Here’s The MileLion’s review of the Maybank Visa Infinite, which launched in 2012 as a super premium, invite-only card with an eye-popping annual fee of S$1,400 and a minimum income of S$200,000 per year.
But just like the HSBC Visa Infinite and other so-called elite cards, the pretence only lasted a few years. Eventually, the annual fee was cut and the income requirement slashed, and today it’s best described as a “mass affluent” offering.
Once upon a time, the Maybank Visa Infinite could be described as one of the better deals in its segment, but recent nerfs to its airport limo and lounge benefits have left it with very selective appeal.
Maybank Visa Infinite | |
๐ฆ MileLion Verdict | |
โ Take It โ Take It Or Leave It โ Leave It |
|
What do these ratings mean? |
|
While its lack of exclusion categories is welcome, nerfs to the Maybank Visa Infinite’s limo and lounge benefits make the S$654 annual fee a steep ask. | |
๐ The good | ๐ The bad |
|
|
๐ณ Full List of Credit Card Reviews |
Overview: Maybank Visa Infinite
Let’s start this review by looking at the key features of the Maybank Visa Infinite.
Apply Here | |||
Income Req. | S$150,000 p.a. | Points Validity | No expiry |
Annual Fee | S$654 (FYF) |
Min. Transfer |
25,000 points (10,000 miles)* |
Miles with Annual Fee |
N/A | Transfer Partners |
|
FCY Fee | 3.25% | Transfer Fee | N/A |
Local Earn | 1.2 mpd | Points Pool? | Yes |
FCY Earn | 2 mpd |
Lounge Access? | Yes : 4x Priority Pass |
Special Earn | N/A | Airport Limo? | Yes |
Cardholder Terms and Conditions | |||
*For KrisFlyer; 5,000 miles for Cathay and MAS, 2,000 points for Air Asia |
Maybank actually offers two different Visa Infinite cards: the plain vanilla one (which is the focus of this article), and the Visa Infinite Diamantรฉ (yes, the accent is part of its official name).
The latter is reserved for Maybank Private Clients who maintain a minimum AUM of US$1 million, with perks such as 12 no-spend limo rides, six JetQuay Quayside services, six meet and greet services, and unlimited lounge access.
However, regardless of which card you end up with, there’ll be no metal cardstock for you- both cards come in regular, down-to-earth plastic!
How much must I earn to qualify for a Maybank Visa Infinite?
The Maybank Visa Infinite has a S$150,000 p.a. income requirement, which is 25% higher than the usual S$120,000 you’d expect for cards in this segment. It’s not clear how strictly Maybank enforces this requirement, however.
You might think that it’d be possible to qualify with an income requirement of S$30,000 p.a. provided you’re a Maybank Privilege Banking customer, but no. Maybank Privilege Banking customers get the Maybank Privilege Horizon Visa Signature Card instead, a very different type of product.
How much is the Maybank Visa Infinite’s annual fee?
Principal Card | Supp. Card | |
First Year | Waived | Free |
Subsequent | S$654 | Free |
The Maybank Visa Infinite has an annual fee of S$654 which, unusually for its segment, is waived in the first year.
No miles are offered upon approval or renewing this card. The subsequent years’ annual fees will be automatically waived with a minimum total spend of S$60,000 per membership year.
All supplementary cards are free.
How many miles do I earn?
๐ธ๐ฌ SGD Spend | ๐ FCY Spend | โญ Bonus Spend |
1.2 mpd | 2 mpd | N/A |
SGD/FCY Spend
Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders earn:
- 3 TREATS points for every S$1 spent in Singapore Dollars
- 5 TREATS points for every S$1 spent in foreign currency (FCY)
5 points are worth 2 airline miles, so that’s an equivalent earn rate of 1.2 mpd for local spend and 2 mpd for overseas spend. It’s fairly pedestrian stuff for its segment, and even worse once you factor in the S$5 earning blocks (see below).
๐ณ Earn Rates for General Spending Cards (income req.: S$120K) |
||
Card | Local Spend | FCY Spend |
SCB Visa Infinite | Up to 1.4 mpd* | Up to 3 mpd* |
DBS Vantage |
1.5 mpd | 2.2 mpd |
OCBC VOYAGE | 1.3 mpd | 2.2 mpd |
HSBC Visa Infinite | Up to 1.25 mpd^ |
Up to 2.25 mpd^ |
UOB VI Metal Card | 1.4 mpd | 2.4 mpd |
Citi Prestige | 1.3 mpd | 2 mpd |
Maybank Visa Infinite | 1.2 mpd | 2 mpd |
AMEX Plat. Reserve | 0.69 mpd | 0.69 mpd |
*Min. S$2,000 spend per statement month, otherwise 1 mpd for both SGD and FCY ^From second year onwards, with min S$50,000 spend in the previous membership year, otherwise (or if first year) 1 mpd (SGD) and 2 mpd (FCY) |
All FCY transactions are subject to a 3.25% fee, which means using your Maybank Visa Infinite Card overseas represents buying miles at 1.63 cents apiece.
๐ณ FCY Fees by Issuer and Card Network |
||
Issuer | โ MC & Visa | AMEX |
Standard Chartered | 3.5% | N/A |
American Express | N/A | 3.25% |
Citibank | 3.25% | N/A |
DBS | 3.25% | 3% |
HSBC | 3.25% | N/A |
Maybank | 3.25% | N/A |
OCBC | 3.25% | N/A |
UOB | 3.25% | 3.25% |
BOC | 3% | N/A |
CIMB | 3% | N/A |
When are TREATS Points credited?
TREATS Points are credited when your transaction posts, which generally takes 1-3 working days.
How are TREATS Points calculated?
Here’s how you can work out the TREATS Points earned on your Maybank Visa Infinite Card.
Local Spend (3X) | Round down transaction to the nearest S$5, divide by 5, then multiply by 15 |
FCY Spend (5X) |
Round down transaction to the nearest S$5, divide by 5, then multiply by 25 |
The minimum spend to earn points would be S$5, whether in local or foreign currency.
These S$5 earning blocks further compound its already lower-than-average earn rates, causing the Maybank Visa Infinite to perform significantly poorer than competitors, especially on smaller transactions.
Maybank Visa Infinite Earn Rate: 1.2 mpd |
Citi Prestige Earn Rate: 1.3 mpd |
|
S$5 | 6 miles | 6.4 miles |
S$9.99 | 6 miles | 11.6 miles |
S$15 | 18 miles | 19.6 miles |
S$19.99 | 18 miles | 24.8 miles |
S$25 | 30 miles | 32.4 miles |
S$29.99 | 30 miles | 37.6 miles |
If you’re an Excel geek, here’s the formulas you need to calculate points:
Local Spend | =ROUND (ROUNDDOWN(X/5,0)*15,0) |
FCY Spend |
=ROUND (ROUNDDOWN(X/5,0)*25,0) |
Where X= Amount Spent |
For the full list of formulas that banks use to calculate credit card points, do refer to these articles:
What transactions aren’t eligible for TREATS Points?
A full list of transactions that do not earn points can be found in the T&Cs at point 2.2.
I’ve highlighted a few noteworthy categories below:
- Betting and gambling transactions
- Brokerage and securities transactions
- Government services
- Prepaid account top-ups, e.g. GrabPay and YouTrip
It’s a refreshingly brief list actually, and for avoidance of doubt, you will earn points on commonly-excluded transactions, such as hospitals, charitable donations, education, and up to S$3,000 of insurance premiums per calendar month.
That alone may be a big selling point for some people. Assuming you spend S$3,000 on insurance each month, that’s an extra 43,200 miles you wouldn’t otherwise have earned.
What do I need to know about TREATS Points?
โ Expiry | โ๏ธ Pooling | ๐ฐ Transfer Fee |
No expiry | Yes |
N/A |
โฌ๏ธ Min. Transfer | โ๏ธ No. of Partners | โฑ๏ธ Transfer Time |
Varies | 4 | 3 working days (to KF) |
Expiry
While TREATS Points normally expire after one year, Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders are automatically enrolled into the Rewards Infinite programme. This means their TREATS Points never expire.
Pooling
TREATS Points pool with other Maybank cards. If you have 20,000 TREATS Points on the Maybank Visa Infinite, and 5,000 TREATS Points on the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature, you can redeem 25,000 TREATS Points at one shot.
This also means that if you cancel your Maybank Visa Infinite Card, you won’t lose your accumulated TREATS Points unless it happens to be your very last TREATS-earning card.
Transfer Partners & Fees
TREATS Points can be transferred to the following partners:
Frequent Flyer Programme | Conversion Ratio (TREATS Points: Partner) |
25,000: 10,000 | |
12,500: 5,000 | |
12,500: 5,000 | |
4,000: 2,000 |
With regards to KrisFlyer miles, you must convert via the TREATS SG app (Android | iOS) in order to enjoy the rate above. If you opt for a manual conversion, you’ll receive an inferior rate of 30,000 points = 10,000 miles.
Conversion fees are waived for Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders, and since TREATS Points pool, you can use the Maybank Visa Infinite Card as a conduit to convert TREATS Points earned on other Maybank cards for free.
Transfer Time
Conversions to KrisFlyer miles are generally completed within 3 working days.
Other card perks
Four complimentary lounge visits
The Maybank Visa Infinite used to offer unlimited lounge visits, courtesy of Priority Pass. However, from 1 August 2023 that allowance was cut to just four. Four!
Lounge visits are issued to principal cardholders only, and cannot be used for guests. This is simply not good enough compared to other cards in the $120K segment.
๐ณ Airport Lounge Benefits (income req.: S$120K) |
|||
Card | Lounge Network | Free Visits (Per Year) |
|
Main | Supp. | ||
HSBC Visa Infinite | LoungeKey | โ | โ |
OCBC VOYAGE | Plaza Premium | โ | โ |
Citi Prestige | Priority Pass | โ + 1 guest | N/A |
UOB VI Metal Card | Dragon Pass | โ + 1 guest | N/A |
DBS Vantage | Priority Pass | 10 | N/A |
SCB Visa Infinite | Priority Pass | 6 | N/A |
Maybank Visa Infinite | Priority Pass | 4 | N/A |
AMEX Plat. Reserve | N/A | N/A | N/A |
To apply for your Priority Pass membership, look in the eCoupon section of the TREATS SG app for a unique registration code.
Complimentary airport limo & JetQuay access
Principal Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders who spend at least S$3,000 in the previous calendar month are entitled to book either:
- 1 complimentary one-way airport limo transfers, or
- 1 complimentary Quayside service at JetQuay
Prior to July 2023, the same spending would unlock two limo rides, so this represents a big devaluation. That said, it’s still admittedly one of the lower spending requirements on the market.
A few points to note:
- 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
As for Quayside service, cardholders can check-in at a private terminal and use the lounge facilities before being driven to their gate in an electric buggy.
I visited the Jetquay back in 2019 and was roundly unimpressed. It’s old and tired, the F&B selection is poor (and some of the alcohol requires an upcharge!), and while the service is good, there’s no reason why you should choose to stay here over, say, the SilverKris Lounge or any oneworld lounge at Changi for that matter.
For what it’s worth, there are plans to redevelop JetQuay into a “premium travel hub” by 2025, and all I can say is “it’s about time”. The current space is just miserable, and completely not worth the S$400 asking price.
Golf benefits
The Maybank Regional Golf programme offers principal Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders complimentary green fees at more than 100 participating golf clubs across 19 countries.
Cardholders must spend at least S$2,000 in the previous calendar month to enjoy this benefit, and can book a maximum of two flights per month per cardholder. In Singapore, the participating clubs are:
- Sembawang Country Club
- Warren Golf & Country Club
- Orchid Country Club
- 2 additional “premium golf clubs” (not named)
Golf perks offered by other credit cards normally require a paying guest, but no such requirement exists for Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders who book clubs in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The T&Cs of the Maybank Regional Golf programme can be found here.
For avoidance of doubt, this is a separate perk from the generic Visa Infinite golf benefit, which has no minimum spend requirement.
Complimentary travel insurance
Accidental Death | S$1,000,000 |
Medical Expenses | N/A |
Others | Missed Connection :S$400 Luggage Delay: S$400 Lost Luggage: S$1,000 |
Policy Wording |
Maybank Visa Infinite Cardholders receive complimentary travel insurance when they charge their full travel fares to their card. Unfortunately, coverage will not apply in situations where you redeem miles for an award ticket, and charge the taxes and fees to your Maybank Visa Infinite Card.
This features up to S$1,000,000 coverage for accidental death or total permanent disablement, S$400 for luggage delays or missed connections, and S$1,000 for luggage loss.
However, there is no coverage for medical expenses or emergency medical evacuation. Because of this, I highly advise that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance elsewhere.
Visa Infinite benefits
As a Visa Infinite card, Maybank Visa Infinite cardholders enjoy the following additional perks:
- Avis Presidentโs Club status
- 50% off weekday golf at 50 participating golf clubs across Southeast Asia
- 50% off weekday golf at Sentosa Golf Club
- Visa Luxury Hotel Collection
Terms & Conditions
Summary Review: Maybank Visa Infinite
Apply Here |
At the start of 2023, the Maybank Visa Infinite was arguably one of the best deals in the $120K segment. Without the need to pay the first year’s annual fee, cardholders would enjoy an unlimited-visit Priority Pass and limo rides/JetQuay visits with one of the lowest minimum spends on the market.
Sadly those benefits have now been nerfed, and with its low earn rates, S$5 earning blocks, and lack of card-specific dining benefits, the only reason I could see for getting this card is if you want to earn miles on commonly-excluded transactions like insurance premiums, hospital bills, education and donations.
And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that per se. Assuming your spend on these categories is substantial enough that you can hit the S$60,000 required for an annual fee waiver, it’s basically free miles you wouldn’t otherwise have earned.
But for everyone else, it’s hard to make a case for the Maybank Visa Infinite when you could get a Citi Prestige with much better perks for a 10% lower annual fee.
“^From second year onwards, with min S$50,000 spend in the previous membership year, otherwise (or if first year) 1 mpd (SGD) and 2 mpd (FCY)”
The minimum spend is $60,000 in membership year.
incorrect. the min spend for those rates is $50k per membership year- refer to hsbc website.
Sadly, another nerf for complimentary parking at JetQuay, as per https://www.maybank2u.com.sg/iwov-resources/sg/pdf/cards/vi-privilege-tnc.pdf
โcomplimentary car parking will be temporarily unavailable after September 2024.โ