Apr 2, 2026
For most renters, that monthly housing payment is the single largest line item in a monthly budget. Until recently, it was also one of the few recurring expenses that credit cards couldn't help you with (unless you used an expensive cash advance). Even when using payment platforms, transaction fees made it too costly to use a credit card, wiping out any benefit earned from using a credit card to pay rent.
That's starting to change. Canadians can now use a participating Scotiabank Visa card to pay rent or condo fees on the Casa platform, a Canadian payments and rewards platform — and pay no transaction fees while earning Scene+ points (1).
How can you earn Scene+ points paying rent?
The participating card earns 1 Scene+ point per $1 on everyday purchases. Through the Casa partnership, cardholders can also use the card to pay rent or condo fees directly, bypassing the transaction fees that other Visa and Mastercard cards still incur on the platform (2).
Advertisement
To earn Scene+ points on housing payments, cardholders must first meet a minimum of $350 in everyday purchases in a given month. Those who hit that threshold earn 1 Scene+ point per $1 on their housing payments made through Casa — turning what is often the biggest monthly expense into a rewards-eligible one.
New cardholders can also qualify to earn up to 10,000 bonus points within their first three months.
For a renter paying $2,000 a month who consistently meets the $350 everyday spend threshold, that works out to approximately 24,000 Scene+ points per year from rent alone. Total annual points will depend on combined spending across both everyday purchases and housing payments, given the 1:1 dollar-to-point earn rate.
Must Read
- Stop the leak: 5 costs Canadians (still) overpay for every single month. How many are sabotaging your 2026 budget?
- What's your worth? Here are the 3 net worth milestones that change everything for Canadians (and what they say about you)
- Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
Should renters pay attention to this offer?
This offer is most relevant to renters and condo owners who pay monthly fees and hold — or are considering — the ScotiaGold Passport Visa Card. It also applies to those paying condo corporation fees, since Casa serves residential owners, operators and property managers in addition to individual tenants.
It's worth noting that the no-transaction-fee benefit is specific to the ScotiaGold Passport Visa Card used through Casa. All other Visa and Mastercard cards on the Casa platform continue to incur standard transaction fees.
What to do next
If you're already a ScotiaGold Passport Visa cardholder, check whether your building or property manager is set up to accept payments through Casa. The platform works with residential operators across Canada.
If you're evaluating credit cards and pay rent or condo fees, this partnership changes the math — housing payments were previously a dead zone for points accumulation. Being able to earn on that spend without absorbing a fee makes this worth a closer look, provided you can reliably meet the $350 monthly everyday spend threshold.
Advertisement
As with any rewards card, accumulating points should never be the primary purchase, as carrying a balance and interest charges will quickly outpace the value of any points earned.
Editor's Note – April 2, 2026: This article has been updated to correct the earning rate for Scene+ points when paying through Casa using the appropriate Scotiabank Visa.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Newswire (1, 2)
You May Also Like
- Here are 6 simple ways to avoid the stress of living paycheque to paycheque, according to Suze Orman
- If you’re still feeling the pinch this month — don’t panic. Here are 5 easy ways to fix your finances without a total overhaul
- How Warren Buffett’s simple buy-and-hold real estate approach offers a lesson for Canadian homeowners and long-term investors
- Approaching retirement with no savings? Don’t panic, you're not alone. Here are easy ways you can catch up (and fast)
Romana King is the Senior Editor at Money.ca. She writes for various publications, and her book -- House Poor No More: 9 Steps That Grow the Value of Your Home and Net Worth -- continues to be an Amazon bestseller. Since its publication in November 2021, this book has won five awards, including the New York CPA Society's Excellence in Financial Journalism (EFJ) Book Award in 2022.
