Banking on Barca

(From left) Asensi, Ravintharan, FC Barcelona legend and Mendieta, Maybank Cards Malaysia and Singapore head Karen Low and Visa group country manager Mandy Lamb at the launch of the Maybank FC Barcelona Cards at 1Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya. — M. Azhar Arif/The Star

LOUD cheers from FC Barcelona fans greeted the launch of Maybank’s FC Barcelona Cards in Malaysia and Singapore.

Giants in their respective fields, Malayan Banking Bhd and FC Barcelona teamed up to roll out the latest co-branded cards – Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature Credit Card and Visa Debit Platinum Card.

Barcelona legend and former club midfielder Gaizka Mendieta Zabala marked the start of the event by kicking off a football into a crowd of FC Barcelona supporters at 1Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya.

Maybank Cards Group Community Financial Services senior executive vice-president B. Ravintharan introduced the partnership as the creation of a new legacy, being the first to bring in FC Barcelona in a partnership to Malaysian shores.

“The card we issued is targeted at our special FC Barcelona supporters, and also emerging affluent customers who are adventure seekers and look for new experiences in life.

“We are looking to issue 15,000 credit cards and 200,000 debit cards in Malaysia within the first year as well as 500,000 debit cards within three years.

“We are only issuing credit cards in Singapore, targeted at 5,000 cards as a start for the first year.

“The card is not about increasing market share, but about identifying niche customer segments that we can work with and give benefits to,” he said.

Ravintharan added that Maybank expected billings of about 130 million cardholders spending in the first year, 80% of which will be spent in Malaysia and 20% overseas or online.

“What is important is to get them to be active customers and we are looking at approximately 80% of customers to be active.”

FC Barcelona commercial director Xavier Asensi was impressed by the millions of Malaysian fans that the club gathered over its 118-year history.

“We are fans of our fans. We have a strong commitment to stick to the values that define FC Barcelona, which can be summarised into five aspects – humility, effort, teamwork, respect and ambition.

“That said, we are looking for excellence and strive to keep to those values because it is not about quantity but quality, not about winning but how you win,” he said.

Among the varied benefits for credit card holders is 10% cash back limited to RM100 a month in May and August, 2% cash back limited to RM50 a month for 10 months, and a chance to visit and experience a match live at FC Barcelona’s home stadium, Camp Nou.

The card is free for life for both principal and supplementary card holders with applicants required to have an annual income of RM48,000 to apply.

While applicants for the Visa Debit Platinum card will get an added benefit of 0.1% additional interest rate on savings account on top of their existing rate should they open a Premier account online.

To mark the launch, Maybank has organised a competition for fans who sign up for a Maybank FC Barcelona card and spend a minimum of RM1,000 in four months.

The competition ends Feb 10 next year.

Applicants will be in the running to win a 6D/4N all-inclusive package to Barcelona with two VIP tickets to Camp Nou to watch a FC Barcelona match, sponsored by Reliance Travel Malaysia.

The cards will be available at Maybank branches nationwide.

Fans can also sign up and collect the Maybank FC Barcelona cards within 60 minutes of application at the Highstreet Concourse level of 1Utama Shopping Centre until tomorrow.