CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card: Best for Affluent Spenders?
CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card: Best for Affluent Spenders?
ValueChampion Rating 
Pros
- Great fit for big leisure budgets
- Rewards dining, entertainment and duty free shopping
- Perks for avid golfers
- No-fee & maintenance free cashback card
Cons
- Lack cashback on essentials (ie groceries, bills)
- Doesn't reward airline & hotel spend
- Doesn't fit monthly budgets of S$3,000/month and below
CIMB World MasterCard is the best option on the market for affluent, social spenders with high dining, entertainment & leisure budgets. Cardholders earn 1% unlimited cashback on general spend, which aligns with the marked standard for uncapped cards. However, this rate is then boosted to 2% on wine & dine (including food delivery), movies & digital entertainment, taxi & automobile, and luxury goods with a minimum monthly spend of S$1,000. Even better, cardholders never have to pay an annual fee. Ultimately, CIMB World MasterCard provides a great, maintenance-free way for social high spenders to reach their full rewards potential.
CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card Features and Benefits
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Key Features:
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What Makes CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card Stand Out
Affluent consumers with high leisure spend can enjoy unlimited, maintenance-free cashback with CIMB World MasterCard. Cardholders enjoy 2% unlimited cashback on wine and dine (including food delivery), movies & digital entertainment, taxi & automobile and luxury goods, with a minimum monthly expenditure of S$1,000. They can also get 1% unlimited cashback on all other spending, or if their monthly expenses does not reach S$1,000. Not only is the lack of earnings cap ideal for high spenders, the 2% rate is higher than any offered by comparable cards.
The categories earning unlimited 2% cashback make CIMB World MasterCard best fit for cardholders with high leisure budgets. From restaurants and bars to lounges and clubs, consumers earn from spend on non-essentials rather than on groceries or recurring bills. Affluent consumers would benefit most by using CIMB World MasterCard for all of their leisure-based expenses.
| Essentials Spender | Leisure Spender | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend Type | Spend | Earn | Spend | Earn |
| General (1%) | S$4,000 | S$40 | S$1,000 | S$10 |
| Category (2.0%) | S$1,000 | S$20 | S$4,000 | S$80 |
| Total | S$5,000 | S$60 | S$5,000 | S$90 |
While CIMB World MasterCard already stands out for offering a higher tier of unlimited cashback than Amex True Cashback Card and Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Card, it also offers access to MasterCard Airport Experiences at over 1,000 lounges worldwide, and 50% off green fees or golf lessons at 42 prestigious golf courses in the region. These perks–particularly for golf–are often limited to more traditional travel cards.
- Singapore: Sembawang Country Club, Sentosa Golf Club, Warren Golf & Country Club, Golf Performance 360 Golf Academy at Orchid Country Club Driving Range (Golf lessons)
- Indonesia: Damai Indah Golf Club, Klub Golf Bogor Raya, Palm Spring Golf Resort
- Malaysia: Glenmarie Golf & Country Club, Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Kota Permai Golf & Country Club, The Els Club Teluk Datai, The Els Club Desaru, Tropicana Golf & Country Club
- Thailand: Alpine Golf & Country Club, Banyan Golf Club, Chiang Mai Highland Golf and Spa Resort, Lakewood Country Club, Loch Palm Golf Club (Bangkok), Muang Kaew Golf Club (Bangkok), Nikanti Golf Club, Panya Indra Golf Club, Red Mountain Golf Club, Siam Country Club, Summit Windmill Golf Course
- Myanmar: Pun Hlaing Golf Club, Yangon Golf Club
- Vietnam: Chi Linh Star Golf & Country Club, Danang Golf Club, Long Thanh Golf Club, Sea Links Golf & Country Club, Song Be Golf Resort, The Montgomerie Vietnam, Vietnam Golf & Country Club
- Philippines: Luisita Golf Club, Mimosa Golf Course
- Taiwan: National Garden Golf & Country Club, Royal Kuan-Hsi Golf Club, Sunrise Golf & Country Club
- China: Long Island Country Club, Mission Hills Golf Club, Zhuhai Lakewood Golf Club
- Korea: Hanrim Country Club, New Springville
Still, frequent travellers who value exclusive perks may feel underwhelmed by CIMB World MasterCard. In addition, average and lower spenders with budgets of S$2,000/month and below can earn more cashback with alternatives like UOB One Card or Maybank Platinum Visa Card.
Ultimately, CIMB World MasterCard is one of the best unlimited cashback cards on the market because it not only has a high flat rate–boosted even higher for leisure spend–but also is completely maintenance-free. Cardholders never pay an annual fee, so essentially, cardholders earn on every purchase without tracking caps and without any additional costs. Affluent consumers, especially those who are social spenders, should definitely consider CIMB World MasterCard.
How Does The CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card Rewards Program Work?
Use our quick and easy-to-read guide below to learn how you can redeem card rewards.
- Every 1 dollar of cashback earned is equal to S$1
- 1% cashback is credited to the card account the same statement month, and the additional 0.5% (applicable to spend at 2% rate) is credited the following card statement
- Cashback is non-transferable and forfeited with account termination
CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card Rewards Exclusions
Some credit card expenditures are ineligible for earning rewards. We identify these exclusions below.
How does CIMB World MasterCard Credit Card Compare Against Other Cards?
- Pros
- Great fit for big leisure budgets
- Rewards dining, entertainment and duty free shopping
- Perks for avid golfers
- No-fee & maintenance free cashback card
- Cons
- Lack cashback on essentials (ie groceries, bills)
- Doesn't reward airline & hotel spend
- Doesn't fit monthly budgets of S$3,000/month and below
Read our comparisons of CIMB World MasterCard with other cards and learn what makes each card unique in their own way. We compare and contrast each card to highlight its uniqueness to help you identify the card that you need.
CIMB World MasterCard v. SC Unlimited Cashback Card
- Pros
- Unlimited 1.5% flat cashback
- No minimum spend requirement
- Up to 21% fuel savings with Caltex
- Cons
- No boosted rates in specific categories
- No travel perks
Another great card for affluent consumers is Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Card, which also offers flat unlimited 1.5% cashback with no minimum spend requirement. It also offers transport benefits like SimplyGo compatibility and top fuel savings at Caltex. CIMB World MasterCard, on the other hand, rewards automobile spend and may be a better fit for car owners.
CIMB World MasterCard v. Maybank World MasterCard
- Pros
- Great perks for golfers who enjoy local and global courses
- Good fit for budgets between S$1,000 to S$2,000 monthly
- Awards dining and high-end retail shopping
- Cons
- Not a good fit for non-golfers or infrequent golfers
- Doesn't reward everyday spend
- Lacks travel perks and privileges
Maybank World MasterCard is perhaps the best card for golfers on the market, offering up to 2 waived green fees/month at 120 fairways across 25 countries. Cardholders also earn 4 miles per S$1 spend at select luxury retail and dining merchants and 1 mile for general spend, plus perks like free lounge access and travel insurance. Because of merchant restrictions, it’s more difficult to accrue rewards however. Consumers looking for greater rewards potential might prefer CIMB World MasterCard.
CIMB World MasterCard v. UOB One Card
- Pros
- Good fit for budgets of at least S$2,000 per month
- Easy cashback on daily spend
- Gives rebates for paying bills
- Cons
- Doesn't fit inconsistent budgets
- Annual fee
UOB One Card is the best flat rebate card for average spenders, offering 5% cashback (up to S$300/quarter) for consistent S$2,000/month spend. Consumers with lower minimums earn 3.33% cashback (up to S$100/quarter for S$1,000/month, S$30 for S$500/month). This is a great card for essentials, as even recurring bills earn rewards. However, high spenders may feel limited by rebate caps and prefer CIMB World MasterCard.
CIMB World MasterCard v. CIMB Visa Infinite Card
- Pros
- Best fit for monthly budgets above S$2,000
- Unlimited 2% cashback on travel, overseas and online
- No annual fee credit card
- Cons
- Not suitable for spenders with local budgets
- Doesn't fit specialised budgets (ie dining, shopping) and infrequent travellers
CIMB Visa Infinite Card is an excellent no-fee cashback card for frequent travellers, offering 1% unlimited cashback on general spend and 2% on travel and overseas spend. Cardholders also enjoy perks like free lounge access and travel insurance. However, there’s a restrictive S$120,000 salary requirement to qualify. Overall, infrequent travellers are more likely to benefit from CIMB World MasterCard.
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Zoryana is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion, who focuses on evaluating credit cards, savings and fixed deposits in Singapore. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MPA in International Finance and Economic Policy, both from Columbia University. Prior to joining ValueChampion, Zoryana worked in treasury management consulting.