Head-to-Head: Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card vs. BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®*

Updated Oct 17, 2024
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Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card vs. BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard
To the point Let's compare two credit cards: the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card vs. the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®*.

With the withdrawal of AIR MILES from IGA grocery stores as of March 23, 2023, opportunities to collect miles have diminished. The Scene+ program has been launched on March 24.

Is it time for a change of focus and program? While we’re at it, would it be better to switch credit cards?

For a clearer picture, let’s compare the best Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

With the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn Scene+ points, while with the BMO AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®*, you earn AIR MILES Reward Miles.

Welcome bonus

The welcome bonus offered by each of these credit cards varies according to promotions. However, there are some important differences between the two!

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn up to 35,000 Scene+ points:

  • 25,000 Scene+ points with total purchases of $1,000 or more in the first three months (value of 250 $)
  • 10,000 additional points with $40,000 in purchases during the first year with the card (value of 100 $)
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* offers 3,000 bonus AIR MILES miles with at least $3,000 in card purchases within the first three months. You can earn an additional 1,500 AIR MILES by spending at least $700 at warehouse clubs or liquor retailers during the same period.

This is worth $470 off a purchase using AIR MILES Silver miles at Shell.

Moreover, the annual fee is waived for the first year (a $120 value).

Winner: BMO

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard has a more generous welcome offer than its competitor.

However, to earn a bonus faster, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card has an advantage, as only $1,000 in purchases are required to earn 25,000 Scene+ points.

Earning Points

The BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard and Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card each offer different levels of point accumulation.

Maximum earning level

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

With the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 3 Scene+ points per dollar (i.e. 3%) on purchases at:

  • IGA
  • Rachelle Béry
  • Les Marchés Tradition
  • Voià by IGA / Safeway / Sobeys
  • Sobeys and Safeway
  • Foodland and Thrifty Foods
  • FreshCo and Chalo! FreshCo
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

With the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard, you can earn 3 miles per $12 at AIR MILES partners such as:

  • Shell
  • Budget, Alamo and National
  • Pitou minou & Compagnons
  • Samsung

This has a value of 2.6%.

Winner: Scotiabank

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card stands out for its value received with purchases at Empire Group grocery stores (IGA, Sobeys, Foodland, etc.).

Other levels of accumulation

Then, in other purchase categories, the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard and Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card offer other accumulation rates.

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

With the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 1 or 2 points per dollar on these purchases:

  • 2 Scene+ points/$1 purchase in restaurants, entertainment, grocery stores and travel (2% value)
  • 1 Scene+ point/$1 purchase for the remainder (1% value)
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

With the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®MasterCard*, you can earn :

  • 2 miles for every $12 spent at any grocery store (1.8% value)
  • 2 miles for every $12 spent at warehouse clubs (like Costco) and liquor retailers (1.8% value)
  • 1 mile for every $12 for all other types of expenses (0.9% value)

 

Winner: Scotiabank

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card will offer you just a little more than its competitor. But its categories are also more varied than just “grocery”.

However, if you are a Costco customer, you should know that you can use the BMO Mastercard credit card at the warehouse since it is a Mastercard credit card. Since the Scotia card is a Visa, it is not accepted at Costco cashiers.

Check out the best Costco credit card offers.

Redeeming Points

Both cards are point cards that can be used in many ways.

Points for travel

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

With the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card, you can apply your points to travel purchases in two ways:

  • Redeem points directly when booking travel with Scene+ Travel, administered by Expedia.
  • Make your own travel arrangements and use your points to pay off the balance on the card

The redemption rate is fixed for travel expenses, with 10,000 points = $100 credit.

BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

With the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®*, you can book travel using your accumulated Dream Miles.

The rate of use is very variable and to redeem them, you must go through theAIR MILES platform, in the Travel section. To be worth it, a mile redeemed must equal 10.5 cents (or $10 off for 95 miles).

Dream miles are also used to pay for :

  • All-inclusive packages through Redtag Travel Agency
  • Tickets for skiing, zoo, golf
  • Theme park tickets (DisneyWorld, Disneyland and Universal Studios)
  • Hotels, airfare, car rental and cruises
Winner: Scotiabank

When it comes tousing points for travel purchases, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is simpler than the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®*MasterCard. The exchange rate is fixed and easy to remember.

Redeeming AIR MILES points is fine, but the value depends on the travel product. For example, the value is very poor for a plane ticket to Europe. At the opposite, AIR MILES can make substantial savings on a car rental, which is one of the best uses of Dream Miles when traveling.

Points for other rewards

The BMO® AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard and Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card allow you to use points for other rewards: everyday purchases, gift cards or merchandise.

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card lets you apply points to everyday purchases.

You can redeem 1,000 Scene+ points for a $10 discount at the IGA/Sobeys checkout.

Points are also used to purchase gift cards, starting at 1,000 to 1,400 points for a $10 discount.

Scene+ points can also be redeemed:

  • 500 points for $5 off at select restaurants (Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, etc)
  • 100 points for $1 off movie tickets at Cineplex
  • 500 points for $5 off food and beverage at Cineplex, Rec Room and chips at Playdium
  • At least 3,000 points for a credit to the account of between $6.67 and $8.00 on any charge to the card
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* can also be redeemed for gift cards and merchandise.

For example, 95 Silver Miles can be used to deduct $10 of the bill for gas at Shell. Or, this gives us a Via Rail or Starbucks gift card.

Although we don’t encourage redeeming them in this way because of their low value, Dream Miles can be redeemed for items ranging from movie tickets to a computer.

IT'S A DRAW

For now, it is difficult to redeem points for everyday purchases and essentials with these two cards.

AIR MILES partners have become few and far between in recent years. Then, apart from IGA grocery stores, Scene+ points are used in stores that don’t exist in Quebec (Swiss Chalet, Rec Room, Montana’s, Playdium).

Better to use the points for travel!

Annual Fees

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $150.

And if you have a Scotiabank Ultimate Package, you’ll get your annual fee waived at any time. Find out more here.

BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* has a $120 annual fee.

However, with this limited-time welcome offer, the first year is free!

Winner: BMO

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* has a lower annual fee.

Minimum Income

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card requires :

  • $60,000 (individual income)
  • or $100,000 (household income)
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* requires :

  • $80,000 (individual income)
  • or $150,000 (household income)

Insurance

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card offers a range of insurance options. The certificate of insurance can be found here:

Global Travel Medical Emergency Insurance 2,000,000 and 25 days (age 64 and under)
Baggage delay or loss insurance 1,000 per trip
Flight delay insurance 500 per person
Trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance Up to $2,500 per person
Vehicle rental insurance Up to 48 days, maximum $65,000
Hotel/motel theft insurance up to $1,000
Purchase insurance 90 days
Mobile device insurance
Extended warranty insurance Doubles warranty up to an additional year
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard offers a variety of insurance coverages, and its certificate of insurance can be found here:

Global Travel Medical Emergency Insurance 2,000,000, age 64 and under, for 15 days
Baggage delay or loss insurance up to $750
Flight delay insurance up to $500
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption/Delay insurance

Up to $2,500 (cancellation)

Up to $2,000 (interruption)

Vehicle rental insurance 48 days, up to $65,000
Hotel/motel theft insurance
Purchase insurance 90 days
Mobile device insurance
Extended warranty insurance Doubles warranty up to an additional year
Winner: Scotiabank

Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card insurances are slightly superior to its competitor. In fact, the amounts are equal to or greater than each other. Please note thatat least 75% of the cost of the trip or tickets must be charged to this card in order for certain insurances to be applicable.

Whereas for the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard, the cardholder is eligible for insurance, if purchased in part with AIR MILES Reward Miles.

The Benefits

scotiabank passport visa infinite card

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card offers a range of benefits:

  • No conversion fees for foreign currency purchases
  • Six complimentary visits to VIP airport lounges per year
  • Double up on Scene+ points with the Scene+ membership card at partner stores
  • Visa Infinite Privileges
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

In addition, the BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* offers a range of benefits:

  • 25% discount on the number of AIR MILES miles required for a flight reservation (maximum of 750 miles per year)
  • Obtaining AIR MILES Onyx status automatically
  • Free access to Boingo WiFi hotspots around the world
  • Earn double miles with the AIR MILES Collector Card at our partners
  • Mastercard Travel Rewards Benefits
  • Free DragonPass network lounge membership (with paid admission at $32 USD per person)
It's a tie !

Other benefits include travel. Depending on the needs of the traveler, his heart will swing between the two cards.

However, avoiding the 2.5% foreign currency conversion fee and access to VIP lounges does provide some benefit.

For an AIR MILES Collector redeeming miles to book airfare, the 25% discount makes sense.

Bottom Line

So? Which card wins this duel?

The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card!

It stands out for:

  • Its easy to get welcome offer
  • Accumulation of 2 or 3 points in grocery stores
  • Its variety of accumulation categories
  • The flexibility to use Scene+ points for travel purposes
  • The savings generated in travel for its absence of conversion fees
  • the 6 accesses to airport lounges
  • Lowest annual income requested
  • Its insurance

The BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite Mastercard®* stands out from the crowd:

  • People who want to redeem Cash Miles at Shell only
  • Its use at Costco
  • People who book at least one airline ticket per year to take advantage of the 25% discount with AIR MILES
  • Obtain Onyx membership status automatically
  • Its lowest annual fee
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Caroline Tremblay

Caroline Tremblay

Caroline Tremblay
I'm Caroline, a loyalty program specialist! I use my points to travel more often and at a lower price with my spouse and our two children. I'm passionate about writing about the latest rewards news and how to put more points in your pocket.
All posts by Caroline Tremblay
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