Review: AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite | An Unexpected Return to Form
Earlier this year, I critically forewarned that all Refined Points readers should steer clear away from AmBank's credit cards in my 2026 Airline Miles Strategy article.
Fast forward to the end of the year, I now find myself looking at an affluent proposition that deserves serious consideration. The refreshed AmBank SIGNATURE Priority Banking The Metal Visa Infinite is substantially more compelling than its predecessor.
There are proper travel benefits here, and some are honestly compelling, such as unlimited airport lounge access, complimentary Bolt airport rides home, complimentary overseas Bolt credit, and a complimentary ALL Accor+ Explorer membership that actually includes a night’s stay.
As a stark reminder, the the principal card also carries no annual fee, which is even more interesting.
Nevertheless, AmBank has retained two spectacularly irritating decisions, in which overseas online spending do NOT earn additional points, while supplementary cardholders must independently qualify for ALL the benefits above.
We have already covered the overall AmBank revamp and the Bolt partnership. This review looks at the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite as a complete proposition, including where it belongs in a sensible two-card strategy.
Yes, I said two-card strategy because the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite still isn't enough as a proposition on its own, despite the revamp. Make no mistake, this isn't a small matter, especially for a RM2 million AUM credit card, and my honest conclusion is that AmBank will ultimately lose more than they can gain from the omission of online FX spend accelerators.
Refined Points Verdict
Assessment | My view |
|---|---|
Best for | Existing or prospective Diamond customers whose banking relationship already makes financial sense |
Main strengths | No annual fee, unlimited participating lounges, Bolt benefits and an Accor membership with one complimentary night |
Main weaknesses | Terrible online FX earning exclusions and individually assessed supplementary benefits |
Best companion card | Any credit card with substantially high overseas spend MPR rates (i.e.: UOB Visa Infinite Card, UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card, CIMB Travel World Elite Mastercard) |
Overall verdict | An excellent flagship benefits card; an incomplete solution for travel spending |
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite: Key Card Details
Item | AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond tier |
|---|---|
Banking qualification | RM2 million primary AUM, including at least RM500,000 in qualifying CASA and/or Wealth |
Card approval | By invitation; meeting the reward-tier criteria does not guarantee credit approval |
Annual fee | Free for life for principal and supplementary cards; RM25 service tax per card still applies |
Enrich Miles conversion | 12,000 AmBonus Points = 1,000 miles |
KrisFlyer / Asia Miles conversion | 15,000 AmBonus Points = 1,000 miles |
Eligible overseas spending in person | 15 AmBonus Points per RM1 = 1.00 KrisFlyer / Asia Miles or 1.25 Enrich miles per RM1 |
Eligible local dining | 6 AmBonus Points per RM1 = 0.40 KrisFlyer / Asia Miles or 0.50 Enrich miles per RM1 |
Other eligible spending, including online FX | 1 AmBonus Point per RM1 = approximately 0.07 KrisFlyer / Asia Miles or 0.08 Enrich miles per RM1 |
Main travel benefits | Unlimited participating lounges, Bolt rides and overseas credit, ALL Accor+ Explorer, two conditional Airport Meet & Assist entitlements |
Published Beyond Privileges programme | 1 November 2026–31 October 2027; individual benefits have separate redemption dates |
AmBank Diamond Tier: RM2 Million AUM Is Only Half the Explanation
The refreshed AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite is tied to AmBank’s Beyond Privileges reward tiers. For Diamond, the requirement is RM2 million in primary Assets Under Management, with at least RM500,000 of that amount held in qualifying CASA and/or Wealth.
That is RM2 million in total, including the RM500,000 component. It is not RM2.5 million.
Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
AUM | The qualifying banking relationship: eligible deposits, investments and qualifying bancassurance/bancatakaful holdings under AmBank’s definitions |
CASA / CASA-i | Current and savings accounts, including their Islamic equivalents. An ordinary fixed deposit is not CASA |
Wealth | Qualifying investment and bancassurance/bancatakaful products held with the bank |
Diamond qualification | Both the RM2 million overall threshold and the RM500,000 CASA/Wealth component must be met |
Consequently, RM2 million parked entirely in conventional fixed deposits does not, by itself, satisfy Diamond. RM1.5 million in qualifying fixed deposits plus RM500,000 in eligible savings is a much easier way to understand the structure.
Also, this is a CASA and/or Wealth requirement. You do not necessarily have to buy RM500,000 of investment products.
How Does Diamond Compare With Other Affluent Banking Cards?
The closest comparison for AmBank’s RM500,000 component is the current fee-waiver campaign for the CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard. In short, AmBank is not alone in asking for a more valuable relationship than a pile of fixed deposits.
Card / relationship | Published qualification or invitation basis | Principal annual-fee position |
|---|---|---|
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond | RM2m primary AUM, including RM500k CASA/Wealth | Free for life |
CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard | RM1m AUM; current fee-waiver campaign also requires RM500k CASA/Wealth | Campaign waiver through 30 June 2027, subject to conditions |
Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) | RM3m AUM for Priority Private benefits | RM2,000 waived while qualifying relationship is maintained |
HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard / HSBC Premier Elite | RM3m total relationship balance; card by invitation | Waived for qualifying Premier Elite customers |
Maybank Diamanté Visa Infinite | Maybank Private invitation; confirm individual banking offer | Published schedule: RM800, first year waived; subsequent waiver at RM80k annual spend |
AFFIN DIVENTIUM Visa Infinite | Private Banking invitation | Published RM500 fee; subsequent waiver at RM100k annual spend |
UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card — paid benchmark | By invitation | RM3,000 principal annual fee |
HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege — paid benchmark | By private invitation | RM3,000 principal annual fee, non-waivable |
It's worth noting that the UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card and HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege are annual fee-mandated products and should be judged with that cost included.
AmBank’s published tier rules also matter for timing. The programme requires at least six months’ tenure with the bank, uses preceding six-month average balances for subsequent assessments, and locks assigned tiers for six months. Launch-month customers have separate transitional assignment rules.
My bigger concern is the economics of the RM500,000 component. A one-percentage-point difference in annual return on RM500,000 is RM5,000. That is far more than the advertised RM600 maximum face value of the annual Bolt package.
That is an illustration, not an assumption that AmBank necessarily costs you RM5,000. Existing investments, competitive deposit rates and your broader banking needs change the calculation. But rearranging a portfolio simply to obtain complimentary airport rides would be ridiculous.
Can Gold and Platinum Customers Still Hold the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite?
Yes. The physical AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite and the customer’s reward tier are separate things. Holding an AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite does not automatically mean that you receive Diamond benefits.
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite cardholder’s tier | Primary AUM | CASA / Wealth component | Headline lounge entitlement |
|---|---|---|---|
Gold | RM200,000 | RM50,000 within that total | 8 visits |
Platinum | RM500,000 | RM100,000 within that total | 12 visits |
Diamond | RM2,000,000 | RM500,000 within that total | Unlimited participating access |
This is a distinction worth making, particularly for existing AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite cardholders. It is not a promise that a new Gold customer can automatically obtain an AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite.
For avoidance of doubt, the rest of this review assumes a Diamond-qualified AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite cardholder. Gold and Platinum benefits should not be substituted into the calculations below.
Airline Miles Earning: Strong Abroad, Awful Online
Enrich is still very much part of this card’s proposition. AmBank’s rewards catalogue converts 12,000 AmBonus Points into 1,000 Enrich miles, compared with 15,000 points for 1,000 KrisFlyer or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. The distinction matters: the same spending earns 25% more Enrich miles.
My view, as regular Refined Points readers will know, is that customers holding RM2 million AUM are very unlikely to choose Enrich as their primary conversion currency. I would expect this audience to prioritise the redemption options offered by Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
Eligible spending category | AmBonus Points per RM1 | KrisFlyer / Asia Miles MPR | Enrich MPR |
|---|---|---|---|
General local spending | 1 | 0.07 | 0.08 |
Local dining | 6 | 0.40 | 0.50 |
Overseas FX spending in person | 15 | 1.00 | 1.25 |
Overseas FX spending online | 1 | 0.07 | 0.08 |
Crucially, local dining covers MCC 5811, 5812, 5813 and 5814, unlike the Hong Leong Bank Visa Infinite which excludes MCC 5813 - Drinking Places.
Of course, it's definitely worth repeating that the overseas spend accelerator requires a qualifying transaction at a physical merchant outside Malaysia, charged in foreign currency. Paying in yen does not rescue an online transaction. Neither does the fact that the hotel is in Japan.
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite vs Other Affluent Cards: KrisFlyer and Asia Miles
Card | General local MPR | Local dining MPR | General overseas FX MPR | Online overseas FX MPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond | 0.07 | 0.40 | 1.00 | 0.07 |
CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.67 | 0.67 |
Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) | 0.14 | 0.14 | 1.43 | 1.43 |
HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.55 | 0.55 |
Maybank Diamanté Visa Infinite | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.40 | 0.40 |
UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card — RM3,000 annual fee | 0.20 | 1.00, subject to dining threshold | 2.00 | 2.00 |
Note that I've chosen to omit the newly launched HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege entirely, given its Enrich-only conversion.
Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) increases to 2.14 MPR on eligible overseas dining and shopping while our favourite RM3,000 UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card’s dining rate requires at least RM1,000 monthly dining spend.
Speaking of which, it's also worth noting that UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card’s RM3,000 annual-fee package includes 300,000 UNIRM, equivalent to 60,000 KrisFlyer or Asia Miles. That is a meaningful part of its paid proposition, although those miles are excluded from the spending-rate comparison.
Meanwhile, HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard's advertised 1.1 Air Miles per RM1 is not 1.1 KrisFlyer or Asia Miles. Its catalogue requires 20,000 bank Air Miles for 10,000 airline miles, giving 0.55 MPR overseas and an underlying 0.125 MPR locally. The overseas award is capped at 20,000 bank Air Miles monthly.
The CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard also waives its additional 1% FX markup and currently awards 50,000 extra Bonus Points for a qualifying RM20,000 spending month under its published spending campaign. That is approximately 3,333 additional KrisFlyer or Asia Miles per qualifying month.
What an 80% Local, 20% Overseas Spending Mix Actually Earns
As always, I find it's easier to do comparisons based on how an actual person's spend would look like in a given year.
Let's take RM100,000 annual spending: RM80,000 of ordinary eligible local purchases and RM20,000 in foreign currency, spread evenly across the year.
Card | All FX in person: annual miles / blended MPR | Half of FX online: annual miles / blended MPR |
|---|---|---|
UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card — RM3,000 annual fee | 56,000 / 0.56 | 56,000 / 0.56 |
Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) | 40,000 / 0.40 | 40,000 / 0.40 |
UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card (assuming regional FX) | 26,667 / 0.27 | 26,667 / 0.27 |
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond | 25,333 / 0.25 | 16,000 / 0.16 |
CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard | 24,000 / 0.24 | 24,000 / 0.24 |
UOB Visa Infinite Card | 23,333 / 0.23 | 23,333 / 0.23 |
HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard | 21,000 / 0.21 | 21,000 / 0.21 |
Maybank Diamanté Visa Infinite | 20,800 / 0.21 | 20,800 / 0.21 |
These figures are KrisFlyer/Asia Miles equivalents before issuer rounding and transfer blocks and neither the CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard’s RM20,000 monthly bonus threshold nor the HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard’s monthly overseas cap is triggered by this evenly spread example.
To summarise, the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite’s overseas earning rate is good, but it does not make this the best card for collecting miles. In our RM100,000 spending example, the card earns around 25,333 KrisFlyer or Asia Miles if all overseas purchases are made in person.
Pay for RM10,000 of those purchases online instead, and that drops to just 16,000 miles. The 15X headline looks attractive, but most everyday local spending still earns a miserable one point per ringgit.
Why the Online FX Exclusion Could Cost AmBank the Entire Overseas Wallet
I've already criticised this in the initial first look. The problem goes considerably further than earning fewer miles on an online hotel booking. It gives the customer a reason to establish a spending relationship with another issuer, which can then take the purchases AmBank actually wanted to retain.
At 1.00 KrisFlyer/Asia Miles per RM1, the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite’s in-person FX earning is good. However, it is hardly scarce, as the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card already offers 1.00 MPR on qualifying SGD, THB, IDR and VND spending, including eligible online purchases, without demanding RM2 million AUM. Other countries outside of ASEAN earns 10X, or 0.83 MPR.
The Hotel Example: Same Stay, Fifteen Times the Miles
Assume the same Japanese hotel stay costs the equivalent of RM3,000, charged in yen. The payment channel changes the result:
How you pay | AmBonus Points | KrisFlyer / Asia Miles | Enrich miles |
|---|---|---|---|
Prepay online through Trip.com | 3,000 | 200 | 250 |
Book a genuine pay-at-property rate and pay the hotel in person in Japan | 45,000 | 3,000 | 3,750 |
Pay the hotel through an online payment link before arrival | 3,000 | 200 | 250 |
The booking website is not the deciding factor. The hotel must actually process a qualifying physical overseas transaction. A rate labelled pay later does not qualify if the hotel charges your card remotely, and accepting conversion into ringgit also defeats the foreign-currency condition.
Same holiday. Same hotel. Same currency. Fifteen times the miles depending on how you pay. This remains an absolute garbage decision for a flagship travel card, particularly when flights and advance-purchase hotel rates are routinely bought before departure.
The UOB Visa Infinite Card or UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card May Become the Main Overseas Card
The ordinary UOB Visa Infinite Card and UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card are the obvious companions. Neither needs an AUM relationship, and both restore useful rewards to the online FX purchases AmBank has effectively surrendered.
Companion card | Eligible online and in-person FX earning | Annual principal fee / spending waiver |
|---|---|---|
UOB Visa Infinite Card | 10 UNIRM per RM1 = 0.83 KrisFlyer/Asia Miles MPR | RM600; waived with RM50,000 qualifying annual retail spend |
UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card | 12 UNIRM = 1.00 MPR on qualifying SGD, THB, IDR and VND purchases; 10 UNIRM = 0.83 MPR on other eligible FX and foreign-airline transactions | RM600; waived with RM50,000 qualifying annual retail spend |
Crucially, the RM50,000 waiver requirement on the UOB Visa Infinite Card and UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card counts qualifying annual retail spending, including local spending. It is not an FX-only hurdle, and it waives the annual card fee, not foreign-currency transaction charges. The relevant year is the 12 months preceding the annual-fee date.
But if the companion card would otherwise fall short, overseas spending now serves two purposes: earning miles and avoiding RM600. Meanwhile, AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite is free for life. There is no annual card fee pressuring the customer to keep physical FX spending on the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite.
The ordinary UOB Visa Infinite Card also adds a useful travel benefit: RM5,000 of qualifying airline, hotel and travel-agent spending within the preceding 30 days can unlock a transfer to KLIA, including the Grab option capped at RM120, once monthly.
Funny enough, that actually complements the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite’s Bolt rides from KLIA, so even more reason for the Diamond customer to channel pre-travel spend towards the UOB Visa Infinite!
In short, the travel purchase, journey to the airport and ride home can all fit neatly into the same two-card arrangement that is happening here.
What the Fee-Waiver Incentive Looks Like in Ringgit
If we scale the earlier 80/20 wallet to RM250,000 annually, it'll look like RM200,000 local and RM50,000 FX.
Hold the local spending on other cards constant, then examine just the FX portion: RM25,000 online and RM25,000 in person, all qualifying regional hotel or retail purchases earning UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card's 12X.
FX spending decision | Split: AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite in person, UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card online | Consolidate: all FX on UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card |
|---|---|---|
Annual in-person FX on AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite | RM25,000 | RM0 |
Total qualifying annual spend on UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card | RM25,000 | RM50,000 |
KrisFlyer / Asia Miles from FX purchases | 50,000 combined | 50,000 |
UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card annual fee | RM600 | Waived |
UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card fee-paid renewal bonus | 60,000 UNIRM = 5,000 airline miles | None; fee is waived |
Total airline miles, including fee-paid bonus | 55,000 | 50,000 |
Price of keeping the split | RM600 for 5,000 extra miles = 12.00 sen per mile | No annual card fee |
Paying the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card’s RM600 renewal fee gives you 5,000 bonus miles. But that means paying 12 sen for each extra mile.
I would rather move my overseas in-person purchases to the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card and qualify for the annual-fee waiver. AmBank would then lose all my overseas spending!
For spending outside SGD, THB, IDR and VND, the calculation is slightly different. The AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite earns 1.00 KrisFlyer or Asia Miles per RM1 spent in person, compared with 0.83 on the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card.
Using the same example (RM25,000 online and RM25,000 in person) and keeping the in-person spending on the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite earns about 9,167 extra miles, including the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card’s renewal bonus.
However, you would still pay RM600, or 6.55 sen per extra mile. Most people would find that difficult to justify, and I'd argue Diamond tier customers would feel even stronger for this.
Of course, if your local spending already qualifies you for the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card’s annual-fee waiver, there is less reason to move your overseas in-person purchases there, although I should make it clear that you SHOULD NOT charge any local spend to the UOB PRVI Miles Elite.
You can still use the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite where it earns more miles. But if you need more spending to secure the waiver, putting those purchases on the UOB PRVI Miles Elite Card makes sense. AmBank’s RM2 million customers can certainly do that maths.
Given that I'm on the CIMB ecosystem, I should mention that I would be less keen on the CIMB Travel World Elite Mastercard as a card used only for occasional online FX purchases.
You need 75,000 Bonus Points to transfer 5,000 KrisFlyer or Asia Miles at a time. At 10 points per RM1, that means spending around RM7,500 overseas before your first transfer. The UOB Visa Infinite Card lets you transfer 1,000 miles after around RM1,200 of eligible overseas spending. The CIMB Travel World Elite Mastercard works better when you spend regularly on it; occasional purchases could leave you waiting much longer to use your points.
Bottom line is that by excluding online purchases from the overseas accelerator, AmBank risks losing the in-person purchases too. That is quite a generous referral programme for its competitors 😂
Airport Lounge Access: Excellent for One, Frustrating for Two
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite cardholders in the Diamond tier receive unlimited access to participating Plaza Premium Lounge and Plaza Premium First locations, alongside LoungeKey.
That is a strong combination. Plaza Premium First is a meaningful improvement over an ordinary lounge at KLIA, while LoungeKey provides broader international coverage. Readers unfamiliar with the distinction can start with my Plaza Premium First KLIA review.
However, participating is doing work here. Do not interpret the product page as a promise of entry to every Plaza Premium First worldwide. Check AmBank’s participating-lounge list and the LoungeKey directory for the exact airport and terminal.
Card | Headline lounge provision | Supplementary / guest position |
|---|---|---|
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond | Unlimited PPL / PPF plus LoungeKey | Supplementary benefits require the holder’s own qualifying tier; no automatic spouse guest entitlement |
CIMB Private Wealth World Elite Mastercard | 13X visits across the applicable lounge programmes | Annual allocation shared with supplementary cardholders |
Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) | Unlimited LoungeKey | Supplementary access; principal may bring one complimentary guest per visit |
HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard | 12X DragonPass / Mastercard Travel Pass visits | None |
Maybank Diamanté Visa Infinite | Plaza Premium Lounge access | None |
AFFIN DIVENTIUM Visa Infinite | Unlimited participating PPL / PPF with spend conditions | Principal and supplementary; RM3k latest-statement spend or RM100k calendar-year spend for each card |
UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card — paid benchmark | Unlimited DragonPass global lounges | Principal plus one guest; supplementary cards have no independent complimentary entitlement under current terms |
HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege — paid benchmark | Unlimited participating PPL / PPF | Principal, supplementary and accompanying-guest access under its lounge conditions |
There are also operational limits. The AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite’s PPL/PPF terms permit one visit per rolling 24 hours, and newly issued or replaced cards become eligible from the following calendar month. Unlimited annual visits does not necessarily mean unlimited lounge-hopping during a connection.
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite’s Laughable Supplementary Lounge Policy
Now for the part that still makes me laugh: giving your spouse a supplementary AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite does not give them your Diamond lounge benefits.
AmBank assesses reward tiers at the individual cardholder level. The principal and supplementary cardholders cannot combine or share their qualification.
Your circumstances | What happens |
|---|---|
You qualify for Diamond; your spouse has no independently qualifying relationship | Your spouse does not inherit Diamond lounge access |
Your spouse qualifies for a lower reward tier | Their entitlement follows their own tier |
You both want independent AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite Diamond-tier benefits | Each needs RM2m qualifying primary AUM, including RM500k CASA/Wealth |
Combined relationship for two independently Diamond-qualified people | Effectively RM4m AUM, including RM1m qualifying CASA/Wealth across the two people |
This is why I continue to call it fake supplementary access.
If the supplementary cardholder must establish a banking relationship substantial enough to qualify for the flagship proposition independently, what exactly is being supplemented? The principal cardholder’s wallet weight? 😂
To be precise, AUM qualification does not automatically guarantee approval for their own principal credit card. But the commercial absurdity remains: AmBank is describing a family benefit that requires the second person to qualify as a substantial banking customer in their own right.
The Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) demonstrates a much more useful approach with supplementary access and a principal guest entitlement. Even UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card, despite removing independent supplementary access, still lets the principal bring a guest.
For couples and families, AmBank’s policy can be a deal breaker. A premium travel proposition should recognise that wealthy people occasionally travel with their spouse. Apparently, this required another RM2 million to establish.
Bolt Rides and Overseas Credit: The Real Hero Benefit
The most interesting part of the refreshed AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite is not the metal. It is Bolt.
I've already written an extensive article on AmBank's latest Bolt benefit here, but again, this benefit definitely deserves proper credit.
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite Diamond-tier benefit | Annual entitlement | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
Local Bolt airport rides | 4 rides from KLIA Terminal 1 or 2, up to RM100 each | To eligible Klang Valley destinations; maximum one redemption monthly |
Overseas Bolt credit | RM200 annually | Eligible Bolt Business countries and services; not restricted to airport journeys |
Maximum advertised face value | RM600 annually | Actual value depends on eligible fares and successful use |
The overseas credit is the brilliant part. A conventional airport limousine takes you between two prescribed points. Bolt credit can also cover the trips that happen throughout the holiday, such as going for dinner, a station transfer, or getting back to the hotel.
How Does Bolt Compare With the Competition?
The AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite's main competition is the Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite Priority Private here. Four transfers capped at USD110 each can be worth substantially more than RM200.
Card / relationship | Local transfer benefit | Overseas benefit |
|---|---|---|
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond | 4 Bolt rides from KLIA, RM100 each | RM200 annual credit for eligible Bolt rides, including non-airport trips |
Standard Chartered Beyond Visa Infinite (Priority Private) at RM3m | 6 local Grab rides, RM100 each | Separate Priority Private entitlement: 4 airport transfers, up to USD110 each; higher AUM increases the quota |
HSBC Premier Travel Mastercard / HSBC Premier Elite | 6 local airport transfers, up to RM250 each | Previous overseas concierge-transfer benefit was replaced by local-only transfers |
AFFIN DIVENTIUM Visa Infinite | No comparable standing local benefit verified in the current public card offer | Current overseas airport-pickup campaign: 2 rides during 1 Sep–31 Dec 2026; RM20k latest-statement spend and Business Class or above on a full-service airline |
UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card — paid benchmark | Unlimited limo to KLIA | Former overseas limousine benefit is discontinued |
I'd say that AmBank still edges ahead of StanChart's benefit primarily due to the inclusion of the overseas benefit, which is useful beyond the airport. The AFFIN Diventium Visa Infinite's current overseas offer, meanwhile, involves a high spending threshold, advance arrangements and a premium-cabin restriction.
However, for overseas Bolt, the entire fare must fit within the remaining credit; you cannot assume a normal partial-credit top-up arrangement. I'm basically assuming this means that if your credit falls below the ride's total amount, you won't be able to use it.
Also, registration is not instant activation. Under the published FAQ, an existing active cardholder who enrols in November 2026 starts using the benefit from 1 January 2027, which is surprisingly long. New cards and later enrolment follow the stated activation timetable.
Either way, I have covered the mechanics in the full AmBank x Bolt article. For this review, my conclusion is simple: Bolt gives AmBank a distinctive reason to be in an affluent traveller’s wallet.
Complimentary ALL Accor+ Explorer: Better Than a Badge
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite cardholders in the Diamond tier receive a complimentary first-year ALL Accor+ Explorer membership, including one complimentary night’s stay.
This is an interesting replacement for the previous Club Marriott benefit, although this new benefit is specifically for qualifying AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite cardholders. It is also more substantial than simply advertising hotel status.
I have covered the programme in my ALL Accor+ Explorer review. The distinction that matters here is between the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite package and the membership offered with HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege.
Feature | AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite — Diamond | HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege |
|---|---|---|
Source of benefit | AmBank’s dedicated card benefit | Visa Infinite Privilege offer |
Complimentary membership period | First 12 months | 12 months under the current network offer |
Complimentary Accor night | 1 included, subject to redemption terms | Stay Plus complimentary nights excluded |
Dining | Up to 30% off eligible food bills at participating restaurants | Up to 30% off eligible food bills at participating restaurants |
Hotel discounts | 15% off eligible stays; Red Hot Rooms offers up to 50% | 15% off eligible stays; Red Hot Rooms offers up to 50% |
Renewal | Minimum RM100k qualifying annual spend under AmBank’s membership-renewal rules | Subject to the network offer; no equivalent published AmBank-style RM100k renewal promise |
Principal annual fee | RM0 | RM3,000 |
The complimentary night is the meaningful difference, given that the HLB Opus Visa Infinite Privilege membership explicitly excludes Stay Plus nights.
However, I would not value AmBank’s night at whichever suite happens to be most expensive on Accor’s website. Participating hotels, room availability, blackout dates and any minimum-stay or paid-night conditions matter.
It remains to be seen whether AmBank’s complimentary night has a monetary cap or additional redemption restrictions. Ideally, I would use it at an eligible Sofitel or Fairmont, where the room-rate saving could be meaningful. But the correct calculation is the cost of the complete stay you would actually book, not the rack rate of a room you were never going to pay for.
Red Hot Rooms May Be the More Repeatable Benefit
The free night gets attention. Red Hot Rooms can provide recurring value if your travel dates line up.
At the time of writing, the offers page shows Pullman Singapore Hill Street at SGD192++ against SGD320++, and Pullman Singapore Orchard at SGD204++ against SGD408++. Those are the sort of offers that can make the membership worthwhile across several stays.
For an eligible AmBank customer, use the bank’s complimentary membership registration route. Do not pay for a retail membership unnecessarily. It's also important to note that AmBank’s complimentary registration is not available to existing ALL Accor+ Explorer members under the published FAQ, which means that if you utilised the Visa Infinite 6-month trial earlier, you'd probably want to wait until that expires.
If you do not qualify for the bank benefit, you can explore a paid ALL Accor+ Explorer membership here. For individual stays, compare Accor’s current hotel offers before deciding whether the membership makes sense.
AmBank requires RM100,000 of qualifying spending over the relevant membership-renewal period for a complimentary renewal, assessed separately for each cardholder.
As a reminder, I would not divert large online FX purchases back to the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite just to hit that figure given the online FX spend restrictions mentioned above.
Bottom line, this is one of AmBank’s strongest tangible differentiators, and I see this as a pretty meaningful upgrade to Club Marriott, especially with all the overrated hotel memberships and loyalty programs being advertised around these days.
AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite Is Not Visa Infinite Privilege
I initially wrote in my Visa Infinite Privilege article that AmBank could potentially position the Metal Visa Infinite as a Visa Infinite Privilege. However, I'm somewhat surprised that the refreshed card remains a Visa Infinite.
The distinction sounds pedantic until you look at benefits reserved for the higher network tier.
Higher-tier benefit | Why the distinction matters |
|---|---|
Harrods Gold status | A published Visa Infinite Privilege benefit; not an automatic entitlement of this AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite |
Essentialist membership | Reserved for eligible higher-tier cards; ordinary Visa Infinite branding does not confer it |
withBanyan Voyager | The higher-tier status-match proposition differs from ordinary Visa Infinite’s Explorer fast-track offer |
Complimentary network airport fast track | Separate from AmBank’s own spend-conditioned Airport Meet & Assist benefit |
Again, I have explained the wider differences in my Visa Infinite Privilege Malaysia guide. The useful question is what you can redeem, rather than how impressive the word Infinite looks on a card.
One ordinary Visa Infinite benefit worth using is the Trip.com Diamond status match. Eligible members can receive one year of Diamond status under the current offer, subject to registration, availability and its terms. You do not need Visa Infinite Privilege for that particular benefit.
Airport Meet & Assist and Other Benefits
Benefit | What deserves attention |
|---|---|
Airport Meet & Assist | 2 entitlements at selected international airports; RM30k retail spend in the service month and/or preceding month |
Booking and companions | Book Meet & Assist at least 72 hours ahead; two people using the service consume two entitlements |
Travel insurance | Up to RM2m advertised coverage, subject to the policy and required airfare payment |
Selected dining offers | Up to 50% off at participating restaurants; check the individual dining conditions |
Meet & Assist is a useful extra, but it is not an unconditional network fast-track entitlement. If the spending requirement is not met, the service cost can be charged back. I would treat it as a bonus for a month in which the spending already makes sense.
Final Thoughts
The refreshed AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite is an excellent flagship proposition for the right Diamond customer. That is exceptionally surprising coming from AmBank.
My criticism of the bank over the past two years has been consistent, as too many changes have weakened the proposition from mass-market cards through to the affluent segment. The AmBank Enrich Visa Infinite remains, in my view, a particularly unfortunate white elephant.
This AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite refresh gives me a reason to reconsider the direction of travel. The strongest feature is the combination. A card with no annual fee now offers unlimited participating lounges, useful Bolt benefits, and an Accor membership with a complimentary night.
These are benefits a traveller can actually use, rather than a collection of hotel logos and theoretical discounts. I've made a pretty simple table you could use to consider, assuming you already have the card.
Your situation | My recommendation |
|---|---|
You already qualify for Diamond on sensible banking terms | The refreshed AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite deserves serious consideration |
You primarily buy flights and prepaid hotels online | Cancel your AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite and move elsewhere or obtain a second FX-focused credit card |
You need lounge access for a spouse or family | Just cancel your AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite and move elsewhere 😂 |
Ultimately, AmBank still needs to fix the two glaring flaws. The overseas online restriction hands valuable spending to competitors. The supplementary policy turns a supposedly premium family proposition into an exercise in independently qualifying two banking customers.
Even so, this is a substantially different product from the old AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite, and a clear winner for Diamond customers who can use its benefits without distorting their banking arrangements.
AmBank has finally produced a card that I can recommend with conviction, provided it travels with a more sensible card for online purchases.
I certainly did not have that on my 2026 credit-card bingo card, and look forward to identifying what companion cards suit the AmBank SPB Metal Visa Infinite in my 2027 Airline Miles Strategy.
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