| The following is a sponsored post by CIMB Bank. The opinions remain those of The MileLion. |
If you’re a sole proprietor or SME, you’re probably all too familiar with the challenges involved in securing credit. Insufficient collateral and a limited credit history might mean higher interest rates or less favourable terms, and while you could spend on a personal credit card, the rewards structure and payment terms weren’t designed with businesses in mind.
In that case, the newly-launched CIMB Founders Card could very well be the answer. Those hoping to earn miles or cashback, look away now because this offers neither. Instead, it offers something much more important to small business owners: cashflow and access to working capital.
The CIMB Founders Card offers up to 113 interest-free days on retail purchases, compared to 50-55 days on regular credit cards. This interest-free period is even extended to rental, insurance premiums, professional and government services, and utility bills, which are normally ineligible for rewards with other credit cards anyway.
In addition to this, cardholders can draw an instant working capital loan from their credit limit with a 1% processing fee (EIR up to 4.47% p.a.), and up to 114 interest-free days. Taking a cash advance on a regular credit card would usually incur an 8% fee.
Cardholders also enjoy zero foreign currency (FCY) transaction fees, complimentary airport lounge access, and complimentary travel insurance.
| CIMB Founders Card | Personal Credit Cards | |
| Interest-Free Period (Retail Purchases) |
Up to 113 days | Up to 55 days |
| Interest-Free Period (Working Capital Loan) |
Up to 114 days, with 1% processing fee (EIR up to 4.47% p.a.) |
N/A (8% fee for cash advance, with interest accrued from day 1) |
| FCY Transaction Fee | 0% | Usually 3.25% |
In other words, this is a card aimed at businesses who need an extra bit of breathing space, and if that’s you, read on for the full details.
Overview: CIMB Founders Card
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| Apply |
The CIMB Founders Card has a minimum income requirement of S$30,000 p.a., and a non-waivable annual card service fee of S$338. Customers who want a metal version of the card can get one for an additional S$100. This top-up will be charged in the first Founders Card billing statement, and upon each renewal of the metal card.
As mentioned, this card earns no miles, and no cashback. Instead, it has two main selling points:
- 0% interest for up to 113 days on retail transactions
- 0% interest for up to 114 days on working capital loans, with a 1% processing fee (EIR up to 4.47% p.a.)
0% interest for up to 113 days on retail transactions
With traditional credit cards, you usually enjoy 0% interest for up to 50-55 days, depending on the bank.
For example, suppose your statement cycle follows the calendar month, and you make a transaction on the 1st of the month. Your credit card bill will arrive on the 31st of the month, after which you’ll usually have a further 21-25 days to make payment.
With the CIMB Founders Card, transactions will only be posted to your account 60 days after the date of the transaction. Once a transaction is posted, it will be reflected in the next credit card statement, upon which you will have 23 more days to make payment.
Here are a couple of examples which show how you could get 83-113 interest-free days, depending on when your transactions take place (and assuming the last day of your statement month is the 24th).
| Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | |
| Retail Transaction Date | 25 Jun 2025 | 26 Jun 2025 |
| Posting Date | 24 Aug 2025 | 25 Aug 2025 |
| Statement Month | 24 Aug 2025 | 24 Sep 2025 |
| Statement Due Date | 16 Sep 2025 | 17 Oct 2025 |
| Interest-Free Period | 83 days | 113 days |
The interest-free benefit is applicable to all retail spend, which excludes the following:
- Any cash advances (including gambling-related transactions and quasi cash transactions)
- Any payments made to a Card account (including direct debit, interbank GIRO, internet banking, bank transfer, online bill payment, AXS or SAM network, branch, cheque and/or any other form of repayment)
- Any late payment charges or interest charges
- Any fees payable to the Bank (or any other third party) for transfer of any debit balance on any other Credit Card to a Card
- Any other interest, fees and charges (this includes but is not limited to cash advance, annual or monthly fees or charges) imposed by the Bank from time to time
- Balance and/or funds transfers to or from the Card Account
- Any Credit Card transaction that was subsequently cancelled, voided or reversed for any reason and
- Any other transactions that may be prescribed by the Bank.
However, training and education expenses, rental, insurance premiums, professional and government services, and utility bills do count as retail spend, and will be eligible for the 113 day interest-free period. These are usually ineligible for rewards with consumer credit cards, so you might as well enjoy the deferred payment offered by the CIMB Founders Card.
Instant working capital loan
The CIMB Founders Card allows you to draw an instant working capital loan from your credit limit. Loans can be requested via the CIMB Clicks Mobile App, and the amount will be disbursed instantly upon approval.
The approved amount will be billed to your account on the third statement month from the approval date. Once it’s billed, you will have 23 more days to make payment. This gives you a total of 82-114 interest-free days, as shown in the table below.
| Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | |
| Working Capital Draw Down Request Approved On | 24 Feb 2025 | 25 Jun 2025 |
| Posting Date | 24 Apr 2025 | 24 Sep 2025 |
| Statement Month | 24 Apr 2025 | 24 Sep 2025 |
| Statement Due Date | 17 May 2025 | 17 Oct 2025 |
| Interest-Free Period | 82 days | 114 days |
Do note that a 1% processing fee applies for this feature (equivalent to an EIR of 3.22% to 4.47% p.a. based on a 82-114 day interest-free period), so if you apply for a loan of S$50,000, you will receive S$49,500 (net of a S$500 fee).
All of the above illustrations are based on full and prompt repayment, and I want to emphasise the importance of that. If you fail to pay your bill on time, the interest calculation will start from the date of the transaction, not the date the bill was due (as is the case with all cards). Having an interest-free line of credit can be a great asset, provided you use it responsibly.
Other card perks
Zero FCY transaction fees
The CIMB Founders Card has zero foreign currency transaction fees. Any foreign currency transactions will be converted into SGD at the prevailing Mastercard rates.
Complimentary airport lounge access
The CIMB Founders Card offers the principal cardholder 3x complimentary DragonPass lounge visits per calendar year, via the Mastercard Travel Pass app.
Visits can be redeemed at over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, as well as participating airport restaurants and spas.
Complimentary travel insurance coverage
The CIMB Founders Card offers complimentary travel insurance to cardholders who use their card to pay for air tickets. Unfortunately, coverage does not apply in scenarios where you redeem your ticket with miles, and use the CIMB Founders Card to cover the taxes and surcharges.
As far as travel insurance goes, this covers all the basics like accidental death, overseas medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, travel inconvenience and trip cancellations.
| Benefit | Maximum Limit Payable |
| Accidental Death or Total and Permanent Disablement | S$1M |
| Medical Expenses | S$25K |
| Emergency Medical Evacuation | S$100K |
| Baggage Loss | S$1,000 |
| Baggage Delay | S$600 ($100 per 6-hour block) |
| Flight Delay | S$500 (S$100 per 6-hour block) |
| Trip Misconnection | S$2,00 |
| Trip Cancellation | S$1,000 |
There is also coverage for the cardholder’s spouse and children, with lower applicable limits. You can find the policy wording here.
Complimentary FlexiRoam data plan
The CIMB Founders Card offers a complimentary 1GB Global Data Roaming plan every calendar year, which can be utilised across more than 120 countries worldwide.
In Singapore, this perk is usually found on World Elite Mastercards, so it’s nice to see it available on a World Mastercard as well (the only other World Mastercard I know of which offers this is the OCBC 90°N).
You can learn more about this benefit in the article below.
Welcome gift
The CIMB Founders Card is currently offering the following welcome gifts, which can both be stacked.
| Apply | Gift | Cap |
| 17 Oct to 31 Dec 25 | S$100 cashback | No cap |
| 1 Nov to 31 Dec 25 | Nespresso Essenza Mini Pure White | First 500 |
All approved applicants will receive S$100 cashback upon activation, while the first 500 who apply between 1 November and 31 December 2025 will also receive a Nespresso Essenza Mini Pure White (worth S$209).
For the avoidance of doubt, you must pay the S$338 annual card service fee. However, no minimum spend is required, and this offer is available even if you already hold a principal CIMB consumer credit card.
Terms and Conditions
The T&Cs for the CIMB Founders Card and its welcome offers can be found below.
Conclusion
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| Apply |
The CIMB Founders Card offers a unique hook for business owners: not miles, not cashback, but cashflow.
As much as I like earning my miles, I do suspect that if I were running a real business (not a blog!) with payroll, rent, utilities, and suppliers, then having extra time to pay my expenses would be a higher priority than earning 4 mpd.
In that sense, having the ability to tap up to 113 interest-free days for card transactions — even government licenses, insurance premiums, rental, and utilities — could be very useful indeed for small business owners.
Think of it this way: a consumer card helps you earn rewards on spending, but the CIMB Founders Card helps you buy time. And for a small business, that could be the most valuable currency of all.
