Scene+ credit cards and points

What Scene+ is

Scene+ is a loyalty program from Scotiabank, Cineplex and Empire/Sobeys. It is free to join. You earn points by paying with a Scotiabank card that earns Scene+ points, or by scanning your Scene+ membership card at partner stores.

Points sit in one Scene+ account. You can spend them on groceries, movies, dining, fuel, home improvement, travel and more. Points are non-transferable, so they stay with your own membership.

Where you earn points

You can earn in two ways. First, pay with an eligible Scotiabank card. Second, show your Scene+ membership card at a partner. Doing both on the same purchase is how you stack points.

Scotiabank’s program page says eligible cards earn faster rates at certain kinds of spending. Our card pages list the cards that earn Scene+ and their rates. The program’s general rate tiers are:

These are the top rates across the program. Each card earns its own rate, and many earn less. Check the card before you count on the top number.

Other ways to earn:

• Scene+ Travel: 3 points per $1 on hotels, car rentals and Things to Do, including taxes and fees. This applies even if you pay with points.
• Home Hardware: 50 points per $50 when you show your membership card. A Scotiabank card that earns points adds more.
• Shell: points on fuel at participating stations when you link your account to Shell Go+.
• Rakuten: Scene+ points through online shopping, paid out every three months.
• Scene+ ScotiaCard debit: 1 point per $5 on eligible debit purchases, up to 300 points per transaction and 600 per day.

What Scene+ points are worth

Scene+ points are worth about one cent each when you use them at the main partners. Here are the published rates.

So the value is flat at 1 cent per point on every option with a published rate. That makes Scene+ simple. The main way to get less is to use points on an option with no published rate.

Ways to redeem

Here is how each main option works, based on the official pages.

• Groceries and pharmacy: 1,000 points = $10 off at participating stores such as Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo and IGA. The limit is up to $500 per day per member.
• Cineplex: 100 points = $1 on tickets, food and drinks. Taxes and gratuities are excluded.
• Entertainment: points also work at The Rec Room (1,000 points = $10) and Playdium (500 points = $5).
• Dining: 500 points = $5 off at partner restaurants such as Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s and Montana’s.
• Home Hardware: 1,000 points = $10 off at eligible Home Hardware, Home Building Centre and Home Furniture stores, or at homehardware.ca.
• Fuel: redeem at the pump through the Shell Go+ app. 1,000 points = $10 value.
• Shopping: gift cards from national retailers, Apple and Best Buy catalogue items, and Scene+ Rakuten.

Points for Credit is another option. It applies your points as a credit to an eligible Scotiabank credit or debit account. You can request it online, in the Scotiabank app or at sceneplus.ca.

• You cannot cancel or change the request once it is submitted.
• Debit credits take 2 to 3 business days. Credit card credits take up to 5 business days.
• The account must still be open when the credit is applied.
• On a credit card, the credit goes against your overall balance, not one purchase. You still owe your minimum payment.

Using Scene+ points for travel

Scene+ Travel is powered by Expedia. You can book flights, hotels, car rentals and Things to Do there. Points are worth 100 points for $1, and you redeem in steps of 100 points.

Points can cover part or all of a booking. You still earn points on the part you pay for another way.

For the apply-points-afterward option, Scotiabank lists some rules. The card must be open and in good standing. The merchant must be recognized by Scotiabank. Points used cannot be more than the travel charge. Once posted, the redemption cannot be reversed.

Points from travel bookings post within six weeks of completing the trip.

Expiry and inactivity

Scene+ points do not expire while an eligible Scotiabank product stays open. That includes the card or account you earn on.

If you close the product, you keep your points as long as you stay a member. They then expire after 24 months of inactivity. Scotiabank’s help page confirms this.

• Closing a linked bank account or credit card does not remove your points.
• A Scene+ account with no earning, redeeming or other reward activity for more than 24 consecutive months may be closed, and all points are forfeited. An open linked Scene+ card avoids this.
• If a Scene+ credit card is closed because it is not in good standing, the points earned on that card are forfeited.
• Points on an account that is not in good standing cannot be redeemed.

Getting the most value

Because most redemptions are a flat 1 cent per point, you get more value by earning faster, not by hunting for a special redemption.

• Show your membership card and pay with a Scotiabank card that earns Scene+ points. That earns on both sides.
• Load the weekly personalized offers in the Scene+ site or app before you shop.
• Link your Scene+ account to Shell Go+ to earn on fuel and redeem at the pump.
• Book travel through Scene+ Travel and pay with an eligible card for more points.
• Stick to redemptions with a published rate. Skip options that show no value until you have checked the price.
• Keep an eligible Scotiabank product open if you want your points to stay safe.

Cineplex adds a bonus too. The Scene+ FAQ lists an extra 10% off Tuesday movie tickets.

Who Scene+ suits

Scene+ fits people who shop at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo or similar grocers, go to movies, or already bank with Scotiabank. Points go back into everyday spending, and the value is easy to understand.

It may fit less well if you want to move points to airline programs. Scene+ points are non-transferable, and its pages list travel through Scene+ Travel only. If you want a flexible travel currency, compare it against other programs on our rewards pages.

Use our rewards calculator to see how many Scene+ points your spending could earn, and compare the cards that earn them.