The highest tier in the Mastercard hierarchy is World Elite, which is Mastercardโs answer to the Visa Infinite.
But while Visa Infinites are a dime a dozen in Singapore (well not literally, though they have become rather common), itโs considerably harder to get your hands on a World Elite Mastercard.
And perhaps thatโs intentionalโbecause in my view, the perks they offer are a cut above. In this post, Iโll walk you through all the benefits that come with being a World Elite Mastercard cardholder.
Which Mastercards belong to the World Elite tier?
In Singapore, the following credit and debit cards belong to the World Elite tier.
| Card | Annual Fee | Qualification Req. |
 Citi Prestige Card |
S$545 | Min. income S$120K |
 Citi Private Client Debit Card |
N/A | Min. AUM S$1.5M |
 Citi ULTIMA Card |
S$4,238 | Min. income S$500K |
 DCS Imperium Card |
S$1,294.92 | Unknown |
 HSBC Premier Mastercard |
N/A* |
Min. AUM S$200K |
 HSBC Prive Card |
S$5,327.92 | Min. AUM US$2M |
 OCBC PPC World Elite Debit Card |
N/A | Min. AUM S$1.5M |
 OCBC Premier World Elite Debit Card |
N/A | Min. AUM S$350K |
 StanChart Beyond Card |
S$1,635 | Min. income S$200K^ |
 UOB Ladyโs Solitaire Metal Card |
S$599 | Spend S$45K in 3-month period on UOB Ladyโs Solitaire Card |
| *Waived if min. AUM is maintained, otherwise S$490.50 ^Priority Banking or Priority Private customers can qualify through AUM instead |
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As the qualification criteria shows, World Elite Mastercards either require a high minimum income or a significant amount of money with the bank.
The easiest World Elite Mastercards to get would probably be the Citi Prestige, with a minimum income of โonlyโ S$120,000, or the HSBC Premier Mastercard, with a minimum AUM of โonlyโ S$200,000. Iโll let you decide which is easier!
What benefits does a World Elite Mastercard offer?
Hotel elite status
World Elite Mastercard cardholders enjoy instant elite status with the following hotel chains, bypassing all the regular qualification requirements.
- Brilliant by Langham Ruby status
- CentaraThe1 Platinum status
- GHA DISCOVERY Titanium status
- I Prefer Titanium status (+25,000 IPrefer points after the first stay)
- My Millennium Prestige status
- ONYX Rewards Platinum status
- Swiss-Belexecutive Platinum Connoisseur status
- Wyndham Diamond status
Out of all the programmes here, GHA DISCOVERY Titanium is arguably the most useful, since it offers a two-category room upgrade, 11 a.m check-in and 4 p.m check-out (all subject to availability, but in my experience honoured fairly regularly).
Members also enjoy complimentary breakfast at participating chains including Capella Hotels & Resorts, Marco Polo Hotels, Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts, and PARKROYAL Hotels & Resorts.
I Prefer Titanium offers space-available room upgrades, an F&B credit, and early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability. After completing your first booking, youโll receive 25,000 bonus points, which is good for a free night stay at The Landmark Bangkok or Lancaster Bangkok.
Wyndham Rewards Diamond offers space-available suite upgrades and early check-in/late check-out, though given the group is more focused on mid-range to budget chains, the upside is limited.
Itโs also worth noting that the elite status offered through World Elite Mastercard is only valid for one year. In subsequent years, you will need to requalify by meeting the regular requirements.
HoteLux Elite Plus membership
 |
| Benefit Details |
HoteLux is a hotel booking app that enables users to book travel advisor rates such as Hyatt Prive, Marriott STARS, Rosewood Elite, Shangri-La Luxury Circle and Virtuoso at more than 4,000 luxury hotels worldwide.
These rates typically include extra perks such as:
- Free breakfast
- Room upgrades (subject to availability)
- Early check-in (subject to availability)
- Late check-out (subject to availability)
- US$100 hotel credit
A membership is required to use the app, and World Elite Mastercard cardholders receive a 12-month Elite Plus membership and 2,000 points (worth US$200).
It should be pointed out that travel advisor rates can also be booked for free through many travel agencies, but the vast majority of these operate over the phone or email only, so an app is a great convenience in that respect.
For more on this benefit, refer to the post below.
Free HoteLux membership for World and World Elite Mastercard cardholders
Avis Presidentโs Club
 |
| Benefit Details |
World Elite Mastercard cardholders are eligible for an instant upgrade to Avis Presidentโs Club, which includes:
- Priority service and priority reservation
- Single upgrade (guaranteed at airports and railway stations, subject to availability at other locations)
- Double upgrade upon availability on weekends
- Free additional driver
Do note that benefits vary by location, so the treatment you receive as a Presidentโs Club member in Europe may be different from the USA.
Even though Avis Presidentโs Club is marketed as โby invitation onlyโ, you might want to moderate your expectations as Avis has been very liberal with the invitations. Based on my experiences so far, recognition has gone from excellent (served immediately, upgraded to a luxury vehicle) to non-existent (โwhatโs Presidentโs Club?โ).
3GB Flexiroam data package
 |
| Benefit Details |
World Elite Mastercard cardholders enjoy a complimentary 3GB Flexiroam data package, valid for 15 days in 150+ countries worldwide.
Cardholders will need to download the Flexiroam app and create an account. A maximum of one redemption per calendar year per eligible card is allowed.
Iโve written a comprehensive guide to this benefit, which can be found below.
Mastercard Held Tables
 |
| Benefit Details |
The Mastercard Held Tables programme allows World Elite Mastercard cardholders to enjoy priority access to more than 10,000 restaurants, including various Michelin-starred and The Worldโs 50 Best establishments, such as Per Se in New York, Sexy Fish in London and Amber in Hong Kong.
This benefit is valid for up to six people per reservation.
The idea here is that Mastercard pre-books tables and releases them to its cardholders, providing them with a better shot at a table in a hot restaurant. However, I donโt really know how much difference this makes in real life, as the places I want to eat at donโt really overlap with the participating restaurants list.
Complimentary travel insurance
 |
| Policy Wording |
Complimentary travel insurance is available to World Elite Mastercard cardholders who:
- pay for their air tickets with their card, or
- redeem an award ticket with miles and use the card to cover taxes and surcharges
Coverage limits are as follows:
- Overseas medical expenses: US$500,000
- Emergency medical evacuation: US$500,000
- Personal liability: US$500,000
- Trip cancellation, curtailment or postponement: US$7,500
- Loss of personal baggage: US$3,000
- Trip delay: US$500
- Baggage delay: US$500
Coverage is also available for the cardholderโs spouse, children and domestic helper, with reduced limits.
Complimentary golf games
 |
| Benefit Details |
World Elite Mastercard cardholders enjoy complimentary green fees at Sentosa Golf Club, Warren Golf & Country Club, and Sembawang Country Club, as well as various clubs in Southeast Asia and worldwide.
A limited number of sessions can be booked each month on a first-come-first-serve basis. Each cardholder is allowed to enjoy this benefit up to four times per calendar year.
Conclusion
A World Elite Mastercard packs a surprising number of perks, including hotel and rental car elite status, complimentary data roaming, golfing and travel insurance benefits.
The main drawback is that a World Elite Mastercard is relatively more difficult to obtain than a Visa Infinite, requiring you to earn a high income or have a priority banking relationship. But assuming thatโs not a barrier, then Iโd say itโs a more compelling offering than Visa Infinite.
Any other World Elite benefits worth highlighting?
Great read! I think thereโs a small typo on the first line though, believe itโs Visaโs equivalent not Mastercardโs?
no- world elite is mastercardโs equivalent of a visa infinite
Hey Aaron, thanks for this! I think thereโs a typo on the first sentence though, I think it should be Visaโs equivalent not Mastercardโs equivalent ๐
Caesarโs status match no longer works for matched Wyndham Diamond. Must be earned thr regular way.
for the travel insurance, will there be any issues if I use amaze linked citi prestige to buy ticket? tks
https://specials.priceless.com/en-ap/cardhome/World_Elite%E2%84%A2_Mastercard%C2%AE?issuerId=201808088888&productId=201812140006
This website is helpful for the world elite benefit.
how to see the list of restaurants or how to make booking for those restaurants?
The Flexiroam benefit while good, doesnโt seem to always work. For myself it didnโt work for me when I was in Seoul. Some members in the citiprestige telegram group also reported that it doesnโt always work in certain countries.
there is a Citi prestige telegram grp???
An article for the visa infinite would be nice
Does mastercard world elite have complimentary airport lounge access?
Hi Aaron, thanks a lot for this info, was looking how to get more benefit from my new Citi Prestige (thanks for all the info on that too). Just wanted to check if you knew โ for the hotel perks, will you still get them if you book through the Citi Prestige Concierge (to get the 4th night free benefit)? Since the hotel status comes from the card anyway. For my upcoming trip to London, getting early check-in will be absolutely crucial to me given my schedule.
Thanks for your article.
Which card would you recommend for the Mastercard elite to use alongside general spending for higher earn rate ? Earning above $500k per annum. I am currently using ladyโs solitaire for 4mpd on hotel & dining transactions, citi premier for general spending and earn rate(which is horrible).
use specialized cards not all those high elite cards for show-off because the real earning rate crown from specialized cards. search specialized cards in this site
Hi Aaron,
Do the elite status with the various hotel chains, as well as the HotelLux membership, renew yearly as long as you hold on to the World Elite Mastercard cardholder and renewed annually? Or are the elite status with the hotel chains only valid for the first year of enrolment?
first year, after which you requalify normally
Must you use the world master elite card to make booking to enjoy the privileges?
Unable to sign up for Avis Presidentโs Club. It keeps showing โsorry, that combination of details is invalid on this siteโ error