BPI has arguably been in the top 3 or 5 banks in the Philippines for how many years now, yet the selection of credit cards they offer aren't really at par with the likes of BDO. BPI currently has a total of 11 credit cards to choose from while BDO has more than double that with 25 different credit cards.
There is really only one premium credit card from BPI and thats the BPI Visa Signature. You can throw in the Amore Visa Platinum and the Delta SkyMiles Platinum in the mix, but they aren't really worth it for traveling and are just good if you frequent Ayala malls and fly Delta often respectively.
The BPI Visa Signature is the only credit card that earns you Real Thrills Rewards Premium points(RTRP), which has a higher value compared to the normal Real Thrills Rewards Points(RTR).
Redemption Rate
Every ₱20 spend earns you 1 Real Thrills Reward Premium point, which you can use to redeem for free flights and hotel gift certificates. BPI has 4 airline transfer partners where you can transfer 5 Real thrills premium points for 2 GetGo points, Mabuhay Miles, and KrisFlyer miles. For AirAsia its 2 Real thrills premium points for 1 Big point.
To get the best value out of your RTRP points its best to use them to redeem for flights since hotel certificates and other rewards require so much points for such a small equivalent in Peso value.
The earning ratio is basically every ₱50 spend earns you 1 Mabuhay Mile, GetGo point, or KrisFlyer mile. Compared to the Citi PremierMiles that has a ratio of ₱30 spend to 1 mile/point makes the RTRP seem mediocre.
Benefits and Perks
Despite having a low redemption rate it does have other perks that balance the card out. It comes with travel insurance and lounge access, but almost all travel credit cards have those in a way. The real eye catching perks are the low foreign exchange conversion and if you're like me who likes staying in nice hotels the VISA Luxury Hotel Collection.
Other card benefits include
Travel insurance of up to ₱20 million when you charge the fare to the card,
Lounge access in the Pacific Lounge in NAIA Terminal 3 with one guest
Low foreign exchange conversion of 1.85%
VISA Global Travel benefits - including the VISA Luxury Hotel Collection where you get complementary breakfast, a room upgrade, late check out and $25 of food and beverage credit for your stay.
Bottom Line
If BPI is your bank of choice then this credit card is definitely the one you want to get especially for travel. The 1.85% foreign exchange conversion is great for shopping or any overseas spend when you travel, just make sure to charge it with the local currency!
Oh there is an annual fee of ₱5,500, which is normal for a premium credit card but a little hefty if you don't use the card often and maximize its perks.
The credit card is fairly new being launched March of last year with high expectations such as a BPI travel portal called MyVoyage, which has yet come to fruition more than a year out. Despite some improvements that can clearly be made its still the best credit card that BPI currently offers and is worth checking out.
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