You Are In

  • Life Goals
  • Day To Day Banking
  • Deals & Promotions
  • Digital Services
  • Help & Support
  • Quicklinks

Thinking of going on a vacation with family or friends? Now that travel restrictions are lifted, many Malaysians are excited to finally travel abroad and embark on road trips and other adventures. As you plan your itinerary, always be sure to prioritise your well-being and adhere to the Covid SOPs and stay alert for any news and updates.  

 

Ready to start your vacation? Take a look at these 4 money-saving hacks that you can do to minimise your travel cost.

Make full use of your credit card perks 

One of the perks of using credit cards is the redeemable bonus points. Why not check your member rewards page and redeem travel-related items to help you save some cash? You can use those points to redeem a new luggage, travel vouchers or dining vouchers.

 

Consider using a travel credit card if you’re planning for a trip abroad. Travel credit cards offer travel benefits ranging from rewards on your overseas spend, favourable exchange rates, airport lounge access and shopping discounts. What’s more:

 

  • One of the main benefits of a travel credit card is the points to air miles conversion – where you can convert your points to air miles to offset your flight ticket purchases or redeem in-flight perks. 

  • Travel credit cards usually offer travel insurance, making it easier to protect you and your family on your trip (at no extra cost!)
     
  • Some travel credit cards have preferential foreign exchange rates that can help you get better savings on your money exchange.
     
  • Don't need a travel credit card? Always check for seasonal promotions that your card has to offer, such as extra points earned on foreign transactions or cash back offers. 

 

All these benefits could all add up to quite a lot of savings! 

Find better travel deals on OctoTravel

The next time you want to find great deals on theme park passes, hotel stays and flight tickets, just head to OctoTravel.com.my. OctoTravel is a convenient one-stop travel site for CIMB cardholders – where you can browse and book fun activities, accommodation and flight tickets.

 

An extra perk that makes OctoTravel even better? They have exclusive travel promos just for CIMB cardholders, so you can enjoy your card’s existing rewards (see point above) AND get travel promos. For example, this 50% cashback on all purchases made on OctoTravel.  

Use an e-wallet to find promotions on-the-go

 

Practice social distancing and keep minimum contact by making payments via e-wallets. Most e-wallets also offer dining discounts, points and other perks that you normally would not receive with cash payments.

 

Better still, you can earn points when you top-up your e-wallet with a credit card. Unfortunately, some banks do not offer points rewards on e-wallet top-ups, so check your card's terms and conditions closely.  

Flying abroad? Pool your funds for better exchange rates

 

Most banks charge a foreign transaction fee on top of currency conversion. Do your research before the trip – often enough, currency exchange rates are more favourable at the travel destination.

 

If that’s the case, exchange majority of your cash when you arrive at your destination. When travelling in a group, create a fund pool for shared expenses such as transportation and food. Sometimes, currency exchange operators provide discounts for larger exchange, so pool the allocated funds to leverage on discounted exchange.

 

Unless your bank has designated ATMs at your travel destination, you’ll be charged a withdrawal fee for cashing out at a local ATMs. Create an estimated trip budget and carry enough cash to anticipate miscellaneous fees – and use e-wallet or contactless transactions for the rest. However, if you want to avoid the anxiety of looking for a currency exchange bureau, CIMB has comparable FX rates too, either through physical cash conversion or overseas credit card spend.

 

 

A getaway is a time for you to leave all your worries at home, so don’t spoil it with poor money management. As usual, always be sure to travel smart and travel safe. Happy planning!

 

This article is brought to you by CIMB as part of our ongoing efforts to raise the level of financial literacy among Malaysians. Financial knowledge and understanding are key to making well-informed and meaningful financial decisions that will improve all our well-being. This, in turn, achieves CIMB’s purpose of advancing customers and society.

 

 


#Travel #CreditCard #Promotions #Save #TravelDeals #Cards