Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard: A Review
At PHP 30.00/mile for all transactions, the Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard easily takes one of the top spots in my miles-earning arsenal.
What’s the Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard?
Spend-to-Miles Ratio: PHP 30.00 per mile
Annual Fee: PHP 6,000.00
Lounge Access: LoungeKey (USD 32.00 per visit)
Airlines Partner: Mabuhay Miles, Asia Miles, KrisFlyer Miles, Qatar Airways, Mileage Plus, American Airlines, Falconflyer, GarudaMiles, Air Asia
Other Notes: Accor Plus Explorer Membership Welcome Offer (worth PHP 9,800.00), PHP20 million comprehensive travel and inconvenience insurance coverage when purchasing travel tickets, low foreign transaction fee of 1.7%
Why did I get it?
As someone who prioritizes airline miles, it was a no brainer for me to apply for this card. Of all the products available in the market right now, the Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard offers the lowest spend to miles ratio, sans any multipliers or promos. You can also redeem your miles to around 9 airline partners. With all the devaluation happening across different banks and their cards, one could consider this to be the Citi PremierMiles (back in its heyday) post-pandemic.
The welcome offer of Accor Plus Explorer membership also brings a ton of benefits into the table. From a free night stay to booking and dining discounts, frequent travelers and those who want to splurge in self-indulgence from time to time would definitely be able to take advantage of this. Imagine getting 40%-50% discounts on dining and receiving complimentary room upgrades!
How did I apply for it?
August 31, 2023: Submitted the application form and requirements to Chinabank’s email address.
<Multiple follow-up emails and calls between me and their CSRS>
September 29, 2023: Received an email that my application was declined. However, Chinabank provided some additional notes.
Because of this information, I set aside a schedule for a branch visit.
October 2, 2023: Dropped by the branch nearest me (Malanday, Valenzuela). Filled up the application form and submitted the other requirements (IDs, other banks’ credit cards statement of account, ITR). Since I was self-employed, the account officer also asked for a copy of the DTI. Lastly, the account officer also informed me that they received an internal memo allowing non-depositors to apply for credit cards. Because of this, I didn’t need to open an account, contrary to what was indicated on the email above.
October 10 – 12, 2023: Received an SMS that I would be getting a call from their credit team for information validation. Got the call 2 days after.
October 17, 2023: Was notified by the branch’s account officer that my application was approved yesterday, October 16, 2023. Special shoutout to Ms. Micah of Chinabank Malanday branch for monitoring my application!
I found the card waiting at home for me on October 19, 2023. I was out running errands for my mom that past few weeks so I was pleasantly surprised that it was delivered already.
The Verdict? The Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard is Worth It.
With the cards I have right now, I’ve fully covered earning the maximum miles I can get from shopping, dining, online, service, and gas transactions. Still, I’m always on the lookout for better cards that may pop-up in the market or whenever there are changes in existing cards. For one, I’m curious as to how UnionBank will handle the transitioned Citi PremierMiles specially now that the Chinabank Destinations World Mastercard was released. Will they bring the spend to miles ratio back to PHP 30.00 to compete with the card?
I’m also quite excited to learn about and use my Accor Plus Explorer benefits in the coming days! At the moment though, I’m still reading up on the program at their website.
Lastly, the lack of free lounge access might be a bit of a turnoff for some but this can easily be remedied by having other cards.
To conclude, if you’re a miles-earner like me, I would highly suggest you get this card too.
