Maybank review
Updated September 28, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Maybank is a plain bank card option for readers in MY who want a debit card and spend mostly in local currency. The trade-off is currency conversion: fees of 2% sit above the site median, 1%, so holiday spending costs more here than on Monzo Flex or Wise.
Key facts
- Best for
- A debit card for readers in MY who rarely convert currency.
- Currency conversion fee
- 2%↗
- Card type
- Debit↗
- Card network
- Visa↗
- Legal entity
- Malayan Banking Berhad↗
- Headquarters
- Malaysia↗
- Founded
- 1960↗
- Official website
- maybank2u.com.my
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 4 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
Pros and cons
Pros
- One bank counterparty: Malayan Banking Berhad, based in Malaysia and trading since 1960.
- A debit card on the visa network, so it behaves like an ordinary bank card rather than a closed wallet.
- Debit is the commonest card type on the site at 73.4%, and this is a debit card.
Cons
- Currency conversion fees of 2% sit above the site median, 1%, and above Wise at 0.1%.
- It is a debit card from Malayan Banking Berhad, so the cost line is a bank conversion fee rather than a crypto rate.
- Currency conversion fee ranking puts it 151 of 237 brands compared.
Who it suits
- Readers in MY who want a debit card and pay most of their bills locally.
- Anyone budgeting a trip, since the cost of spending abroad is a single figure, 2%.
- Households that already bank with Malayan Banking Berhad.
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, if you would rather convert currency at 0.1% than 2%.
- Monzo Flex, where currency conversion fees are 0%.
- Bitpanda, if you want the card tied to a crypto balance rather than a debit bank card.
Who runs it
The card is issued by Malayan Banking Berhad, a bank group based in Malaysia. The business has been trading since 1960, which makes it one of the longer established names readers meet in the region. The same bank entity is the counterparty behind the account the card draws on, rather than a payments startup.
How Maybank compares
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.2
9.2 vs 9.5
9.2 vs 9.6
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.1It suits readers who want the card tied to a crypto balance, where this one is a debit card on a bank account.
9.2 vs 8.9
9.2 vs 8.1
9.2 vs 8.2
9.2 vs 9.5
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.9- 9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.6
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 8.3
Where Maybank is available
- Available
- Malaysia
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Maybank charge to convert currency?+
Currency conversion fees are 2% on this card. That is the figure set out in the card terms, so it belongs in any holiday spending budget. For context, the site median is 1% and the top of the range reaches 10.5%.
Is the Maybank card a debit card or a prepaid card?+
It is a debit card, so spending draws on the money in the bank account rather than a prepaid balance that has to be topped up. Debit is also the most common type among the cards compared on the site, at 73.4%.
Which network does the Maybank card run on?+
The card runs on visa, so acceptance follows that network at retail. As a debit card from a bank based in Malaysia, it is used in the same way as other mainstream bank cards.
Who is behind the Maybank card?+
The card comes from Malayan Banking Berhad, a bank group based in Malaysia. The business has been running since 1960, so the money behind the card sits with an established bank entity rather than a new payments startup.
Is the Maybank card cheaper than Monzo Flex or Wise for currency conversion?+
No. Currency conversion fees of 2% compare with 0% at Monzo Flex and 0.1% at Wise. Readers whose main card cost is converting money would pay more here, so both of those rank ahead of it on that measure.
How does Maybank rank on currency conversion fees?+
It sits 151 of 237 brands compared on that measure, so it lands toward the back of the field. Its cost score of 3.2 matches its overall score of 3.2, so nothing else pulls the rating up.
Who is the Maybank card for?+
It suits readers in MY who want a bank debit card for everyday spending, and households that already bank with Malayan Banking Berhad. Anyone expecting to convert currency often should weigh a cheaper conversion fee before applying.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybank checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“Maybank was founded in 1960”
- maybank2u.com.my/iwov-resources/pdf/personal/cards/debit_... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Card network
“Maybank Visa Debit MAE”
- maybank2u.com.my/iwov-resources/pdf/personal/cards/debit_... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“PRODUCT DISCLOSURE SHEET Malayan Banking Berhad”
- maybank2u.com.my/iwov-resources/pdf/personal/cards/debit_... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Currency conversion fee
“Overseas Transactions: 1% conversion fee by Visa/Mastercard + 1% foreign exchange”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Monthly fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.