Cashback credit cards won’t make you rich, but they can help you save some money – as much as hundreds a year – on your purchases. Here’s how they work, and which cards you should consider.
What is a cashback credit card?
When you make a purchase, a cashback credit card gives you a percentage of the purchase back in cash. It is typically credited to you and the end of a statement cycle.
How do you choose the best cashback card?
Finding the best credit card isn’t as easy as looking for which gives the highest percentage of cashback. You also should also consider:
- Annual fee. Some cashback credit cards charge an annual fee (that may be waived if you meet certain spending requirements), while others don’t. But keep in mind that you’ll still have to pay a RM25 Sales and Service Tax (SST) every year, whether or not your card charges a fee.
- Cashback amount. Some cards offer better cashback than others, or offer cashback in more spending categories. Consider which categories you spend most often on, and get a card that suits your spending patterns.
- Cashback requirements. Some cards require you to spend a minimum amount of money, or only give you cashback on weekends.
- Cashback caps. Cards generally have a monthly maximum cashback limit, or a limit for each spending category.
Comparison: best cashback cards in Malaysia
To determine the best cards, we compared ten popular cashback cards:
| Annual fee | Cashback | Cashback requirements | Monthly cap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Cash Back Card | RM120 (waived for the first three years) | Up to 10% on Grab, groceries, dining and petrol, 0.2% on other retail spending | Spend a min of RM500 for 10% cashback | 10% cashback: RM10 per category (total RM40) 0.2% cashback: no cap |
| Hong Leong Wise Gold Card | RM98 | 8% on petrol groceries and dining, 0.25% on other eligible spending | 8% cashback is eligible on weekends only; 1% if transaction performed on weekdays | 8% cashback: RM18 per category (total RM54) 0.25% cashback: no cap |
| HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i | RM240 (waived with more than 12 swipes a year) | Up to 8% on eWallet, groceries and petrol, 0.2% on other eligible spending | Spend a min of RM2,000 for 8% cashback | 8% cashback: RM15 per category (total RM45) 0.2% cashback: no cap |
| Maybank 2 Cards | Waived | 5% cashback for all eligible purchases | 5% is eligible with the Maybank 2 American Express Card on weekends; only cashback amount above RM1 (or above RM20 per transaction) is awarded | RM50 |
| Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Gold Card | Waived | 5% rebate on petrol and groceries | Eligible on Friday and Saturday only | RM50 |
| Public Bank Quantum Card | Waived | Visa: 5% on contactless transactions (excluding petrol) Mastercard: 5% on online transactions | Visa: spend a min of RM30 for 5% cashback | RM30 for Visa and RM30 for Mastercard (total RM60) |
| Public Bank Visa Signature | RM388 (first year waived, subsequent years waived with 12 swipes within 12 months) | 6% on grocery, dining and online transactions | None | RM38 |
| Standard Chartered JustOne Platinum Mastercard | RM250 (first year waived) | 15% on online purchases, auto-bill payments and petrol, 0.2% on other eligible spending | Tiered cashback based on spending; min RM2,500 monthly spending for 15% cashback | 15% cashback: RM20 per category (total RM60) |
Best card for weekend spending: Maybank 2 Cards or Hong Leong Wise Gold Card
- Annual fee: Waived
- Cashback: 5% cashback for all eligible purchases
- Cashback requirements: Eligible on weekends only with the American Express card; only cashback amount above RM1 (or over RM20 per transaction) is awarded
- Cashback cap: RM50
- Minimum income: RM2,500
The Maybank 2 Cards come as one American Express (AMEX) card and one Visa or Mastercard – giving you two credit cards for the price of one. The AMEX card allows you to earn 5% cashback on all purchases (except with government bodies and utilities) and 5x TreatsPoints on weekends, while the Visa/Mastercard gives you 1x TreatsPoints on weekdays.
This is a pretty good deal, considering that there aren’t any annual fees, limits on your spending categories or monthly spending requirements. If you spend at least RM1,000 per month on weekends, you could earn the maximum possible cashback of RM50 a month – that adds up to RM600 in a year!
Hong Leong Wise Gold Card
8% on petrol, groceries and dining on weekdays; 1% on weekdays
0.25% on other eligible spending- Annual fee: RM98
- Cashback: 8% on petrol, groceries and dining, 0.25% on other eligible spending
- Cashback requirements: 8% cashback is eligible on weekends only; 1% if transaction performed on weekdays
- Cashback cap: 8% cashback: RM18 per category (total RM54); 0.25% cashback: no cap
- Minimum income: RM2,000
The Hong Leong Wise Gold Card is another great contender for a weekend cashback card. You get 8% cashback on petrol, groceries and dining when you spend on weekends, and 1% cashback for these categories on weekdays. Plus, you get 0.25% on other eligible spending, regardless of the day.
Spending only RM675 a month will allow you to reach the monthly cap of RM54. While it has an annual fee of RM98, maxing out your cashback every month more than cover these fees.
Best card for general spending: Citi Cash Back Card
Citi Cash Back Card
Up to 10% on Grab, groceries, dining and petrol
0.2% on other retail spending- Annual fee: RM120 (waived for the first three years)
- Cashback: Up to 10% on Grab, groceries, dining and petrol, 0.2% on other retail spending
- Cashback requirements: Spend a min of RM500 for 10% cashback
- Cashback cap: 10% cashback: RM10 per category (total RM40); 0.2% cashback: no cap
- Minimum income: RM3,000
If you want a basic card that rewards you any day of the week, go for the Citi Cash Back Card. This card gives you 10% cashback on Grab, groceries, dining and petrol, and 0.2% on other retail spending.
You’d only need to spend a minimum of RM500 a month to be eligible for the 10% cashback. The only drawback is that it has a relatively high annual fee of RM120 a year.
Best card for eWallet spending: HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i
HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i
Up to 8% on eWallet, groceries and petrol
0.2% on other eligible spending- Annual fee: RM240 (waived with 12 swipes a year)
- Cashback: Up to 8% on eWallet, groceries and petrol, 0.2% on other eligible spending
- Cashback requirements: Spend a min of RM2,000 for 8% cashback
- Cashback cap: 8% cashback: RM15 per category (total RM45); 0.2% cashback: no cap
- Minimum income: RM3,000
If you need a card that gives you cashback on everyday necessities, as well as eWallet spending, get the HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i. You get 8% cashback when you spend on eWallets, groceries and petrol, for a maximum of RM45 a month or RM540 a year. You also get 0.2% cashback on other categories.
While it has a high annual fee of RM240, it’s pretty easy to get it waived – just use your card at least 12 times in a year.
The only drawback of this card is that you’d need to spend at least RM2,000 a month to qualify for the 8% cashback. But if you meet this criteria, it’s a good card to add to your arsenal.
Use your cards wisely
As you can see, cashback cards can help you save hundreds of ringgit a year. You don’t even have to limit yourself to one – getting several cards can help you maximise your cashback across different categories or spending patterns.
But a word of caution: even though these cards can help you save money, remember the basics: don’t spend more than you can afford, and always pay your credit card bills on time. Otherwise, you could rack up interest repayments, which defeats the whole point of getting cashback!
