Two of the best Canadian student credit card options to increase your credit score, make future plans and get rewards all at once.
Key Comparisons
| Scotiabank Scene Visa Card for Students | CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students | |
| Estimated Credit Score | 300 | 300 |
| Annual Fees | N/A | N/A |
| Interest Rate | 19.99% | 20.99% |
| Insurance Coverage | Yes | Yes |
| Pros | 1. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent.2. Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Cineplex.3. Earn 1,250 bonus points after your first purchase.4. Redeem your rewards for movie tickets or Sport Chek gift cards.5. Enjoy a 20% discount at Avis locations worldwide.6. No annual fee. | 1. No limitations on airlines you can use your points to book with or blackout periods. 2. Points can be used to pay down your credit card balance or credit card purchases moments after you make them. 3. 90-day Purchase Security Protection in case your new purchase gets stolen or breaks. |
| Cons | 1. Does not include any type of insurance.2. Redemption options are limited to movie tickets or Sport Chek gift cards.3. Limited options for restaurant redemptions. | 1. High redemption minimum (to redeem points for a flight, you need to have at least 80% of the required points). 2. It doesn’t waive the normal 2.5% fee for all purchases made in a foreign currency. 3. No ability to transfer Aventura points to other loyalty programs. |
Key Benefits of Scotiabank Scene Visa Card for Students
Rewards and Points
Spend $750 within the first three months of getting the card, and you’ll receive a welcome bonus of up to 5,000 Scene points. Consider using this card if your go-to destination to escape roommate strife or to clear your mind is the movie theater. You can get some wonderful benefits from the money you spend at the movies. For every $1 spent at Cineplex theaters or on cineplex.com, earn 5 Scene points. For every $1 you spend using a conventional credit card, you’ll receive 1 Scene point. A regular admission or 3D movie ticket costs 1,250 points to redeem, while tickets for UltraAVX, IMAX, Prime seats, and D-Box cost 2,000 points.
Other Perks and Welcome Bonus
The rewards are wonderful for items outside the typical student budget, which is another benefit. Spend the prizes on things like movies, takeout, store gift cards, trips, hotels, and more as a reward for managing the stresses of school. You can get 25% off the base rates for car rentals at participating Avis and Budget locations in Canada and the US. The welcome bonus is fantastic as well. When making the initial purchase, 1,250 additional Scene+ points are offered. The interest rates are thorough and follow the market, notwithstanding the absence of an introductory APR. The $500 minimum credit limit is a respectable amount.
Annual Fee, Additional Cards, and Rates
Since the card has no annual cost, you are not obligated to pay for it even if your moviegoing habits decline. Additionally, adding individuals to your account with their own cards is free of charge. When you use your SCENE Visa card to make a purchase, you can also earn discounts of up to 25% off base rates at participating AVIS and Budget sites in Canada and the United States.
Key Benefits of CIBC Aventura Visa Card for Students
Insurance
When you use this card to board a boat, an airplane, a bus, or a train, you are $100,000 covered. You can also get free motor insurance, fraud alerts, and payment protection. You place a high value on security and dependability as a student. When traveling, use the Aventura travel assistant to get specialized trip planning and travel arrangements. The points can also be used to cover other flight-related costs including transfer fees and taxes.
Perks
You can get 2,500 Aventura points when you sign up. Additionally, you can receive a free Student Price Card membership, theft insurance, and an extended warranty in addition to earning 1 point for every $1 spent. You can quickly add this card to your eWallet, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay for quick payments. You can benefit from safer payments by using the Visa protection checkout services and the encrypted chip-enabled card.
Points Rewards
Each $1 spent at petrol stations, supermarkets, and pharmacies earns cardholders 1 point, up to a maximum of $6,000 per year. When you book travel through the CIBC Rewards Center, you get twice as many points as you do when making other purchases, which only earn you 1 point for every two $1 spent. For every $2 spent elsewhere, you can get 1 point, with a maximum of 5,000 welcome bonus points. Rewards points with no expiration date that can be redeemed for travel at any time on any airline.