2024/25 Edition: The Maybank Manchester United Card gamble

The 2024/25 English Premier League (EPL) season is set to kick-off shortly, which means that it’s time once again to assess the prospects for the Maybank Manchester United Platinum Visa.

As a die-hard Manchester United fan whose walls are lined with posters of midfield marauders and not-at-all-flops Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez, let me tell you that this card is awesome. In fact, I declare it the best card in all of Singapore, because it awards you with bonus miles and cashback every time Manchester United win- and since when has that ever been in doubt?

This is a golden opportunity to earn up to 3% cashback and 2 mpd on all your spending, even on commonly-excluded categories like charitable donations, education, hospital bills and utilities. I’m sure every hardcore Red Devil loves it as much as they love club legend and all-time-great Carlos Tevez!

Overview: Maybank Manchester United Card

Apply Here
Income Req.	S$30,000 p.a.	Points Validity	12-15 months
Annual Fee	S$87.20 (2 year waiver)	Min. Transfer (KF)	10,000
Miles with Annual Fee	None	Transfer Partners	4
FCY Fee	3.25%	Transfer Fee	S$27.25
Local Earn	1% + 0.4 mpd	Points Pool?	Yes
FCY Earn	1% + 0.4 mpd	Lounge Access?	No
Special Earn	3% + 2 mpd (if when Man Utd win)	Airport Limo?	No
Cardholder Terms and Conditions

By way of background, Manchester United and Maybank signed an agreement in 2011 which saw the latter become the club’s official retail banking partner in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. This was followed by the launch of the Maybank Manchester United Card in Singapore in March 2012. 

Maybank Manchester United Cardholders earn:

• 1% cashback and 1X TREATS point (0.4 mpd) per S$1, normally
• 3% cashback and 5X TREATS points (2 mpd) per S$1, on days where Manchester United win an EPL match

While the regular earn rate is underwhelming, the bonus earn rate is very tasty indeed. The additional 2% cashback is capped at S$20 (so you’ll max it out with S$1,000 spend), but there’s no cap on the additional 4X TREATS points.

The Maybank Manchester United Card had a fantastic first year, because in the 2012/13 season, Manchester United swept to the title by winning 28 out of 38 matches, an astounding win ratio of 74%. 

But that also happened to be the final season for Sir Alex Ferguson, and the post-Fergie years have not been kind to cardholders. The win ratio in this era averages around 50% (talk about unannounced devaluations!), and while 2022/23 under Erik ten Hag brought more cheer at 61%, he suffered a bad case of second season syndrome in 2023/24 by dropping to 47%.

But probability of a win aside, 3% cashback + 2 mpd would make the Maybank Manchester United Card hands down the best general spending card in Singapore, trashing the competition which maxes out at 1.6 mpd.

There’s just one problem: time zones.

Squeaky bum time

Here’s an illustration of how the Maybank Manchester United Card’s bonus mechanism works:

• Manchester United play an EPL match on Sunday, 13 August 2024 (UK time) and win
• All transactions charged to the Maybank Manchester United Card on Sunday, 13 August 2024 from 12.00 a.m to 11.59 p.m (Singapore time) receive a bonus 2% cashback + 1.6 mpd (i.e. 3% cashback and 2 mpd total)

I hope you see the problem already. Because the UK is 7-8 hours behind Singapore and most EPL matches take place in the mid to late afternoon, it’s rare that you’ll be able to confirm a Manchester United win in advance of spending.

Here’s a complete list of Manchester United’s EPL fixtures for the 2024/25 season. I’ve put a check next to the matches which will conclude before the end of day in Singapore (for the uninitiated, a football match lasts 90 minutes + a 15 minute break).

Based on the current schedule (which may change due to fixture clashes), 12 out of 38 games will conclude before midnight in Singapore. While that sounds like a decent number, you need to remember that quite a few of them end at 11.45 p.m SGT (and that’s not even counting Fergie time!), which leaves you with 15 minutes or less to act.

But don’t worry. You might not be able to rush out and buy a prawn sandwich, but you can still benefit through online transactions. And I’m not talking about the stuff where you can earn 4 mpd with the Citi Rewards or UOB Lady’s Cards; I’m talking about commonly-excluded categories like donations, education, hospital and utilities bills. All these still earn rewards with Maybank cards, so it’s a simple matter of waiting till the final whistle, firing up your laptop and making payment. 

Remember: the 3% cashback + 2 mpd applies regardless of transaction currency, and the 2 mpd is uncapped. Moreover, the Maybank Manchester United Card is on the Visa network, so acceptance shouldn’t be an issue.

Conclusion

With the 2024/25 EPL season starting imminently, now’s the time for all loyal Red Devils to get themselves a Maybank Manchester United Card and earn 3% cashback and 2 mpd on 38 out of 38 matchdays as the team effortlessly romps to the title by winning every game by a 50 goal margin.

Let Old Trafford resound with that great battle hymn: Glory, glory Man United, you’ll never walk alone!