Maybank will be cutting the airport limo ride entitlement on the Maybank Visa Infinite Card, effective 1 July 2023. Cardholders will receive one limo ride per S$3,000 qualifying spend, down from two rides currently.
Although it seems like Maybank is giving advance notice, because your June spending determines your July entitlements, it’s as if this nerf has already taken place.
Maybank Visa Infinite nerfs limo benefit
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| ๐ Maybank Visa Infinite Limo Benefit | ||
| ย | Till 30 Jun 23 | From 1 Jul 23 |
| Min. spend | S$3,000 for 2 rides | S$3,000 for 1 ride |
| Max rides per month | 2 | 2 |
| Max rides per year | 8 | 8 |
| T&Cs | Link | Link |
Currently, Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders who spend at least S$3,000 in the previous calendar month are eligible to book:
- 2 complimentary one-way airport limo transfers, or
- 1 complimentary Quayside service at JetQuay
From 1 July 2023, Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders who spend at least S$3,000 in the previous calendar month will be eligible to book:
- 1 complimentary one-way airport limo transfers, or
- 1 complimentary Quayside service at JetQuay
In other words, you’llย need to spend S$6,000 to receive the same entitlement as before.
Do note the following:
- Bookings must be made at least three days and up to two months before the actual date of limo transfer or JetQuay service
- Booking entitlements cannot be carried forward to the next calendar year
- The maximum complimentary limo rides/JetQuay service per calendar month is capped at two
- The maximum complimentary limo rides/JetQuay service per calendar year is capped at eight
Regarding the cap per month, the T&Cs seem to suggest that you’re limited to booking one limo transfer per month:
| ย | In the event that a Cardmember made bookings in excess of either one (1) complimentary Limousine Transfers or JetQuay Service in a Booking Month, or more than 8 Limousine Transfers or 8 JetQuay Services in a calendar year, S$60 per Limousine Transfer and S$400 per JetQuay Service will be charged to the Cardmemberโs Card within 2 calendar months from the scheduled date of such additional Limousine Transfers or JetQuay Service. |
However, I’m almost certain this is a typo, given the landing page mentions the possibility of earning up to two free rides per month:ย
| ย | From 1 July 2023, Cardmembers who charged a minimum of S$3,000 in the previous calendar month will be eligible to book 1 complimentary single-trip airport limousine transfer, and Cardmembers who charged a minimum of S$6,000 in the previous calendar month will be eligible to book up to 2 complimentary single-trip airport limousine transfers |
Maybank, after all, isn’t the most careful with drafting their T&Cs; just look at the fiasco back in April.
Some other terms to take note of:
| Adv. Booking | 72 hours |
| Car Type | Mercedes E-Class or Alphard |
| Late Night Fee | Not mentioned |
| Max Pax. | Cannot exceed “recommended capacity of the vehicle” |
| Grace Period | 30 minutes |
| Changes | S$90 for cancellations with <24 hours notice and no-shows |
What counts as qualifying spend?
Maybank provides the following definition of eligible transactions that count towards the S$3,000 minimum spend:
| ย |
Eligible Transactions refer to local and overseas retail purchases, including recurring payments and interest-free Instalment Payment Plans (where only the monthly amount charged to the Card will be counted), but excluding fund transfers, financial charges, late charges and fees. All Eligible Transactions must be posted to the Card account before the end of each calendar month to be counted for the Booking Month. Maybank will not be responsible for any late submission of any transactions by any merchant for whatever reason. Maybank reserves the right to charge the full cost or retail value of the Limousine Transfer or JetQuay Service should the transactions counted towards the Minimum Qualifying Spend Criteria for the redemption of Limousine Transfer(s) or JetQuay Service(s) be cancelled or reversed by any party for any reason. |
What’s particularly interesting to note is that Maybankย includesย recurring payments and interest-free instalment payment plans in minimum spend, when these are normally excluded by other banks.ย
Moreover, education, donations and hospital transactions all count towards minimum spend too- these haven’t been excluded by Maybank (yet!).
How does this compare to other cards?
Complimentary airport limo rides are something of an endangered benefit. People I’ve talked to in the industry tell me the rate has been steadily going up, forcing banks to hike the minimum spend or eliminate the benefit altogether.
The following cards still offer this perk:
| Card | Qualifying Spend | Cap |
| Income Req. โฅS$30K | ||
 UOB PRVI Miles AMEX(T&C) |
S$1K (FCY) per quarter for 2 rides | 2 per quarter |
| Income Req. โฅS$120K | ||
 UOB Lady’s Solitaire Metal Card(T&C) |
None | 1 per year (can be used worldwide) |
 HSBC Visa Infinite(T&C) |
S$2K per month for 1 ride (First 2 [Regular] or 4 [Premier] per year are free) |
24 per year (includes free rides) |
 Citi Prestige(T&C) |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides | 2 per quarter |
 OCBC VOYAGE(T&C) |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides |
2 per quarter |
| Maybank Visa Infinite (T&C) |
S$3K per month for 1 ride (effective 1 Jul 23) |
8 per year |
A minimum spend of S$3,000 for one ride may not be the highest absolute amount, but when you express things on a per ride, per month basis, the Maybank Visa Infinite now has the highest minimum spend.
Should you still keep your Maybank Visa Infinite?
Despite this nerf, the Maybank Visa Infinite still has some uses:
- It still earns miles on education, donations, hospitals, and up to S$3,000 of insurance premiums per calendar month
- Cardholders receive an unlimited-visit Priority Pass membership
Crucially, it’s the only S$120K card to offer a first-year waiver of its S$600 annual fee. Subsequently, a fee waiver will be granted with a minimum spend of S$60,000 in a membership year.
Conclusion
From July 2023, the Maybank Visa Infinite will award one complimentary limo ride per S$3,000 spend, instead of two currently.ย
That’s a negative change, no doubt about it, but on the bright side Maybank still has a fairly wide definition of qualifying spend. You could use your Maybank Visa Infinite to pay education or hospital bills, things that wouldn’t be rewarded by other cards, and earn some limo rides in the process.
