The UnionBank Rewards Platinum Visa is one of the best starter credit cards, especially if you’re someone who loves to shop and dine. 

You don’t need a UnionBank (UB) savings account to qualify – you just have to be between 21 and 70 years old and earn at least P15,000 monthly.

What we like about this is they offer ways to reduce your fees. Currently, this credit card provided has a limited-time no annual fee for life promo for qualified applicants – that’s P2,500 off your yearly credit card dues! 

You don’t have to worry if you miss the promo. You still get to enjoy no annual fees for your first year. 

This card rewards you for shopping and dining. Every swipe you make when you shop and eat out can earn you three times more points that you can use to redeem rewards. 

Not to mention, your points don’t expire and there’s no limit to it. So, you shop and earn at the same time!

You can also monitor your credit and points via the UnionBank app. 

The caveat to this card, however, is that it’s only available to corporate employees. Self-employed or freelancers unfortunately cannot avail of it. 

In addition, the bank is strict with its annual fees. Only the first year can be waived — succeeding years are no longer eligible for a waiver. 

In addition, the perks are limited to shopping and dining only. The card does not offer other perks like airport lounge access, travel deals, or fuel rebates. 

Still, we’d recommend this card for people who are serious shoppers and diners. 

The HSBC Gold Visa Cash Back is an excellent supplementary credit card, providing diverse rewards that are ideal for experienced credit users.

For one, this card’s main benefit is cashback for your dine-in, shopping, and other transactions. Department store transactions give you 1% cashback, plus a 5% dining cashback and 0.5% other transactions cashback available year-round.

Keep in mind the cashback availability periods so you can plan your purchases. This way, you can take full advantage of your cashback benefits.

Another yearly rebate you can get is a Caltex fuel rebate. Your card can get you 6% on your first fuel purchase and 3% on your next one. 

You also have the option to waive your annual fees after the first year, as long as you maintain good credit standing. To avail of this, you simply have to request a waiver from customer service.

However, the card lacks cashback rate availability. There are more chances of missing out on them if you don’t regularly check your account. 

If points are more valuable to you than cashback, then the HSBC Red Mastercard is your best option. Transactions earn you points, up to quadruple, depending on the transaction, and you can use these to redeem rewards from the bank and its partners. 

The good thing about these points is that they’re not just limited to physical items. Vouchers, air miles, and even donations – you can choose how you want and where to spend your collected points. 

With the card, you also get the standard fuel rebates from Caltex. This entails getting a 6% rebate on your first fuel purchase and 3% on the succeeding ones. 

The bank frequently offers new HSBC cardholders a no annual fee for life promo and even allows an annual fee waiver for the succeeding years. 

Since it’s on a points award basis, earning the amount of points for a reward might take you a while. Some customers say that you spend more to get your target reward as a result of this, and we agree that this is time-consuming. 

In addition, the rewards that are available to you might be limited. HSBC usually provides rewards from its partners, so there’s a possibility they might not be up your alley. 

The Metrobank Titanium Mastercard is one of the most accessible credit cards on this list. You can apply for one if you earn a P15,000 monthly income. 

Even self-employed individuals are qualified to apply for this card, which is something that not a lot of banks offer. 

One thing we like about this card is its double reward points when you shop and dine. For every P20 you spend, you get one point that you can use to redeem indicated rewards.

This card also offers a no-annual fee promo when you spend P180,000 in a year. Albeit, this can get pricey yearly especially if you don’t spend that much. 

On another note, we encountered dissatisfaction from users regarding the card’s point system. The bank has select partner establishments where you can redeem and use your points – thus, limiting your choices. 

And unfortunately, transactions in fast food restaurants do not equate to double points.

The Metrobank Platinum Card aims to entice patrons with its 50% off promo. But, does it deliver?

Let’s get into the pros first. What we like about this card is that you get zero annual fees if you become a first-time Metrobank cardholder within the promo period and continually hit the minimum yearly spend of P400,000. 

Given how high the annual fee for this one is, a promo like that is a definite steal. Not only that, you also get a free supplementary card.

Apart from the 50% off on your dining expenses, you also get 1 point for every P20 spend. If you’re dining and shopping in style, then you’re bound to get more points. 

We also like the $200 e-commerce purchase protection that this card offers. This is particularly useful if you’re one who likes to shop online rather than wait in stores. 

Now, on to the cons. Although this bank offers a 50% off dining experience, you’re limited to the bank’s partner restaurants. 

Also, there’s a limit to the points you can redeem yearly. This can harm your purchasing habits, especially if you prefer to use your points regularly. 

We would also like to point out the card’s high-income requirement. This can be a fine supplementary card, but if you’re a first-time Metrobank cardholder, we suggest you check their other options. 

Metrobank touts its World Mastercard as the traveler’s credit card. Its promised benefits are double point earnings for international purchases, airport rewards, and 1 mile per P25 foreign currency spent. 

These features are helpful for professionals who constantly travel overseas for work or leisure. 

The card also targets those who want to experience the finer things in life, with up to 50% off dining deals in partner restaurants. 

This credit card has a no-annual fee promo. When you apply, get approved within the period, and achieve the minimum yearly spend, you don’t have to pay the hefty annual fee. 

Although it provides good benefits to travelers, we think this credit card falls short in some areas. 

For one, there is no dual-currency billing. This can be a hassle particularly if you’re in a different country when you need to pay your household bills. 

Another disadvantage is the lack of airport lounge access. Personally, we think it goes against the idea of providing traveler benefits. 

The hefty annual fees are another aspect that we’d like to point out. You constantly have to spend P600,000 yearly for the annual fee to be waived. 

The dining deal also falls short, which is restricted to the bank’s partner restaurants. 

Personally, we believe that the Security Bank Gold Mastercard is a good starter credit card for first-time cardholders. It caters to employees and business owners – with a minimum annual income of P360,000 only. 

One feature that we think is noteworthy is that the points do not expire. You can use your points to claim vouchers, rewards, and even air miles. 

In addition, travelers are offered comfort and ease when they use this card. Apart from the Marhaba lounge access, the card is accepted worldwide. 

What other Security Bank Gold cardholders identified as their favorite feature is the ease of waiving annual fees. They mentioned that it’s easy to request an annual fee waiver, particularly if you have good credit standing.

Amid the advantages, there are also drawbacks to this credit card. For one, there is no option to pay bills using the credit card on the bank’s online app. 

Another is the lack of food promotions. This can be a drawback if you’re a foodie, but you can still take advantage of the card’s 1 point per P20 spend.