000 a year may qualify for other cards. Confirm the offer and earn rates on Scotiabank’s website before you apply.