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When everyone is separated into either team cash back or team reward points, Public bank offers a little bit of both for its cardholders on selected products.
Is this a perfect strategy to attract both users, or it just goes another way around.
We will compare all the credit cards that Public Bank offers towards points earning, in order to enhance your next points and miles travel. All the calculations will be done in this article, so you could spend your precious time somewhere else, besides browsing through the massive official website.
Public bank offers 2 redemption awards: AirMiles Point for 1 card and VIP points for the rest of the reward line up. A very typical strategy to attract high overseas spenders. While both points valid for 3 years.
A. Top Tier PB World Mastercard
Benefits:
- 3x AirMiles Point on overseas spending
- 1x on local spending
- 3x Plaza Premium Lounge access in Malaysia
- Complimentary travel insurance
- Non annual fee
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of 100,000 MYR
Mileage redemption rates:
Malaysia Airlines Enrich 8.5 : 1 (Min 8,500 points : 1,000 miles)
AirAsia Big Points 4.25 : 1 (Min 8,500 points : 2,000 miles)
B. Mid Tier PB Visa Signature
Benefits:
- 6% Cash Back on Grocery, Dining and Online Transaction (capped at 38 MYR per month)
- 1x VIP Points on other spending
- 2x Plaza Premium Lounge access in Malaysia
- Complimentary travel insurance
Annual Fee: 388 MYR
Waived for first year and subsequent years with minimum of 12 swipes over the preceding 12 months
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of 80,000 MYR
C. Low Tier PB Quantum and PB Platinum Mastercard
Let's start with PB Platinum Mastercard. An ordinary card with benefits of 1x VIP Point per MYR spend and complimentary travel insurance.
The set up of PB Quantum credit cards is very familiar, reminds us of the Duo-cards from Maybank
Benefits:
- Mastercard 5% Cash Back on online transactions (capped at 30 MYR per month)
- Visa 5% Cash Back on contactless transactions (minimum 30 MYR per transaction and capped at 30 MYR per month)
- 2x on overseas spending
- 1x on local spending
What's interesting here is that Platinum Mastercard comes with annual fee of 333 MYR while Quantum is 0 MYR.
Of course , the annual fee could be waived by 12 swipes for the subsequent years. But Quantum offers cash back and multipliers on overseas spending that Platinum Mastercard doesn't.
Travel insurance is the only unique selling point stands out from the competition between these two.
What's more interesting is the applicants' eligibility.
PB Platinum Mastercard requires minimum annual income of 50,000 MYR, while Quantum requires only 36,000 MYR.
Mileage redemption rates for Mid and Low tiers cards
Malaysia Airlines Enrich 10 : 1 (Min 10,000 points : 1,000 miles)
AirAsia Big Points 5 : 1 (Min 10,000 points : 2,000 miles)
Final Thoughts
While Public Bank offers few "fusion" products, the bank offers a double quantity of Cash Back credit cards. The redemption rates also reflect that Public bank is still not an Alpha in points and miles game. Even for its category of travel card.
PB World Mastercard which offers 3x Plaza premium lounge in Malaysia would have hardly compete against other travel cards in the market.
However, Public Bank offers VIP Points earning for its premium debit cards, which is surprising.
Not that surprise, when there is a requirement of minimum 300,000 MYR total deposit with Bank.
Have a glance of estimated earning miles by using the excel file below:
By inserting the amount of expense in Yellow Column
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