Why I’m no longer using my Maybank Horizon Visa Signature card

It's not you, it's me.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature card. In fact, I think it’s one of the better ones on the market.

You earn 3.2 mpd on dining, petrol, taxi fares and hotel bookings on Agoda. You earn 2.0 mpd on air tickets, travel packages and foreign currency transactions. Both these rates require you spend at least $300 a month (on anything), which is a fairly low threshold. Heck, they even throw in access to selected lounges in Singapore, KL and Hong Kong if you spend a minimum of $400 on air tickets or travel packages within 3 months of flying.

Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore

So why am I, after barely a month of use, going to sock drawer it?

I think this is a useful lesson in card strategy, because I’ve finally reached the point where I’ve spread myself too thin. I know, I know. For someone who’s earning points with 4 banks (DBS/UOB/Citibank/OCBC) and 11 different cards, I really should have seen this coming.

But it seemed to make sense at the time. The main reason I got the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature was for its bonus on dining.

  • I don’t drive, so the petrol bonus doesn’t mean much.
  • I take Uber instead of taxis, and put that on my DBS Woman’s World card for 4 mpd.
  • I don’t book hotels on Agoda, and even if I were to use an OTA that processed the transaction online I’d go with the Woman’s card again for 4 mpd.
  • Overseas spending goes on my UOB Visa Signature for 4 mpd.

Therefore, when I got the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature I envisioned it filling a gap in my card line up at restaurants where my UOB Preferred Platinum AMEX wasn’t accepted (kind of like what the HSBC Advance was supposed to do before it got nerfed).

But then the OCBC Titanium Rewards card came along, and with 10X points on mobile payments proved to be the best option in situations where the Maybank Horizon was supposed to come in.

So here’s how I see my dining card strategy now:

  • If AMEX is accepted, I’ll use my UOB Preferred Platinum AMEX until the S$6K annual cap on 4 mpd runs out
  • If Paywave is accepted, I’ll use my UOB Preferred Platinum Visa until the S$1K monthly cap on 4 mpd runs out
  • If Mobile payments are accepted, I’ll use my OCBC Titanium Rewards card until the S$12K annual cap on 4 mpd runs out

You can see there are very few situations where I’d have to fall back on a traditional Visa transaction. Indeed, in January I found myself struggling to hit the S$300 minimum spend on dining, despite the fact I’m on a long business trip and eating out every meal of the day.

I believe I just barely made the S$300 mark but simply can’t see myself hitting this in subsequent months when I don’t travel for work- I certainly spend more than S$300 on dining in a month but the majority of that will go on the UOB PPA/PPV/ OCBC Titanium Rewards before the Maybank Horizon sees any action.

That’s why I’m feeling a bit silly now that I have just under 1,000 orphan miles (TREATS points, rather) lying in my Maybank account, with no idea how I’m going to reach a sufficient critical mass to cash out. I don’t use any other Maybank cards so it’s not like I could even top it up slowly through a general spending card.

Let me reiterate- this is by no means a problem with the Maybank Horizon card per se, it’s purely a strategy issue. I could easily see someone who spends a lot on petrol, dining and overseas spending having a field day with this card. I could even see someone who does their general spending with UOB/DBS incorporating a Maybank card into their portfolio and doing well for themselves.

In my particular case I’ve just spread myself way, way too thin, and now I need to admit defeat and gracefully end my experiment with the Horizon card. Anyone has any idea what to do with some orphaned TREATS points?

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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L

I would add that the PPV is largely superseded by the OCBC Titanium (till end 2018). Apple and Samsung pay can be used on paywave terminals too. The PPV now is best used with mileslife I think.

Asian Miler

I still think that the end-2018 is a deal breaker, because even if you jump in now that means there’ll be much less of an incentive to keep it afterward… I might end up with orphan points there, and go back to the other cards after their promotion ends.

jonL

It’s like Girlfriend Titanium came along and you decided to let go Girlfriend May, while keeping a watch on the others.

ding

Although I agree with u, I have to keep using this card (with 500 cap) for my saveup account

Aaron Chan

i know what you can do! go book a package tour and you can cash out your miles when you meet your minimum transfer block.

Dorcas

Isn’t dining excluded in the terms and conditions of the OCBC Titanium Rewards card?

Shark

How to earn 4 mpd at more places with OCBC Titanium Rewards and mobile payments https://milelion.com/2017/12/14/earn-4-mpd-places-ocbc-titanium-rewards-mobile-payments/

Aaron Wong

No, where did you Get that idea?

Ben

Do you think it is possible to collect 4mpds using OCBC titanium mobile payments for wedding banquets?

The Diner

Dear Aaron, Actually i love this card, because of what i consider a less oppressive cap. My card of choice is exactly what you mentioned, UOB PPA. But with the revision to a measly 6k per annum, it has just busted and now sits in my drawer. Of course Paywave on UOB PPV comes to mind right after this. Unfortunately, high spending restaurants usually do not accept Paywave or mobile payments. A low cap of $1k a month and widespread Paywave terminals tells me that i should save this for other uses instead on dining. Ditto OCBC Titanium Rewards. So… Read more »

Tim

HSBC revolution. 2mpd dining and online (dbs woman’s has a bigger exclusion list than HSBC!)

James

Is there a card which will let me earn miles for City Index as most banks have excluded brokerages or is there a way around this?

Tim

I was thinking this recently. Similar strategy: (1) UOB PPA, (2a) UOB PPV if paywave accepted and divisible by 5, (2b) OCBC titanium if paywave accepted and not divisible by 5, (3) Citi clear plat for 2mpd

Article prompted me to check the last time I used Citi clear – 28nov!

The Diner

That card is not listed on Citibank’s website. I can only see it upon googling, is it even available for application now? And the greatest thing about it is there is no cap at all!

JC

Sadly the card has been sunsetted, no longer open for new applications.

Tim

Yeh I still got a clear plat. If you want unlimited 2mpd dining, HSBC revolution

Ric

Aaron – Would like your thoughts on this ongoing promotion and if its worth the uptake. Not sure if dining spend via MilesLife qualify as dining spend to get this double the usual 3 x miles per this promotion.

http://info.maybank2u.com.sg/personal/cards/special-promos/mileslife.aspx

[…] In February I wrote a farewell note to my Maybank Horizon Visa Signature […]

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