3rd July 2013 - 3 min read
(Picture courtesy of of scottchan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
E-commerce is becoming the way for many to do business. The convenience is unsurpassed and
the cost savings afforded to sellers through lower overheads helps to drive
prices lower.
You can shop online with any credit card
but what about a little enticement? Some credit cards are now offering
incentives to encourage you to keep on clicking.
If internet shopping is the way you get
everything from hotel stays to new clothes; you would want to get a card that
rewards you for doing the things you love. The UOB VOX
card gives an impressive 5% cash rebate for online purchases but this is capped
at RM50 per month. The Hong
Leong Mach credit card also gives cashback for online spends if the
category is one of your chosen (the card’s cashback works on selected
categories which cardholders are allowed to customise). However, the rate is 1%
for online purchases and the cap for all cashback receivable is RM50 per month
as well. The Mach card offers cashback in more spending while the UOB Vox is focused
on online spending.
For the higher income bracket, the RHB Visa
Signature offers 1% uncapped cashback for online spending. Those who do
virtually all their shopping online will benefit from the unlimited
cashback.
The RHB EVO
also rewards online shoppers with double reward points for every ringgit spent
on e-commerce transactions and bill payments made through the internet.
If you’re the frequent traveller who
prefers to book tickets and hotels online; choose a travel card that not only
gives you travel benefits but also a card that understands your travel booking
style. The CIMB
Enrich Platinum and Gold
Mastercard cards are tied-in with MAS. Aside from earning points through
conventional spending methods you can also earn extra points by booking flight
tickets online. Normally you would earn 1.5 Enrich miles for every RM6 spent on
retail transactions but when you book your air tickets through MAS online
booking, you’ll earn one Enrich point for each ringgit you spend.
Similar to the CIMB Enrich cards, the Maybank
SIA Krisflyer allows you to earn extra airmiles. Every RM2 spent on normal
purchases earns you one Krisflyer mile, however if you book for your tickets
online through SIA you will receive 2 Krisflyer miles for every RM2 spent.
E-commerce benefits can be sporadic and
dependant on the card issuer’s agreement with specific online merchants. Online
shopping giants Zalora for instance offer rebates to specific cardholders for a
limited period: Currently, all RHB credit cards get a flat 15% discount on
shopping or an RM20 voucher for purchases of RM100; CIMB cardholders receive
20% storewide or 25% for purchases exceeding RM150; Standard Chartered credit
cards receive 15% storewide as well. As the biggest online fashion destination;
it’s a good rebate if you’re a fashionista (or one in the making).
There are then some issuers who encourage
you to use their online services because it reduces cost for them, which in
turn, benefits you. All HSBC credit
cards (except those under Islamic Banking) encourage reward point redemption
through their online portal as opposed to calling or heading to a branch. Using
the online method will save you 500 points off the redemption amount on
selected items.
Depending on the kind of online shopper you
are – you may want to consider a card which rewards you for doing what you
love.
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