“I Saved Close To 20% On My Dining Expenses”

Being in the sales and marketing business often involves thousands of Ringgit spend on dining and entertainment. It’s just part of the equation to keep clients happy and loyal.

Where you bring your clients reflect your branding and your relationship with him or her. Most of the time, people prefer to make a good impression by bringing their client to fine dining restaurants. Unfortunately, the comfort and class offered by these restaurants also come with hefty price tags.

In 5-star hotels, a buffet for one person can cost approximately RM200++ depending on the type of food. If we factor in liquor costs, service tax and Government tax, this price will soar even higher. Or there are also fine dining restaurants that offer 8-course or 10-course dinner at RM1,999++ per table of 10.

Through all these, what can make a businessman happier than the fact that he can shave off some of that costs through cash back or discount?

Using the right card makes it that much easier for one to save on dining and also keep track of his or her spending monthly.
Sounds too good to be true? Local liquor distributor, Gregory Lai*, 30, has been saving 10% off his dining expenses for some time and he can’t believe how easy it is to do it.

“I was spending at least RM2,000 a month, with more than RM1,000 spent on dining, while the rest on petrol and others.
“For the longest time I told myself the money spent is worth it, but one day while walking in the mall, I saw a HSBC Amanah credit card booth and it was like a light at the end of the tunnel!”

Lai found a way to cut his monthly spending with the HSBC Amanah MPower Visa Platinum Credit Card-i. It offers 8% cash back on weekend spending on dining, petrol and groceries.

Lai thought it was perfect for his lifestyle as his credit card spending regularly exceeds RM2,000 a month. If spending is below RM2,000 a month, cash back rate is at 5%.

“It was a fantastic tool for me to cut down my monthly expenses but not change my modus operandi at work. I know there is no way around paying for client entertainment but now with this credit card, I can save some money on that spending,” said Lai.

Lai shared with us his monthly spending and the cash back and discounts he get from the card:

“I used to spend more than RM2,500 a month on dining, petrol and groceries, but with the HSBC Amanah credit card, I managed to save more than RM500 bucks from discounts and cash back.”

Lai believes that food is the key to his clients’ hearts and thus, he never fails to open or close a business deal without serving his clients with good sumptuous meal.

Furthermore, as he is mostly out of office or overseas somewhere, this credit card gives him the option for e-statement so that he can keep track of his spending whenever he is.

When asked if he would recommend this card to another businessman, Lai said by sharing this story, other businessmen would definitely give it a try!