HLB Essential offers 1% for all swipes.

UOB 1 Platinum and Citibank CB Platinum offers only 0.3%

1. Exactly how much you are going to spend? Over how long?

2. And do you know where? Some furniture shop may give you further discount if you pay with cash.

There are cards that offer up to 2% cash back equivalent e.g. Alliance Platinum for max RM5K/month where you will earn max RM68.75 cash back and 5K reward points.

So if you can split the expenses into 2 different statement cycle, you will earn RM137.50 cash back and 10,000 points.

But if you consider GST, you'll only earn RM87.50 cash back and the 10,000 points can use for next year GST.

And if you currently have a card like HLB Essential which earns you 1% cash back, you'll only be earning extra RM37.50 (RM137.50-RM100) not including the points.

So if you ask me, why go thru all the trouble just to earn less than RM100.

If you consistently going to spend RM5K/month , the Alliance Plat is good.
If they going to be imposed surcharge, better you pay with cash. If you really think about it, the 3% surcharge is like upfront interest where you have to settle within a month or so, therefore, the "effective rate" is like more than double.

My advise is go survey more and ask if the shop got 0% installment scheme. If you buy some stuff at Ikea or Courts, no surcharge for CC and can use AMEX

1. Annual Income: around 30k without EPF deduction

2. Free Lifetime Annual Fee: A Must

3. Card required for: juz for convenient, ocassional shopping where i can get some discount? and some basic flight ticket/ hotel booking (not frequent)

4. Existing credit cards if any: Nil

5. Preferred Bank or Considering CC from banks: Citibank

6. Others: thinking to apply my very first Credit Card and i think Citibank's CC is pretty cool
but the problem is I am actually working under Citigroup company ( Not Citibank but Citigroup Transaction Svs Sdn Bhd)
I tried to approach Citibank's CC Salesperson but i was told that they can't accept my application and ask me to apply with my HR instead.
So my question is can i get a Citibank's CC like other non-citi employee? Because what i can get from HR is only employee credit card which i have to return when i quit my job. Any advise or any other recommendation?

7. Estimated Spending per month with the card: Less than RM1K

oic.. then do u have experince on which bank will most likely easy to apply for?
AEON credit do give me a call, my friend got gold credit card from MBB, isnt MBB one of th estrict one ?