Citibank Philips camcorder promo

photo source: http://www.citibank.com.my/

Need a camcorder? Then you’re in luck if you can be fast enough to apply for a new Citibank credit card. Citibank is now offering 300 lucky persons a brand new Phillips camcorder that can record in HD. For the tech geeks, specs can be obtained here: CAM 101BL camcorder specs

If you aren’t fast enough, the next 300 will still receive a Barry Smith travel bag. Not a bad deal, but of course you’d be hoping to be getting your hands on the camcorder..

The entire offer ends 30^th September, although it was launched not long ago, so better get moving!

My verdict: apply now if you want to stand a chance for the camcorder. Remember though, you must swipe 3 times after getting your card to be eligible. The good thing is you can use it, get the RM50 cash back (new customers only) and discard the card later once you receive the camcorder..

Standard Chartered credit card RM128 promotion

photo source: http://www.standardchartered.com.my/

Standard Chartered is back with their cash back promotion. For every new applicant, cash back of up to RM128 will be given if the application is approved. The promotion is only applicable for online applications, so you have to go to their website and fill in the needed information, instead of signing up from any of their roaming agents.

Application of either the standard or business gold card will earn you RM88 if it is approved. For the platinum card, approval will earn you an additional RM40, which means you will get RM128.

Earlier this year, Standard Chartered were having a similar promotion with a much higher amount, up to RM228 as I remember. Probably at this time, they’re tuning it down with the unexpected high sign-up rate from their last promotion.

My verdict: good to earn the extra $$ if you’re already planning to get a credit card (from Standard Chartered or some other bank). It can cover at least a free year of the government service tax and you can always cancel after that if you’re not satisfied. For platinum cardholders, the bank provides unlimited use of premium lounge access, which can be quite useful if you are a frequent traveller.

MAS American Express Card

photo source: http://www.maybank2u.com.my/



AMEX has came out with their latest commercial card. This is targeted especially for small business owners, to enable them to have the perks and privileges that usually large companies enjoy. For a regular user like me, I tried to enquire on the eligibility for the card, but unfortunately I was turned down. This card comes in either platinum or gold. The platinum requires you to have a company turnover of RM 5M or higher, while the gold card will be the choice for anything less than that.

Both cards are offering an annual fee waiver of the first year, but subsequently they may not do so. There is a possibility to call up AMEX to request for a waiver, but usually it depends on your spending style.

The benefits covers whatever a business owner would need in terms of higher rewards points (in this case, it’s the Enrich Miles) and also additional privileges during travel, on MAS of course. There will be an annual spend bonus with RM10k spent; platinum gives a 100% bonus while gold gives 50% bonus of the Enrich Miles. Cardholders will also enjoy a free upgrade in the Enrich Miles program; platinum enjoys an automatic Gold Enrich membership, while gold enjoys an automatic Silver Enrich membership. Only downside is this is complimentary up till 20months only, beyond that, there will be some other requirements to fulfill to continue. Points collection however doesn’t look that attractive, with every RM5 only earning 1 Enrich Mile. Overseas spending earns double of this figure, but this is still measly compared to other credit cards that enable airline points collection.

Use of both card types for MAS purchase gives 5% on all international flights departing from Malaysia and also up to 20% off prices in the Business Savings program. For travel, the platinum gives a hugely better privilege than the gold card. Platinum cardholders receive complimentary Golden Lounge access, while gold cardholders are only able to purchase access through the Golden Lounge Privilege program. Platinum cardholders also get a 50% excess baggage allowance and priority baggage handling, while gold only get a 5kg excess baggage allowance. Both cards however get to enjoy the priority reservation list, check-in, standby and boarding from MAS.

For both cards, you will get a 2000 Enrich Miles bonus on your first transaction and also 8000 Enrich Miles on your first purchase of a MAS ticket. These are free points equal to RM50k spending, so a great deal indeed, even if they don’t offer automatic yearly annual fee waiver.

My verdict: for business owners that requires frequent travel and need a card that can help them stretch their money further, this looks to be a good card to have. The gold card doesn’t seem to help much, but it’s still worth getting if you don’t qualify for the platinum version.

Citibank iPad2 giveaway campaign

photo source: http://www.citibank.com.my/



Citibank is currently having another round of promotion, this time with iPad 2s to be won. Their previous promotion dishing out 100 iPads attracted an overwhelming response (Malaysians, sure will grab the opportunity to get something free), so they are now coming back with 200 iPad 2 to be won. This has been running for some time and will end August 7^th, 2011.

There will be 2 drawings per day and applicable for all Citibank credit card holders, provided you sign up at their website. Generally, each RM50 you spend locally with their cards entitles you to 1 entry. For RM50 transacted overseas, you will get 10 entries. There are also a bunch of other methods to get more entries, click below to read through all of them.

Citibank iPad 2 contest

Sounds easy enough, but how many people are you competing with? Will 10 or 100 entries be sufficient to earn you a free iPad2? I wonder..

My verdict: no harm trying, since spending will continue anyway, you may just need to remember to use more of your Citibank credit card during the campaign period..

Public Bank Esso Mobil Gold Credit Card

photo source: http://www.pbebank.com/

Lately I keep hearing the Public Bank Esso-Mobil card being advertised on the radio, so I decided to take a look. At first glance, it seems to be offering quite a good deal to match the Shell Citibank Gold Credit Card at 8% cash rebate. On top of that, there is a RM20 cash back too, if you’re a new Public Bank credit card member.

Another difference that this card has apart from other Public Bank credit cards is the free annual fee, without any conditions. However, as I looked further, there are a lot of hidden criteria to the 8% rebate and RM20 cash back that made me wonder if Public Bank launched this just to remain competitive with other banks.

The RM20 needs you to spend a minimum RM400 within the first 60days of your card approval. And this minimum amount is only on retail purchases, which means your petrol doesn’t count. Unless you’re already planning to get something within the first 2 months, you may tend to buy something totally unnecessary just to get the RM20.

The 8% cash rebate is based on a tiered plan: to reach a rebate of 8%, you need to spend more than RM800 at Esso or Mobil stations (regardless on fuel or purchases at the mart). On top of that, the rebate is capped at RM80 per month. Wait, there’s more..the cap goes down to RM50 per month from September  1^st, 2011 onwards. What happens post August is the additional 3% case rebate given will cease from the earlier mentioned date onwards, so max earning is just 5%.

The only good thing regarding the rebate plan is the fact that there is still a 0.5% Unlimited Case MegaBonus (some fancy name to attract attention?) on all other transactions with the card. Although this is no different than many cards offering 1 point for RM1, something is better than nothing.

My verdict: might be worth getting if you’re a regular (and maybe heavy) user of Esso or Mobil. Otherwise, there is not much value in it. No one I know has it yet, so I’m not sure if there can be a fee waiver to the GST, but if there is, then it could be a good deal for Esso-Mobil patrons.

Surf over here for my post on Citibank Cash Back Platinum Card

Maybankard 2 Cards

photo source: http://www.maybank2u.com.my/

Maybankard 2 credit cards was launched some time ago, but it is still an interesting addition to your existing card collection. There are 2 levels to choose from; Gold or Platinum. For Gold, you need to earn RM30k per annum, while Platinum requires RM60k per annum. The good thing about the cards is the lifetime fee waiver for the annual fees. It also provides 2 cards (1 American Express and 1 MasterCard or Visa) for the single charge of Government Service Tax. Of course, even with 2cards, the same credit limit applies, but you can enjoy benefits from the 2 different credit providers.

Usage of the AMEX card gives 5x TreatsPoints for every RM spent. This translates to 2.5% cash back for redemption of the gifts provided by Maybank. The AMEX card also gives 5% cash back for weekend spending, but capped at RM50 per month. Seems like a very good deal indeed, with the only minus point being that the use of MasterCard or Visa only gives 1x for every RM spent and the 5% cash back on weekends doesn’t apply. Well, you can probably use only the AMEX and use the other card as a bookmark J

This card also charges the lowest interest rate I’ve ever seen for a credit card – only 8.88% per annum. I guess Maybank must really like the number 8. Oh, but the 8.88% applies only if you pay the minimum 5% monthly, with a minimum of RM25.

This is where the similarity for both cards end. For the platinum card, it gives some additional privileges like travel insurance coverage and retail protection. These are especially good to cover unwanted costs if any mishap happens during times of travel. Platinum card also provides complimentary golf at some of the courses within Malaysia.

To apply, you can just fill up your details for an officer to get in touch with you. Typically they will call within 2 days to follow up on the application. Only thing is unlike other banks, where they just need your IC and existing card, Maybank requires your 3months’ payslip and also active savings/current account. A little overboard, but they’re probably just being cautious, what with the many folks out there now not really knowing how to control their finances.

My verdict: having the AMEX of this Maybankard 2 card combo is a good deal, with emphasis on the 5x TreatsPoints and the 5% cashback. Only trade-off with a normal AMEX card is that this gives Maybank TreatsPoints instead of American Express’ Membership Rewards points (these are evergreen!!) The additional card doesn’t seem to have much use, but it does come in handy when there are promotions specifically for MasterCard or Visa. Oh, just a reminder, if you need both MasterCard and Visa on top of the AMEX, then an additional RM50 (GST) will be charged.

OCBC Great Eastern Credit Cards

photo source: http://www.ocbccards.com.my/

OCBC has just recently been named the world’s strongest bank by Bloomberg. What an achievement, beating the likes of Switzerland’s Svenska Handelsbanken AB and the National Bank of Canada, as well as top Europe, Canada and USA banks. This shows that Asian countries can compete with the top dogs too!!

OCBC doesn’t have a whole fleet of credit cards to choose from, as compared to some other banks, but one of the cards that caught my attention is the collaboration with Great Eastern (GE). The 2 available GE range, Platinum and Titanium, offers different rebate % off your insurance premiums. As the collaboration suggest, the insurance premium must come from GE, but if you own insurance policies from Oversea Assurance Corporation (OAC), it will also be eligible for the rebate, being that OAC is a member of the OCBC Group.

For the direct rebate off your insurance premiums, Platinum cardholders are eligible for a 3% rebate, while Titanium cardholders are eligible for a 2% rebate. Is there a limit you ask? Definitely!! For Platinum, the max insurance premium eligible for the rebate in a year is RM15k, which gives back a hefty RM450. For Titanium, a much lower max of RM6k is eligible, which amounts to RM120 per year only. However, these amounts are more than sufficient to cover the Government Service Tax, with still some change for your other uses. Only thing to remember to be eligible for the exclusive rebate is to sign up for GE Easi-Pay service, otherwise, you will just earn the retail rebate as described below.

Both card types also offer a Retail Spend Rebate of all your other transactions with the card. For total transactions up till RM20k (note that this is monthly, not yearly), rebate % is the same, where 0.75% will be rebated for spending up till RM10k, while amounts beyond this and up till RM20k will enjoy a rebate of 1.5%. Spending above this amounts gives back 3% for Platinum card and 2% for Titanium. Although the offer looks good, probably big spenders are the ones that can achieve the high amount required.

Apart from this, the card also offers 1.5% rebate from Medical and Education transactions. Again, Platinum offers a higher amount, where the cap is RM3k per year, while Titanium caps this at RM2.4k.

At the moment, this card is offered to GE existing policy holders, but you can also apply if you like. Only thing is that the benefits are not so good if you’re not getting the rebate for the insurance premium. My agent is offering me this, but I don’t plan to get it, as I only have a few policies under GE. Probably that’s his method of getting me to own more J I may consider though, since there is no other company that offers rebates on insurance premiums.

For the minimum income requirement, not sure if it will be a considering factor for the card application, since my agent did mention that I can just provide my IC without any proof of income. However, if you need to know, Platinum requires a minimum of RM100,000 per annum income, while Titanium requires a minimum of RM36,000 per annum income.

However, one weak point is the minimum annual retail spending needed to enjoy a waiver of the annual fee (RM138 for Platinum, RM68 for Titanium). Platinum cardholders need to spend at least RM24k and Titanium cardholders need to spend RM18k annually. Shouldn’t be too difficult to spend RM1.5k – 2k per month, but this does compare poorly against other banks offering automatic waiver for much less or even the free-for-life cards. By the description itself, retain spending doesn’t include the premium paid, but any OCBC card agent can probably help to answer better.

My verdict: if your insurance premium from GE/OAC comes to RM3k a year, the rebate off this alone will cover your GST, while the other rebate perks will get some $$ back for you. If your insurance premium is somewhere around the max allowed, it still looks like a good deal, even if you don’t get a waiver off the annual fee, but only for the Platinum card (paying off RM138 and RM50 from the RM450 rebate still leaves something, but paying RM68 and RM50 from the RM120 rebate leaves almost nothing for Titanium)

Citibank Cash Back Platinum Card

photo source: http://www.citibank.com.my/

The Citibank Cash Back Platinum Card is the latest cash back credit card released by Citibank. Unlike other banks, it offers cash back on all days, with the preset %, based on the different categories. However, as always, there is a cap on the petrol spending. For this card, Citibank is offering a maximum RM600 per month, which equals to maximum cash back of RM30 per month. Good news is that there is no stipulated cap on the cash back for other categories!!

The card offers 2% for pharmaceuticals at Guardian and Watsons, 2% for groceries at all the major hypermarkets in Malaysia (namely Tesco, Giant, Carrefour & Cold Storage), 2% for phone bills from Maxis, Digi & Celcom. For everything else, the cash back is only a meager 0.3%. I guess this is the trade off with the higher % for other categories.

Also coming with the card are some other perks, i.e. Retail Protection Plan and Healthcare privileges. For the RPP, items that are lost, damaged or stolen will be reimbursed, up till 50%, but to a maximum of RM10k per item and RM15k per occurrence. This is only limited to eligible purchases, but I don’t have much info on what will be considered ‘eligible’. For the Healthcare part, you will get to enjoy a 30% discount on all Executive Screening Packages and also a 15% discount on all walk-in hospital room. These health benefits are only available in KPJ Healthcare’s participating hospitals.

To apply for this card, you will need to earn RM48,000 in a year or have an existing credit card (minimum 6months-1year) with a credit limit of RM10k. According to Citibank’s published annual fees, the principal requires forking out RM195 while supplementary costs RM100. This doesn’t really matter, as most Citibank cards’ annual fees can be waived with a phone call to their Customer Service. The only thing is that the card needs to be used somewhat actively for them to waive the annual fees.

My verdict: this is one of the better cash back card there is in Malaysia, although you may need to do some tracking of your petrol spending to not exceed the set limit. Remember that there is no bonus points once the cap is exceeded, so spend wisely (on petrol, since there is no cap on other spending)..another cash back card that may be able to compare is OCBC’s Titanium Card, but that will be another blog..

credit cards..

Credit cards are popularly becoming an essential item in everyone’s possession in today’s modern world. Many blogs are out there talking about credit cards, but there is nothing that really breaks down each card for a regular user like me. So I’m just going to start one on my own.

Information and details that I will be posting comprises of info from my own experiences, talking with many friends and acquaintances, info from individual banks as well as directly from credit cards officers J