TD First Class Travel vs. Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+: Which card is right for you in 2026?

For Canadians looking for a travel rewards card with an affordable annual fee, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ consistently land near the top of the conversation. The TD card has built its reputation on strong everyday earn rates and a generous annual travel credit, while the Scotiabank option is best known for something rare in the Canadian market: no foreign transaction fees. Both carry similar annual fees and sit in the same competitive tier, but they are built for different kinds of travellers. Here is how they actually compare.

Earning rewards is one of the biggest factors to consider when comparing these two travel credit cards. While both reward spending across common purchase categories, the number of points you earn per dollar differs depending on where and how you spend. Here's how the earn rates stack up.

On paper, TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite has higher headline multipliers across almost every category. But earn rates only tell part of the story. To understand the real value of the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+, it's important to look beyond earning rates and consider how these rewards points are redeemed, and how much they’re actually worth at redemption.

Points programs are only as valuable as what you can do with them. Here is an honest look at both currencies.

TD Rewards Points are most valuable when redeemed through Expedia for TD, where they are worth approximately 0.5 cents per point. That means the 6x on groceries translates to roughly a 3% return. If you book travel directly with vendors outside of Expedia for TD, the value drops to around 0.4 cents per point. TD Rewards are not transferable to airline loyalty programs, which limits their ceiling compared to transferable currencies like Amex MR.

Scene+ Points are consistently valued at approximately 1 cent per point regardless of how you redeem them. Whether you are applying points towards a flight, hotel, a Cineplex ticket, groceries or even your credit card balance, the value stays the same. Scene+ Travel, powered by Expedia, can boost how many points you earn on hotel and car bookings, but it does not affect what those points are worth when you spend them. Both programs reward portal use on the earn side. The difference is that Scene+ holds its value across a much wider range of redemption categories.

Both cards include comprehensive travel insurance, but the perks package is where they diverge meaningfully.

The no foreign transaction fee difference is the biggest distinction. If you travel internationally and use your card for purchases abroad, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ saves you 2.5% on every transaction in a foreign currency. On $5,000 in international spending, that is $125 back in your pocket every year, already exceeding the TD First Class Travel’s $100 annual travel credit.

The TD First Class Travel still offers strong value for travelers who book through Expedia for TD, since the annual travel credit can reduce the card’s effective fee to just $39, and the birthday bonus adds ongoing rewards value that the Scotia card does not offer. But for frequent international spenders, Scotia’s no-FX-fee structure is often the more valuable long-term benefit.

For cardholders who prioritize accumulating points on regular household spending rather than travel-specific categories, the TD First Class Travel card has the structural advantage.

The card's 6-point-per-dollar earn rate on groceries, dining, and public transit translates to roughly a 3% return when redeemed through Expedia for TD at approximately 0.5 cents per point. It also earns 4 points per dollar on eligible recurring bill payments and streaming purchases, covering many of the spending categories that make up a typical Canadian household budget. At $2,200 per month in eligible spending, you are looking at roughly $450 to $550 in annual travel value before the $100 travel credit is applied.

After accounting for that travel credit, the effective cost of holding the TD First Class Travel card is $39 per year. That is an unusually low threshold for a card generating this level of points on everyday categories.

The Scotia Passport Visa Infinite+ earns 3x at eligible grocery stores, which is competitive, but drops to 2x on dining and transit, and 1x on most other categories. For a household putting $900 a month into groceries and relatively little into dining out, the gap narrows. For households with significant dining, transit, or streaming spend, the TD card pulls ahead.

This is where the Scotia Passport Visa Infinite+ makes its strongest case, and where the comparison flips depending on how you travel.

No foreign transaction fees is not just a minor perk. Every time you use a card abroad or shop in USD online, a 2.5% FX fee is applied on cards that charge one. For a cardholder spending $6,000 internationally per year, that is $150 in fees avoided. That figure alone covers the entire annual fee.

The TD First Class Travel card charges the standard 2.5% foreign transaction fee. If a significant share of your spending happens outside Canada or in foreign currencies, that cost compounds quietly across every transaction.

Airport lounge access is another meaningful differentiator. The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ includes six complimentary airport lounge passes annually through the Visa Airport Companion Program, compared with four annual visits on the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite. For travellers who regularly pass through major airports, those additional visits can provide meaningful value over the course of a year. Even using a conservative valuation of $30 per visit, Scotia's six annual visits represent approximately $180 in value, while TD's four visits are worth roughly $120.

Where the TD card recovers ground for travellers is the 6x earn rate on eligible travel purchases through Expedia for TD. If you book flights, hotels, and packages consistently through that portal, the earn rate is exceptional. The limitation is portal dependency: to capture 6x, your bookings need to go through Expedia for TD, which may not always have the best price or your preferred airline.

Apply this framework before making a decision.

Choose TD First Class Travel if:

• Most of your travel is domestic and booked through online portals
• You want an annual travel credit that effectively lowers your fee to $39
• Your household spending is concentrated in groceries, dining, and transit
• You value a strong welcome bonus and birthday rewards

Choose Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ if:

• You travel internationally and want to stop paying 2.5% on foreign purchases
• You want more annual lounge visits and broader access to airport perks
• You prefer a flexible points currency that does not require portal booking to maximize
• You spend across a wider range of categories and want consistent point value

The most honest question to ask yourself before deciding: where are your travel dollars actually going? If most trips are within Canada and you value strong everyday earn rates, TD First Class Travel is built for you. If you cross borders regularly or simply want fewer strings attached to your points, the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ is the stronger fit.

Neither card is wrong. They are designed for different priorities, and the right choice depends less on which card looks better on paper and more on which one matches how you actually live and travel.

Also read:

• Get matched with Ratehub’s CardFinder tool
• The best travel credit cards in Canada
• The best Aeroplan credit cards in Canada
• The value of Aeroplan points