Best Groceries Cards

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Best Groceries Cards

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Best Credit Card For Groceries

Grocery spending is arguably the most significant spending category in Malaysian households. According to one government report, one Malaysian family spends on average RM783 on groceries monthly, constituting 17.% of its total monthly spending.

Given the significant spending, grocery shopping cards are beneficial tools to help Malaysians save money while spending on groceries. A preferred credit card has multiple savings and rewards, including a welcome bonus and no annual fee.

So, which credit card is best for groceries in Malaysia? Below is an overview of the country’s best grocery credit cards and their outstanding features to help you make an informed decision.

Top 5 Best Credit Cards For Groceries In Malaysia

1. Hong Leong Wise Card

The Hong Leong Wise Card For Groceries with No Annual fee

The Hong Leong Bank Wise Card offers the highest cashback on groceries at 8%. Moreover, you can select another category, including mobile, dining, petrol, pharmacy, travel, utilities, and bookstores, to include in the cashback criteria. 

Therefore, if, for example, petrol is your second-highest expenditure after groceries, consider this the best credit card for petrol and groceries.

Nonetheless, the flexible card allows you to switch cashback-eligible categories. Also, you only receive the cashback if you spend at least RM500 on retail.

Other noteworthy features on this card include a 6.99% balance transfer fixed rate, waived or no annual fee, and a 15% interest rate. However, the card charges 1% of the outstanding balance as a late payment fee or an RM10 flat rate, whichever is higher.

Card Eligibility Criteria

  • Earn at least RM2000 monthly.
  • Primary cardholders must be at least 21years.
  • Supplementary cardholders must be at least 18 years.

2. HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i

The HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i

The HSBC Amanah MPower credit card-i is the best credit card groceries and gas consumers should carry whenever they think retail. Its primary spending reward is a whopping 8% cash back on groceries, petrol, and e-wallet spending.

Therefore, besides in-person retail, the card earns you massive cashback on online shopping. 

Besides the 8% cash back on select categories, the card also earns you 0.2% on other spending categories, including shopping, dining, and entertainment (no capping).

It also features promotions where you can earn 2% cash back for everyday spending at select retail partner stores if your monthly expenditure exceeds RM2000.

Other features on this grocery shopping card include exclusive privileges in select outlets, flexible balance transferring plans ranging from 3-12 months, an easy payment plan, and a cash advance of up to RM1000 per withdrawal.

However, although the card charges no annual fee, it charges a 1% of 10RM late payment fee.

Card Eligibility Criteria

  • Minimum income RM3000 monthly
  • Principal cardholder must be at least 21 years
  • Supplementary cardholder must be at least 18 years
  • RM240 annual fee for principal cardholder; the card waives this fee if you swipe it at least 12 times annually
  • RM120 annual fee for first-time applicants and supplementary cardholders

3. Citi Business Platinum

The Citi Business Platinum for groceries

Although its title may fool you into thinking this card is exclusively for business owners, it has fantastic cashback on groceries, positioning it among the best grocery cards.

Citi Business Platinum card features a 0.5% cashback rate on local grocery spending and 1.2% unlimited cashback on all overseas expenditures. Other categories eligible for a similar cashback bracket include petrol, entertainment, shopping, dining, travel, and utilities.

The card also facilitates balance transfers, an easy payment plan of up to 60 months, complimentary personal accident and travel insurance for up to RM1000, and an automated cashback redemption once you accumulate at least RM20. Moreover, the card offers a massive RM10000 cash advance and expiry-free reward points.

Card Eligibility Criteria

  • RM48000 minimum annual income for the principal cardholder and RM24000 for the supplementary cardholder
  • The principal cardholder must be at least 21 years old, while the minimum age for a supplementary cardholder is 18
  • An RM200 annual fee for the primary cardholder (waived for the first three years)
  • An RM100 annual fee for first-time applicants and additional cardholders

4. CIMB Cash Rebate Platinum Credit Card

The CIMB Cash Rebate Platinum Card

The CIMB Cash Rebate Platinum card is arguably the best reward credit card for groceries and gas, thanks to the 5% cashback rate on both spending categories.

Moreover, the card includes a 5% cash rebate on the cinema for a minimum statement balance of RM3000.

Besides groceries, petrol, and cinema, this card also includes a 2% cash rebate on online spending, making it a must-have card for online shopping.

Other money-saving features and rewards on this card include up to 25% discounts at select merchants, a 5.99% balance transferring rate with a payment tenure of up to 12 months, and an easy payment plan. However, it does not include any welcome bonus.

Card Eligibility Criteria

  • RM2000 minimum monthly income
  • Principal cardholders must be at least 21; the card waives the annual fee for the first year.
  • Supplementary cardholders must be at least 18
  • Annual fee waived for first-time and supplementary cardholders.

5. AEON Japan Club Of Kuala Lumpur Credit Card

The AEON Japan Club Of Kuala Lumpur Credit Cards for groceries

The AEON Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur Card is among the best reward cards for groceries and gas for the following reasons. First, it includes a 5% cash back on groceries, earning users 1 point for every RM on local spending. 

Second, it includes discounts of up to 50% in multiple affiliate establishments offering various services, including shopping, dining, sports and fitness, beauty, and hotel accommodation.

Third, it facilitates free access to Plaza Premium Lounges at Malaysian airports up to six times annually. Facilities at the lounges include food, drink, massage chairs, shower amenities, and high-speed internet. 

Other benefits of this card include balance transfers, manageable payment plans, and a cash advance of up to RM3000 with no cash advance fees. Moreover, the earned reward points have an infinite lifespan.

Card Eligibility Criteria

  • Principal cardholder must be at least 21
  • Supplementary cardholders must be at least 18
  • No annual fee for the principal, supplementary, or first-time cardholder
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FAQ

A credit card is a convenient tool for people to pay for purchases today, offering many perks and rewards that can add up to more savings for the cardholders.

Today, consumers often use credit cards as payment for their purchases since they are convenient and often come with benefits and incentives that can result in additional discounts for cardholders. With a wide variety of these cards with various advantages, you might ask how to pick the ideal one for your financial needs. We have collected the following FAQ to enable you to understand the most relevant questions regards credit cards, including user conditions, interest rates, and primary payment terms.

Here’s a short guide LOANPANDA has compiled to help you understand the credit card requirements, interest rates and basic payment terms.

To define a credit card for groceries, begin by defining a credit card in general. A credit card refers to funds or credit facilities extended to a cardholder by a creditor or lending institution like a bank, allowing the former to spend a borrowed amount on various lending categories. 

They include groceries, petrol, entertainment, dining, shopping (including online shopping), travelling, and utilities. The spending categories apply to local and overseas spending.

Unlike other lines of credit like personal loans, a credit card incentivizes the cardholder to spend the loan amount by giving rewards like points, cashback, a welcome bonus, and other exclusive privileges to the cardholder each time they swipe the card.

Moreover, such cards differ from mortgage loans because they allow you to spend money on diverse spending categories, except for Islamic banking credit cards-i, which forbid spending on haram goods and services, including alcohol and gambling services.

Lenders name the cards according to the spending categories that receive the maximum rewards per spending.

Therefore, a grocery credit card is a card with the highest tips for grocery shopping, offering the cardholder maximum returns or perks when shopping for groceries. 

Nonetheless, the best grocery shopping cards feature other categories, although these categories earn lower rewards.

Some card companies offering grocery shopping cards bundle two or three shopping categories, including groceries, for maximum returns.

According to one report, food price inflation in Malaysia is at an all-time high, meaning Malaysians spend more on food than ever. Therefore, a grocery shopping card will help you reduce your grocery spending.

The rewards from grocery shopping credit cards, particularly cash backs, directly lower your monthly grocery spending.

Others, like the Citi Business Platinum cards, feature an automated cashback redemption option, meaning the card credits accrue cashback into your account immediately after the cashback earnings hit a set amount.

Grocery cards in Malaysia often offer rewards in more than one shopping category. Therefore, you can select a card that offers other mega rewards on different shopping categories that constitute a significant portion of your household's monthly expenditure, including petrol and utility bills.

Besides savings, grocery cards empower you to build your credit score as you accrue and repay the card's debt. Credit cards are particularly useful credit-building tools for supplementary cardholders who may lack the monthly income to acquire credit as principal cardholders.

Also, most grocery cards issued by Malaysian banks are acceptable worldwide. Therefore, you can still earn cash back, discounts, and other rewards for grocery shopping when you swipe the grocery cards overseas.

To add to the list of benefits, grocery shopping cards function as an emergency credit facility when you cannot access your regular income for grocery shopping. Therefore, owning a grocery shopping card has way more advantages than disadvantages.

However, consider consulting the Financial experts on LoanPanda for professional insights into whether or not you need a grocery card.

Age, income, and credit history determine whether Malaysian banks and other lending institutions approve your groceries shopping card application.

  • Age
  • You must be at least 21 to apply for a principal groceries card. On the other hand, you must be at least 18 years old to apply for a supplementary groceries card. We'll look at the differences between the two card types later.

  • Income
  • Credit cards vary in the credit amount available to the cardholder. Banks consider income to ensure the cardholder can repay the loan based on their monthly income.

    The cards are classified as gold, platinum, and infinite. Gold cards serve the low-income market, platinum cards for the middle class, and infinite cards for Malaysians with high monthly incomes.

  • Credit History
  • Such cards are invaluable credit-building tools. Therefore, banks and other lending institutions consider your credit history, including your credit score and repayment history, before approving your grocery card application.

    Therefore, consider establishing your credit score and contest any misleading information on your credit report before applying for a groceries card.

A principal credit card is a primary card attached to a credit card account. Therefore, a principal cardholder is an individual who applies for a credit card in a lending institution and has their name on the account once the lending institution approves their card application.

The principal cardholder is solely responsible for repayments, spending, and the physical whereabouts of the card. Therefore, they must report a missing card to the bank and the police to avoid unauthorized use.

On the other hand, a supplementary groceries card is issued under a principal account but held by an authorized party other than the principal cardholder. Therefore, you can only receive an additional grocery credit card when the principal cardholder requests the bank to issue one.

The number of supplementary cards attached to one principal account varies across the board, although some banks allow the primary account holder to have up to ten additional cards.

Malaysian laws dictate that only family members directly related to the principal cardholder, like children, parents, and spouses, can have supplementary cards attached to the main account. However, the additional cardholder must be at least 18 years old.

A supplementary groceries card has similar benefits to a principal groceries credit card, including similar rewards for grocery spending and spending in other designated shopping categories.

Moreover, the supplementary cardholder can use such a card for overseas spending. The supplementary credit card may also bear the supplementary cardholder's name. However, the principal cardholder may institute a spending limit on the supplementary cardholder's groceries spending.

Also, the supplementary cardholder reaps the benefits of a good credit score associated with a principal cardholder's account but is not liable for payment; hence delayed payments and defaults do not affect their credit score.

Malaysia's Central Bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, dictates that all Malaysian banks can only issue credit cards, including groceries cards, to Malaysians earning a minimum of RM24000 annually.

However, some societal groups like students, self-employed individuals, and freelancers may have difficulty proving their annual income because, unlike salaried employees, they do not have payslips. 

In such cases, banks recommend that the groceries shopping card applicant make a deposit equaling the credit card's total credit amount as part of their application process. The deposit functions as security, protecting the bank from the risk of credit card default. Most banks refund the card security deposit once you complete payment or close your account.

The maximum credit limit depends on your annual income. Bank Negara Malaysia stipulates that principal cardholders earning no more than RM36000 annually cannot receive credit exceeding two and a half times their monthly income when applying for a credit card.

However, no restrictions apply to principal cardholders earning more than RM36000 annually. Generally, banks decide how much credit to extend to their customers.

Your annual income stipulates the maximum number of groceries cards or any other cards you can have. Bank Negara Malaysia stipulates that a principal cardholder earning below RM36000 annually can only have cards issued by up to two lending institutions.

However, it does not specify whether you can apply for more than one card at a single lending institution. On the other hand, principal cardholders earning over RM36000 per annum can apply for as many cards as they want in whichever Malaysian lending institution.

Nonetheless, lending institutions consider their credit score, history, and monthly obligations before issuing high-earners with credit cards.

Yes, most groceries cards include a cash advance option, allowing the cardholder to withdraw cash at  ATM up to a set limit.

Some banks set the cash withdrawal limit for each transaction. In contrast, others put the withdrawal limit as a percentage of the total credit amount available to the cardholder via the card.

However, cash withdrawals from a credit card have a different interest rate or facility charge from the card's annual fee. Facility charges for credit card cash withdrawals vary from bank to bank; even within one bank, they vary for different cards.

Therefore, ensure you understand the cash withdrawal terms and conditions attached to your groceries card before making any cash withdrawals.

Most banks and other Malaysian credit card companies issue a late payment fee if the cardholder fails to remit the stipulated monthly payment within the stipulated timeframe.

The late payment fee is a preset percentage of the amount owed, although most Islamic banking cards stipulate that the cost should not exceed a specified amount. 

Besides the financial penalty, missing a payment will likely taint your credit history by lowering your credit score. A low credit score limits your credit options in the future.

Some lenders charge an annual fee, while others do not charge any annual fee. Second, some lenders waive the yearly fee based on stipulated circumstances.

First, a bank may waive the annual fee for first-time credit card applicants and supplementary cardholders. The lender may waive the annual fee if the cardholder fulfils the stipulated number of minimum swipes during the year or achieves the minimum spend amount on the card.  

The decision to apply for a groceries credit card that charges or waives annual fees lies solely with you. Regardless, ensure that the rewards you receive when using the card for grocery shopping outweigh the annual fee. Also, some grocery cards do not include annual fees, yet they offer exceptional perks in the grocery shopping category.

Cashbacks are among the many rewards cardholders receive when swiping grocery cards. However, the cashback varies across different cards.

For example, the Hong Leong Wise Gold Card and the HSBC Amanah MPower Platinum Credit Card-i issue an 8% cashback rate on credit, among the highest cashback rates in any spending category. Therefore, consider using LoanPanda to compare the cashback provision on different cards and other terms and conditions.

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