The best credit cards for entertainment

If you’ve got no credit history and are looking for a rewards card with a $0 annual fee, the Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card is worth taking a look at – especially if you’re a big movie buff. Earn 2 Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland & Participating Co-ops, FreshCo and more. Plus, earn 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent at participating Cineplex theatres or cineplex.com, and earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere. Redeem your SCENE points for movie tickets or take advantage of discounts at participating restaurants.

Pay $0 to add a Supplemental Cardholder to your account. As an added incentive, the Scotiabank SCENE Visa Card offers a appealing signup bonus. Earn up to 10,000 bonus Scene+ points. Earn 5,000 Scene+ points when you spend $750 in the first 3 months, and earn 5,000 points when you spend at least $5,000 in your first year. Apply by April 30, 2023.

• The perks

  • No annual fee. This card has a $0 annual fee.
  • Earn rewards points. Earn 2 Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland & Participating Co-ops, FreshCo and more. Plus, earn 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent at participating Cineplex theatres or cineplex.com, and earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere. Redeem points for free movies and discounts at participating restaurants.
  • No fee to add a Supplemental Cardholder. Pay $0 to add another authorized user to your account, so you can rack up points faster.
  • Signup bonus. Earn up to 10,000 bonus Scene+ points. Earn 5,000 Scene+ points when you spend $750 in the first 3 months, and earn 5,000 points when you spend at least $5,000 in your first year. Apply by April 30, 2023.
  • Car rental perks. Get a discount of up to 25% off at participating Budget and AVIS car rental locations in both Canada and the US.
  • Optional insurance available. Optional insurance is available (for a fee) to help pay down your balance if you become critically ill, disabled or can't work due to job loss, strikes or lockouts. If you pass away or become diagnosed with a Covered Critical Illness, your card balance can be paid off up to $50,000.00. Terms apply.

• Watch out for

  • Foreign conversion fee. Every time you charge a purchase to your card in a foreign currency, you’ll incur a 2.5% fee.
  • Limited travel benefits. If you’re looking for a card that will give you travel rewards, you might want to look elsewhere. This card offers car rental discounts, but it doesn’t come with other common travel perks like insurance coverage, flight discounts and hotel upgrades.
  • Foreign transaction fee. This card has a foreign transaction fee of 2.5%. This will apply on any overseas purchases or any purchases made online with an international retailer.

With a fresh new look, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card is a powerful everyday credit card as well as a strong travel companion. Book and redeem any flight for any time through Scotia Rewards Travel Service, a full-service travel agency. Plus, take advantage of the Best Price Guarantee on airfare. Enjoy peace of mind with a broad array of travel insurance options including Emergency Medical (up to $1,000,000), Travel Accident, Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Flight Delay, Delayed or Lost Baggage and Rental Car Collision Loss/Damage.

• The perks

  • Signup bonus. Earn up to 45,000 bonus Scene+ points in your first year (that's up to $850 towards travel) and get the first year annual fee waived. Apply by April 30, 2023. To qualify for the 45,000 bonus Scene+ points offer, earn 25,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in purchases in your first year.
  • Earn rewards points. Earn 6 Scene+ points for every $1 you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland and more, 5 Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible grocery, dining and entertainment purchases, 3 Scene+ points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transportation and select streaming services, and 1 Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases elsewhere.
  • No foreign transaction fees. Spend overseas or online with international retailers and avoid any foreign transaction fees.
  • Travel insurance. Enjoy peace of mind with a broad array of travel insurance options including Emergency Medical (up to $1,000,000), Travel Accident, Trip Cancellation and Interruption, Flight Delay, Delayed or Lost Baggage and Rental Car Collision Loss/Damage.
  • Travel perks. Book and redeem any flight for any time through Scotia Rewards Travel Service, a full-service travel agency. Plus, take advantage of the Best Price Guarantee on airfare.
  • American Express rewards. Receive early access to tickets for shows, concerts and live events, plus get invites to exclusive events and discounts.

• What to watch out for

  • Annual fee. This card has an annual fee of $120.
  • Signup bonus restrictions. You’ll need to charge at least $1,000 of eligible purchases to your card within the first 3 months as a cardholder to receive bonus points.
  • Eligibility requirements. You’ll need to earn a minimum income of $12,000 a year.

The HSBC +Rewards Mastercard comes with a low annual fee of $25, a low interest rate of 11.9% and rewards for recreational spending. Earn 2 Points for every $1 on eligible dining or entertainment purchases and earn 1 Point for every $1 spent on all other everyday purchases. All other spending earns rewards at a rate of 1 point per dollar

A balance transfer fee of 0% applies when you transfer your balance from another credit card (excluding balance transfer promotions; conditions apply). Cardholders also get free Price Protection, Extended Warranty Insurance and Purchase Assurance.

• The perks

  • Low interest rate. Enjoy a low annual fee of just 11.9%.
  • No balance transfer fee. This card offers a 0% fee on balance transfers (outside of balance transfer promotional periods; conditions apply).
  • Protection on your purchases. Price Protection Service: Find a lower price within 60 days of your purchase and the difference will be refunded (up to $500 per eligible item). Extended Warranty Insurance: The original manufacturer’s warranty on eligible items can be doubled by up to one additional year. Purchase Assurance: Get coverage for up to 90 days
    should items charged to your card get lost, damaged or stolen.
  • Zero Liability protection. Enjoy protection against unauthorized purchases to your card with Mastercard Zero Liability protection.

• What to watch out for

  • Annual fee. This card has an annual fee of $25, although this is fairly low compared to other cards on the market.
  • Additional cardholder fee. You’ll have to pay an annual fee of $10 for each additional cardholder.
  • No complimentary travel insurance. By paying an additional $69 per year (including taxes), you'll get Emergency Travel Medical insurance as well as Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and Baggage Delay/Loss coverage.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card is a powerful travel companion. With a 0% foreign transaction fee, this card allows you to save while earning rewards points for every dollar you spend. Plus, you’ll get travel benefits, car rental perks and more.

• The perks

  • No foreign transaction fees. This card has a 0%, so you can save on purchases when you travel or shop online with international retailers. (The exchange rate will still apply.)
  • Rewards points. Earn 3 Scene+ points on every $1 you spend at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland and more, 2 Scene+ points points for every $1 spent on eligible grocery store, dining, entertainment and daily transit purchases, and earn 1 Scene+ point for every $1 spent elsewhere.
  • Signup bonus. Earn up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points and get the first year annual fee waived (that’s up to $1,300 in value in the first 12 months). Apply by April 30, 2023. Earn 30,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, earn an annual 10,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $40,000 in purchases annually.
  • Travel perks. Receive a complimentary Priority Pass membership, plus six free visits per year to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world.
  • Travel insurance coverage. Get up to $1,000,000 in Emergency Medical Insurance. Plus, get trip cancellation, trip interruption and travel accident insurance for free when you charge at least 75% of your trip costs to your card. Benefits also include coverage for flight delays, rental car collision loss/damage, hotel/motel burglaries and delayed or lost baggage.
  • Car rental discounts. Get up to 25% car rental discount + complimentary upgrades for Avis Preferred Plus members at participating Avis locations in Canada and the US. Plus get Rental Car Collision/Loss Damage Insurance coverage (up to $65,000).
    

• What to watch out for

  • Annual fee. This card has an annual fee of $150.
  • Eligibility requirements. You must have a minimum personal income of $60,000 annually or a household income of $100,000 annually to qualify for this card.

Designed with the frequent traveller in mind, the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard lets you earn rewards points that can be redeemed free merchandise or to help pay for your next trip. Get 5x the points for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases, 3x points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and entertainment purchases and recurring bill payments, and 1 point for every $1 spent elsewhere.

The annual fee of $150 can be more than offset by travel benefits such as complimentary travel insurance, lounge access, 24/7 concierge services and an attractive signup bonus. Get up to 60,000 points and get the $150 annual fee waived in the first year.

• The perks

  • Signup bonus. Get up to 60,000 points and get the $150 annual fee waived in the first year.
  • Rental car collision damage insurance. Get complimentary Collision Damage Waiver benefits (MSRP of up to $65,000)..
  • Rewards points. Get 5x the points for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases, 3x points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and entertainment purchases and recurring bill payments, and 1 point for every $1 spent elsewhere.
  • Travel perks. Get complimentary purchase protection and extended warranty insurance on many of your card purchases. This means that eligible items are automatically covered against theft or damage for 90 days from the date of purchase. Additionally, the original manufacturer's warranty for eligible items is extended for up to 1 additional year.
  • Travel insurance coverage. Cardholders under 65 years of age get up to $2 million Out-of-Province/Out-of-Country Emergency Medical benefits for unlimited trips per year up to 21 days per trip. Other trip assistance services include emergency cash transfers (subject to available credit up to a maximum of $5,000) as well as coverage for lost/stolen/damaged baggage, trip cancellations/delays/interruptions, flight delays and lost/stolen travel documents and tickets. Cardholders aged 65-74 years old are eligible for separate coverage at an additional cost.
  • Extended Warranty and Purchase Protection. Get complimentary Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty insurance on many of your card purchases. This means that eligible items are automatically covered against theft or damage for 90 days from the date of purchase. Additionally, the original manufacturer's warranty for eligible items is extended for up to one additional year.

• Watch out for

  • Annual fee. This card has an annual fee of $150.
  • Foreign transaction fee. This card has a foreign transaction fee of 2.5%. This will apply on any overseas purchases or any purchases made online with an international retailer.
  • Eligibility requirements. You’ll need to earn a personal income of at least $80,000, or a combined household income of at least $150,000 annually.

• The perks

  • Cash back in 2 categories (with an optional third category). Earn 2% cash back in two Tangerine credit card categories of your choice (or three categories if you open a Tangerine Savings Account and directly deposit your cash back into the account), and 0.5% cash back on everything else.
  • No annual fee. This card comes with no annual fee.
  • Welcome bonus. Earn 10% cash back (up to $100) when you spend $1,000 in the first 2 months Valid until May 2, 2023.
  • Balance transfer offer. Get a 1.95% interest rate on balance transfers for the first six months. To take advantage of this offer, you must complete the Balance Transfer request within 30 days of account approval and activate your card within 45 days of approval. A balance transfer fee equaling the greater of 3% or $5 will be charged on each transferred amount (fee is waived by Tangerine if you're a resident of Quebec).

• What to watch out for

  • Less cash back on other categories. Receive 0.5% cash back on all other categories of spending.
  • Foreign transaction fee. You’ll pay a foreign transaction fee of 2.5% on all overseas purchases.
  • Balance transfer fee. You’ll pay a balance transfer fee of 3% of the total transferred amount or $5, whichever is greater.