Credit cards · Card review
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ review
The only big-bank travel flagship with no foreign-transaction fee — which on real travel spending outweighs every earn-rate difference in the category — plus 6 free lounge visits and the longest under-65 medical window of the big banks. At 65+ it gives 3 days, not the 10 the internet keeps repeating.
Best for: Travellers who spend meaningfully abroad and want one Visa that works everywhere
Pros
- 0% FX — “just the exchange rate applies” — saves 2.5% on everything abroad
- 6 free airport lounge visits a year (Visa Airport Companion)
- 25-day travel medical under 65 — the longest big-bank window
- Fee waived with an eligible Scotia bank account
Cons
- 65+ medical is 3 days — the widely-cited “10 days” belongs to the $599 Privilege card
- Top earn rate (3×) is locked to Sobeys-family grocers
- Current 60,000-point window closes July 1, 2026
The no-FX math that decides it
On $8,000 a year of foreign spending — one good trip plus some US websites — the standard 2.5% FX fee costs $200. No earn-rate difference between travel cards comes close to that number, which is why Passport leads our travel rankings for anyone who actually leaves the country. Scene+ earning (3× Sobeys-family, 2× dining/groceries/transit) converts the domestic budget into travel at fixed, predictable value.
The fee itself is engineering-grade Scotia: $150, waived outright with an eligible bank account — effectively free for Scotia customers. The cheaper no-FX sibling, Scotia Gold Amex, earns harder but trades Visa acceptance for Amex.
The insurance correction
We read the certificate. Under 65: 25 consecutive days of emergency medical — the longest window of any big-bank card. At 65+: 3 days — not the 10 days that circulates on comparison sites, which belongs to the $599 Passport Privilege card. The error is everywhere and it’s load-bearing for older travellers; our certificate-linked table is on the retiree page.
Six free lounge visits a year round out a travel bundle that, under 65, is the most complete sub-$200 package in Canada.
Against Avion, its natural rival
RBC’s Avion counters with a published award chart and the field’s only unlimited medical maximum; Passport counters with the no-FX fee and lounge visits. The split is clean — where does your money go? Abroad: Passport. Into deliberate redemptions: Avion. The full head-to-head is at Passport vs Avion, including the two July offer deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ cost?
Annual fee: $150 — Waived with an eligible Scotia bank account; first supplementary $0. Purchase rate 20.99%; cash advances 22.99%. Foreign transactions: NONE — “without the typical 2.5% foreign transaction fee… Just the exchange rate applies”. All figures verified at Scotiabank’s own pages on June 12, 2026 — compare the field on our main card table.
What are the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+’s earn rates — with the caps?
3× at Sobeys/Safeway/IGA/Foodland · 2× dining, other groceries, entertainment, transit · 1× else. 10,000-pt annual bonus at $40,000 spend. Caps are where card marketing goes to die — our worked household math prices every major card through its caps.
Does the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ include travel medical insurance?
25 days under 65 ($2M) · 65+: 3 days — NOT the 10 days widely cited (that’s the $599 Privilege card). Card medical attaches to holding the card in good standing (the trip doesn’t need to be charged to it), but trip cancellation/interruption benefits do require paying with the card. The full certificate-verified age-cliff table is on our retiree cards page.
Who can get the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+?
$60,000 personal / $100,000 household / $250,000 AUM. Current welcome offer: Headline 60,000 Scene+ pts (40k at $2,000/3mo + 10k at $10,000/6mo + the annual 10k spend bonus) — accounts opened Jan 2 to July 1, 2026. Offers change without notice — confirm on the issuer’s page before applying.
The bottom line
For the travelling household under 65, Passport is the most defensible $150 in Canadian cards — and effectively $0 for Scotia customers. Older travellers should price the 3-day reality, not the internet’s 10. The offer window closes July 1.
Educational review, not credit advice or an offer of credit. Facts verified at Scotiabank’s own pages (insurance from certificates where stated) on June 12, 2026; offers, rates and terms change without notice — confirm on the issuer’s page before applying. Quebec residents may see different offers and rates.