| Bank/ Account | Country | Card Network | Type | Overseas ATM fees | Foreign Currency Transaction fees | Monthly/ annual fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCBC EasiSave Account | Malaysia | Mastercard | Debit | 0 at OCBC ATMs in Singapore, Indonesia, Macau & Hong Kong, RM10 elsewhere | 0 | 0 | |
| CIMB Preferred Debit Card | Malaysia | Mastercard | Debit | 0 at CIMB ATMs in Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand; RM10 elsewhere | 0 | 0 | Need CIMB Preferred Status, all other CIMB debit cards have a 1% FX fee |
| Ambank Basic Savings Account | Malaysia | Visa | Debit | RM10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maybank | Malaysia | Visa | Debit | 0 at Maybank ATMs in Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia; RM12 elsewhere | 1% | 0 | |
| Bank Rakyat Credit Card-i | Malaysia | Mastercard | Credit | 5%, min. RM20 + 1.5% monthly profit rate | 0 | 0 | Transactions at non-halal merchants will be declined |
| CIMB Travel World Elite | Malaysia | Mastercard | Credit | 5%, min. RM15.00 + interest | 0 | RM1,215.09 annually | annual fee can be waived with spending |
| Wise | Malaysia & Singapore | Visa | Prepaid | 2x and 1000RM or S$350 max. per month free | min. 0.43% for 40+ currencies, 0 for the rest | 0 | own exchange rates for 40+ currencies, Visa rates for the rest, see terms |
| Big Pay | Malaysia & Singapore | Visa | Prepaid | RM10 (Malaysia) or 1 per month free (Singapore) | 1% | 0 | |
| HSBC Everyday Global Account | Malaysia & Singapore | Visa | Debit | 0 at certain HSBC ATMs abroad | 0 for 11 currencies | depends on country and package | HSBC Malaysia customers need the Premier package to enjoy 0 fees at certain HSBC ATMs abroad |
| Youtrip | Singapore | Mastercard | Prepaid | S$400 per month free, then 2% | 0 | 0 | own exchange rates for 10 currencies, Mastercard rates for the rest |
| Wirex Standard | Singapore | Visa | Prepaid | S$200 per month free, then 2% | 0 | 0 | interbank exchange rates |
| Revolut Standard | Singapore | Visa | Prepaid | S$350 per month free | S$5,000 per month free | 0 | own exchange rates, markup on weekends |
| Crypto.com Midnight Blue | Singapore | Visa | Prepaid | S$200 per month free | 0.5% | 0 | interbank exchange rate |
| Instarem Amaze Card | Singapore | Mastercard | Prepaid | 2% | 0 | 0 | they use their own currency rates |
| CIMB Bank StarSaver Account | Singapore | Plus (Visa) | ATM Card | 0 | 1% | 0 if you opt out of paper statements | At their regional ATMs in SEA, CIMB uses their own currency rates, without a conversion fee, see card faq |
| DBS My Account | Singapore | Visa | Debit | 0 at DBS ATMs in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia & Westpac (Australia). $7 elsewhere. | 0 for 11 major currencies. Other currencies: 3.25% | 0 | they use their own (slightly worse) exchange rates, instead of Visa's |
| Trust Bank | Singapore | Visa | Credit | 0.077% interest daily | 0 | 0 | |
| ICBC | Singapore | Unionpay | Credit | 5% min. S$15 + interest | 0 in China, 1.5% elsewhere | S$30 annually, first three years free |
Important! Malaysian and Singaporean banks disable international usage of their cards by default, you have to contact them to enable it, otherwise the card won’t work abroad. This may also apply to internet stores which do not use 3-D Secure.
Recommendations:
For Malaysians OCBC comes out on top.
The Bank Rakyat credit cards are the only credit cards on the market without conversion fees, unless you qualify for the CIMB card. There are some minor usage restrictions concerning merchant codes.
For Singaporeans, the market has gotten competitive with the entry of some new players. The Youtrip card seems to be the best for now. Trust Bank offers the best credit card for travel, you can even access ATMs with interest charges only.