Scene+ is not just for movies anymore - it's become a versatile powerhouse for all types of rewards

 
With Scene+ replacing AIR MILES at Sobeys, Safeway and other store across Canada you may be asking yourself why should I bother with a movie rewards program. Well you should, as Scene+ is not just about movies or even dining anymore. The actual revamped Scene+ program launched late in 2021 and was the joining of Cineplex and Scotia's separate reward programs into one. 

Top Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for September - These cards provide the most cash back out of their welcome bonuses

Here are Rewards Canada's Top 5 Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of September 2022. This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Cash Back Credit Card rankings but instead a look at cards that have very good acquisition (welcome/sign up) offers. As always when choosing a card you should always take other factors into account other than the just sign up bonus, but when some of these cards are first year free, they can and do pay off even when you grab them strictly for the sign up rewards. 

New increased welcome bonus offer of 7,500 points for the Scotia SCENE+ Visa Card

 

Just as Scene+ is expanding its presence in Canada with the addition of grocery partners we see the original Scotia SCENE+ Visa Card get a limited time increased welcome bonus! The no annual fee card sees its offer for new customers jump from 5,000 to 7,500 Scene+ Points.

Scene+ will launch at Sobeys, Safeway and other stores in Western Canada & Western Ontario on September 22

 

UPDATE: Looks like it will be September 22 for all of Western Canada and Western Ontario!

Scene+ Grocery launched earlier this month in Atlantic Canada and today we learned it will be available in Manitoba Western Canada and Western Ontario as of September 22. Thanks to Rewards Canada contributor Jeff W. who forwarded the details to us from an email he received from Sobeys. Empire Company Limited stores such as Sobeys and Safeway will make the switch from AIR MILES to Scene+ on that day.

Scene+ officially launches at Sobeys and other grocery stores in Atlantic Canada today

 

Today is the day Scene+ officially launches with Sobeys and other Empire Company Limited stores in Atlantic Canada. The news which broke only a few short months ago came as a surprise to many and was a move that solidified Scene+ as a major nationwide loyalty program that isn't just a movie going program.

Top Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for August - These cards provide the best value out of their welcome bonuses

 

Here are Rewards Canada's Top 5 Cash Back Credit Card Sign Up offers for the month of August 2022. This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Cash Back Credit Card rankings but instead a look at cards that have very good acquisition (welcome/sign up) offers. As always when choosing a card you should always take other factors into account other than the just sign up bonus, but when some of these cards are first year free, they can and do pay off even when you grab them strictly for the sign up rewards. 

A sleeping giant: The Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card

There is one Ultra Premium credit card that just can't seem to stay in the spotlight, even with it having some significant changes at start of July, the card just seems to quickly fall into the shadows. That card is the Scotiabank Platinum American Express card. A sleeping giant in our market, the card perfectly fills a spot between other Ultra Premium cards that charge higher annual fees and premium cards that offer less benefits.

Score 10,000 points worth $100 towards travel with the refreshed no fee Scotiabank American Express Card

 
The revamped no annual fee Scotiabank American Express Card debuted on July 1st along with a new best ever welcome bonus offer! The card's revamp takes place in the earn rates and insurance offered. It  sees increased earn rates in select spending categories and now offers mobile device insurance. 

The revamped Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card is here with a 60,000 point welcome bonus

 
The revamped Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card debuted on July 1st along with a new best ever welcome bonus offer! The card's revamp takes place in the earn rates, benefits and insurance offered. It is now has a flat earn rate across all spending, no foreign transaction fees and now offers mobile device insurance. 

Scene+ redemption rate for groceries will be a great 1,000 points for $10

Today sees Scene+ revealing a few more details on the upcoming partnership with their new co-owner Empire Company Limited. The Atlantic Canada based corporation that operates grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor and convenience stores announced last month they were leaving the AIR MILES program to become part of Scene+

Amex Offers: Spend $60 on groceries three times and receive a $30 statement credit

 

 

Another amazing promotion from Amex Offers came out today! Today we see the return of a grocery offer that provides a $30 statement credit when you spend at least $60 three times at Empire Group of grocery stores! Personally I received the offer on our Platinum Card

The first step in the Scene+ Sobeys partnership is here - awesome new earn rates for Scotiabank credit cards

The newly minted partnership between Scotiabank, Scene+ and Empire Company Limited who operates Sobeys, Safeway and other stores took its first step today in revealing what we could expect from it. Scotiabank announced new earn rates on their credit cards that earn Scene+ points when using them Empire's group of stores plus a few other changes to the card. This comes only a day before we see the revamped Scotiabank Platinum and Red American Express cards launch. 

New Scotiabank American Express Card Offers provide up to 60,000 bonus Scene+ points

Scotiabank has revealed their summer welcome bonus offers for their trio of American Express Cards. Two of the cards, The Platinum Card and the basic Red Card see best ever bonuses in place as they are about to undergo some changes and the mainstay Gold American Express comes in with a respectable new offer.

Earn up to 40,000 Scene+ points with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The very popular Scotia Gold American Express Card is currently offering 40,000 points which are worth $400 towards any travel that you book via any method and charge to the card. On top of this they are offering a waiver on the first year annual fee which saves you $120. The bonus is broken up into two separate requirements. the first 20,000 points are awarded when you spend at least $1,000 on the card in the first 3 months and then you can earn an additional 20,000 points when you spend at least $7,500 in your first year of having the card. 

Aeroplan further updates reward flight change policy, we may see more Scotia card changes this fall & RBC BA Visa will not have the solo companion voucher option

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your near daily dose of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. Today's update is brought to you by the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card which you can earn up to 45,000 bonus Scene+ Rewards points in your first year with (that’s up to $450 towards travel) Click here to learn more about this offer

Aeroplan made several changes to their reward ticket change policy today. The first changes see them removing change fees on one more award ticket economy fare class:

• Aeroplan’s Economy Flex fare option now includes waived change fees alongside Economy Latitude, Premium Economy (flexible), Business Class (flexible) and First Class (flexible) fare options.

They have also simplified the structure of the change fee for the reward ticket fare classes that do have fees levied:

Will we see Amex's Shop Small promotion soon, four U.S. British Airways lounges join Priority Pass & increased interest rates on select Scotia savings accounts

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your near daily dose of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more.

A question I am starting to see more of right now is: when is Amex's Shop Small promotion returning? We've seen the annual Shop Small promotion already launch this month in France, Germany and the U.K.. So will Canada be next? Hopefully it will be! Over the past few years here it has launched as early as June 24 but as late as July 17 as well. American Express Canada has not given us any indication yet as to if and when the Shop Small promotion will launch but our fingers are crossed we will see it over the coming weeks. In the meantime you can brush up on Shop Small by checking out Rewards Canada's step by step guide to the American Express Shop Small Program

45,000 point offer on the Scotia Gold American Express ending early, Oman Air will join the oneworld Alliance & Novotel Hotels celebrates the LIGHTYEAR Movie

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your near daily dose of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more.

We have been advised that the current welcome bonus offer on the Scotiabank Gold American Express card will now end on June 29 instead of July 4. The offer provides a bonus of up to 45,000 Scene+ points. At this point in time we have not yet been told what the new offer will be as of June 30. However with the revamp of the Platinum Card and the Red Amex cards from Scotia happening in June we feel there will be a focus on those card rather than the Gold so if I was to guess I would say the offer on the Gold will either remain the same or be lowered. But remember that's just a guess on my part. Click here to learn more about Scotiagold American Express Card offer.

Your free movie with Scene+ isn't free anymore if you buy it online

The foundation of the Scene+ program (nee Cineplex Scene) ever since its inception in 2007 was to be able to earn points that you could redeem for free movies. That fundamental premise of the program abruptly came to an end this week after what appears to be an unannounced change from Cineplex. In the last few days or so Cineplex has started charging an online booking fee for ordering tickets on their website or via their app. This fee is also being charged on tickets that you redeem Scene+ points for!

Scene+ scores big at the expense of AIR MILES - watch for grocery earning and redeeming to come soon to the program!

In a very unexpected move, news came out today that Empire Company Limited, the parent corporation of Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, IGA and numerous other grocery and drug stores has become a co-owner in the Scene+ program. This will mark the end of the grocery empire's involvement with the AIR MILES program. AIR MILES has counted Safeway and Eastern Canadian Sobeys stores as decades long partners and gained western Canadian stores which were aligned with Aeroplan after the Safeway takeover. Empire has now counted three major Canadian loyalty programs as partners! Over the coming months these stores that have currently been part of the AIR MILES program will move over to Scene+ starting no less than in the company's own backyard, Atlantic Canada.

Scotiabank and Scene+ points posting issues continue, one new confirmed Cobalt Card multiplier and an 80% bonus for buying IHG One Rewards points

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your near daily dose of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. Today's update is brought to you by the HSBC High Rate Savings Account with which you can enjoy a total annual interest rate of up to 2.65% on new deposits± Click here to learn more about this offer

We had another of our readers and also a Facebook follower reach out to us that they are still having issues with Scotia and Scene+. Both of them are experiencing the same issues many of you have reached out to us before - the lack of points posting. JN emailed to tell us she has not seen any points at all post to her account since the switch to Scene+ while and MS messaged us on Facebook with the exact same issue - not one point has posted to his account since December. MS did tell us that Scotia said the points should be reflected on his June statement so let's hope that happens as we've heard many promised dates over the past 6 months from Scotia that have come and gone without a fix. We'd love to hear from more of our readers on your experience with Scotia and Scene+. Let us know in the comments below, on our social channels or email us at info@rewardscanada.ca