Photo from Pexels, shot by Cottonbro Studio
Infusing the Metrobank World Mastercard® with new benefits is a testament to the brand’s commitment to enabling their customers to live their best lives.
In the early aughts, Metrobank introduced their World Mastercard®, the very first world-tier Mastercard® product in the Philippines. It came at a time when luxury mostly meant rarities and instantaneous purchasing. Two decades of cultural and societal shifts later, with an expanded worldview through social media, fashion’s transition from maximalism to quiet luxury, and especially surfacing from years of travel constraints, Metrobank revisited their card and reintroduced it with benefits that puts experience and comfort first.
“Our Metrobank World Mastercard® customers have developed a veracious, even insatiable, appetite for traveling and exploring. You see itineraries written solely for culinary adventures and seeing new cultures,” said Miko Beltran, the head of credit card usage at Metrobank. This shift, popularly referred to as revenge travel, now makes the Metrobank World Mastercard® an even stronger consideration for globetrotters. For its reintroduction, an intimate afternoon of cocktails and catch-up conversations was held at the ITO KISH Studio and Café last November 9.
Worlds to explore
“We rarely hold events, but when Metrobank and Mastercard® approached us to relaunch their Metrobank World Mastercard®, we were very excited,” shared Ito Kish. The furniture designer served as a fitting host being an avid explorer himself, evident in his collection of unique vintage artifacts from around the world which are proudly displayed on shelves and tabletops.
The afternoon’s theme “Discover a world that’s yours” echoes more true through these walls. It’s a line that beautifully summarizes what you can expect with the Metrobank World Mastercard®. Melissa Samson, Metrobank’s head of credit card product and segment strategy, shares her interpretation: “As you discover the world and go to different places, you also get to discover a little bit of yourself. You know what you like, what you don’t like, and really discover new experiences that might surprise you.” Beltran adds, “[Traveling] gives you perspective. How things work here may not be how it works somewhere else. And that sort of approach actually enriches the way you think… And the more of these you have, the more well-rounded you become.”
The full VIP experience
The event formally opened with Beltran sharing the current context of travel and global experiences, sharing how our broadened worldview thanks to social media has made seemingly local interests expand to global ones. As he explained in an exclusive interview with Vogue Philippines later on, “Let’s say you got a taste of Boracay, suddenly you’d want to see all the great beaches in the Philippines, which then turns to all the great beaches in Taiwan, for example… Once you take a bite out of [a good thing], for some people, you just want to keep eating it.”
Samson then took the stage to introduce the Metrobank World Mastercard®’s new and improved features. At the top of the list, and beloved by most Metrobank clients, is up to 50% off on dining deals and special retail offers from over 4,000 partner stores and restaurants in the US, the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. Shop to your heart’s content at Bloomingdales and Macy’s in the US, Takashimaya in Japan, Lotte Duty Free in South Korea, DFS in Australia, and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. Gather friends and family for a feast at Melo’s, Mgyuu, Bad Bird x Tsukemen, Basil, and many more.
While shopping and dining, purchases become more rewarding as cardholders earn one mile for every PHP 17 spent on foreign currency transactions done online or in-store abroad—one of the lowest spend-to-mile conversions in the market today. For other purchases, one mile is earned for every PHP 50 spend. Plus, for a limited period until April 30, 2024, Metrobank World Mastercard® holders will enjoy a low foreign exchange fee of only 1.85%.
Consuming those earned miles will mean more stays at the airport. Putting comfort first, Metrobank gives cardholders two complimentary passes per year at over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide via DragonPass. For added peace of mind, a 20% discount from AXA full-trip Smart Traveller Insurance can also be availed.
On top of a rewarding experience with the Metrobank World Mastercard®, support will always be ready with a special 24-hour customer service hotline for immediate assistance.
As the event came to a close, guests were able to enjoy exclusive discounts to purchase and take home ITO KISH furniture and home goods.
“As more Filipinos travel the world once again, we see this as the right opportunity to infuse more benefits in their Metrobank credit card that will allow our cardholders to create more cherished memories,” said Ramon del Rosario, head of consumer business sector at Metrobank.
Don’t see the world without it—get the travel and lifestyle credit card you deserve and begin to discover a world that’s yours. Apply for the Metrobank World Mastercard® today through their website.
