For years, Scotia Rewards has been one of the most powerful rewards programs in Canada — above all for Canadian travelers.
The earnings are simple, redemptions are even simpler, and, unlike other big banks, you don’t need an in-house portal to redeem your points. You can simply apply them against any travel purchases, such as car rentals, train fare, or plane tickets.
Now, as of December 31, 2021, the Scotia Rewards program will be even more lucrative. At the end of the year, Scotiabank will officially combine its rewards program with Cineplex’s SCENE, creating a new loyalty program dubbed Scene+.
What does Scene+ mean for you and your rewards points? Let’s take a closer look.
A new launch date
First off, it’s been nearly a year since Scotia and Cineplex announced plans to combine programs. In the beginning, they gave us a launch date of November 22, 2021. Recently, both companies announced they need more time to finish the new rewards program. So, as of writing this, the new launch date is December 31, 2021. We’ll update you if this date changes again.
How will Scene+ be different?
It’s not every day that one of the Big Five banks dissolves its rewards program in favour of another. While all the details around Scene+ have yet to be released, here’s what you can expect to be different.
Scotia rewards will become Scene+ points
Once Scene+ launches, Scotia Rewards points will dissolve, and you’ll earn only Scene+ points. But don’t worry — your current Scotia Rewards points and SCENE points will convert to Scene+ points on a 1:1 ratio.
Scene+ will be a third-party rewards program
Unlike Scotia Rewards, which is an in-house rewards program, Scene+ will be separate from your Scotia accounts. Again, nothing to worry about here. If you don’t have a SCENE account, Scotiabank will create one for you automatically. The good news: all your Scene+ points will show up in your new Scene+ account, no matter what credit card you earned them with. That’s a major change from the current system, which separates your earnings by credit card, requiring you to transfer them between accounts.
Scene+ travel
One of the most exciting changes is the ability to earn more points through Scene+ travel. As of right now, it looks as if you’ll earn three points for every $1 you spend on car rentals and hotels, when you book through Scene+ travel.
More redemption options
With Scene+ points, you’ll have more redemptions options at your disposal. More than 60 national retailers, including Apple and Best Buy, will allow you to redeem your Scene+ points for eligible purchases.
How will Scene+ be the same?
Despite its differences, many of Scotia Reward’s perks and features will carry over into the new Scene+ membership.
For one, though the name of the point will be Scene+, the earn rate on your Scotiabank credit card will stay the same. For instance, if you currently earn one Scotia Reward point for every $1 you spend, then you can expect to earn one Scene+ point for every dollar spent when the new program launches.
You’ll also still be able to redeem your points for travel purchases, even if you don’t use the in-house portal. As long as the charge shows up as “travel,” you can use your points as a statement credit.
How do you get a Scene+ membership?
If you’re a SCENE member, your account will simply become a Scene+ membership. Your membership number will stay the same, and your Scotia Rewards points, as well as your SCENE points, will transfer to your Scene+ account.
If you’re not a SCENE member, Scotiabank will make an account for you. Your Scotia Rewards will then be transferred into this account.
Bottom line
With Scene+, you’ll have an opportunity to triple your rewards on travel purchases as well as have more ways to redeem your points. While we still don’t know everything about the new Scene+ program, it won’t be long before the program launches.
