EastWest Pay and EastWest Visa Platinum credit card launched in PH: 8.88 percent rebate, NFC payment

EastWest unveils EastWest Pay and EastWest Visa Platinum Card which both aim to complement the discerning lifestyle of Filipinos.

EastWest VISA Platinum card and EastWest Pay

Greater rewards ahead?

First of the two new products is the new EastWest Visa Platinum Card which the bank claims offers competitive cashback and rewards for domestic and international shopping, dining, travel and utility transactions.

Its main benefit is the 8.88 percent rebate from their total bill when they shop or dine from select department stores, e-commerce stores, or restaurants (via GrabFood, Food Panda or Pick.A.Roo). The 8.88 percent rebate also applies to travel expenses, from airline to lodging, to vehicle rental and even to fuel and utilities! For everything else, they still get a 0.3 percent rebate which can add up to huge savings. (capped at a total of PHP 1,250 per month)

On top of the rebates, cardholders can expect the following benefits:

1. Welcome gift of PHP 5,000 cashback upon reaching PHP 10,000 retail spend within two months from the card activation date for new cards applied thru digital channels.

2. Additional cashback for seasonal offers and promos from select merchants such as online double-digit sales or payday sales.

3. 50 percent off on dining offers and access to private sale events and special airline seat sales.

4. 1.7 percent low foreign currency conversion fee when travelling overseas

5. 24-hour customer service priority queuing

6. A year-round program of premium privileges from luxury getaways to culinary adventures, retail finds, and family entertainment pursuits.

7. A concierge service for worldwide hotel and restaurant reservations, flower and gift deliveries, special events, car and limousine rentals, salon bookings and couriers.

8. A waived annual membership fee upon reaching an accumulated spend of PHP 1.5 million within 12 months from the card's anniversary date.

EastWest Pay App UI

Up next is the new EastWest Pay app. It is the first mobile payment app which allows EastWest Visa cardholders to transact contactless at merchant point-of-sale terminals using their NFC-capable Android phones. Users can also see their credit card account details, available balance, transaction history, and spend tracker thru the convenience of their smartphone. Users can also lock and unlock their card as a safety feature. It promises ease of use and security as it requires mobile phone verification upon registration and a 6-digit PIN or biometric access upon log-in.

The app is currently available to EastWest Visa Infinite, Platinum, Gold and Classic card holders. It will open up to Mastercard, JCB credit cards, and VISA debit cards soon. Users only need to download the app from the Google Play Store, register and enroll as much EastWest Credit cards for a consolidated experience.

It is not yet available for iOS users as Apple does not allow third-party access to the iPhone's NFC antenna.

What do you guys think?

Source: EastWest 1, 2, Google Play Store