The Maybank Family & Friends Card is a Singapore cashback card built around a S$800 monthly minimum, five selectable categories, and a headline rate of up to 8%. This 2025–2026 review explains the S$25 per-category cap, the S$180 monthly cap, the S$192.60 annual fee, and the fee-waiver rule.

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Maximum monthly cashback: S$180 · Top category rate: up to 8% · Minimum monthly spend: S$800 · Annual fee: S$192.60, waivable with S$12,000 annual spend · Base cashback: 0.22% · Per-category cap: S$25 (Maybank Singapore)

Bottom line: The Maybank Family & Friends Card is a high-cap cashback card for organised spenders, not a flat-rate card. The 8% rate only appears after you clear a S$800 monthly minimum and stay inside a S$25 per-category cap.

At a glance

  • Choose 5 categories: cashback applies to five preferred categories plus MYR and IDR spend categories (Maybank product page).
  • S$800 monthly minimum: category cashback starts only after eligible monthly spending hits S$800 (Maybank product page).
  • S$25 per-category cap: once a category reaches S$25 in cashback, that category drops to the 0.22% base rate (Maybank cashback terms).
  • S$180 monthly cap: total cashback in a month is capped at S$180 (Maybank cashback terms).
  • Annual fee: S$192.60, waived when you spend at least S$12,000 a year (Maybank Singapore).

Key facts at a glance

Maybank’s official page is the source for the headline numbers. The card’s monthly formula is simple: clear S$800, pick five categories, and watch the caps.

Feature Detail
Cashback rate on selected categories Up to 8%
Base cashback on all other spending 0.22%
Minimum monthly spend for category cashback S$800
Per-category cashback cap S$25
Maximum monthly cashback S$180
Annual fee S$192.60, waivable with S$12,000 annual spend
Selectable categories 5

Figures above come from Maybank Singapore’s official product page and the Family & Friends Card cashback terms.

How the Maybank Family & Friends Card works

The card rewards you in two layers. First, you earn 0.22% cashback on most spending. Second, you earn a higher rate on up to five categories that you select, provided your monthly spend reaches S$800.

The official product page says cashback applies to five preferred categories plus MYR and IDR spend categories. That means the card is not limited to local retail: eligible foreign-currency spending in Malaysian ringgit and Indonesian rupiah can also count toward the category cashback structure.

How the tiered rate works

Maybank’s own terms describe a Tier 1 band. For monthly spend from S$800 to below S$1,600, the top category rate is up to 6%, not the headline 8%. The 8% rate is reserved for higher monthly spending. That distinction matters more than most marketing pages admit.

How to make the card work

  1. Check your monthly eligible spend. If you cannot clear S$800, the category rate does not activate.
  2. Pick five categories that match your largest eligible expenses.
  3. Spread spending across categories. Once one category earns S$25 in cashback, additional spend in that category earns only 0.22%.
  4. Use the card for smaller non-category spend to keep earning the 0.22% base rate.
The catch

The S$25 per-category cap is the real constraint. A single large grocery run can hit the cap quickly, and the remaining spend in that category earns only 0.22%.

The upshot: This card rewards people who can clear S$800 and spread spend across several categories. Concentrated spenders will feel the cap fast.

Cashback benefits and categories: 2025–2026 breakdown

The benefits are built around a familiar structure: select categories, clear the minimum, and manage the caps. Maybank’s own language says it clearly.

“Pick and choose cashback categories that best fit your lifestyle and enjoy up to 8% cashback locally and overseas – one of the highest in town!”

— Maybank Singapore’s official product page

What the card specifications look like

The same details appear in the official terms, so the short version is useful before you apply.

Specification Detail
Category cashback cap S$25 per category per month
Total cashback cap S$180 per month
Annual fee waiver spend S$12,000 per year
Tier 1 band S$800 to below S$1,600 monthly spend, up to 6%
Higher-tier headline rate Up to 8%
Excluded transactions Government payments and insurance are not eligible

Exclusions are spelled out in the cashback terms: cashback is not earned on certain categories like government payments and insurance.

What Maybank says about exclusions

“Cashback is not earned on certain categories like government payments and insurance.”

— Maybank Family & Friends Card cashback terms

Why this matters: The 8% headline is real, but the S$25 category cap and the exclusion list decide how much cashback you actually earn.

Annual fee and fee waiver: S$192.60 with a S$12,000 escape hatch

The annual fee is S$192.60, which is not waived by default. Maybank’s product page links the waiver to annual spending: if you spend at least S$12,000 a year, the fee is automatically waived.

Key dates in the 2025–2026 transition

Maybank has published two versions of the cashback terms, so timing matters if you are reviewing your statement.

Date What changed
1 December 2025 Cashback programme terms effective from this date
1 January 2026 Updated cashback programme terms effective
Ongoing S$800 monthly minimum, S$25 category cap, S$180 monthly cap

The 1 December 2025 terms and the 1 January 2026 terms are both available through Maybank. The promotion page also flags a Tier 2 rule in the January 2026 terms: Tier 2 does not apply to spend on the Groceries category threshold. That wording is worth reading closely if groceries are one of your five categories.

The upshot: The S$12,000 annual-spend waiver is the easiest way to make the annual fee disappear. Just make sure your spending pattern still fits the card’s monthly structure.

Is the Maybank Family & Friends Card worth it in 2025–2026?

The card is a strong fit for people who can clear S$800 every month and who naturally spend across several categories. It is less ideal for people who put most of their spending into one merchant or category.

Pros and cons

Upsides

  • Up to 8% on selected categories: Among the highest cashback rates in Singapore for a category-based card, per Maybank Singapore.
  • 0.22% base cashback: Earns unlimited cashback on all other spending, per Maybank cashback terms.
  • Fee waiver at S$12,000 annual spend: Spend threshold waives the S$192.60 fee, per Maybank product page.
  • MYR/IDR spend categories count toward the structure, per Maybank product page.

Downsides

  • S$800 monthly minimum: Below that, the category rate does not activate, per Maybank cashback terms.
  • S$25 per-category cap: Once a category hits S$25 cashback, additional spend earns only 0.22%, per Maybank cashback terms.
  • S$180 monthly cap: Total cashback is limited to S$180 per month, per Maybank cashback terms.
  • Government payments and insurance excluded from earning cashback, per Maybank cashback terms.

How the Maybank card compares with UOB One and OCBC 365

UOB One and OCBC 365 are structured differently, so the fee and minimum-spend rules are not identical. Maybank’s card stands out for its high monthly cap and category flexibility, but the S$25 per-category cap is the main trade-off.

Comparison point Maybank Family & Friends UOB One OCBC 365
Annual fee S$192.60, waivable with S$12,000 annual spend Different fee structure Different fee structure
Minimum monthly spend for cashback S$800 Varies Varies
Category cashback cap S$25 per category, S$180 overall Varies Varies

Because the other two cards use different tier structures, you should check their official pages before comparing. The key point is that the Maybank S$12,000 waiver does not automatically apply to UOB One or OCBC 365.

Bottom line: The trade-off: The Maybank card rewards people who can clear S$800 and spread spend across categories. If you prefer a simpler flat-rate cashback card, this is not the one.

Terms and conditions: what to watch on the Maybank Family & Friends Card

The card’s official terms are where the real rules live. The product page handles the headline numbers, but the PDFs matter for exclusions and tier changes.

Confirmed vs still unclear

  • Confirmed: 8% category rate, 0.22% base, S$800 minimum, S$25 category cap, S$180 monthly cap, S$192.60 annual fee, S$12,000 fee-waiver spend (sources: Maybank product page, Maybank cashback terms).
  • Still hazy: the January 2026 Tier 2 wording around Groceries spend and the S$800 threshold. The official terms PDFs are also not always easy to surface from the product page.

Confirmed details in the terms

The cashback terms confirm the exclusions and the 0.22% base rate. The product page confirms the S$800 minimum, S$180 monthly cap, and S$12,000 fee-waiver threshold. The promotion page flags the Tier 2 restriction in the January 2026 terms.

What to watch

If you are checking the January 2026 terms, pay close attention to the Groceries wording. Maybank’s promotion page calls out Tier 2 and the Groceries category threshold, which could change the value of using groceries as one of your five categories.

The upshot: Read the January 2026 terms before you rely on a full-year cashback projection. The headline 8% is not the whole story.

Summary

The Maybank Family & Friends Card is a good choice if your monthly eligible spending consistently clears S$800 and you can spread purchases across several categories. If most of your spending is concentrated in one category, or if your spending often falls below S$800, the S$25 cap and minimum-spend rule will reduce the effective rate.

The final verdict: This card works best for disciplined category-spreaders who consistently clear S$800 monthly. Concentrated or low spenders will see the effective rate drop below simpler cashback alternatives.

Additional sources

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Frequently asked questions

Here are the common questions people ask about the Maybank Family & Friends Card.

Does Maybank Family & Friends Card have a minimum spend for 8% cashback?

Yes. You need at least S$800 in eligible monthly spending to activate category cashback. Below S$800, the higher category rate does not kick in.

What is the maximum cashback I can earn in a month?

The maximum monthly cashback is S$180. Each category also has a S$25 cashback cap.

Is the annual fee on the Maybank Family & Friends Card waivable?

Yes. The S$192.60 annual fee is waived when you spend at least S$12,000 a year.

Which categories earn 8% cashback?

The 8% rate applies to the five preferred categories you select, plus MYR and IDR spend categories. The actual rate depends on your monthly spend tier.

Does the card offer any insurance or travel benefits?

The official cashback terms do not list travel insurance as a core cashback benefit. If you need travel coverage, check the latest terms before assuming it is included.

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