To the point
Let's compare two credit cards for better travel: the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card and the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card.
Here are two Visa Infinite credit cards earning different types of points:
Their names are almost the same, and related to the points for cheaper travel, but their features are different. Let’s see which one is the best!
We will base our analysis on the major differences between these credit cards regarding :
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!
With the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card, here’s what you could get in the first year:
- Welcome bonus of 20,000 TD Rewards points on your first card purchase (value up to $100);
- 80,000 TD Rewards points when you spend $5,000 within 180 days of account opening (value up to $400).
What’s more, the annual fee is fully refunded in the first year (a value of $139).
Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card offers up to 40,000 Scene+ points:
- 30,000 Scene+ points with total purchases of $1,000 or more in the first three months ( $300 value)
- 10,000 additional points with $40,000 in purchases during the first year with the card ($100 value)
What’s more, the annual fee is fully refunded in the first year (a $150 value).
Advantage: TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
If you’re looking for a card with easy-to-earn points in a short space of time, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card is perfect, with 30,000 points for just $1,000 in card spending in the first three months.
But in the longer term, the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card gives you a little more! If a regular user spends an average of $834 a month on this card, he or she will be much more rewarded with 100,000 TD Rewards points.
Earning points
The TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card and Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card each offer different levels of point accumulation.
Earnings levels
While with the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn:
- 8 TD Rewards points / $1 purchase when you book with Expedia for TD;
- 6 TD Rewards points / $1 grocery and restaurant purchase (3% value) ;
- 4 TD Rewards points / $1 purchase on recurring bill payments set up in your account ;
- 2 TD Rewards points / $1 purchase on all other purchases.
Plus, every year, you’ll receive a bonus on your birthday ! This bonus gives you the equivalent of 10% of the total number of TD Rewards points accumulated in the 12 months preceding your birthday. This payment can be up to a maximum of 10,000 TD Rewards points.
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
Then you earn :
- 2 Scene+ points / $1 purchase at restaurants, entertainment, grocery and travel outlets
- 2 Scene+ points / $1 purchase at restaurants, entertainment, grocery stores and travel outside Canada
- 1 Scene+ point / $1 purchase for the rest
Advantage: TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
The TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card is the best of both worlds! Whatever the supermarket banner, it has fewer constraints and adds 3% value to any grocery store.
In fact, it’s as high as 6.6 TD Rewards points, if you count the 10% bonus on the cardholder’s birthday.
Redeeming points
The two cards are linked to different loyalty programs, and the ways of using them are not the same.
TD Rewards points and travel :
You can apply them to travel purchases in two ways:
- 200 points = $1 of credit on flights, hotels, car rentals and all-inclusive packages booked through Expedia for TD;
- 250 points = $1 of credit on the first $1,200 of any travel purchase you make yourself, the way you want it, with the Book Your Way option. Then, starting at $1,201 for the same trip, the rate is 200 points = $1. This can be for airline tickets, a cruise, a theme park ticket(Disney, Universal, etc.), a camping site, a hotel or Airbnb, guided tour, etc.
It can also be used to :
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:
- 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
It also lets you apply your points to everyday purchases.
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:
- 500 points for a $5 discount at selected restaurants (Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet, etc.);
- 100 points for $1 off movie tickets at Cineplex ;
- 500 points for $5 off food and beverages at Cineplex, Rec Room and chips at Playdium ;
- At least 3,000 points for an account credit of between $6.67 and $8 on any card charge.
Advantage: Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card
Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card wins this round. Scene+ points are flexible and easy to redeem, both for grocery needs and for small pleasures when traveling.
Earn Scene+ points all year round and buy yourself a huge grocery store for a real holiday feast. Or keep them to pay for a plane ticket or hotel for a nice escapade.
Annual fee
The TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card has a $139 annual fee. It’s charged on the first statement, and at the time of renewal.
However, for a limited time, the first year is free!
The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card has an annual fee of $150. At the moment, there’s a promotion that refunds these costs for the first year.
And if you have a Scotiabank Ultimate Plan, you’ll get the annual fee waived. Learn more about this here.
Advantage: TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
The TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card has a lower annual fee.
However, with current promotions, both of these cards have their annual fees fully refunded in the first year. You can’t go wrong!
Minimum income
The TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card requires:
- 60,000 individual income ;
- or $100,000 household income.
The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card requires :
- $60,000 (individual income)
- or $100,000 (household income)
Advantage: Tie
It’s all the same, because a Visa Infinite card requires the same conditions for all financial institutions.
Insurance
The TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card offers various types of insurance, and its certificate of insurance can be found here:
| Worldwide Emergency Travel Medical insurance | $ 2,000,000, age 64 and under, for 21 consecutive days |
| Baggage Delay or Loss insurance | Up to $1,000 per insured person for loss of baggage. 6-hour delay. |
| Flight delay insurance | Up to $500, for a 4-hour delay |
| Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance |
Cancellation: Up to $1,500 per insured person Interruption: Up to $5,000 per insured person |
| Car rental insurance | Up to 48 consecutive days, up to $65,000 |
| Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance | Up to $2,500 |
| Public transport accident insurance | Up to $500,000 per person |
| Purchase Insurance | 90 days |
| Mobile Device Insurance | Up to $1,000 |
| Extended Warranty Insurance | Up to one additional year |
Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card offers a range of insurance options. The certificate of insurance can be found here:
| Worldwide Emergency Travel Medical insurance | $ 2,000,000 and 25 days (64 years and under) |
| Baggage Delay or Loss insurance | Up to $1,000 per trip. 4-hour delay. |
| Flight delay insurance | Up to $500 per insured person, within 4 hours. |
| Trip cancellation and interruption insurance | Up to $1,500 (cancellation) and $2,500 (interruption) per insured person |
| Car rental insurance | Up to 48 days, maximum of $65,000 |
| Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance | Up to $1,000 |
| Public transport accident insurance | Up to $500,000 per insured person |
| Purchase Insurance | 90 days |
| Mobile Device Insurance | — |
| Extended Warranty Insurance | Double the warranty up to one additional year |
Advantage: Tie
Some Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card insurance amounts are slightly higher than its competitor for certain coverages.
Please note thatat least 75% of the cost of the trip or tickets must be charged to these two cards for certain insurances to apply. We strongly advise you to read each insurance brochure carefully, to find out which one is best for your situation.
If this is important to you, the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card is the best, with the added benefit of being the only one with mobile device insurance. This comes in handy if you have an unfortunate accident with your phone or tablet.
The Benefits
In addition to the above benefits, the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card offers further perks:
- Annual TD travel credit of $100 on a purchase of $500 or more (including taxes) made through Expedia for TD for an accommodation or vacation package including accommodation and transportation;
- Visa Infinite privileges .
The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card offers a range of benefits:
- No conversion fees for purchases in foreign currencies;
- 2 points/$1 spent abroad on restaurants, entertainment, groceries and travel;
- 6 free accesses to VIP airport lounges per year;
- Earn double Scene+ points with your Scene+ membership card at their partners;
- Visa Infinite privileges .
Advantage: Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card
The Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card has a big head start, as it allows you to enter airport VIP lounges with six complimentary visits and avoids the 2.5% FX-fee outside Canada.
Bottom Line
So? Which card wins this duel?
For those with a big grocery budget, it’s the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card!
It stands out for:
- Its best welcome offer of up to 100,000 TD Rewards points;
- The 6 points/dollar earning rate in any grocery store (3% in return) ;
- Its annual $100 TD travel credit ;
- Bonus equal to 10% of the total number of TD Rewards points earned annually (or up to 10,000 TD Rewards points) as a gift on the cardholder’s birthday;
- Pay for your Amazon.ca purchases with TD Rewards points ;
- Its mobile device insurance.
Opposite it, the Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card will be perfect for people who travel a lot thanks to:
- With its easy-to-reach welcome offer;
- Six complimentary airport lounges visits;
- The elimination of foreign exchange conversion charges on purchases in foreign currencies;
- To the opportunity to have the annual card fee refunded in the first year with the current welcome offer, which is rare;
- To the possibilities of simply paying for groceries with your points at IGA, Sobeys, etc.
Anyway, these are two cards that we recommend in many of our rankings:
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
