How To Maximize Scene+ Points In Canada

Scene+ points are the rewards for the Scene+ loyalty program. When you set up a free Scene+ account, get a free Scene+ rewards card or open a bank account at Scotiabank and earn through their debit or credit card purchases, users can collect points by shopping at certain partner retailers. Cardholders can then redeem those points for in-store discounts at those same partners, including groceries, movies, vacations, merchandise, gift cards, and retail or home improvement purchases.

You can earn Scene+ point in one of three ways:

• Spending at a Scene+ rewards partner (for example,Sobeys, Home Hardware or Cineplex theatres) and presenting your free Scene+ membership card at checkout
• Using a Scotiabank debit card
• Using a Scotiabank Scene+ credit card

You need an active account to receive Scene+ points. You can easily set one up online for free at sceneplus.ca. Simply use an email and a custom password to create an account to access offers and collect points.

Breakdown of Earn Rates

For every $1 spent in the following purchase categories, you’ll receive:

• 5 points per $1 spent at Cineplex (excluding alcohol)
• 3 points per $1 spent on travel through Scene+ Travel (powered by Expedia)
• 1 point per $1 spent at Home Hardware
• 1 point per $1 spent on entertainment and dining at The Rec Room or Playdium
• 0.5 points per $1 spent at Needs Pharmacy (excludes lottery purchases for non-Atlantic provinces)
• 0.5 points per $1 spent on pharmacy products for residents of Nova Scotia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan
• 0.3 points per $1 spent on dining (e.g. Harvey’s, Swiss Chalet)

Note that grocery and pharmacy purchases have member-only pricing and special offers or rewards that may differ from the above.

In addition, Scene+ members also earn cash back if their Scene+ rewards card is linked to Rakuten.ca. This allows them to earn 20% cash back at over 750 retail stores when shopping through the Rakuten portal. Every $1 earned in cash-back rewards earns 100 Scene+ points.

General Scene+ Points Redemption Values

For all rewards—except for statement credits and certain gift cards—Scene+ points are redeemed for $0.01 per point. Apple gift cards, however, are an exception: Scene+ members can get an Apple gift card worth $10 for 1,400 points.

Types of Redemptions

You can redeem points for the following rewards:

• Travel-related redemptions, such as flights and hotels
• Merchandise
• Gift cards
• Statement credits or banking account deposits

Best Practices for Redemption

It’s pretty simple to maximize value when redeeming your hard-earned points once you’ve done the math. Overall, avoid redemptions that do not deliver at least $0.01 in value per point. If you are redeeming gift cards, make sure to redeem them for stores that are partners in the Scene+ program. That way, you’ll earn points using the points that you spent, creating even greater value.

Earning Scene+ points with a free membership card only requires setting up a free Scene+ account, which can be done in under five minutes. However, the fastest way to earn points is using a Scotiabank debit card or a Scotiabank Scene+ credit card.

Use a Scotiabank Debit Card

Using a Scotiabank debit card can help you earn Scene+ points much faster than if you just have a Scene+ membership account. For example, the Scotiabank Preferred Chequing Account and its corresponding debit card allow cardholders to earn an extra 1 Scene+ point per $5 spent on everyday purchases. This also allows members to earn points on all purchases, not just at Scene+ partners.

Use Scotiabank Scene+ Credit Cards

Earn Scene+ points quicker using one of the following Scene+ credit cards:

• Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa* Card. Earn 2 points per dollar spent at eligible partner grocers, Home Hardware and Cineplex and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. New users can earn up to 7,500 Scene+ points in their first three months.

• Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card. Earn 3 points per dollar spent at eligible partner grocers and 2 points per dollar on grocery, dining, entertainment or daily transit purchases with all other purchases netting 1 point per dollar. New users can earn up to 40,000 Scene+ points in their first 12 months.

• Scotiabank Gold American Express. Earn 6 points per dollar spent at eligible partner grocers and 5 points per dollar on eligible grocery, dining and entertainment purchases, 3 points per dollar on gas and transit purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other spending. New users can earn up to 40,000 Scene+ points in the first 12 months.

• Scotiabank American Express Card. Earn 3 points per dollar spent at eligible partner grocers, 2 points per dollar spent on eligible grocery, dining, entertainment, gas, daily transit or certain streaming services and 1 point per dollar spent elsewhere. New users get up to 5,000 Scene+ points in their first three months.

• Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card. Earn 2 points per dollar spent on all eligible purchases. New users get up to 60,000 Scene+ points in their first 14 months.

Related: Best Rewards Cards In Canada

Partner Merchants

While it may seem easy to earn points by simply spending with a Scotiabank debit or credit card, shopping at a partner merchant amplifies your earn rate. Here’s a list of all the partners that Scene+ currently works with:

• Bier Markt
• Chalo! Fresh Co
• Chalo! Fresh Co Pharmacy
• Cineplex
• East Side Mario’s
• Foodland
• Foodland & Participating Co-Ops
• Fresh Co
• Fresh Co Pharmacy
• Harvey’s
• Home Hardware
• IGA
• Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse
• Lawtons Drugs
• Les Marchés Tradition
• Montana’s
• Needs Convenience
• Pharmacy at Safeway
• Playdium
• Rachelle Bery
• Rakuten affiliated members
• Safeway
• Scene+ Travel (powered by Expedia)
• Sobeys
• Sobeys Pharmacy
• Swiss Chalet
• The Rec Room
• Thrifty Foods
• Thrifty Foods Pharmacy
• Voila

Bonus Opportunities

One of the best ways to earn the most points is through bonus offers or seasonal promotions. For instance, on my Scene+ account, I can load the following personal offers:

• 200 bonus Scene+ points at Swiss Chalet. I can earn 200 points when I spend $30 at Swiss Chalet. In addition, if I have a Scotiabank debit or credit card, I earn up to 5 points on every dollar I spend.
• 15 times the points at Harveys. I can earn 15 times the standard Scene+ Rewards point earn rate at Harvey’s and earn up to 5 points on every dollar I spend with a Scotiabank debit or credit card.

It’s also important not to dismiss grocery offers, as these can be quite lucrative, especially when they match your purchasing habits. The more you spend at certain grocers, the more personalized your offers can become, allowing you to earn points on things you usually buy. (There’s no sense in spending money on items you don’t need just for the points.)
How To Redeem Scene+ Points

1. Present your Scene+ card during a purchase.
2. Instruct the merchant how many points you would like to use.
3. Redeem the points and pay for your item’s remaining balance (if applicable).

Make sure your Scene+ account is linked for online purchases and select a “pay with Scene+ points” or a similarly named option at checkout.

If you are redeeming points for gift cards, you must do so through your Scene+ account online. Similarly, if you are redeeming points through the Scene+ app or website for a specific offer, you must do so online as well.

To redeem points for a statement or debit account credit, log in to your Scotiabank mobile banking app or website or through your Scene+ account.

In terms of dollar value, Scene+ is a competitive loyalty program. Forbes Advisor Canada also surveyed Aeroplan’s loyalty program and found its average point value is $0.007. Meanwhile, Scene+’s average point value hovers around $0.01, making it slightly better.

In addition, Scene+ has one of the most flexible rewards programs in Canada. Users can redeem their points for travel, merchandise, discounts on essentials like groceries and pharmacy purchases, free movie tickets or even statement credits. That said, some programs, such as the Marriott Bonvoy program, may offer better hotel rewards than Scene+. Hotel rewards are a bit lacking overall when it comes to Scene+.

If you are an all-around spender in multiple areas and enjoy the occasional movie, a Scene+ rewards account might be exactly what you need. However, if you’re a little more interested in travel and hotel stays, you’ll likely get better redemptions by joining a loyalty program where travel is more of a focus, such as Aeroplan, Air Miles or Avion.