Scene+ Points: How to Earn, Redeem and What They’re Worth
Scene+ is a Canadian loyalty program co-owned by Scotiabank and Cineplex. While many people associate it with movie rewards, the program also lets members earn points at grocery stores, restaurants and through eligible Scotiabank credit cards and banking products.
Members earn points on eligible purchases and can redeem them for travel, groceries, entertainment, gift cards and more. Here’s how Scene+ works, how much Scene+ points are worth and how to get the most value from your membership.
How Scene+ works
Scene+ members earn points by shopping at participating retailers, dining at partner restaurants, booking travel through Scene+ Travel or using eligible Scotiabank credit cards and banking products.
Like many retail and loyalty rewards programs in Canada, Scene+ combines everyday retail partners with a bank-backed rewards credit card program. Points are earned based on how much you spend and can later be redeemed for discounts, travel, gift cards or entertainment.
Program members can use a co-branded credit card or debit card to earn points, or present their membership card when making purchases at Scene+ retail partners. You can also do both to really ramp up your points earnings.
How much are Scene+ points worth?
In most cases, when redeeming Scene+ points, 100 Scene+ points are worth $1 when redeemed for eligible purchases. (Redemption values may vary depending on the category and promotion.)
Scene+ Point value breakdown
The value of Scene+ points may vary based on the redemption method you choose, but you can expect to get around one cent per point on travel, movies, dining, entertainment, banking, and retail, pharmacy and grocery shopping, according to NerdWallet’s analysis.
Unlike airline loyalty programs where point values can fluctuate depending on demand and availability, Scene+ points function more like cash. In most cases, 100 points equals $1 off your purchase, which makes the program easy to understand and predictable to use.
How to earn and redeem Scene+ points
You can earn Scene+ points at a variety of different businesses, including grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants. You can also earn points online through travel or merchandise purchases.
Spending with program partners
Here's an overview of some of the popular Scene+ program partners:
Grocery stores, pharmacies and liquor stores
Sobeys, Voila by Sobeys, Sobeys Pharmacy and Sobeys Liquor.
Safeway, Pharmacy at Safeway and Safeway Liquor.
FreshCo and FreshCo Pharmacy.
Thrifty Foods, Thrifty Foods Pharmacy and Thrifty Foods Liquor.
IGA and Voilà by IGA.
Foodland.
Needs.
Lawtons Drugs.
Rachelle Bery.
Les Marchés Tradition.
The points earned at these businesses will vary depending on digital and in-store offers. You can typically redeem 1000 Scene+ points for $10 off purchases at participating grocery stores.
Scene+ may offer the strongest everyday value in regions where Sobeys-owned grocery chains operate. If you don’t regularly shop at participating retailers, earning opportunities may be more limited without pairing your membership with a Scotiabank credit card.
Restaurants
You can earn one Scene+ point for every $3 spent on dine-in or take-out purchases at:
Harvey’s.
Swiss Chalet.
East Side Mario’s.
Montana’s BBQ and Bar.
Bier Markt.
Kelseys Original Roadhouse.
If you’d like to use those points while dining, you can redeem 500 Scene+ points for $5 in savings at participating restaurants. Redemption policies, including alcohol eligibility, may vary by location.
Entertainment spaces
Scene+ points can be earned at The Rec Room and Playdium locations, as well as at Cineplex theatres.
You’ll earn one point for every dollar spent at The Rec Room and Playdium, and five points for every dollar spent on movie and entertainment purchases at Cineplex theatres and concession stands (excluding alcohol).
At The Rec Room, you can redeem 1,000 points for $10 that can be put toward your purchase. At Playdium, you can redeem 500 points for $5 that can be put toward games, food and fun.
At Cineplex, redeeming 100 points generally gets you $1 off movie tickets or concessions. You can also redeem 500 points for $5 off food and drinks at the movies.
You can also earn points when shopping from hundreds of retailers participating in Scene+ Rakuten. Points can be redeemed for gift cards at over 60 retailers and brands.
Travel purchases
Scene+ members can earn and redeem points when booking through Scene+ Travel, Powered by Expedia, the program’s dedicated travel portal.
You’ll earn 3 Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible hotel stays, car rentals and activities booked through the platform. Flights can also be booked through the portal, though earn rates may vary.
Scene+ points can be redeemed toward travel at a typical rate of 100 points for $1 off your booking. Points can be applied directly at checkout, and you can choose to pay entirely with points or combine points and cash.
Using an eligible Scotiabank Scene+ credit card to pay for your booking can further increase the total points you earn on the purchase.
Using select Scotiabank credit cards and banking products
Scotiabank offers several credit cards that earn Scene+ points, including:
The Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa* Card.
The Scotiabank American Express® card.
The Scotiabank® Scene+™ Visa* Card (for students).
The Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card.
Scotiabank offers various Visa debit cards that earn Scene+ points. Several bank accounts earn points, too, including the Ultimate Package, Preferred Package, and the Preferred Package for Students and Youth.
Best Scotiabank Credit Cards
Compare Scotiabank credit card side-by-side to find the one that meets your needs with special perks and benefits.
How to maximize your Scene+ points
You don’t need a Scotiabank credit card to earn Scene+ points, but they are an effective way of juicing your points total and claiming rewards more quickly.
Let’s see how many points you can earn by being a Scene+ member and shopping with a Scotiabank credit card that earns Scene+ points.
You’re buying groceries at a participating Scene+ retailer, lunch at a participating restaurant and gas for the week. We’ll assume a $100 spend each on groceries and gas and $60 on lunch for a total of $260.
Your Scene+ membership entitles you to 20 points on lunch and nothing on gas. The actual number of points you earn at the grocery store will depend on what you buy and what offers are available, but we’ll assume one point per dollar spent, which gives you another 100 points. Your total points earned as a Scene+ member for this excursion is 120.
Paying with a Scotiabank credit card, like the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 600 Scene+ points on your grocery purchase, 300 points on lunch and another 300 points on gas. Your total points earned with this Scene+ credit card is 1,200.
Your Scene+ points for the day total 1,320 — that's 1,200 more points than you’d earn without using a Scene+ credit card.
Note: Earn rates and bonus categories are subject to change and may include spending caps.
Making Scene+ work for you
Managing your Scene+ rewards is relatively easy.
Register at sceneplus.ca and receive a Scene+ card number. Your Scene+ card number can be added to digital wallets for easy access when shopping.
Download the Scene+ app from the App Store or Google Play. The app isn’t required, but it will help you keep track of your Scene+ points balance and claim exclusive offers.
To earn Scene+ points through Rakuten purchases, you’ll have to link an existing Rakuten account to your Scene+ account. You can do that by visiting rakuten.ca/scene.
Cineplex may charge an online booking fee when purchasing tickets through its website or app. Check current fee policies before booking.
Remember to redeem your points. Points may expire after a period of account inactivity, according to Scene+ terms and conditions, and they can’t be transferred to another Scene+ member.
You can redeem your Scene+ points in-person when making purchases at participating retailers or through the Scene+ app by selecting “Rewards” and choosing how you’d like to put your points to work.
DIVE EVEN DEEPER
Shannon Terrell
