Finding the ideal credit card for travel Malaysia depends entirely upon your personal preferences and needs. Keep an eye out for rewards programs, sign-up bonuses, foreign transaction fees, annual fees and any additional perks offered by different cards.
Earn AirAsia Big Points on all spending with this CIMB card and redeem free flights, as well as taking advantage of complimentary airport lounge access up to five times and travel insurance coverage.
Air Miles
As you plan your overseas journey, select a credit card with attractive travel Malaysia perks to maximize savings, gain rewards and protect your cash with free insurance protection.
Airline miles can help maximize your flight spending. Many Malaysia credit cards offer airline mile accumulation alongside cash back or gifts as a reward, and may even provide other perks like access to free airport lounges or protection against missed connections or luggage loss.
Even though card payments are widely accepted in Malaysia, it’s wise to carry some cash just in case an emergency arises that requires ATM withdrawals or merchants that only accept cash transactions. To reduce risk when carrying cash abroad and maintain mid-market exchange rates when making transactions abroad, look into travel debit or prepaid cards such as Revolut or Wise that offer travel debit and prepaid cards and offer non-linked accounts that provide convenient solutions like these.
Hotel Privileges
Some credit cards also provide additional travel perks like dining, golf and lifestyle discounts that can save you money while planning a getaway trip. Take a look at which cards can offer this benefit today to see which could save the most!
For instance, the HSBC Travel One card provides instant redemption of flights and hotels with just one swipe, significantly reducing out-of-pocket expenses and offering 6X complimentary access to Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide for an enhanced travel experience.
The top-tier CIMB Travel World Elite card (minimum income requirement of RM250,000 per year) provides exclusive travel benefits such as One Night Free by Mastercard and free stays at Marriott Vacation Club properties worldwide. In addition, it grants access to airport lounges worldwide and features E-Commerce Purchase Protection as well as Mastercard Priceless Specials to add even greater value-adds.
Check for low ATM withdrawal fees and 0% flexi payment plans for flights, hotels and overseas spending; these features can ease the financial strain associated with big ticket purchases. Some cards even provide personal concierge services to assist with planning trips!
Cash Rebates
Credit cards that offer cashback rebates on spending are an effective way to save money when traveling abroad. From flights and hotel stays, to meals and food expenses, the right travel credit card in Malaysia will allow you to maximize your holiday budget.
Malaysia’s major hotels and restaurants accept card payments, however it’s wise to carry some cash for times when only cash-only transactions will do (like taxi rides or street food vendors). A travel card like Monzo may be useful as they allow users to store funds in USD while withdrawing at no additional charge.
Others include using prepaid travel cards like Netspend and PayPal that don’t tie directly to your bank account, making spending overseas safer while making it simpler to track spending.
Travel Insurance
If you plan to bring a travel card with you to Malaysia, make sure it is unlinked from any bank accounts to prevent fraudulent charges on it while abroad. Otherwise, banks may flag these transactions as potentially suspicious activity and block them accordingly.
Travel credit cards provide another advantage of using them while abroad: rewards! However, before choosing one for yourself it’s important to carefully examine its fees, rates, and eligibility rules to make sure it fits.
Wise travel credit cards allow travellers to avoid high currency exchange markups when purchasing goods at local shops and restaurants, helping to prevent high currency conversion fees from the point of payment. Travelers who wish to support local economies while enjoying benefits such as airport lounge access and travel insurance will find this card suitable.
