Reimburses non-refundable prepaid travel costs if you must cancel your trip before departure for a covered reason such as sudden illness, injury or death.
What does the insurance on my Scotiabank Gold American Express card actually cover?
Scotiabank·CA$120/year·American Express·Manulife (The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company) / FNAIC
Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 29, 20268 min read
4,0/5Independent review · verified June 2026
4,1
4,0
3,0
Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the Scotiabank Gold American Express
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
An unusually complete travel-insurance package for a $120 card: $1,000,000 emergency medical, both trip cancellation and interruption, flight delay, baggage delay and loss, hotel burglary and common-carrier accident coverage. The headline limit is generous, but the 3-day cap for travellers 65 and over and the lack of a missed-connection benefit are the main gaps.
What works on travel
- $1,000,000 emergency medical — among the highest in its fee class
- Trip cancellation AND interruption both included ($1,500pp / $10,000 trip)
- Flight delay, baggage delay, lost baggage and hotel burglary all covered
- 0% foreign exchange fee on every purchase
Where travel breaks down
- Emergency medical lasts only 3 days for travellers 65 and over (25 days under 65)
- No standalone missed-connection benefit
- Lost-baggage limit is $1,000 combined for all travellers and excludes electronics
- Pre-existing condition exclusions apply
Our methodology
Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.
Travel Insurance · 11 guarantees
What does Scotiabank Gold American Express Travel Insurance actually cover?
You must prepay at least 75% of your travel with the card and/or Scene+ points and contact the administrator within 48 hours of the cause for cancellation.
What's covered
- Cancellation and rescheduling fees for covered reasons
- Up to $1,500 per insured person
- Overall combined maximum of $10,000 per trip
What's not covered
- Pre-existing conditions
- Pregnancy within 9 weeks of expected delivery
- Illness or injury while intoxicated
- Dangerous sports or speed contests
- Self-inflicted injuries, crime, war or terrorism
Coverage is a maximum of 25 consecutive days if you are 64 or younger, but only 3 days if you are 65 or older — older travellers should buy a top-up. Always call the administrator before treatment.
Covers reasonable and customary emergency medical expenses, in excess of your government health plan, for a sudden and unexpected medical emergency while travelling outside your province.
What's covered
- Up to $1,000,000 per person
- Hospital, doctor and emergency treatment
- Diagnostic services (MRI/CT scans must be pre-approved)
- Repatriation expenses
- Death while travelling up to $5,000
What's not covered
- Pre-existing conditions
- Elective or non-emergency treatment
- Pregnancy within 9 weeks of expected delivery
- Illness or injury while intoxicated
- Dangerous sports or speed contests
Repatriation is arranged and pre-approved by the administrator within the $1,000,000 emergency medical limit.
Emergency repatriation home is included within the Travel Emergency Medical Insurance when it is medically necessary.
What's covered
- Expenses to bring you home / repatriation
- Return of remains in case of death while travelling (up to $5,000)
What's not covered
- Pre-existing conditions
- Non-emergency or elective transport
Requires at least 75% of the trip prepaid with the card and/or Scene+ points.
Reimburses extra costs if your trip is interrupted and you must return home earlier or later than planned for a covered reason.
What's covered
- Up to $1,500 per person, max $10,000 per trip
- Non-refundable unused prepaid portion of the trip
- Or change fees / one-way economy fare home, whichever is less
What's not covered
- Pre-existing conditions
- Pregnancy within 9 weeks of expected delivery
- Illness or injury while intoxicated
- Dangerous sports or speed contests
- Self-inflicted injuries, crime, war or terrorism
At least 75% of the delayed flight ticket must be prepaid with the card and/or Scene+ points and the delay must exceed 4 hours.
Pays for meals, accommodation and toiletries when your flight is delayed more than 4 hours from the scheduled departure time.
What's covered
- Up to $500 per person for up to 48 hours
- Meals, accommodation and toiletries
- Delays caused by weather, strike, overbooking and more
What's not covered
- Participating in a crime
- Acts of war, terrorism, insurrection or riot
This card does not include a separate missed-connection benefit; only flight delays of more than 4 hours are covered.
Trip Interruption explicitly covers returning home earlier OR later than your scheduled return date.
Returning home early for a covered reason is handled under the Trip Interruption benefit.
What's covered
- Covered under Trip Interruption
- Up to $1,500 per person, max $10,000 per trip
What's not covered
- Pre-existing conditions and the other Trip Interruption exclusions apply
Your ticket must be paid with the card and/or Scene+ points; the limit is combined across all travellers.
Reimburses essential purchases when your checked baggage is delayed at your final destination by 4 or more hours.
What's covered
- Up to $1,000 combined for all insured persons on the same trip
- Delay of 4+ hours at the final destination (within 96 hours)
What's not covered
- Money, tickets, securities, documents
- Unchecked luggage
- Expenses after baggage is delivered
- Losses caused by a crime
Electronics are excluded and the $1,000 limit is shared across all insured persons — modest for valuable baggage.
Reimburses the cost of replacing lost or stolen checked luggage and personal items during your trip.
What's covered
- Up to $1,000 combined for all insured persons on the same trip
- Cost of replacing lost or stolen items
What's not covered
- Money, tickets, securities, documents
- Electronics such as cell phones, laptops or tablets
- Unchecked luggage
At least 75% of the ticket must be paid with the card and/or Scene+ points.
Pays a lump sum if you suffer death or a serious injury (loss of limb, sight, speech, hearing or permanent disability) in an accident while travelling on a common carrier such as a plane, train or bus.
What's covered
- Up to $500,000 per person
- Up to $1,000,000 for any one occurrence
- Dependent children $50,000 (death)
What's not covered
- Self-inflicted injuries
- Piloting or crewing an aircraft
- Acts of war
- Illness or disease
Available only in Canada and the United States, including within your home province.
Reimburses property stolen from your hotel or motel room when there is evidence of forced entry.
What's covered
- Up to $1,000 combined per trip
- Property stolen between check-in and check-out
- Forced entry required
What's not covered
- Money, tickets, securities, documents
- Credit cards
Policy document 1
Policy document 2
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the Scotiabank Gold American Express wins, where it loses
Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.
Compare
Gold American ExpressThis card4.0/5?
$120/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
$150 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the Scotiabank Gold American Express stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Gold American Express shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Gold American Express Scotiabank · $120/yr 4.0/5? | Passport Visa Infinite Scotiabank · $150/yr 3.9/5? | Rewards World Elite Mastercard BMO · $150/yr 4.3/5? | World Elite Mastercard ATB Financial · $120/yr 4.1/5? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | $1,500 / person (max $10,000 / trip) | $1,500 / person · $10,000 / trip | $2,500 / person ($5,000 / account) $0 deductible | $1,000 / person (max $5,000 / trip) |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | $1,000,000 / person | $2,000,000 / person — 25 days (<65) / 3 days (65+) | $2,000,000 (under 65, first 21 days) First 21 days only | $2,000,000 / person · ≤22 days · under 65 |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | Included | Return of deceased $5,000 · vehicle return $1,000 | Actual cost (pre-authorization required) Pre-authorization required | Included (within medical) |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | $500 / person (up to 48 h) | $500 / person (delay > 4h) | $500 / account / trip (6h+ delay) Trigger: 6 hours | $500 / trip ($250/day, up to 2 days) |
Trip interruption Covered amount | $1,500 / person (max $10,000 / trip) | $2,500 / person · $10,000 / trip | $2,000 / person Up to $2,000 / person | $1,000 / person (max $5,000 / trip) |
StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact Scotiabank Gold American Express assistance?
Insurance is underwritten by Manulife (The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company) and FNAIC, with claims and assistance handled by Global Excel.
Canada & United States
1-800-263-0997
Toll-free · 24/7
From other countries (collect)
416-977-1552
Call collect · 24/7
Benefit administrator: Active Claims Management (2018) Inc., operating as Active Care Management / Global Excel Management, on behalf of Manulife
Claims & pre-authorizations
How to make a claim
1
Call before treatment
For a medical emergency, always call the administrator at 1-800-263-0997 (or collect at 416-977-1552 from abroad) before receiving treatment so it can be confirmed and pre-approved.
2
Respect the deadlines
Report trip cancellation claims within 48 hours of the cause. For all other benefits, report your claim and send all supporting proof within 90 days.
3
Submit your claim online
File your claim at manulife.ca/scotia. If needed, the administrator will send you a claim form with submission instructions.
4
Provide supporting documents
Keep and submit receipts, police or medical reports, and proof that the trip, ticket or item was paid with the card and/or Scene+ points. The administrator notifies you of its decision in writing.
FAQ
What people ask about the Scotiabank Gold American Express
- Up to $1,000,000 per person for a sudden, unexpected medical emergency outside your province. Coverage lasts a maximum of 25 consecutive days if you are 64 or younger, but only 3 days if you are 65 or older. Always call the administrator at 1-800-263-0997 before receiving treatment.
- Yes, but only for the first 3 days of a trip (versus 25 days for those 64 and younger). Older travellers planning longer trips should purchase a supplemental travel medical policy.
- Yes. Both are covered up to $1,500 per person, to a combined maximum of $10,000 per trip, provided you prepaid at least 75% of your travel with the card and/or Scene+ points. Cancellation claims must be reported within 48 hours of the cause.
- Expenses related to pre-existing conditions are excluded. The look-back window is 180 days before booking for travellers under 75, and 365 days for those 75 and over. Stable conditions controlled by unchanged medication may still qualify for emergency medical coverage.
- Yes. The Rental Car Collision/Loss Damage benefit is primary insurance, paying up to the actual cash value of an eligible vehicle for rentals of up to 48 days. You must decline the rental counter's CDW/LDW and charge the rental to the card or Scene+ points.
- No. The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card charges no foreign currency conversion fee (0% FX), which can save roughly 2.5% on every purchase made in a foreign currency.
- Yes. Mobile Device Insurance reimburses up to $1,000 for loss, theft, mechanical breakdown or accidental damage to a new phone bought with the card. Value depreciates 2% per month, a $25–$100 deductible applies, and claims are limited to one per 12 months.
- Delayed baggage and lost/stolen baggage are each covered up to $1,000 combined for all travellers on the same trip. Note that electronics, cash and tickets are excluded from the lost baggage benefit.
- File online at manulife.ca/scotia or call 1-800-263-0997 (collect at 416-977-1552 from abroad). Report cancellation claims within 48 hours of the cause and all other claims within 90 days, keeping receipts and proof of payment with the card.
Not just Scotiabank
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Gold American Express is a strong choice — but depending on what you prioritize, one of these may suit you better.
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