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)24 days left
- First-year net value
- ≈ $480
- Interest rates
- 20.99% purchases · 22.99% cash advances
Direct issuer link · details verified Oct 4, 2026
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
02 / The case
What it does well, and what it costs you
Both sides of the ledger. A card that suits one wallet can be the wrong call in another, so the drawbacks are named as plainly as the benefits.
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.
Count credits, certificates, bags or lounge visits only at what they replaced for you, not brochure value.
~$360/year in rewards at this spend − $120 fee + $0 personally used recurring benefits = $240/year ongoing
Recurring rewards and benefits clear the fee; keeping it is defensibleAt this spending mix, the card breaks even around $450/month on the card after your recurring benefit value. 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; structured category caps are applied. Benefits and retention offers enter the math only through your inputs above. Eligibility, downgrade paths, credit-score effects, tax consequences, and benefit-certificate restrictions are not assessed; confirm options with the issuer before changing the account.
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 Oct 4, 2026. Details change often: confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.
Was this review useful?
Keep going
Where to look next
Four ways on from here, grouped so you can pick the one that matches the question you still have.