Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite
Neck-and-neck with the CIBC Dividend for best cash-back Visa. The recurring-payments 4% is its edge; the once-a-year payout its tax.
- Annual fee
- $120 (Waived in the first year, including on additional cards, under the current offer)
- Welcome bonus value (full offer)
- ≈ $300 15% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases)
- First-year net value
- ≈ $480
- Interest rates
- 20.99% purchases · 22.99% cash advances
Direct issuer link — details verified 2026-08-01
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Standard Score breakdown
StrongSix weighted components, each rated 0–10. “Contributes” is the rating × weight — add all six and you get a raw 7.02/10, published as 7.0/10.
Evidence behind each input
The facts are structured; the rating remains an editorial judgment. Open any component to audit what was considered without mistaking the evidence for an automatic formula.
First-year value6.5/10
The published first-year net value maps directly to the executable anchor ladder.
- $480 first-year net value maps to a 6.5/10 baseline.
- Published first-year input: 6.5/10, matching the baseline.
Ongoing value7.5/10
This input judges recurring earn and cash-like credits after the annual fee; the welcome offer and non-cash perks are excluded.
- $120 annual fee.
- Fee condition: Waived in the first year, including on additional cards, under the current offer
- Published earn: 4% — Groceries and recurring payments (first $25,000/year); 2% — Gas and transit (first $25,000/year); 1% — Everything else.
- 2 earn rows carry an explicit spend cap or threshold.
Flexibility6.5/10
This input judges how easily Cash back can become useful value without forcing one narrow redemption path.
- Reward currency: Cash back.
Perk usability7.0/10
This input credits non-cash benefits at realistic use, separate from cash-like credits already counted in ongoing value.
- No airport lounge access.
- 5 published insurance benefits: Travel medical; Trip cancellation; Flight delay.
- Other published benefit: Strong included insurance for a cash-back card
Low friction8.5/10
This input combines network acceptance, caps, conditions, eligibility, and operational effort; a higher rating means less friction.
- Visa acceptance; 2.5% foreign-transaction fee.
- Eligibility: $60,000 personal-income minimum; $100,000 household-income alternative.
- Eligibility note: Scotiabank also accepts $250,000+ in assets under management in place of the income minimums
- Practical constraint: Both bonus tiers cap at $25,000 of annual spend, then earn 1%
Strategic fit7.0/10
This input asks whether the card fills a distinct role in a small wallet rather than duplicating another card; redemption quality is not counted again here.
- Ranking roles: cash-back.
- Fit case: Grocery-and-bills-heavy households that want top Visa cash rates with no points homework.
- Main conflict: You want your cash back on demand — the annual payout is a real annoyance.
See how the Standard Score works or re-weight it to your priorities.
Earn rates
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Groceries and recurring payments (first $25,000/year) | 4% |
| Gas and transit (first $25,000/year) | 2% |
| Everything else | 1% |
Included insurance
Travel medical · Trip cancellation · Flight delay · Rental car coverage · Mobile device insurance
Why it earns its score
- 4% on groceries and recurring bills is category-leading on a Visa
- First-year fee waived under the current offer, additional cards included
- Strong included insurance for a cash-back card
Where it loses points
- Cash back pays out only once a year (November)
- Both bonus tiers cap at $25,000 of annual spend, then earn 1%
- 1% base rate
Who it’s for
Grocery-and-bills-heavy households that want top Visa cash rates with no points homework.
Who should skip it
You want your cash back on demand — the annual payout is a real annoyance.
The bottom line
Standard Score 7.0/10 — Strong. We estimate ≈ $480 in first-year net value after the $120 fee.
Direct issuer link — no commission shapes this review
Rewards math assumes you pay your balance in full every month — interest charges quickly exceed any rewards value.
Renewal math
Should you keep this card?
The welcome offer only lands once, and the waived first-year fee bills for real at renewal — so the keep-or-cancel question is whether the $120 fee still pays for itself on earn alone. Enter your monthly spend to see the recurring math.
~$360/year in rewards at this spend − $120 fee = $240/year
The fee pays for itself at this spend — keeping it is defensibleAt this spending mix, the card breaks even around $450/month on the card. Below that, the fee stops earning its keep.
Estimates price your spend at the card’s published earn rates and our Points Standard Index valuations; they ignore category earn caps and any retention offer the issuer might make if you call. Perks you actually use — insurance, lounge visits — are value on top of this math, so weigh them before cancelling.
Welcome-offer history
We’ve tracked this card’s welcome offer since Jul 11, 2026 and log every change, so you can judge whether today’s offer is genuinely strong or just loudly advertised.
| Offer | Est. value | Recorded | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15% cash back on all purchases for the first 3 months (up to $2,000 in total purchases) | ≈ $300 | Aug 1, 2026 | Current |
| ~15% cash back on first $2,000 of purchases (offers vary) | ≈ $300 | Jul 11, 2026 – Aug 1, 2026 | Replaced |
Source: issuer card page · Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Details change often — confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.
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