Review: Maybank Visa Infinite Card

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.

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
🦁 MileLion Verdict
☐ Take It
☐ Take It Or Leave It
☑ 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.
👍 The good 👎 The bad
  • First year fee waiver
  • Very few exclusion categories; still earns points on donations, education, insurance premiums, hospital bills and utilities
  • Golf privilege does not require a paying guest in Singapore and selected countries
  • Unlimited airport lounge access has been cut to just four visits a year
  • Minimum spend for airport limo has doubled
  • Mediocre earn rates, compounded by S$5 earn blocks
  • No dining privileges beyond generic Maybank offers
💳 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
  • SIA
  • Air Asia
  • Cathay Pacific
  • MAS
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 Diamanté (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?

🇸🇬 SGD Spend 🌎 FCY Spend ⭐ 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).

💳 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.

💳 FCY Fees by Issuer and Card Network
Issuer ↓ 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?

❌ Expiry ↔️ Pooling 💰 Transfer Fee
No expiry Yes
N/A
⬆️ Min. Transfer  ✈️ No. of Partners ⏱️ 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)
krisflyer logo 25,000: 10,000
asia miles logo 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

Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore
Plaza Premium Lounge Singapore

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.

💳 Airport Lounge Benefits
(income req.: S$120K)

Card Lounge Network Free Visits
(Per Year)
Main Supp.
HSBC Visa Infinite LoungeKey
OCBC VOYAGE Plaza Premium
Citi Prestige Priority Pass ∞ + 1 guest N/A
UOB VI Metal Card Dragon Pass ∞ + 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

Enjoy complimentary limo rides with the Maybank Visa Infinite

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. 

💳 Airport Limo Benefits
(income req.: S$120K)

Card Qualifying Spend Cap
HSBC Visa Infinite S$2K per month for 1 ride*
24 per year
Maybank Visa Infinite S$3K per month for 1 ride 8 per year
Citi Prestige S$12K per quarter for 2 rides 2 per quarter
OCBC VOYAGE S$12K per quarter for 2 rides 2 per quarter
AMEX Plat. Reserve N/A N/A
DBS Vantage N/A N/A
SCB Visa Infinite N/A N/A
UOB VI Metal Card N/A N/A
*First 2 (Regular customer) or 4 (HSBC Premier) per year are free

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.

Review: JetQuay CIP Terminal Changi

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

Warren Golf and Country Club

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:

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.

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

Similar Articles

Comments

2 COMMENTS

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Max

“^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.

CREDIT CARD SIGN UP BONUSES

Advertisment

Featured Deals

Advertisment

Follow us

7,110FansLike
12,542FollowersFollow

TAGS