Scene+ points are one of the more common and straight forward rewards systems in Canada, they have reliable and flexible value and can sometimes combine well with other point earning strategies so they're worth considering.
In this article I'm going to go over the Scene+ points system basics, making a suggestion for their best usage, before going over earning and promotions.
Disclaimers and referral links are at the bottom, as always you can reach out if you have any questions.
Why You Should Collect Scene Points
Some point systems are confusing, difficult to redeem, inflexible, and not really worth the time and effort to collect them. Scene+ points however have multiple ways to redeem that generate reliable value without the need to follow complex rules or time redemptions with promos. For almost every single pathway of redemption 100pts = $1, whether its towards groceries, cineplex movie tickets, participating restaurants, or travel - all of these choices are reasonable choices. I would however strongly recommend caution when considering redeeming for gift cards through the Scene+ store website. Point value on the Scene+ store varies based on company and denomination, but many follow the general pattern shown below for Apple gift cards:
Given the reliable value of Scene points at 100=$1, we see that we are effectively spending $14 in points to get a $10 gift card, or $640 to get a $500 gift card... Not great to lose out on $140 in value while also getting locked specifically into App.
Some gift cards on the portal do provide the expected value of 1 cent per point and could be considered if the primary redemption options don't appeal to you. An example of this would be Shell gift cards:
My impression is that many people redeem Scene+ points towards groceries as they earn them. Given the rising costs of food I can't say I blame anyone who does that, but even though the redemption value remains the same I would argue that there are several reasons to instead redeem them towards travel.
Scene+ points can be redeemed towards travel types/expenses that are not easily paid for with points. For example it is easy to book a flight with Aeroplan points, but Scene+ points can cover your car rental when you land, helping to drop your trip cost closer to $0
Psychologically, getting $10 off your groceries every second week feels nice, but getting an Airbnb for free once a year may feel even better
The last reason is mathy, I apologize, but it is easier to earn additional points using your credit card on groceries and your points on travel. Let's say you saved up $1000 worth of Scene+ and you could either put it towards $1000 of groceries, or $1000 of travel. If you put it towards the groceries and pay for the travel with a travel rewards card, you will likely earn $20-40 back in travel points (depending on the card). If instead you put it towards the travel, and paid for the groceries with a card like the Amex Cobalt with a high earning rate on groceries, you would earn $50-100 back in travel points.
Another great thing about redeeming Scene+ points for travel is that there is a lot of flexibility in how you do so. Firstly you can redeem through their travel portal, which is partnered with Expedia, towards flights, stays, cars, packages, and activities/tours. Shown below are some examples for our upcoming trip to Poland (flights paid for with our Amex points).
As mentioned in reason number 1 above, these trip expenses are normally not easily covered with points from other programs or may result in suboptimal redemptions (for example Amex points can be redeemed for statement credit against anything but is best used to transfer out to airlines for flights). If you don't have enough points to fully cover the cost you can do a mix of cash and points, and you'll earn 3x scene points on the cash portion, effectively 3% back, not too shabby.
If the Sene+ travel portal isn't flexible enough, or if you dislike using portals (can be suboptimal for flights and hotels due to cancellation policies), if you hold a Scotiabank credit card you can easily redeem Scene+ points against travel expenses on these cards booked online or in person for almost any kind of travel expense. Up to 12 months after the purchase you can redeem the points at the standard 100=$1 value.
These approach is great because you can use any number of points even if you don't have enough to fully cover the expense. Note: redeeming against travel purchases on the statement is not the same as simply redeeming the points for statement credit which will process at a value of 100pts= $0.70 and you should avoid. My personal approach? I use the Scotia Passport VI card for foreign currency expenses where accepted, taking advantage of its unique benefit of no forex fees, then afterwards clear out my points against the travel related purchases.
I hope I've made the case for Scene+, but how do you get them?
Earning Scene+ Points
If you grocery shop at Sobeys, Freshco or other associated grocerers you've seen (scene?) the signs and been asked to sign up for the scene+ points program. Like many grocery loyalty programs they offer point bonuses for purchasing certain items, both with public offers and targetted offers based on your shopping habits through their app. Since these grocery stores also accept Amex, this creates a great opportunity to simultaneously earn large amounts of travel points with an Amex Cobalt while also collecting Scene points. Furthermore, while you're at these stores you can leverage the Cobalt to make even more from your other purchases, reach out to me to discuss how. Not limited to groceries, the Scene+ program partners with Cineplex, Home Hardware, Lawtons drugs, and a number of restaurants (Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, East Side Marios, Montanas, Bier Markt, and Kelseys). They also partnered with Rakuten to give you 20% more back if you take your rewards as Scene+ from Rakuten.
You can also earn Scene+ points using Scotiabank credit cards and if you're not keen on chasing down luxury travel with Amex points, the Scotia Gold card earns 6x back at participating grocery stores (effectively 6% back).
Reward Stacking
One of my favourite things about Scene+ is the ability to rewards stack, by earning Scene+ points in addition to Amex or Aeroplan on the same purchase. Right now in particular there is a great promotion for this where you get 1000pts ($10) for every $100 you spend on specific gift card types. The Happy Student card happens to work at Sephora online, which is a common Aeroplan eStore Vendor. This allows you to earn points when you buy the gift card, and more points when you redeem the gift card. Depending on which credit card you use to make the initial purchase and what the eStore multiplier is when you use the card, you could get 12-40% back overall. If this sounds appealing to you, reach out and I can help you get the most out of it.
Conclusion
The reliable value and flexibility of Scene+ points make them worth your effort to collect. They particularly shine if you already have a Scotiabank credit card for foreign currency purchases, but can be redeemed many ways for consistent value - just be careful with redeeming them for gift cards. Finally, through promotion stacking you can easily combine Scene+ point collection with Amex or Aeroplan points giving you a powerful collection of travel rewards.
Referral links
Find the full collection of Scene+ earning cards on my card comparison tool here.
With its best in market 5x multiplier Amex Cobalt is a powerful point earner that can get you on flying for free 5 times faster than much of the competition - sign up here. TIP: Consider waiting until a supplemental card promotion before adding the free supp card for even more points.
To see the access the best offers for different Amex card such as the Business Gold, or Platinum click here. Or to compare all the cards I can refer to, check out my card comparison tool.
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You're going to need somewhere to stay after all of these free flights. The Amex Bonvoy or the Business Bonvoy card will earn you free hotel stays and can be combined with the Aeroplan eStore for some incredible double dipped rewards.
If you're on the fence, or wondering about other cards reach out to me for a free consult, and if you sign up for a card through my link, let me know and I will walk you through advanced tricks and personalized advice to help you get the maximum benefit both from earning and redeeming points - getting your travel journey going faster than you ever thought possible.
Check out my Keeper Cards series to see other cards worth exploring
Disclaimer
These posts are all made in good intentions and are to the best of my ability accurate at the time of writing. That said, the official terms and conditions and current sign up bonuses should be verified and interpreted in the context of your personal financial situation.
