Alliance Bank Malaysia has announced revisions to its credit card features, fees, and the Alliance One Bank Reward (AOBR) Program, all of which are scheduled to take effect on 1 August 2025. These changes reflect a repositioning of each card to serve distinct customer segments.
The Virtual Credit Card (VCC) will retain its current Timeless Bonus Points (TBP) structure, making it the go-to product for e-wallet and digital transactions. In contrast, the Visa Infinite and Visa Platinum cards will see adjustments to their TBP earning categories. The Visa Infinite is being reoriented as a travel-focused card, with updated rewards for overseas spending.
Meanwhile, the Visa Platinum card is being positioned as an everyday spending card, with higher TBP accruals for essential categories such as groceries, petrol, and dining.
Virtual Credit Card (VCC): Benefits Remain Unchanged
The Virtual Credit Card remains unchanged and continues to be structured for e-commerce and e-wallet spending. Cardholders will still earn 8x Timeless Bonus Points (TBP) for every RM1 spent on e-commerce transactions and e-wallet top-ups, up to a cap of RM3,000 for each category per statement cycle. Any amount spent beyond this cap will earn 1x TBP. All other transactions also continue to earn 1x TBP per RM1 spent.
The card includes security features such as a cardless interface and transaction controls, which align with its focus on e-commerce and e-wallet transactions. The annual fee for the Virtual Credit Card remains waived for both principal and supplementary cardholders. The annual fee for the VCC remains permanently waived for both principal and supplementary cardholders.
Visa Infinite: Updated Rewards for Travellers
The Visa Infinite card is being repositioned as a card for frequent international travellers. Under the revised rewards structure, the 8x TBP on e-commerce and e-wallet transactions will be replaced with 10x TBP for every RM1 spent on overseas purchases. All domestic transactions will earn a flat 1x TBP per RM1.
Airport lounge access has been updated, with cardholders continuing to receive two complimentary visits to Plaza Premium Lounges and one complimentary visit to Travel Club Lounge in the first year. From the second year onward, those who meet RM120,000 in annual retail spending will qualify for unlimited access to both lounge networks, while those who do not meet the spending threshold will continue to receive 2x Plaza Premium and 1x Travel Club Lounge access per year.
The new structure clearly rewards international usage, making the Visa Infinite card more relevant to customers with higher travel-related spending.
Visa Platinum: Refocused on Everyday Essentials
The Visa Platinum card has been updated to focus on domestic, everyday spending. Effective 1 August 2025, the previous 8x TBP for e-commerce and e-wallet top-ups and 3x TBP for overseas and dining transactions will be replaced with 5x TBP for every RM1 spent on groceries, dining, petrol, and other essentials. Overseas transactions will also earn 5x TBP, while all other retail purchases within Malaysia will earn 1x TBP.
Petrol is now included in the 5x TBP category, whereas it was not previously part of any accelerated TBP category.
This repositioning makes the Platinum card more appropriate to customers who prioritise everyday essentials over digital or travel-related categories.
Annual Fee Waivers
Alliance Bank will also introduce new eligibility criteria for annual fee waivers. All new cards issued will continue to receive a first-year waiver. Ongoing waivers will only be granted to customers who meet specific criteria, such as maintaining a qualifying asset amount with the bank or holding an active home financing facility.
Customers with an active Home Financing Facility will enjoy annual fee waivers on all Alliance credit cards for the life of the facility. Virtual Credit Card and Visa Basic cardholders will now receive lifetime waivers, both for principal and supplementary cards.
Visa Infinite cardholders will receive a lifetime waiver if they are Alliance Privilege customers, defined as having RM300,000 or more in savings and investments. The annual fee is also waived as long as the customer has an active Home Financing Facility with Alliance Bank. The supplementary card fee for Visa Infinite will also be waived.
Visa Signature and Visa/Mastercard Platinum cardholders are eligible for annual fee waivers if they qualify as Alliance Personal customers, which requires RM100,000 or more in savings and investments. The annual fee for supplementary Visa Platinum cards will be waived.
Annual fee waivers for Gold cardholders are limited, with supplementary card fees remaining at RM30. Classic cardholders will no longer be eligible for any fee waiver, and this product is not actively promoted by the bank.
Alliance Bank will discontinue the previous conditional annual fee waivers based on minimum transactions or spending volume. Beginning 1 August 2025, annual fee waivers will only be granted to cardholders who meet specific relationship criteria with the bank, such as maintaining certain asset thresholds or holding a home financing facility. Supplementary card annual fees will also be waived in most cases, with the exception of the Gold card.
Other Updates to Fees and Charges
In addition to the changes in rewards and fee waivers, Alliance Bank is revising several key charges including the reduction of cash advance fees from 5.00% of the amount (minimum RM15) to 1.25% of the amount (minimum RM3). Card replacement fee will also be dropped from RM50 to RM18 for most cards in the event of loss or damage.
Meanwhile, the Alliance One Bank Reward (AOBR) Program is being scaled back. The ability to earn Timeless Bonus Points will be discontinued for several banking and investment products, including Unit Trust External Transfer-in, Dual Currency Investment, Foreign Exchange, Share Margin Financing, and Share Trading.
Summary
Alliance Bank is repositioning its credit card portfolio to align with specific customer segments. The Virtual Credit Card continues to serve digital-first users, with high TBP for e-commerce and e-wallet spending. The Visa Infinite has become a traveller-focused card, offering rewards for overseas usage and upgraded lounge access based on annual spending. The Visa Platinum has shifted to serve customers with high day-to-day spend in core categories like groceries, dining, and petrol.
Customer Support and Further Information
Alliance Bank encourages customers to visit its official website to review the full announcement and detailed terms. For personalised assistance on how these changes affect your credit card or rewards eligibility, please contact Alliance Bank Customer Service via the telephone number on the back of your credit card.
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