Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Review – Finally Another No FX Markup Credit Card in Canada

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There are a lot of credit cards to choose from as a Canadian but as it stands right now there isn’t a stand out travel card that has all the perks most are looking for and also helps prevent you leaking money with every swipe of the card when you’re out of the country.  What I’m talking about are those pesky foreign exchange rate markups and yes they do add up. 

There’s an exciting new card in the market now and it’s packed with benefits and you’ll quickly learn why you probably want to sign up really soon.  This is my review of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card and why this is amazing for travellers.  

A Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Credit Card Review

In this review of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, I’ll delve into the main topic of foreign exchange fees and ultimately why this is such a good travel credit card for Canadians.  On top of that, keep reading to find out the promotion that’s going on for the card now and how you can capitalize on the bonus point offers.

Why this credit card is so good for travellers

Okay first it might make sense to go over this first.  Every time you swipe your credit card internationally, you naturally have to pay in the converted Canadian Dollar equivalent.  That’s straight forward right?  But what most people don’t realize is that the rate that they use for conversion is actually kind of bad because they tack on another 2.5% to the rate.

It’s completely hidden and embedded in the transaction so you never get to see it and because of how fluid the exchange rates are, it’s really hard to track.

That 2.5% adds up pretty quickly as you rack up the transactions.  Every trip you could be needlessly spending an extra $50-$100 in these fees alone.

This is why foreign exchange fees matter  and as you’ll see with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, you’ll want to make this your primary card on the road as I have. 

ANTE UPPED – CURRENTLY LIVE

Introducing the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite

This is a pretty new product launched by Scotiabank in a world where a bunch of credit cards were being shut down including the beloved Amazon Visa and Marriott Visa which both had 0% FX mark-up.  Since then, they’ve left a hole in the market that didn’t have a lot of better options.

First and foremost this is definitely a travel card but what I like about it is that it’s truly versatile.  You get all the travel perks but it’s just a solid regular card for Visa spend throughout the year when you’re at home.

Why this card is worth getting

Boiling it down, here are my top 5 reasons why you should be getting the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite credit card.

1. It’s a Visa – Yes I love my American Express but especially in Canada there just aren’t as many places that accept it.  This being a Visa solves all of that.
2. No foreign exchange mark up – That 2.5% goes to 0% when you travel just like that.
3. Bonus points to start – All you have to do is spend $1000 in the first 3 months and you get 25,000 Scotia points which is good for $250 in travel redemption.
4. 6 passes a year to Priority Pass lounges – For most, 6 is more than enough in a year.
5. More points right now – Yes the standard sign up is 25,000 but if you sign up here, you get 40,000 Scotia Rewards points now which is good for $400 in travel redemption.  30,000 is for spending over $1000 in the first 3 months and an extra 10,000 if  you end up putting $40,000 in spend on the card in the year.

What about travel insurance?

As a premium credit card, you get access to great travel insurance features which include:

• Out of province / out of country emergency medical insurance up to $1-million for first 25 consecutive days for those under 65; or the first 10 days for eligible persons over 65
• Travel accident insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Flight delay insurance
• Delayed and lost baggage insurance
• Rental vehicle collision loss/damage insurance
• Hotel / Motel Burglary

This is great coverage for a credit card that is on-par, if not better than the competition.

Okay so how much does this cost?

So one of the main questions I get about this card is how much will it cost to sign up.  Well unfortunately it’s not free but it is only $139 a year.  There is however a promotion right now to get 40,000 in points if you sign up today.  

So if you do the math here…

$400 (bonus points value) + $36 (value of each lounge pass) x 6 – $139 (annual fee) = $477.  That means just based on the first year, you’re “making” $477 which is pretty sweet. That’s not even including any FX markup fees saved for using the card.