American Express Canada and Scotiabank offer two cards for frequent travellers:
Their names are very similar, but at the same time, they are quite different! These cards both give us great advantages, but their characteristics differ. Let’s see which one is the best.
The welcome bonus offered by each of these cards varies according to promotions.
Here is how the current offer is structured:
With this welcome offer from American Express Platinum Card®you can earn up to 140,000 Membership Rewards points:
Based on our Membership Rewards points valuation (1.7 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to a value of2 380 $.
With this welcome offer for Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card you can earn up to 60,000 points Scene+:
Based on our Scene+ points valuation (1 cent per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to a value of600 $.
The American Express Platinum Card® offer gives a lot more points and more value than its contender.
The American Express Platinum Card® requires no minimum income.
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card requires a minimum annual income of $12,000.
Like the vast majority of American Express cards, the Platinum Card® from American Express requires no minimum income.
It should be noted, however, that Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is also very accessible with its low annual income requirement.
If you’re looking for travel benefits, but don’t have a very high income, either of these cards may be right for you.
The American Express Platinum Card® has an annual fee of $799.
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card has an annual fee of $399.
In theory, Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is much less expensive in terms of annual fees than American Express Platinum Card®.
However, the Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a $200 annual travel credit , as well as a $200 annual credit for certain restaurants, which brings the fee down to $399 in net cost.
If these credits are used correctly, both cards are equal in this category.
The American Express Platinum Card® and the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card offer different point accumulations.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you earn:
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is very simple: you earn 2 points per dollar (2-cent value) spent on everything!
For simplicity, and if there’s a large portion of the budget related to groceries, recurring bills or subscriptions, pharmacy, gas, entertainment, etc., the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is best. It gives 2 points per dollar on everything!
On the other hand, if you’re away from home a lot, you’ll be better off with the American Express Platinum Card®.
For a restaurant or travel purchase, it would be better to take the Platinum Card® from American Express, as its value is greater.
Both cards are made for travellers.
However, their loyalty programs are completely different:
As a result, the way points are used is different.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can apply its Membership Rewards points to reimburse any travel purchase charged to the card (airline tickets, hotels, Airbnb, car rentals, etc.), where 1,000 points = $10 in reimbursement.
You can also use the American Express fixed rate chart for specific flights.
The redeeming rate is 1,000 points = $20.
Scene+ points and travel:
You can apply them to travel purchases in two ways, thanks to the fixed redemption rate where 10,000 points = $100 credit:
The two ways of using points for travel are relatively similar for the 2 cards.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can apply Membership Rewards points to everyday purchases charged to the card.
The redeeming rate is 1,000 points = $10.
You need to redeem a minimum of 1,000 points (i.e., a minimum of $10).
You can redeem 1,000 Scene+ points for a $10 discount at the IGA/Sobeys checkout.
Points can also be used to purchase gift cards on the Scotiabank/Scene+ website, from 1,000 to 1,400 points for a $10 discount.
Scene+ points can also be redeemed:
With the American Express Platinum Card®, whether you want to use your points for travel or everyday purchases, you’ll get the same value: 1,000 points = $10 less to pay out of pocket.
This is not the case if you want to use Scene+ points for an account credit on every day purchases, using Scene+ points is not advantageous at all.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you can transfer your points to other rewards programs:
You cannot transfer Scene+ points to other programs.
When your Scene+ points are in your Scene+ account, you have no other way out: you can only use them in the Scene+ program.
American Express Platinum Card® Membership Rewards points are highly flexible and can be transferred elsewhere for great savings.
It’s a flexibility that the Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card doesn’t have.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you and a guest can enjoy unlimited free access to many airport lounges around the world:
Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card gives you 10 complimentary airport lounge access a year, from the date you join the program. The card is linked to the Priority Pass and Plaza Premium networks.
Once the 10 passes have been used, the cost is US$32 per person entering the lounge.
Secondary cardholders enjoy 4 free visits per year.
If you travel regularly, it’s simple: the American Express Platinum Card® will open the doors to many lounges around the world for you and one guest (or even up to two children, depending on the lounge), as well as in Canada at the Plaza Premium Lounges, the National Bank Lounge or the WestJet Elevation Lounge.
With the American Express Platinum Card®, you enjoy the following benefits:
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card offers you the following benefits:
The American Express Platinum Card® is aimed at all frequent flyers to make life easier at the airport, as well as those who stay in hotels and frequent the finest restaurants.
The insurances offered by the two cards are similar on several coverages, but the American Express Platinum Card® is slightly superior.
However, Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card also offers practical mobile device insurance.
So? Which Card is the winner?
The Platinum Card® from American Express is the best because:
The Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card is a good compromise and stands out from the crowd:
Savings are here:
