RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum Review

I have had my RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum credit card for exactly 10 months now and it will be due for renewal in two months. I got it when I applied via the credit card agent I chanced upon a shopping mall.

I have already used this card for my local offline and online shopping. I have also used this card for booking flight tickets and hotels online. I have not yet used it though for international travel because it is not permitted recently due to the pandemic outbreak.

So, probably I will have the chance to try it for international purchases by the end of this year or the first quarter of next year depending on how the situation goes. I will update this post once I get the chance to travel internationally.

Update 10/26/20: I already have discontinued this card after getting the confirmation that the annual fee for the next year will not be waived.

Having said that, I will not be updating this article anymore. Please check RCBC’s website for updated information.

Note to Readers: Please be advised that the information written here is valid as of the time of writing but may have been updated by the time you see/read this post. Please refer to the linked RCBC web pages to get the updated details. If the links are not working by the time you see the article, please go to the RCBC’s homepage instead.

Table of Contents

Advantages of Owning an RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum?

RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum is marketed towards frequent travelers. In fact, it’s the only RCBC Bankard credit card that has the Preferred Airmiles program that allows you to earn free flights faster. Having said that, most benefits are geared toward travel and it proves that it’s one of the best travel credit cards in the Philippines.

Earning Miles

The best news is – Miles are non-expiring and you can convert your Preferred Airmiles to:

Asia Miles
Mabuhay Miles
GetGo Points
AirAsia Big Points

1 Preferred Airmile is equivalent to 1 Asia Mile/Mabuhay Mile/GetGo Point/BIG Point.

You can earn 1 Preferred Airmile for every:

P25 on Overseas Transactions (Non-service merchants / Retail / Online)
P48 on Domestic Transactions (Non-service merchants / Retail / Online)
P125 on Service Merchants (i.e. supermarket, gas, drugstore)
P250 on Utility Bills Payment

It’s not the best spend to mile ratio out there. I find my other credit card – Citi PremierMiles to be better when it comes to the spending to mile ratio. However, I didn’t sign up for RCBC for the miles conversation. I signed up with them for the Free Airport Lounge Access.

Free Airport Lounge Access

Oh, man! If you frequently travel locally via airlines that fly out of Terminal 1 and 3 then you will love this card. RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum offers unlimited free airport lounge access to the Skyview Airport Lounge (T1) and The Club Manila Lounge(T2) for the Principal cardholder plus one travel companion.

How I wish that there’s also an airport lounge at the domestic airport where Air Asia flies out from and this will be perfect!

Aside from having unlimited access to local airport lounges at T1 and T3, you also get a complimentary Priority Pass™ membership to access over 1,300+ airport VIP lounges worldwide.

Please note though that it’s a free membership and does not cover the usage fee or visit fee which amounts to $27 per use.

The Standard Membership Fee for Priority Pass™ as of the time of writing is $99. So essentially, you’re saving $99 annually by having this card.

If you travel frequently then the airport lounge access benefit is already an awesome reason enough to get this card.

Visa Concierge Services

This is one of the underrated free services that are not exclusive to RCBC but we oftentimes do not use it. I personally have not tried using the Visa Concierge Services yet but will try doing so once travel is permitted.

With Visa Concierge Services, you can avail of these services 24/7 anywhere in the world:

Flight Reservations
Hotel Reservations
Restaurant Reservations
Car Rental Reservations
Event Ticket Purchases
Trip Planning
Other General Requests

Free Travel Insurance

If you have an RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum, you are entitled to comprehensive travel insurance coverage worth up to Php5 Million which provides the following insurance benefits:

Accidental Death, Dismemberment, and/or Disablement
Recovery of Travel Expenses for Emergency Trip Cancellation
Recovery of Travel Expenses for Emergency Trip Termination
Travel Inconvenience Benefits like Baggage Delay and Flight Delay
Emergency Medical Treatment for Accident or Sickness
Car Rental Protection
Sports Activities Extension

Please note that the travel insurance plan depends on the amount of tickets purchased using your RCBC card:

For tickets purchased at P24,999 and below, you get a travel insurance plan coverage of P1 Million.
For tickets purchased at P25,000 to P39,999, you get a travel insurance plan coverage of P3 Million.
For tickets purchased at P40,000 and above, you get a travel insurance plan coverage of P5 Million.

Please note that just like any other Free Travel Insurance offered by any other credit card provider, terms and conditions apply.

Bonus Travel Limit

This feature means that you can (if approved) avail of a temporary increase of up to 100% in your credit limit during the travel period with a maximum cap of bonus Travel limit up to P500,000 or US$10,000, if Dollar card.

You will have to call RCBC or email them in order to avail of this feature. Once a request is accepted, you will be evaluated based on:

Payment history, not delinquent/ suspended/ over limit during the time of call
RCBC Bankard credit card should be in the cardholder’s possession and not expired.
No increase in credit limit in the last 6 months.
Should be at least a year cardholder.

Please note that the Bonus Travel limit is temporary and shall revert to the regular limit once the travel period concludes.

RCBC Bankard UNLI 0% and UNLI Installment

This is not a feature exclusive to RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum but I’ve decided to include this because (1) it’s an awesome feature/service and (2) I just availed this service this week (as of the time of writing).

Basically, this service means you can avail of a 0% installment for 3 months via UNLI 0% or longer payment terms up to 36 months with minimal interest rate via UNLI Installment.

Notifications on Log In

Another thing that I love about my RCBC card is this simple notification service that I get on my SMS and Email every time I do a transaction and even as simple as when I log in to the RCBC Bankard website. It makes me feel safer having this kind of feature.

Waived Annual Fee on the First Year

This is another benefit that I find very appealing for any new credit card – a free annual fee for the first year. It makes it very easy to decide to try out a new card and see if it fits your needs.

Disadvantages of Owning an RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum?

P5,000 Annual Membership Fee

You get tons of credit card benefits with RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum, however, the annual fee is a bit steep. The first-year membership fee is waived so if you want to try it out then it’s almost a risk-free decision for anyone.

However, once your renewal is due, then you might think twice about maintaining the card because of the annual membership fee. If you’re a frequent flyer then for sure, this card is worth the annual membership fee.

No Mobile App Yet

This is not really a big disadvantage but rather, just a small inconvenience. Almost, all major credit card providers have a mobile app nowadays to provide more convenience to their customers.

RCBC Bankard needs to be accessed via the traditional website. I don’t know if this is already in the pipeline in the succeeding months since a lot of their competitors have mobile apps already.

Will I keep my RCBC Bankard Visa Platinum?

If the annual fee for my second year will be waived, then definitely. But if not, I will have to think about it. I will definitely avail of another premium RCBC Bankard credit card to replace this if I decide not to keep this credit card. But for now, I’m really happy to have this card.

Update 10/26/20: I already have discontinued this card after getting the confirmation that the annual fee for the next year will not be waived.