Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite* Card Review

Updated June 16, 20269 min read

Not every good card is a travel card. The Momentum is the one I point people to when they say, plainly, “I don’t want points, I want money back, and I don’t want to think about it.” It earns 4% on the two categories most households spend the most on: groceries and recurring bills, and hands you cash, the only reward that’s worth exactly what it says it is.

It won’t get you into a lounge and it won’t fly you anywhere on points, because it doesn’t earn any. What it does is quietly out-earn a lot of flashier travel cards for an ordinary family budget, then let you redeem the proceeds whenever you want. As of the 2026 “Visa Infinite+” refresh it also picked up a GigSky international-data perk, a small nod to travel on an otherwise stay-at-home card.

The bonus

Welcome offer

The welcome offer is refreshingly simple for a cash-back card: 15% cash back on every purchase for the first three months, on up to $2,000 in spend, about $300 back, plus the first-year annual fee waived. No category gymnastics, no minimum-spend cliff to clear in one shot.

Two honest caveats. The 15% bonus is held and only becomes redeemable about five months after you open the account, so it’s not instant. And you’re not eligible if you’ve held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past two years. This is a new-customer offer. It runs for accounts opened between May 1 and November 1, 2026.

Insider tip

Front-load the first three months. At 15% back on up to $2,000, the smart play is to route a big planned purchase (appliances, a flight, an insurance renewal) through the card early to max the $300 before the window closes.

What it costs

Fees & eligibility

The Momentum runs $120 a year, currently waived for the first year under the welcome offer, with additional cards at $50 (also waived year one). As a Visa Infinite product it asks for a personal income of $60,000 or household income of $100,000.

Cash back only works if you clear the balance. At 20.99% on purchases (22.99% on cash advances), carrying a balance erases your 4% many times over. Earn the cash back, pay in full, and ignore the interest rate entirely.

Annual fee$120

Supplementary card$50 / yr

Personal income$60,000

Household income$100,000

Points per dollar

Earning rewards

The earn structure is flat and category-based, no rotating calendars, just two accelerators that cover where most of a household budget actually goes:

Groceries & recurring billsGroceries, recurring bill payments & subscriptions · up to $25,000/yr, then 1%4%

Gas, transit, rideshare & food deliveryGas, EV charging, daily transit, rideshare & food delivery · up to $25,000/yr, then 1%2%

Everything elseAll other purchases, no cap1%

Each accelerator applies to its own $25,000 of annual spend, then drops to 1%. For most families the 4% grocery-and-bills bucket is the one that matters, that’s ~$1,000/yr back on $25,000 of spend.

Getting value out

Redeeming rewards

Redemption is the easiest part of owning this card. As of 2026’s Cash Back Anytime change, you no longer wait for a once-a-year November payout. Once your balance hits a $25 minimum you can cash out whenever you like, straight from the app.

Cash Back AnytimeRedeem any time you reach $25, no annual wait, done from the Scotia app.

Statement creditWipe the cash back straight off your card balance.

Deposit accountSend it to an eligible Scotiabank chequing or savings account.

Beyond the points

Perks & benefits

Let’s be honest about what this card is not: there’s no airport lounge access and no travel-rewards program. The perks are the standard Visa Infinite kit plus one genuinely useful travel extra, a complimentary chunk of international data each year.

GigSky global data10GB of international mobile data for 15 days a year, plus 20% off further GigSky plans.

Visa Infinite Concierge24/7 help with bookings, dining and reservations.

Luxury Hotel CollectionUpgrades and perks at participating Visa Infinite hotels.

Dining & wine programVisa Infinite Dining Series and wine-country experiences.

Coverage included

Insurance

For a $120 cash-back card the insurance package is more than respectable, enough to cover a short trip without a standalone policy, and it includes mobile-device coverage most cash-back cards skip.

Emergency medicalUp to $1,000,000 for the first 15 days, for travellers under 65.

Trip cancellationUp to $1,500 per person ($10,000 per trip) on non-refundable bookings.

Trip interruptionUp to $2,000 per person ($10,000 per trip) on an interrupted trip.

Flight delayUp to $500 when your flight is delayed 4 hours or more.

Delayed & lost baggageUp to $500 each for delayed or lost bags.

Rental car (CDW)Collision / loss damage waiver on rentals with MSRP up to $65,000.

Mobile deviceUp to $1,000 if your phone is lost, stolen or damaged.

Opinion

My take

JasonRated 8.2 / 10

If you spend more on groceries than on flights, this is the boring card that quietly out-earns the travel ones.

I don’t carry the Momentum myself (I’m too deep in points), but it’s the card I recommend most often to people who aren’t. The 4% on groceries and bills is genuinely top of the market, the redemption is now instant, and cash is the one currency that never devalues. The limits are exactly what you’d expect: the accelerators cap at $25,000 each, there’s no lounge access, and the 2.5% foreign-transaction fee means it stays home when you travel. As an everyday workhorse, or as the “spouse card” paired with a travel card on the household’s grocery spend, it’s hard to beat.

The good

4% on groceries & recurring bills
Cash back, nothing to learn
First year free right now

The catch

$25,000 caps on the accelerators
No lounge access or travel program
2.5% foreign transaction fee

— Jason

Questions

Frequently asked

Is the annual fee really free the first year?

Yes. The current offer waives the $120 fee (and the $50 supplementary fee) for year one. It reverts to $120/year afterward, so factor that into year two.

How is the 4% capped?

Each accelerator has its own $25,000 annual spend cap, then earns 1%. So the 4% groceries-and-bills category and the 2% gas-and-transit category each get their own $25,000 before dropping down.

When do I get my cash back?

As of 2026’s Cash Back Anytime change, any time your balance reaches $25. Redeem from the Scotia app as a statement credit or to a Scotiabank deposit account. No more once-a-year November payout.

Does it have airport lounge access?

No. This is a cash-back card. The Visa Infinite perks cover concierge, hotels and dining, but there’s no complimentary lounge access. If lounges matter, look at the Passport instead.

Can I get the welcome offer if I already bank with Scotia?

You can bank with Scotia, but you’re not eligible for the welcome bonus if you’ve held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past two years. It’s a new-cardholder offer.