Instarem Amaze Card review - how does it compare against other travel cards in Singapore?

If you’re looking for a better way to shop and spend using a card internationally, you may have heard of the Amaze Card from Instarem. The Amaze Card offers a few different features, including options to link your existing Mastercard or top up with a Visa card, and earn cash back or rewards on spending.

This full Instarem Amaze Card review looks at the Amaze Card benefits in full, how to use the Amaze Card and how it measures up against popular alternatives with a rundown of the Amaze Card vs YouTrip vs Wise card. Let’s dive right in.

Table of contents
What is the Amaze Card and how it works Amaze Card spending limits and exchange rates SG travel card comparison - Amaze Card vs YouTrip vs Wise card Amaze Card cashback Summary

What is the Amaze Card?

The Amaze Card from Instarem allows you to either link up to 5 Mastercard credit or debit cards, or top up your Amaze e-wallet from Mastercard or Visa cards, to spend in person and online, and view and manage all your spending in one place.

Amaze Cards have a few specific features:

• You can use Amaze with Google Pay for mobile payments
• Spend with up to 5 different linked cards, all with one physical or virtual Amaze Card
• Send money overseas with Instarem
• Enjoy Mastercard World benefits as well as earning Amaze cash back for overseas spending

How does the Amaze Card work?

Amaze is a little different to some other international spending cards you may have seen. With the Amaze Card you have a couple of options -

• Link one or more Mastercards to your Amaze account to spend via Amaze using multiple cards
• Use your Amaze account as a prepaid e-wallet, by topping up with a Visa or Mastercard and spending the funds you hold in the account

If you’re topping up your Amaze account with Visa you’ll only ever be able to spend the amount of money in the account. However, if you prefer to link a Mastercard, you can choose a debit or credit card, which can mean you can spend on credit through Amaze as well.

In this way, the Amaze Card can pull together different functions and features, and act as either a credit or debit card depending on how you set it up.

Amaze Card benefits

So why bother using Amaze then? Here are some of the Amaze Card benefits you’ll want to know about¹:

• Get better foreign exchange rates compared to the banks, with no extra Amaze charges to pay
• Get rewards on foreign spending which can be converted to 1% cash back
• Track your spending across all your linked cards in one place
• You may also be able to benefit from Mastercard specific rewards and offers

Amaze Card spending limits

If you use your Amaze Card as a prepaid wallet, you can spend up to the daily amount specified in your Instarem app, with a 30,000 SGD annual limit¹.

If you link one or more Mastercards to your account you can spend up to 50,000 SGD per transaction, or to the limit of the specific card in question, whichever is lower.

Amaze Card exchange rate

Amaze Card international spending uses the Amaze exchange rate, which Instarem states can include a lower admin fee and markup compared to the rates typically used by banks¹.

You’ll be able to see the rate that will apply in the Instarem/Amaze app once you initiate a transaction. Compare the rate you’re offered against the mid-market exchange rate to see the markup - if any - that’s been added.

The mid-market exchange rate is the rate used when banks and other institutions buy currency themselves. However, it’s not often passed directly on to retail customers. Instead, organizations add a markup to calculate the retail exchange rate. This is an extra fee which pushes up costs overall. Comparing a few different payment options is usually the best way to get a good exchange rate for your specific purchase - there’s a comparison of Amaze vs some other popular payment services coming up later to start you off.

SG travel card comparison - Amaze Card vs YouTrip vs Wise card

Let’s look at how the Amaze Card from Instarem measures up against a couple of other card options available in Singapore - the YouTrip card and the Wise Account.

	Amaze¹	YouTrip³	Wise
Account maintenance fees	None	None	None
ATM fees	ATM withdrawals not available	5 SGD + any applicable ATM operator fees⁴	Up to 2 withdrawals per month, to 350 SGD in value, fee free 1.50 SGD + 1.75% after that
Currency exchange fees	No specific fee, exchange with Instarem rates	No specific fee, exchange with Mastercard rates⁵	Exchange with mid-market rates and low fees based on currency from 0.41%
Overseas payment fees	Instarem fees - full details shown in the Instarem/Amaze app	Available for 10 holding currencies with YouTrip Send - fees available in app only⁶	Send to 80+ countries, fees based on currency - from 0.41%
Available currencies for holding and exchange	SGD²	10⁷	50+ currencies
Available currencies/countries for card spending	Any Mastercard supported currency	150+ currencies	170+ countries
Withdraw a balance back to your bank	Not available	No⁸	Yes - withdraw in a range of currencies
Rewards and cashback	1% cashback	Promotional offers and cashback available	Limited range of promotions available

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

While Amaze from Instarem offers some neat features including the option to link multiple cards and see all your spending in one place, it doesn’t have everything you’ll likely need from a travel card. For example, you won’t be able to make ATM withdrawals with Amaze at present - although this feature looks set to be made available at some point down the line. You also can’t hold or exchange different currencies in the Amaze account - a feature available from both YouTrip and Wise. All in all this makes it a bit more limited compared to competitors if you want to use it while you travel.

If you’re looking for a great all round option, check out the multi-currency Wise Account to hold 50+ currencies, send payments to 80+ countries, and get paid like a local from 30+ countries. You can also spend and make withdrawals - including some getting some fee free cash every month - with the linked Wise card.

Get a Wise account today!

How does Instarem Amaze Card cashback work?

When you spend with Amaze internationally you can earn InstaPoints. You’ll get 1 point for every 1 SGD equivalent spent, as long as your transaction is worth more than 10 SGD in the first place¹. Some categories of spending are excluded - with exclusions being set by Mastercard rather than Instarem.

Once you have points saved you can convert to 1% cash back or take them as discounts or credit towards some Instarem payments.

In addition to InstaPoints, you’ll continue to earn any points offered by your specific card if you’re spending with a linked Mastercard, rather than using Amaze as an e-wallet.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Instarem Amaze Card a debit or a credit card?

Instarem Amaze lets you add funds to a prepaid wallet to use as a debit option, or to link Mastercard credit and debit cards for onward spending.

Is the Amaze Card Visa or Mastercard?

The Amaze Card is a Mastercard which you can either top up, or link to other existing Mastercard credit or debit cards for payments. You also can use a Visa to add funds to your Amaze Card.

Does the Amaze Card work with Apple Pay?

The Amaze Card is compatible with Google Pay for Android phones⁹, but at the time of writing does not work with Apple Pay.

How to activate an Amaze Card?

You need to activate your physical Amae Card before you can use it, although you can spend online before your physical card is available. To activate the Amaze Card:

• Log into the Instarem/Amaze app
• Tap Activate Card
• Set your Card PIN
• Your card is ready to use

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Summary - Is Amaze a great multi-currency card?

The Instarem Amaze Card lets you link one or more Mastercards for spending online and through Google Pay, both at home and abroad. Amaze operates in SGD only - if you spend in foreign currencies your funds will be converted with the Amaze rate which may be better than the equivalent from your normal bank. However, it’s not necessarily the absolute best exchange rate available - and because Amaze doesn’t support cash withdrawals it can actually be rather limited if you’re looking for a card to come with you while you travel

Compare Instarem Amaze against alternatives like the Wise Account and card which lets you hold and exchange 50+ currencies, get paid fee free from 30+ countries, send international payments to 80+ countries, and spend in 170+ countries. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees¹⁰, no ongoing charges and no minimum balance to maintain. Just get your account online or in the Wise app, and use it as and when you need it, for low cost international transactions in person and online.

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Sources:

1. Instarem Amaze Card
2. Amaze terms and conditions
3. YouTrip Singapore
4. YouTrip exchange rates and fees
5. YouTrip fees
6. YouTrip - send money
7. YouTrip currencies
8. YouTrip refund balance
9. Amaze Card - Google Pay
10. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

Sources checked on 18/11/2022