Standard Chartered Credit Card Lounge Access - Which cards are the best for free lounge passes?

If travelling in comfort is a priority for you on your globetrotting adventures, gaining lounge access at the airport is likely a non-negotiable. One way to gain complimentary lounge access is through credit cards.

In this guide, we compare 4 Standard Chartered credit cards in Malaysia that grant free lounge access but differ in their entry offers. We look at the individual card’s fees, features, and weigh in how they compare against each other. We’ll also look into the features of the Wise card which presents a smarter option for overseas spend at the mid-market rates and low, transparent fees.

What to consider when choosing a Standard Chartered credit card with lounge access?

When you’re choosing a credit card with lounge access as your priority, it is useful to also consider its other perks. This way, you can get the most out of a credit card’s features.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when making your decision on the best card for you:

• Minimum income – the minimum income level for Standard Chartered credit cards in this guide starts from 24,000 MYR
• Annual fee – most of the selected cards have annual fee waiver for the first 2 years
• Number of visits – most Standard Chartered credit cards in this list offer lounge access at Plaza Premium lounges within Malaysia
• Supplementary cardholder visits – most Standard Chartered credit cards do not make concessions for supplementary cardholder visits
• Minimum spend requirement – cards on this list do not have a minimum spend requirement
• Rewards – there’s a wide variety of rewards on offer by Standard Chartered’s 360^º Rewards programme, particularly rewards points conversion for free entry to Plaza Premium lounges
• Insurance – some Standard Chartered cards offer some travel or accident insurance as part of the package

Next, let’s dive into which lounges your Standard Chartered credit card can get you access to.

Standard Chartered credit card lounge access list

Which Standard Chartered credit card you eventually apply for will be largely dependent on whether you’re looking for a card that primarily awards access to Plaza Premium Lounges in KLIA or internationally.

Most Standard Chartered credit cards will grant you access to over 1,000 Plaza Premium Lounges across the globe in major cities like Hong Kong, Taipei, and London.

Best Standard Chartered credit cards with complimentary lounge access

We will be diving into four Standard Chartered credit cards that each have varying features to support lounge access to Plaza Premium lounges. Whether you’re looking for Plaza Premium lounge access within Malaysia or internationally, you can begin your search with this guide. Here are 4 Standard Chartered credit cards that come with complimentary lounge access, or have a rewards system which allows you to redeem a lounge pass:

Standard Chartered Journey (previously WorldMiles World Mastercard)

The Standard Chartered Journey card¹ grants principal cardholders unlimited lounge access to selected Plaza Premium lounges in KLIA and KLIA2 during international travels. This is a great option if your travels mostly take you in and out of KLIA and KLIA2 airports.

The card also grants other travel perks like hotel privileges and cashback on airport transfers in Malaysia via Grab. If you’re looking to chalk up miles, you can earn 1 mile for every 1 MYR spent on dining, travel, and overseas spend and 1 mile for every 5 MYR spent locally with the Standard Chartered Journey card. .

Standard Chartered Priority Banking Visa Infinite

If you’re a priority banking member eligible for the Standard Chartered Priority Banking Visa Infinite card², you can enjoy unlimited access to over 1000 airport lounges in Malaysian and globally. This privilege is also extended to one other complimentary guest.

The Standard Chartered Priority Banking Visa Infinite card epitomises luxury travel with a 24/7 worldwide concierge service to assist you with your trip planning including hotel, flight and restaurant reservations and car rental.

As a principal cardholder, you’ll also get travel and medical insurance coverage of up to 50,000 MYR.

👀 Looking for a travel card to maximise your overseas spending? See how Wise compares with other multi-currency cards like BigPay and MAE in Malaysia.

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Standard Chartered Visa Platinum

While the Standard Chartered Visa Platinum card³ does not grant free lounge access to cardholders, Plaza Premium lounge access can be redeemed for 83,000 360^º Rewards points.

The card awards 5x points on dining, department store purchases, and overseas spend, 1x points on other local spend, and 5,000 bonus points when you spend 1,500 MYR or more. These accumulated points can then be redeemed for a wide range of goods and services – air miles and complimentary lounge access included.

Standard Chartered Platinum Mastercard Basic

Like the Standard Chartered Visa Platinum card, the Standard Chartered Platinum Mastercard Basic⁴ does not come with complimentary lounge access for its cardholders. Instead, entry to the Plaza Premium Lounge can be redeemed with rewards points.

With this card, you earn 1x rewards point with every 1 MYR spent. With no annual fees and a low minimum annual income requirement of 24,000 MYR, this card is an accessible card to collect the bank’s 360^º Rewards points.

Foreign transaction costs when using the Standard Chartered credit card overseas

When you swipe your Standard Chartered credit card overseas, there are additional costs that you will incur. This includes a 1% administrative fee on the transaction that is converted at the exchange rate determined by Visa or Mastercard.

Likewise, overseas ATM withdrawals incur additional cash advance fees of up to 5% the withdrawal amount or a minimum of 25 MYR. Given these additional costs with using a Malaysian issued credit card overseas, it is worth considering debit card options like Wise instead.

Bring along your Standard Chartered credit card for lounge access and the Wise card for low-fee overseas transactions

All things considered, a credit card is not always the best to reach for your travel expenditure. While it does make travelling far more convenient with its complimentary lounge access privileges, it incurs additional transaction fees every time you use your card overseas.

To avoid snowballing credit card fees, consider the Wise card instead. Wise not only offers a multi-currency digital account that allows you to hold and exchange 40+ currencies but also a linked debit card which can be used in 150+ countries. The card can be used overseas with the mid-market rate and low transparent fees from 0.33%. Not forgetting a couple of free ATM withdrawals every month that also allow you to draw cash with ease overseas at no extra cost.

Credit cards are a cheat code to securing lounge access, but remember to charge your travel expenses to your Wise card to maximise your overseas spending.

🚀 Get your very own Wise card

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