When it comes to earning Asia Miles, Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard is the first credit card most people would think of. Being known as the best card for earning miles, the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard offers the lowest air mile conversion rate of HK$2/mile for Cathay Pacific or HK Express eligible spending, HK$4/mile for most daily spending, and HK$6/mile for other eligible spending.
But is the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard truly the ultimate card for earning Asia Miles? As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.
That’s why we dive deep into the terms and conditions and get everything you need to know about your Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard, plus how to get the most out of your Asia Miles and welcome offer. Read on to find out more!
Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: Is it worth applying? MoneySmart credit card rating
Before we begin, it’s important to know there are 3 Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercards: green, blue, and black. For the rating below, we’ll be focusing on the green Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard.
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Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard |
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Overall: ★★★★☆ |
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Best for: Earning Air Miles |
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| Category | Our Rating | Explanation |
| Earn rates: air miles & cashback | ★★★★☆ | -HK$2/mile for eligible spending on Cathay and HK Express -HK$4/mile for eligible spending on dining, online, and overseas category -HK$6/mile for other eligible HKD spending -HK$1.33/mile for spending at Cathay partner restaurants |
| Earn categories | ★★★★☆ | -Dining, online, and overseas spending are covered -Low air miles rate for Cathay and HK Express spending -Other eligible spending is covered as well |
| Annual fees and charges | ★★☆☆☆ | -New clients can enjoy a first-year annual fee waiver of HK$2,000 |
| Accessibility | ★★★★☆ | -An annual income of HK$96,000, which is a threshold that many can reach. -Member of Asia Miles/Cathay Pacific |
| Extras/periphery rewards | ★★★☆☆ | -10% discount when you redeem hotel stays, car rentals, travel experiences, or dining awards -Earn 20 Cathay Membership Status club points for every HK$100,000 eligible transaction (up to 100 club points) |
| Welcome offer | ★★☆☆☆ | -Up to 60,000 welcome miles |
Table of contents
- Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: Welcome offers
- Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: Perfect for frequent travelers to earn miles
- Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: Air Miles earn rate overview
- Earning Cathay Status Points with SCB CX Mastercard
- Does SCB Cathay Mastercard get a maximum monthly spending cap?
- SCB Cathay Mastercard exclusive perks: Airport lounge access
- Things to notice before applying
- Review: Should you apply for the SCB Cathay Mastercard?
- Frequently asked questions: Standard Chartered Bank Cathay Mastercard
- Related articles
Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: Welcome offers
When it comes to the welcome offer, the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard goes above and beyond for new cardholders. With a chance to earn 60,000 miles, all you need to do is meet a specific spending threshold within the first 2 months of receiving the card.
| Accumulated Eligible Transactions Within 2 Months After Issuance | Miles Earned for Cathay Mastercard (Green Card) | Miles Earned for Cathay Mastercard – Priority Banking (Blue Card) |
Miles Earned for Cathay Mastercard – Priority Private (Black Card) |
| HK$1,000 | 5,000 miles | 5,000 miles | 5,000 miles |
| HK$5,000 | 15,000 miles | 15,000 miles | 15,000 miles |
| HK$40,000 | 40,000 miles | 60,000 miles | 80,000 miles |
| HK$100,000 | 60,000 miles | 80,000 miles | 100,000 miles |
| The offers are subject to change. Please reference to the official website for the latest information. |
So, in short, to get the maximum welcome offer of 60,000 miles for Cathay Mastercard, you would need to spend HK$100,000 within 2 months upon card issuance.
Welcome offer eligibility
New credit card customers who currently do not hold any Standard Chartered credit card or MANHATTAN credit card as the primary cardholder and have not cancelled any Standard Chartered credit card or MANHATTAN credit card application within the past 6 months (Yes, it means that if you cancelled all Standard Chartered cards 6 months ago, you can still apply for this welcome offer!)
Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard: Perfect for frequent travelers to earn miles
Standard Chartered and Cathay Pacific have collaborated to launch a series of 3 Mastercards in green, blue, and black. The card design is sleek, featuring a minimalist Cathay Pacific logo, and the signature green colour adds style to your outings.
As mentioned before, Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard offers a low air miles conversion rate, perfect for frequent travellers to earn a free trip from miles redemption!
| Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard Information | |||
| Credit Card | Cathay Mastercard (Greed Card) | Cathay Mastercard – Priority Banking (Blue Card) | Cathay Mastercard – Priority Private (Black Card) |
| Application Requirement | -An annual income of HK$96,000 -Member of Asia Miles/Cathay Pacific |
-Deposit new funds of HK$1,000,000 or more -Member of Asia Miles/Cathay Pacific |
-Deposit new funds of HK$8,000,000 or more -Member of Asia Miles/Cathay Pacific |
| Annual Fee | HK$2,000 (First-year waiver) | HK$4,000 (First-year waiver) | HK$8,000 (First-year waiver) |
| Features | -HK$2/mile for Cathay Pacific, HK Express related-spending -HK$4/mile for dining, overseas, and online spending -HK$6/mile for other HKD spending -Asia Miles account -10% discount when you redeem hotel stays, car rentals, travel experiences, or dining awards -Possible to earn Cathay Membership Status club points |
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SCB Cathay Mastercard: Air miles rate overview
How to earn air miles with SCB Cathay Mastercard? Simply make a purchase, and the corresponding miles will be automatically transferred to your Asia Miles account at the end of each month; no conversion is needed.
To maximise your rewards, it’s a good idea to understand the various categories and their corresponding rates before taking any action. Here are the specifics on the miles you can earn:
| Spending Category | Air Mile Conversion Rate |
| Cathay and HK Express | HK$2/mile |
| Dining, online, and overseas | HK$4/mile |
| Other eligible HKD spending | HK$6/mile |
| Cathay partner restaurants | HK$1.33/mile |
Cathay Pacific or HK Express spending: HK$2/mile
Cathay Pacific or HK Express-eligible spending includes:
- Cathay flight tickets
- Shopping and bookings with Cathay Holidays
- HK Express flight tickets and duty-free items.
You can earn a mile for every HK$2 spent on Cathay Pacific or HK Express.
Extra miles are offered from 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2023: For every HK$8,000 accumulated eligible spending on Cathay and HK Express directly, cardholders can earn an extra 2,000 miles.
Dining, online, and overseas spending: HK$4/mile
Eligible dining, online, and overseas spending that earns a mile for every HK$4 spent includes:
- Dining: Transactions made at dining outlets categorised as restaurants or dining merchants by Mastercard Asia/Pacific (Hong Kong) Limited
- Online: Online transactions as defined by Mastercard Asia/Pacific (Hong Kong) Limited
- Overseas spending: transactions made in a currency other than HKD and posted to the card account.
Other eligible HKD spending: HK$6/mile
- As long as the payment is made in HKD other than the categories above, you can enjoy HK$6/mile with SCB Cathay Mastercard.
Cathay partner restaurants: HK$1.33/mile
- When you dine at Cathay partner restaurants, just pay with SCB CX Mastercard, and you can earn miles for HK$1.33. (Earn 3 miles for every HK$4 spent.)
Earning Cathay Status Points with SCB CX Mastercard
With the SCB CX Mastercard, you can earn more than just Asia Miles. Cathay Status Points are an additional privilege that you can earn.
What are Cathay Status Points?
Cathay Status Points is a membership programme for Cathay members. It combines the Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles programmes to create a new membership. By using the SCB CX Mastercard to pay your bills, you can earn both Cathay Status points and Asia Miles—literally, pay once, earn twice!
As you upgrade your membership, you unlock a treasure trove of exclusive perks, including access to our acclaimed lounges, priority entry to exclusive events, free flights from Cathay Pacific or other airlines, and much more.
Here are the membership status qualifications, which show the points required to upgrade or renew a membership status within 1 year.
| Green | Silver | Gold | Diamond | |
| Status Points required to upgrade/renew (within a membership year) | – | 300 | 600 | 1,200 |
| Membership validity period | Lifetime | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
| Benefits | Earn Asia Miles and Status Points | |||
| Priority online check-in (up to 48 hours in advance) | ||||
| Extra baggage redemption | ||||
| Extra legroom seat redemption | Extra legroom seats / preferred seat reservations | |||
| 24-hour free cancellation on flight tickets | Lounge access, redemption, and purchase | |||
| N/A | Business-class lounge access | |||
| N/A | Advance seat reservations | |||
| N/A | Business-class counter check-in and boarding | |||
| N/A | Priority baggage handling | |||
| N/A | 24-hour free cancellation on flight tickets | Additional checked baggage allowance | ||
| N/A | Special rates on miles for shopping and dining | 24-hour free cancellation on flight tickets | First-class counter check-in and boarding | |
| N/A | N/A | Special rates on miles for shopping and dining | First class lounge access | |
| N/A | N/A | Priority redemption on lifestyle events, experiences, and travel packages | 24-hour free cancellation on flight tickets | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Special rates on miles for shopping and dining | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Special rates on miles-on-flight redemption when using Miles Plus Cash | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Priority redemption on lifestyle events, experiences, and travel packages | |
How to earn Cathay Status points with SCB CX Mastercard?
By making eligible transactions with the SCB Cathay Mastercard, you can earn 20 Cathay Membership Status club points for every HK$100,000 spent, up to a maximum of 100 club points. So you can earn 100 Cathay Status Points by spending a total of HK$500,000.
Does SCB Cathay Mastercard get a maximum monthly spending cap?
Unlike some credit cards, SCB Cathay Mastercard does not have a monthly upper earning limit. Therefore, the more you spend, the more miles you earn. For example, if you spend over HK$16,000 on dining, overseas, and online spending per month, you can earn a total of 4,000 miles (HK$4/mile).
SCB Cathay Mastercard exclusive perks: Airport lounge access
Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard – Priority Banking and Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard – Priority Private customers are granted exclusive lounge access vouchers each year. These vouchers provide entry to Cathay Pacific’s luxurious Business Class lounges. While Priority Banking cardholders receive 4 vouchers every 12 months, Priority Private cardholders enjoy the privilege of 10 vouchers per year.
| Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard | Lounge Access Vouchers per Year |
| Priority Banking | 4 |
| Priority Private | 10 |
Cathay Pacific’s Business Class lounges are typically reserved for Business Class passengers or individuals holding Cathay Pacific Silver cards or higher and are not accessible through Priority Pass or LoungeKey memberships. (Interested in credit cards that offer free airport lounge access? Take a look at our blog post, Best Airport Lounge Unlimited Access Credit Cards.)
Cathay Pacific currently has 3 business-class lounges available, namely “The Wing,” “The Pier,” and “The Deck.”
| Lounge | Opening Time | Location |
| Cathay Pacific — The Pier, Business Lounge | 05:30-00:30 | Level 6, Terminal 1, near Gate 65, Hong Kong International Airport |
| Cathay Pacific — The Wing, Business Lounge | 05:30 until last departure | Level 6, Terminal 1, near Gate 2, Hong Kong International Airport |
| Cathay Pacific — The Deck, Business Lounge | 05:30-00:30 | Level 7, Terminal 1, near Gate 6, Hong Kong International Airport |
Things to notice before applying
Before applying, please double-check the eligibility for the welcome offer. Here are some common situations that some may overlook:
- Don’t forget to become a Cathay Pacific member before applying for this card! It’s a must-do step if you want to enjoy all the benefits and perks. Click here to register your membership.
- To qualify for the welcome offer, new credit card customers must not currently have any Standard Chartered or MANHATTAN credit card as their main card, and they must not have cancelled any Standard Chartered or MANHATTAN credit card application in the last 6 months.
Review: Should you apply for the SCB Cathay Mastercard?
If you’re a fan of earning air miles and value convenience, this card is an excellent choice to earn miles from dining and online shopping. Plus, you can now earn both Asia Miles and Cathay Status Points with SCB Cathay Mastercard. Whether you’re saving miles for your next trip or seeking a hassle-free card, this one is definitely worth considering!
In short, the SCB Cathay Mastercard is a credit card that offers most of what you need in terms of air miles rewards. Let the magic of miles earn you unforgettable journeys with every swipe!
Frequently asked questions: Standard Chartered Bank Cathay Mastercard
What happened to the Marco Polo Club?
In 2022, Cathay Pacific revamped the membership programmeme by merging Marco Polo Club with the Asia Miles programmeme.
Does SCB Cathay Mastercard have a maximum monthly spending cap?
The Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard does not have a maximum monthly spending cap for earning air miles. The more you spend, the more miles you earn.
What is the annual fee for Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard, and can it be waived?
The annual fees for the three Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercards vary.
The Cathay Mastercard has a fee waiver for the first year. The higher-tier cards, Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard – Priority Banking and Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard – Priority Private, have annual fees of HK$4,000 and HK$8,000, respectively. However, you need to have a designated banking account and meet certain financial requirements to be eligible for the fee waiver.
The offer is subject to terms and conditions, and the information provided is for reference only. For more details, please refer to the Standard Chartered Bank website.
To borrow or not to borrow? Borrow only if you can repay!
Related articles
Satisfy your travel cravings with the Best Asia Miles Credit Card. Discover a world of free flights and fulfill your wanderlust desires. Check out our comprehensive guide to the top air miles cards in Hong Kong and embark on your next exciting adventure effortlessly!
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles redemption was revamped in October 2023. The redemption requirements have changed: more miles are needed for short-haul flights, while fewer miles are needed for mid to long-haul flights.
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