Maybank Family & Friends Card
Earn 6% or 8% cashback for five of your chosen categories.
Maybank Family & Friends Card Overview:
If you’re someone who’s on Team Cashback, Maybank Family & Friends card is the one true pick for you. You can enjoy a high 8% cash rebate over your 5 chosen categories with a minimum monthly spend of S$1,600 per calendar month. However, there is a S$180 cashback cap each month — split into S$30 per category. You can only change it quarterly so you must carefully choose which category to spend on— preferably the ones you spend on the most.
Eligibility & Fees:
- Minimum Age: 21 years old
- Minimum Annual Income: S$30,000 (locals/PRs); S$60,000 (foreigners)
- Annual Fee: S$180 (First 3 years free), afterwhich, call to request annual fee waiver
Key Benefits:
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Earn cashback for five (5) of your chosen spend categories across ten (10) options.
Tier | Minimum Spend | Cap per Category |
Tier 1 – 6% cashback | S$800 per calendar month | S$20 (max S$333.33 spend) |
Tier 2 – 8% cashback | S$1,600 per calendar month | S$30 (max S$375 spend) |
Base cashback will also drop from 0.3% to 0.22% for all other spend. | ||
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Earn bonus 8% cashback on Malaysian Ringgit or Indonesian Rupiah spends
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Earn unlimited 0.22% cash rebates on all spends below S$800
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Enjoy 0.3% cashback on your AXS bill payments with no minimum spend required (Cashback is capped at maximum bill payment of S$50 per transaction)
How to Best Optimise it:
Best for 5 Categories You Commonly Spend on
- You have the freedom to choose 5 of the 10 categories and change it every quarter. However, if you don’t make a choice, the default cashback categories will be applied. Do take note of the cashback cap of S$20 or S$30 per category.
- Eg. If dining is one of my chosen categories, the maximum effective spending would be S$375 (S$30 ÷ 8%), earning you S$30 for that category. If you spend beyond S$375 in the dining category, you will not earn any more cashback
These are the 10 Categories Option:
Categories | MCCs | Description |
Automotive (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | 5541, 5542, 5532, 5533, 5599, 7531, 7535, 7538,5552 | Petrol stations, EV Charging and automotive related services globally |
Dining & Food Delivery (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | 5812, 5814 | Restaurant dining, Fast Food Eateries, Foodpanda and Deliveroo globally |
Kids & Pets (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | 0742, 5995 | POPULAR Bookstores, Toys ‘R’ Us, Yamaha Music, Mothercare, Kiddy Palace, pets and veterinary related services globally |
Online Shopping (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | 5611, 5262, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5948 | Online purchases on Marketplace, Apparels, Shoes, Accessories, Leather goods, Luggage and other fashion purchases globally |
Telco & Streaming (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | 4812, 4814, 4899 | StarHub, Singtel, M1 Limited, Circles.Life, MyRepublic, Disney+, Netflix and/or other telecommunication, pay television, cable and radio services globally |
Beauty & Wellness | 7297, 7298, 7230 | Massage parlors, Health & beauty spas and Barber shops globally |
Commute | 4111, 4121, 4789, 4112, 4131 (NEW) 3000 – 3308, 4511 (limited period) | Contactless bus and train rides, Limousines, Taxi, Grab/GOJEK rides and other passenger transportation services globally Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, airasia and more. |
Entertainment | 5813, 7832, 7922, 7929 | Bars, Drinking places, Cinemas, Motion Picture Theatres, Theatrical Producers and Ticketing agencies globally |
Groceries | 5411 | NTUC FairPrice/Finest/X-tra, Cold Storage, Giant, Market Place, Jasons, Sheng Siong, DON DON DONKI, HAO Mart, RedMart, Amazon Fresh and all other grocery stores and supermarkets globally |
Sports & Sports Apparels | 5655, 5940, 5941, 7032, 7941, 7992, 7997 | Sports/Riding apparels, Sporting goods, Bicycle shops, Recreation & sporting camps, Athletic fields, Commercial sports, Professional sport club, Golf courses, Country clubs and Membership (Athletic/Recreation/Sports) globally |
- Updated: Maybank added more merchants for categories under Dining, Online Shopping, Entertainment, and Transportation. MCC 5812 & 5814 (Fast Food) is now included under Dining categories which makes it more easy to use compared before where you have to keep track of whether you are ordering from a fast food or a restaurant. Online Fashion Category is now changed to “Online Shopping” and is much more specific with the commonly used online shopping sites like Lazada, Shopee, and Taobao. Under Transport category, E-Vehicle Charging is now included.
Best To Check the Benefit Optimizer Regularly:
- You can effortlessly monitor your spending across various categories on the Benefit Optimizer, helping you track whether you’ve reached the minimum monthly spending and if you’re staying within the optimal spending for each category.
Any Hacks/Promos:
Instarem Amaze Card — How It Works with Maybank Family & Friends Card
Instarem Amaze is a payment processor that sits between the merchant and your credit card. When paired with your Maybank Family & Friends Card, it can help route eligible overseas transactions as online spend, allowing them to qualify for your selected bonus categories and earn up to 8% cashback.
One key advantage of using Amaze for overseas spending is lower foreign currency costs. Instead of paying the usual 3.25% FCY fee charged by most banks, Amaze converts foreign currency transactions into SGD and charges your card in SGD, resulting in an FX spread of about 2%.
Rule of thumb: Use Amaze mainly for overseas spending in your chosen bonus categories.
Important notes:
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Amaze converts foreign currency transactions into SGD before charging your linked card
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Please note that Amaze now charges a 1% fee (minimum S$0.50) on all SGD-linked transactions, removing the previous fee-free threshold for spending below S$1,000. To avoid this fee, I recommend using Amaze mainly for overseas transactions in the selected categories. Amaze is generally more useful for foreign spending, as it converts foreign currency transactions into SGD and typically reduces the usual 3.25% FCY fee to about a 2% FX spread before charging your card.
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You can link up to 5 Mastercard cards
Use my referral code Ac6aso or use my link below for extra sign up bonus instarem points
How to Link Your Maybank Card to Amaze
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Add your card: Link your Maybank Family & Friends Card as a payment source in the Amaze app
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Set as default: Make it your default payment method before making foreign currency purchases
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Pay using Amaze: Use the Amaze card via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or the physical card for contactless and online purchases
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- Transactions will appear on your Maybank statement as Amaze_[Merchant Name] in SGD.
What to Avoid:
Exclusion List:
a) Payments made to government or government-related agencies or institutions or
statutory boards or for government or government-related services (e.g. court
fees, fines, bail and bonds, tax payments, charges for postal services, charges for
parking lots and garages, payments for intra-government purchases or any other
government services);
b) Betting or gambling transactions;
c) Brokerage/securities transactions;
d) Payment to insurance companies or for insurance premiums;
e) Transactions classified under the following Merchant Category Codes (“MCC”):
- Financial Institutions – Merchandise, Services, and Debt Repayment (MCC 6012)
- Non-Financial Institutions – Foreign Currency, Non-Fiat Currency (for example: Cryptocurrency), Money Orders (Not Money Transfer), Account Funding (not Stored Value Load), Travelers Cheques, and Debt Repayment (MCC 6051)
- Non-Financial Institutions – Stored Value Card Purchase/Load (MCC 6540);
f) Transactions made via AXS or SAM;
g) FlexiCash, FlexiPay, 0% Interest Instalment Plans, funds transfers, cash advances,
finance charges, late payment charges, annual fees, reversals, interest charges, or
any other miscellaneous charges charged to the Cardmember;
h) Payment of funds to prepaid accounts such as those listed below (the following list is
not exhaustive and Maybank reserves the right to amend the list from time to time
without giving prior notice or reason to any party):
- EZ LINK PTE LTD (FEVO)
- EZ Link
- EZ-LINK*
- EZLINK
- EZ-Link
- EzLink
- EZLINKS.COM
- EZ Link transport
- EZ-LINK (IMAGINE CARD)
- EZ-Link EZ-Reload (ATU)
- BANC DE BINARY
- BANCDEBINARY.COM
- Flashpay ATU
- MB * MONEYBOOKERS.COM
- NETS VCASHCARD
- OANDA ASIA PAC*
- PAYPAL* BIZCONSULTA
- PAYPAL* CAPITALROYA
- SKR*Skrill.com
- SKR*xglobalmarkets.com*
- SKYFX.COM*
- TRANSIT*
- TRANSITLINK*
- TRANSIT LINK*
- WWW.IGMARKETS.COM.SG
- WWW.PLUS500.CO.UK
- WWW.MYEZLINK.COM.SG
- YOUTRIP*
- Effective 1 July 2025:
- MCC 7523 – Automobile Parking Lots & Garage
- MCC 8651 – Political Organisations
- MCC 8661 – Religious Organisations
- MCC 8398 – Charitable and Social Services Organisations
Past Buffs/Nerfs:
Buffs:
- Effective 1 October 2024, more MCCs are added to the cashback categories
- Dining & Food Delivery – MCC 5814
- Transport – MCC 5552
- Entertainment – MCC 7929
- Online Shopping – MCC 5262, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399
- Indonesian Rupiah added to additional bonus category to earn 8% cashback
Nerfs:
- Effective 1 January 2025, there will be changes on the cashback structure and categories (refer to this post for more info):
- Cashback Structure:
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- Cashback Structure:
Tier | Minimum Spend | Cap per Category |
Tier 1 – 6% cashback | S$800 per calendar month | S$20 (max S$333.33 spend) |
Tier 2 – 8% cashback | S$1,600 per calendar month | S$30 (max S$375 spend) |
Base cashback will also drop from 0.3% to 0.22% for all other spend. | ||
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- Cashback Categories:
- The Pharmacy category will be removed and replaced entirely with Automotive.
- MCC 5541, 5542, 5532, 5533, 5599, 7531, 7535, 7538, 5552
- This means purchases from pharmacies will no longer earn 6–8% cashback from 2026.
- “Commute” will be changed into “Transport”
- MCC 4111, 4121, 4789, 4112, 4131
- “Data Communication & Online TV Streaming” to “Telco & Streaming”
- “Retails & Pets” to “Kids & Pets”
- The Pharmacy category will be removed and replaced entirely with Automotive.
- Cashback Categories:
Categories | New/Revised Categories | MCCs | Description |
Transport (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | Commute | 4111, 4121, 4789, 4112, 4131 | Local/Suburban Commuter Passenger Transportation (incl. ferries), Taxicabs and Limousines, Transportation Services Not Elsewhere Classified, Passenger Railways, Bus Lines |
Pharmacy (removed) | Automotive | 5541, 5542, 5532, 5533, 5599, 7531, 7535, 7538, 5552 | Service Stations (with or without ancillary services), Automated Fuel Dispensers, Automotive Tire Stores, Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores, Miscellaneous Automotive, Aircraft, and Farm Equipment Dealers, Automotive Body Repair Shops, Automotive Paint Shops, Automotive Service Shops (Non-Dealer), Electric Vehicle Charging |
Retail & Pets (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | Kids & Pets (just renaming) | 0742, 5995 | POPULAR Bookstores, Toys ‘R’ Us, Yamaha Music, Mothercare, Kiddy Palace, pets and veterinary related services globally |
Data Communication & Online TV Streaming (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | Telco & Streaming (just renaming) | 4812, 4814, 4899 | StarHub, Singtel, M1 Limited, Circles.Life, MyRepublic, Disney+, Netflix and/or other telecommunication, pay television, cable and radio services globally |
Groceries (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | No Changes | 5411 | NTUC FairPrice/Finest/X-tra, Cold Storage, Giant, Market Place, Jasons, Sheng Siong, DON DON DONKI, HAO Mart, RedMart, Amazon Fresh and all other grocery stores and supermarkets globally |
Dining & Food Delivery (DEFAULT CATEGORY) | No Changes | 5812, 5814 | Restaurant dining, Fast Food Eateries(NEW), GrabFood, Foodpanda, Deliveroo globally |
Online Shopping | No Changes | 5611, 5262, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5948 | Online purchases on Marketplace, Lazada, Shopee, Taobao, Apparels, Shoes, Accessories, Leather goods, Luggage and other fashion purchases globally |
Entertainment | No Changes | 5813, 7832, 7922, 7929 | Bars, Drinking places, Cinemas, Fever, Ticket Master(NEW), Motion Picture Theatres, Theatrical Producers and Ticketing agencies globally |
Sports | No Changes | 5655, 5940, 5941, 7032, 7941, 7992, 7997 | Sports/Riding apparels, Sporting goods, Bicycle shops, Recreation & sporting camps, Athletic fields, Commercial sports, Professional sport club, Golf courses, Country clubs and Membership (Athletic/Recreation/Sports) globally |
Beauty & Wellness | No Changes | 7297, 7298, 7230 | Massage parlors, Health & beauty spas and Barber shops globally |
- Effective 1 July 2025, these are added to the exclusion list:
- MCC 7523 – Automobile Parking Lots & Garage
- MCC 8651 – Political Organisations
- MCC 8661 – Religious Organisations
- MCC 8398 – Charitable and Social Services Organisations
Is it Worth it:
Advantages:
- Quite versatile and generous cashback for daily spending
- Benefit optimizer is useful for tracking the spending of each category
- Can use with Amaze for overseas transactions to save on FCY fee
Disadvantages:
- High minimum monthly spending required, especially after the nerf
- Need to track spending by category
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How to choose my categories: To choose your desired Categories, the Cardmember needs to download the Maybank TREATS SG mobile app, then select and confirm the categories on the Benefit Selection page. This choice will apply to the first Lock-In Period (3 months), and no changes can be made once confirmed; You can change the categories quarterly and you may choose depending on your spending needs. The categories will take effect the following month.
- What happens if I cannot hit the minimum spend every month: You can use your card to purchase FairPrice gift cards and spend them at NTUC. This can help you reach the minimum spend requirement. Alternatively, you can prepay your telco or internet bill. Once you’ve met the minimum spend, you can keep your card for future use.
Final Thoughts:
- This is great for families trying to save as much money as possible on necessities since the default categories are really where we spend our money on a daily basis may it be eating out, groceries, transportation, streaming subscriptions like netflix, or even buying at toys r us! To take advantage of the 8% cashback you could receive on your purchases, you might choose to combine your spending and charge it to the Maybank Family & Friends Card if you find yourself spending more than S$800 each month in a variety of categories.
- With the recent update on additional merchants for specific categories, this makes it a whole lot more inclusive and can be extensively used especially on common everyday spendings.
- If this has benefitted you, without any cost to you, feel free to use my referral link and fill out the google form to help me sustain this blog and create more independent reviews like that so that we can huat together.
💳 Credit cards change their T&Cs every so often and it is difficult to stay updated. That’s why I created a Telegram Broadcast where you can receive timely bite-sized updates to get the most out of your spending.
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