RHB World MasterCard card review - Best card in Malaysia for the travel perks?

The RHB World Mastercard credit card¹ has no annual charge and offers ways to earn cash back on your spending. Depending on how you use your card, you might also snag access to the RHB World Mastercard Plaza Premium lounge next time you fly, as well as some travel insurance and golf privileges.

This guide walks through the RHB World Mastercard benefits and drawbacks to help you weigh them up and decide if this is the right match for your needs. Plus, we’ll also touch on an alternative - the Wise debit card - as a comparison if you’re looking for a card with no ongoing charges and no foreign transaction fees².

What is the RHB World MasterCard credit card?

The RHB World Mastercard credit card is a credit card you can use to earn cash back on your spending at home and abroad. Cash back earning options do vary a lot, from 0.2% to 6% depending on the spend category and how much your monthly bill will be. There’s also a cap on the amount you can earn as cash back which you’ll want to know about.

The RHB World Mastercard credit card doesn’t have an annual fee - which is a big bonus, and which means this might be a good pick if you want a card for occasional use only. Just hold onto your card and use it as and when you need to - but bear in mind that some perks are only available if you hit certain spending thresholds. For example, to earn cash back you’ll need to spend at least 1,000 MYR with the card every month - and to hit the higher percentage earning rates you’ll need to be spending 3,500 MYR or more every month.

Here’s a quick roundup of the important features and fees associated with the RHB World Mastercard credit card³.

🌎 Enjoy low, transparent fees and free ATM withdrawals with the world's most international debit card

Sign up for Wise

RHB World Mastercard card benefits

The key RHB World Mastercard benefits include:

• Cash back earning opportunities
• Airport lounge access
• Travel insurance
• Golf privileges

To qualify for some of these perks, you’ll need to use your card quite frequently so it’s important to read through the card’s reward scheme details carefully.

The rate at which you can earn cash back is also a little complicated, with different spending categories offering different earning opportunities, depending on how much you spend in a given month. Caps also apply to the amount available:

One important point to note here is that there’s a foreign transaction fee to pay when you spend in foreign currencies. This means that even though you’ll get cashback on your spending, you’ll be paying more in the first place when you’re abroad, because an additional 1% charge is added to your bill. It’s useful to weigh up this cost before you use your RHB World Mastercard credit card abroad, to decide if the benefits outweigh the potential costs. Compare it to a low cost debit card like the Wise card to see which works out best for you.

RHB World Mastercard Travel Insurance Coverage

Cardholders can also get some RHB World Mastercard travel insurance, which includes some cover for:

• Travel accidents, including death and injuries
• Flight delay or cancellation
• Delayed or lost luggage
• Missed connections

Maximum claim amounts and exclusions apply, and there are conditions attached to the policy which you’ll need to read carefully⁴. It’s also good to remember that this is not a medical insurance policy and does not provide payment or practical support if you fall ill while you’re away. You’ll still need to take out a separate travel health insurance policy to cover you for any potential health problems you might suffer from.

Remember to bring along the Wise card - To worry less about additional fees and focus more on your travel experiences

Check out the Wise card as an easy to use international debit card for low cost spending and withdrawals around the world.

Use your Wise card in 150+ countries, with mid-market rate currency conversion and no foreign transaction fee. Wise accounts can hold and exchange 40+ currencies, so you can just top up in MYR and convert to the currency you need in advance or when you pay. Plus, you can make 2 free withdrawals of up to 1000 MYR a month to make sure you have cash in your pocket when you need it.

Sign up for your Wise card today 💳

Summary

Use this guide to decide if the RHB World Mastercard is the right credit card for you - and if you’re thinking of a card for travel, remember to also compare some low cost debit card options such as the Wise card. The Wise card doesn’t have an annual fee, and doesn’t use a foreign transaction fee when you spend overseas. That means that while you don’t earn cash back on your spending, you do get low cost currency conversion which uses the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees from 0.43%.

1. RHB World Mastercard credit card
2. Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
3. RHB fees
4. RHB travel insurance terms and conditions