How to Get the Most Rewards + Savings from your eWallet Usage

Using eWallets to pay is in many ways already a life hack. 

As eWallets are slowly becoming the norm, more and more Malaysians are getting savvier with the way we use eWallets. 

Don’t we all know a trick or two to get more savings or reward points?

Maybe you use your credit card to reload your eWallet for double the cashback. Or perhaps you base your dinner plans off whichever restaurant is currently having deals in partnership with your favourite eWallet.

However you go about it, you might find an extra tip to add on to your arsenal within this article. 

Below, we’ve broken down how you can get the most savings from your eWallet usage - without having to spend a single cent more!

There are 4 main ways to layer on the savings when you use eWallets.

Step 1: Existing deals or promotions

Step 2: How you top up 

Step 3: How you choose to pay 

Step 4: Where you spend next 

Step 1: Existing deals or promotions

The first way you can maximise your eWallet savings is by making use of existing promotions to begin with.

That way, you can start off on a high note before you’ve even made any actions within the app itself!

You can use our comparison site here, where we compile all the latest eWallet deals around and update them regularly. All you have to do is filter based on which eWallet you want to use (TNG, Boost, Grab etc.), or by category (dining, shopping, groceries etc.).

While it’s impractical to expect that anyone will search for eWallet promotions before every single purchase, one can simply make sure to hunt for deals before a large upcoming expenditure. 

Some instances include a hair salon appointment, grocery shopping for a dinner party or a new washing machine. 

Of course, don’t be fooled into dining out or spending unnecessarily under the guise of such promotions. Otherwise, you might actually end up spending more than you otherwise would - even though it feels like you’re getting a great deal.

Step 2: How you top up 

Did you know you can reap savings just by reloading your eWallet balance?

With most eWallets, users are given two different choices on how they can top up their funds:

• Via online banking (FPX) 

• Via debit/credit cards 

Note that most eWallet providers do not reward users just for topping up. Rather, the party you use to top up with is the party that will be rewarding you.

For example, if you use BigPay to top up your eWallet, you can earn 1 BIG Point for every RM10 topped up. This means that if you top up RM200 into an eWallet, you will earn 20 BIG Points.

Another well-known tip many eWallet users know is to use cashback credit cards to top up their eWallet balance. 

Unfortunately, Maybank has deemed eWallet reloads ineligible for rewards and cashback since 8th July 2019. Other banks have yet to make such drastic announcements, but specific credit cards may rule out eWallet reloads as well. 

If you’re unsure whether your cashback credit card provides cashback for eWallet reloads, do check with the respective representative to make sure. 

CIMB however, seems to be a happy proponent. The CIMB eCredit Card which was just recently launched in June 2020, lets users earn 5X CIMB Bonus Points when they top up their TNG eWallet, GrabPay, Boost, BigPay and Setel eWallets.

Users who top up on the 10th of each month also get to earn 10X or even up to 12X Bonus Points! 

Step 3: How you choose to pay 

You could pay directly with your eWallet. Or better yet, you could double up your rewards with other intermediaries such as Shopback or Fave!

Shopback 

Shopback is a third-party cashback site/app. Users can earn real cashback which can then be withdrawn directly into their bank account. 

The cashback rates for each merchant varies, with some going as high as 65% or more at times (though general cashback rates typically sit around 5 - 12%, depending on the category of items you buy as well). 

Here’s how to use Shopback along with your eWallet. 

1. Log into the Shopback website or app.

2. Search for the particular merchant you want to shop at (make sure your eWallet is accepted at said merchant).

3. If the merchant is a participating merchant with Shopback, check to see how much cashback is currently offered (Shopback’s cashback rates aren’t fixed).

4. You will be redirected to the merchant’s page.

5. IMPORTANT: Stay on this link and do not exit, or your cashback may not be tracked.

6. Add to cart and checkout with your eWallet as per usual.

7. Wait between 1 - 120 days for your cashback to be validated and confirmed (minimum RM10 confirmed cashback required to withdraw).

Tip: Use the Shopback browser extension to get notified whenever there’s cashback available at a site you’re browsing.

Fave

Fave is a Malaysian deals and discounts app. While they do have their own in-app payments feature as well (FavePay), FavePay doesn’t actually store money as a traditional eWallet would. 

Instead, users are given the option to select whichever payment method they prefer. At present, that means either:

• Debit/Credit Card

• Online Banking 

• AirAsia BIG Points

• AliPay 

• Boost

By using Boost in tandem with FavePay when making transactions (at participating outlets), you earn Partner Cashback from Fave PLUS Coins and Shake Rewards as per usual with Boost.

Click here for clearer instructions on how to make a FavePay transaction using Boost.

Step 4: Where you spend next 

When it comes to maximising your eWallet savings and rewards, the merchant matters.

The Fave Partner Cashback that you earn from the step above for example, can only be utilised at the exact same Partner you earned it from.

Oftentimes, eWallets will also announce featured partners for specific campaigns. For example, TNG eWallet is currently featuring #Ekstra rewards from 50+ brands. Check out the full list via the promotions tab on your TNG eWallet app. 

Yes, it’s quite a bit of work - but you can keep up with all these and more on our eWallet deals site!

Here’s what a transaction would look like if we combined all that.

If we were to layer on all these tips and tricks together into a single transaction, what would it look like - and is it even worth all that effort?

For a more precise illustration on exactly how much you would stand to save, let’s assume that John is buying RM300 worth of supplements from GNC. At present, Shopback’s cashback rate for GNC is 9%. 

That means that for a purchase worth RM300, John was able to earn:

• 3,000 CIMB Bonus Points

• 30 BIG Points

• RM27 cashback 

• 50 Boost Coins (estimate)

• 1 Shake Reward

A little savings here, a little savings there…

While all those extra steps may seem tedious, it’s the little savings that add up over time. 

Start off by implementing one extra step at a time, and soon it’ll become second nature. 

Did we miss anything? Have creative hacks of your own? Comment below and share them with us!