The perfect travel credit card: Miles and cashback in one

I’m 31 years old and don’t have a credit card. Traumatized after reading the Shopaholic series (despite it being chick lit, I could identify with Rebecca Bloomwood’s love for shopping and was terrified that I would end up in fabulous shoes — and horrific debt) and the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series, I was convinced that getting a credit card would be the highway to my financial ruin.

That changed, however, when I started traveling. I watched pathetically as my family and friends readily purchased our airline tickets and accommodations online, then whipped out their cards in restaurants and retail outlets abroad. I, on the other hand, begged my friends to buy tickets for me when seat sales popped up, and scrambled to find money-exchange outlets or ATMs whenever I ran out of moolah abroad.

More than that, they would redeem airlines tickets using their miles earned from using their cards, and before I knew it, they were gleefully jet-setting to another country for free. How could I resist the convenient and worry-free spending abroad, and the awesome rewards I could get? Becky Bloomwood and Robert Kiyosaki be damned: I started searching for a credit card.

Maybank Platinum MasterCard cardholders get perks and discounts such as earning Asia Miles or KrisFlyer Miles and a one-percent cashback rebate.

Despite the countless anonymous text messages I get inviting me to get a credit card, the sudden cold calls from banks in the middle of the workday, and the singsong-y radio ads lauding how easy it is to get a card, it’s surprisingly hard to find one — well, one that is perfect for me, that is. I had to do proper research on the basics of a good credit card: a fair interest rate, a reasonable spending limit, forgiving penalties (just in case), convenient customer service. But, as mentioned, I like traveling, and I knew that certain credit cards can give you perks for when you do. Could I get miles and free flights? Could I get discounts when I shopped or tried new restaurants?

My search proved to be as challenging as finding a potential date. Most travel cards seemed nice, and good enough to take home and show to my parents, but only had one of the things I was looking for in my list of nice-to-haves — not everything. People brushed off my wishes for a better card, telling me, “Puwede na yan!” and warned me not to be too choosy. But… can’t I have it all?

Luckily, I came across the Maybank Platinum MasterCard in the middle of my search. Unlike most credit cards that offer either a miles program or cashback benefit, the Platinum MasterCard offers both. For every P50 I spend with the card, I can earn one Asia Mile (with Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airlines, Japan Airlines and American Airlines among the partners of the Asia Miles loyalty program) or one KrisFlyer Mile (for the frequent flyer program of Singapore Airlines, which you can also use with partner airlines like Virgin Atlantic). Not only that, using the card abroad gets me a one-percent cashback rebate.

New York, Tokyo and Rome are just some of MasterCard’s Priceless Cities, whichoffer exclusive access to some of the most coveted places and events to Maybank Platinum MasterCard holders.

Aside from these, the Platinum MasterCard also gives me cool perks while I’m on my trip. Philippine-issued cardholders can enjoy discounts and freebies offered at local merchants, thanks to cross-border privileges in Maybank’s key operating markets: Malaysia (its home base), Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia. And because it’s in partnership with MasterCard, cardholders can also enjoy MasterCard’s famous Priceless Cities program, which includes exclusive experiences and offers around the world like sunset Champagne cruises in Singapore or a free bag of Toby’s Estate Woolloomooloo beans at Toby’s Signature Chippendale Café in Australia. (Recently, the program gave cardholders access to a week of exclusive performances and insider experiences leading up to the Grammys in the United States, then surprised two young women with an invitation to the MasterCard Gala dinner at the Cannes Film Festival.)

To top it all off, Maybank ensures complete safety and security. It’s going to take some time before I feel cavalier about inputting in my credit card details or handing my card over to make a purchase, but it’s nice to know that Maybank put some solid measures in place. Aside from an EMV-compliant chip (the latest technology that protects us from fraudulent transactions) in every credit card, Maybank will send an SMS after every single transaction with the card, wherever I am in the world. For online purchases, their Maybank Secure Online Shopping (MSOS) system will send me a one-time password via SMS before a transaction goes through at 3D-secure websites.

Security on top of convenience and rewards — this card leaves me nothing else to worry about when I travel — except, perhaps, for baggage allowance after shopping.

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To learn more about Maybank Platinum MasterCard, visit www.maybank.com.ph, and like www.facebook.com/MaybankPhilippines.