Starting 1 December 2025, Maybank will introduce new exclusions to its rewards programme. Under these changes, certain Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) will no longer earn TREATS Points or cashback across all Maybank debit and credit cards.
However, there are three specific cards that will continue to earn rewards on insurance-related transactions, even after these exclusions take effect.
New Maybank credit card exclusions
MCC | Description |
4829 | Money Transfers |
6010, 6011, 6050, 6529, 6530, 6534, 7511 | Cash Disbursement, Quasi-cash, Top-ups |
7349 | Cleaning, Maintenance & Janitorial Services |
4900 | Utilities |
5960, 6381, 6399 | Insurance Related |
⚠️ Note: Insurance-related spend remains eligible on:
- Maybank Platinum Visa Card
- Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card
- Maybank Visa Infinite Card
Since most insurers have probably excluded Visa for insurance payments, it’s best to check the insurer’s website before applying for any of the cards listed above if your main purpose is to pay insurance premiums.
In addition, transactions with the following merchant descriptions will also no longer earn rewards:
- BAGUS
- CANTINE
- INSTAREM (this likely refers to remittances done via credit card, not Amaze card transactions!)
- RAZERPAY
- SEDAP
- SGEBIZ
- SIMPLYGO (this refers to top-ups via SimplyGo app only, not the tapping on Bus and MRT rides)
- SINGAPORE E-BUSINESS
- SINGTEL DASH
Maybank Platinum Visa Card No Longer Awards Cashback For Utilities
As one of the picks in my Best Cards for Utilities list, the Maybank Platinum Visa Card will soon lose its up to 3.33% cashback on utility payments. If you’ve been using it for bills, it’s time to look at the other alternatives still featured on that list.
SIMPLYGO exclusions clarified
Despite the mention of “SIMPLYGO”, direct tap fares (bus / MRT rides) via SimplyGo remain unaffected. That’s because these post under MCC 4111 (Transportation) with descriptors like “BUS/MRT,” which still earn rewards.
The exclusion applies only to top-ups (via app, kiosk, or website) which are posted as “SIMPLYGO”, “TL SIMPLYGO” or “TRANSITLINK SIMPLYGO”.
So, simply put, you can still use Maybank cards for direct tap on bus/mrt rides.
INSTAREM clarified
This was only included in the list since “Instarem” was the code used for Amaze wallet top-ups that was already removed a long time ago. But since then, transactions with Instarem Amaze is posted as *AMAZE*, therefore, it should remain unaffected by this nerf.
This means, you can still use Maybank cards with Amaze under card-linked payment source in specific use cases, which I have listed in my Maybank card reviews.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, these changes mark another tightening of Maybank’s rewards structure, cutting back on previously reliable earn categories like utilities and insurance. Cardholders who’ve been using Maybank cards for bill payments may need to reconsider their strategy and explore alternative cards to maximise rewards going forward.
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