TORONTO, June 10 /CNW/ - Scotiabank today announced the launch of a new ScotiaGold Passport Visa travel booking website. The online initiative allows ScotiaGold Passport Visa customers to log on in a safe and secure travel agency environment to book flights, vacation packages, hotels and car rentals. As a special offer, ScotiaGold Passport Visa customers will receive 250 points for just visiting the new travel booking site at www.scotiarewards.com.

"Heading into the summer vacation season, the ScotiaGold Passport Visa travel booking website may make our customers' travel plans a lot less complicated and much more enjoyable," said Gillian Riley, Senior Vice-President and Head, Retail Payments, Deposits and Lending, Scotiabank. "The website complements Scotiabank's suite of credit products and services and reinforces our goal to respond to a wide variety of customer preferences and needs."

The ScotiaGold Passport Visa travel booking website - operated by third-party travel agent, Hogg Robinson Canada Inc. - provides 24-hour access to real-time search results and bookings, with flexible online payment options, using points, ScotiaGold Passport Visa, or a combination of both.

"At Scotiabank we are committed to offering customers flexible and unique borrowing solutions to meet a variety of needs," added Vivek Chandra, Vice-President, Credit Cards, Scotiabank. "Our first objective is to provide our customers with the best value for the financial services we provide."

Scotiabank is currently offering 20,000 travel reward points, or $200 in travel rewards, to new ScotiaGold Passport Visa cardholders, with an additional 10,000 points, or $100 in travel rewards, upon renewal of the card after one year. The annual fee is $99 for the first year and $110 thereafter.

ScotiaGold Passport Visa offers five per cent cash back on all eligible travel - including flights, cruises and packages - when booked through Scotia Rewards - online or over the phone. ScotiaGold Passport Visa customers have the flexibility to book with any airline, any time, with no grid system, no seat or airline restrictions, and no booking fees. The ScotiaGold Passport Visa also provides industry leading insurance coverage including 31-day out-of-country travel insurance and rental car collision insurance.

Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With close to 68,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve approximately 14.6 million customers in some 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a diverse range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With more than $526 billion in assets (as at April 30, 2010), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

ScotiaGold Passport Visa Travel Tips Backgrounder
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TORONTO, June 10, 2010 - Whether Canadians head to the campgrounds, or fly abroad for their summer vacations, Scotiabank provides travel tips and financial tools to meet all their travel needs before they leave home and while they are away:

General Advice

    -  Carry a combination of cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and
       debit cards;
    -  Ask your travel agency whether you will require a passport, visa,
       vaccination or any other documents;
    -  Ensure you have sufficient insurance coverage for your personal
       situation and that you are familiar with its terms, conditions and
       exclusions;
    -  Post-date any bill payments online or through your branch that may
       become due while you are away;
    -  Plan for any GIC, RRSP or mortgage maturities that may come up while
       you are away;
    -  Take a note of all refund and emergency numbers to ensure prompt
       cancellation and replacement of lost or stolen travelers cheques or
       credit cards;
    -  If travelling outside of Canada, it's a good idea to carry enough
       local currency for taxis, tips, buses and telephone calls;
    -  Research the local currency and exchange rates to ensure you have
       sufficient currency and travelers cheques;
    -  Some countries have departure taxes - it is a good idea to enquire and
       put away the correct amount of cash with your tickets, passport and
       immigration exit card;

    Automated Banking Machines (ABMs)

    -  Visit www.visa.ca and click "ATM locator" to determine whether your
       destination has convenient access to ABMs;

    Credit Cards

    -  Call your credit card company before you leave to confirm that the
       card will be honoured at your destination;
    -  If your card is "turned down" in a foreign country, check to determine
       whether it was turned down or referred, as referred means only that
       additional information is required from the merchant;
    -  Record your credit cards before leaving home and know the expiry dates
       and credit limits;

    Cash

    -  Do not carry large amounts of cash - keep some in a hotel safe or
       travel wallet;
    -  Foreign coins may not be accepted for exchange in Canada, so it is a
       good idea to plan on using them for small sundry purchases, such as
       buying a snack or souvenirs;

    Online and Telephone Banking

    -  Using the Internet or telephone while on vacation is a time saving and
       cost-efficient way to access bank accounts and keep your bill payments
       up-to-date; and
    -  Some providers allow you to post-date bill payments and fund transfers
       before you leave.

"We advise customers to carry a combination of cash, travelers' cheques, and credit to keep their options open and prevent them from being caught short," said Vivek Chandra, Vice-President, Credit Cards, Scotiabank. "As always, it's very important for customers to report any lost or stolen cards immediately."

Scotiabank has introduced a full range of products and services to meet customers' unique personal or business travel needs:

-  Scotiabank branches across Canada offer a full range of foreign
       exchange services - check with your branch in advance as some
       currencies need to be ordered;
    -  Scotiabank offers American Express Travellers Cheques;
    -  Scotia Travel Medical Insurance can provide up to $1 million in
       emergency travel medical coverage, plus coverage for the cost of
       hospitalization, doctor's charges, diagnostic services, emergency
       dental care, ground and air ambulance, prescriptions and medical
       appliances, as well as a payment guarantee to medical providers;
       emergency payments to medical providers when required; airfare home
       for immediate medical attention if approved by the Assistance Centre;
       24-hour multilingual worldwide emergency assistance; and Optional Trip
       Interruption coverage:
    -  The ScotiaGold Passport Visa also provides industry leading insurance
       coverage, including 31-day out-of-province travel medical insurance,
       trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and rental car collision
       insurance;
    -  Scotiabank customers may access our telephone banking service anywhere
       in Canada or the continental U.S., 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
       and with Scotia Online, customers are in control of their accounts
       from anywhere in the world through the Internet;
    -  Customers may also access their accounts from the 2,964 Scotiabank
       automated banking machines (ABMs) across Canada, and can pay for goods
       directly at more than 406,000 merchants using Interac point of sale
       technology. This is in addition to the more than 54,000 ABMs across
       the country where cards bearing the Interac symbols may be used. When
       travelling abroad, customer may withdraw cash from any of the more
       than 1.4 million Visa ABMs in more than 200 countries and territories.