Who this card is for
A good fit if you…
- Households that want Momentum cash back on a wide 2% list — grocery, delivery, drugstore, gas, transit, bills, streaming — and whose spend is not large enough to justify Infinite’s 4% pair after that fee, and who will stay inside the $25,000 annual cap on the 2% categories.
- People who want cash back, not Scene+. Passport and Gold American Express are the Scene+ products; Momentum is the cash-back ladder.
- Applicants who are Canadian residents of majority age and who pay the statement in full.
- Scotiabank customers who would rather keep cash back in the same bank as their chequing account, without Infinite income.
Skip it if you…
- Households that will clear an Infinite fee with 4% grocery and recurring bills. That is Momentum Visa Infinite. Its current welcome is 15% cash back on the first $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, for accounts opened July 2 to November 1, 2026.
- Anyone who wanted a $0 Scotia cash-back card. Momentum No-Fee Visa is $0 for the primary card and for each additional card. Tangerine Money-Back is the $0 Mastercard if you want category cash back outside Scotia.
- Scene+ collectors who wanted 6x at Sobeys. That is Scotiabank Gold American Express, not Momentum.
- People who will revolve a balance. Confirm the current purchase rate on Scotiabank’s page. Cash advances are 22.99%. Either way, 2% cash back will not win against interest.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 2% cash back on a wide everyday list, up to $25,000 a year in those categories, is a stronger mix than a 1% card and broader than Infinite, which leads with grocery and recurring payments.
- After the $25,000 cap, and on everything else, purchases earn 1%. Amazon and big-box spend do not fall to zero.
- The published eligibility bar is residency and age of majority, not Visa Infinite income.
- Visa acceptance is straightforward at Canadian merchants that still skip American Express.
- You can step up to Infinite later if grocery and recurring bills explode. This Visa is the 2% on-ramp, inside that annual cap.
Cons
- The annual fee is $49 a year, and each supplementary card is $15 a year. That is a real year-two cost against a 2% list that stops at $25,000.
- There is no cash welcome bonus. The special offer is a 0.99% introductory rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months, with a 2% fee per transfer (minimum $5), then 22.99%. It applies to new accounts opened July 2, 2026 to January 3, 2027, excludes anyone who held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, and ends early if you miss two consecutive minimum payments.
- 2% applies only up to $25,000 a year in the 2% categories. After that, and on everything else, the card earns 1%.
- Confirm the current purchase rate on Scotiabank’s page. Cash advances are 22.99%. Do not assume a cheap revolving rate from a cash-back card.
- Coverage is Purchase Security for 90 days and Extended Warranty, which doubles the manufacturer’s warranty for up to one year. This is still a cash-back Visa, not a travel-medical product. Read the certificate.
Fees and value: is the annual fee worth it?
First-year snapshot (estimate)
- Annual fee
- $49
- Estimated welcome bonus value
- N/A
- Bonus minus fee (estimate)
- —
This is a simple comparison of the estimated welcome-bonus value against the annual fee. It ignores rewards on spending, credits you have to remember to use, and interest if you carry a balance. Offers change — verify with the issuer.
The annual fee is $49 a year, and each supplementary card is $15 a year. The current special offer is not a fee waiver and not a cash bonus.
It is a 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months, with a 2% fee per transfer (minimum $5), then 22.99%. It applies to new accounts opened July 2, 2026 to January 3, 2027, excludes anyone who held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, and is cancelled if you miss two consecutive minimum payments.
It is not Momentum Visa Infinite’s 15% cash back on the first $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (accounts opened July 2 to November 1, 2026). Year two is $49 versus 2% on the everyday list up to $25,000 a year in those categories, then 1%, and 1% on everything else.
Do that math against Infinite’s 4% grocery and recurring pair after Infinite’s fee, against Momentum No-Fee Visa at $0, and against Tangerine at $0. If 2% on this list still wins inside the cap, this is the honest Momentum.
If it does not, do not keep it for the metal. Offers change.
Confirm the current purchase rate, and the rest of the terms, on Scotiabank’s page. Pay in full.
Rewards and earn rates explained
Rewards program: Cash Back
This card pays cash back, not Scene+ points. Scotiabank’s 2% list covers groceries, food delivery and food subscription services, and drugstore purchases; gas, electric-vehicle charging, and daily transit such as buses, taxis, and rideshares; eligible recurring bill payments such as utilities and gym memberships; and eligible recurring subscription services such as music and video streaming.
The 2% rate applies only up to an annual spend limit of $25,000 in those categories. After that, and on everything else, purchases earn 1%.
Recurring means the merchant flags the charge as recurring. Grocery coding has the usual traps: a warehouse club or a restaurant inside a grocer may not count.
Infinite leads with 4% grocery and recurring payments and does not use this full 2% list. Momentum No-Fee Visa is $0 for the primary card and for each additional card. Redeem cash back according to Momentum rules.
If you want Scene+ at Sobeys-family stores, that is Gold American Express.
Welcome bonus: how to unlock it
0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months (2% fee per transfer; 22.99% after that).
The special offer is a 0.99% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months, with a 2% fee per transfer (minimum $5), then 22.99%. It applies to new accounts opened July 2, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
It excludes anyone who held a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years. Missing two consecutive minimum payments cancels the promo rate.
This is not a cash welcome, and it is not Momentum Visa Infinite’s 15% cash back on the first $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (accounts opened July 2 to November 1, 2026). Read the live terms before you product-change from Passport or Gold American Express and expect a bonus.
Do not transfer a balance you cannot repay before the nine months end, and do not miss two minimum payments in a row. Offers change.
Confirm on Scotiabank’s page.
Welcome bonus eligibility: Individuals who are currently or were previously primary or secondary cardholders of a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, including those that switched to an existing Scotiabank personal credit card are not eligible for the Offer.
FAQ
Is the Scotia Momentum Visa Card worth it in 2026?
It is worth it when the 2% everyday list matches how you spend, you will stay inside the $25,000 annual cap on those categories, and $49 a year still beats Infinite’s 4% pair and a $0 card. It is not worth it as a Scene+ substitute or as a card you revolve.
Momentum Visa vs Momentum Visa Infinite vs Momentum No-Fee Visa?
This card is $49 a year, with each supplementary card at $15: 2% on the everyday list up to $25,000 a year in those categories, then 1%, and 1% elsewhere. Infinite leads with 4% grocery and recurring at a Visa Infinite fee. Its current welcome is 15% cash back on the first $2,000 in the first 3 months, for accounts opened July 2 to November 1, 2026. No-Fee is $0 for the primary card and for each additional card.
Choose this 2% Visa if that mix is the month and the cap fits. Choose Infinite if grocery and recurring bills are huge.
Choose No-Fee if $0 is the point.
Is this a low-interest card?
Confirm the current purchase rate on Scotiabank’s page. Cash advances are 22.99%. Treat Momentum as cash back you pay in full unless the agreement you are approved under prints a lower purchase rate. Offers change.
Momentum Visa vs Tangerine Money-Back?
Tangerine lets you pick 2% categories at $0. Momentum pays 2% on a long fixed list up to $25,000 a year in those categories, then 1%, and 1% elsewhere, at $49 a year. Choose Tangerine if you wanted $0 and control. Choose Momentum if that wide 2% list matches the month and you already bank at Scotia.
Does this card charge foreign-exchange fees?
Most Canadian cash-back Visas add a foreign-conversion fee on foreign-currency purchases. Momentum is a domestic cash-back card, not Passport. For overseas spend, compare Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite, and confirm Scotiabank’s current FX rate in the agreement.
Compare related cards and guides
More Canadian credit card lists that match this product, plus a few cards people usually compare it with.
- Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card review · Scotiabank · $120 annual fee
- Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa Card review · Scotiabank · $0 annual fee
- Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card review · Tangerine · $0 annual fee
