If you’ve ever landed in a foreign airport and immediately started hunting for a Wi-Fi network so you could pull up your hotel address, you know the drill. International data should be simple, but somehow it never is.
As of April 25, 2026, Scotiabank has upgraded two of its flagship credit cards to the newly created Visa Infinite+ tier. With this upgrade comes a complimentary 10 GB GigSky global data plan. Here’s everything you need to know about this new benefit.
What Is The GigSky Benefit on Visa Infinite+ Cards?
GigSky is an eSIM provider that offers mobile data plans covering over 200 countries. You download one eSIM through the GigSky app and activate data plans as needed for wherever you’re heading. No swapping physical SIM cards, no hunting for a kiosk at the airport.
The Visa Infinite+ tier – a brand new card tier in Canada sitting between Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Privilege – now includes a complimentary 10 GB GigSky global mobile data plan, valid for 15 consecutive days and renewable annually. This is on top of the existing 1 GB plan (also 15 days) that standard Visa Infinite cards already receive, bringing the total to 11 GB of free data per year.
Interestingly, Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders in Canada can only expect 2GB eSIM for 15 days, which is about on par with what comes with the $795 USD per year Chase Sapphire Reserve. This means the Visa Infinite+ is probably being prioritized as the new “travel” category card.
Cardholders also get unlimited access to “Travel Essentials by GigSky,” which provides low-bandwidth access to messaging apps, navigation, email, and travel-related services even without an active data plan. On top of all this, you’ll receive a 20% discount on any additional GigSky plans you purchase.
Is that worth it? It may be worth shopping around to save a few more bucks, though the delta on pricing likely isn’t super decisive. As more competitors have entered the eSIM market over time, the cost to consumers has gone down.
Which Visa Infinite+ Cards Currently Offer Free GigSky Mobile Data?
Right now, only two cards carry the Visa Infinite+ designation, both from Scotiabank.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ Card is the renamed Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite. It keeps all of its existing benefits. The card comes with no foreign transaction fees, six annual lounge passes via Visa Lounge Companion, and competitive earn rates on Scene+ points, as well as a decent suite of insurance.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite+ Card is one of Canada’s best all-around travel cards, offering no foreign transaction fees and six complimentary airport lounge passes through the Visa Airport Companion Program.
Scene+ points are easy to earn on everyday spending and can be redeemed flexibly for travel, groceries, and more, making it a strong everyday carry for travellers who want simplicity and real value for $150 per year.
Earn when you apply through Frugal Flyer.
60,000 Scene+ points
$40,000
$750+
$150
No
Jul 1, 2026
The 11GB eSIM is now bundled in as a benefit on the card, with a very reasonable $150 annual fee. If you already hold this card, the transition happened automatically, and the Gigsky benefit should be available immediately.
The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite+ Card follows the same playbook: same 4% cash back on groceries and recurring bills, same insurance, same $120 annual fee, plus the new GigSky benefit.
The Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite+ Card earns 4% cash back on grocery purchases, eligible recurring bill payments, and subscription purchases.
Earn when you apply through Frugal Flyer.
$300 cash back
$2,000
$450+
$120 (FYF)
Yes
Nov 1, 2026
Ostensibly, Scotiabank has advertised that replacement cards with Visa Infinite+ branding will arrive in the mail over the coming months, but your current card works fine in the meantime.
In the past, when it comes to card rebrands, this hasn’t happened (for example, when the Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card went from purple to black with lime green accents), but maybe this is a requirement now since it’s a new card tier? Just an interesting trivia fact, if you don’t get a replacement, expect one if and when your card expires.
How To Use The GigSky Benefits on Visa Infinite+ Cards
Activating your free data is straightforward. Download the GigSky app, set your Visa Infinite+ card as the default payment method, and the complimentary plans will appear automatically. You can install the eSIM and activate the 10 GB plan before or during your trip, and your account needs to be in good standing for the benefit to remain active.
Worth noting: the 10 GB plan runs for 15 consecutive days once activated, so time it around your travel. The good news is that as eSIMs have become more common, it’s gotten easier and easier to add or remove them and turn them on and off, which is nice because paying $16+/day roaming charges on your Canadian carrier’s plan is pure unadulterated pain.
One thing to note: these eSIMs are data and location only. Your SMS and call capabilities will be turned off, though you can always get around this by doing what people outside North America all do, which is just use third-party apps like WhatsApp to do those.
Alternatives To GigSky for Mobile Data When Traveling
GigSky is a solid option, especially when it’s free. But it’s not the only game in town for Canadians looking to stay connected abroad. We’ve written a comprehensive comparison of eSIM services that covers providers like Airalo, Saily, and others.
If you need a working phone number in addition to data, Google Fi remains an excellent choice for Canadians who have a US billing address, as it offers affordable international service you can pause between trips. On a recent trip to Europe, I used Nomad eSIM based on my own research, and it worked just fine.
Conclusion
The Visa Infinite+ tier is still in its infancy, and Scotiabank is currently the only issuer in Canada carrying the designation. Whether other banks follow suit remains to be seen. But if you already hold one of these Scotiabank cards, you’ve picked up a pretty useful new benefit at no additional cost. Download the GigSky app before your next trip, link your card, and enjoy not being the person frantically searching for airport Wi-Fi.
Kirin Tsang
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