Remember when Maya was just PayMaya, your go-to digital wallet? Yeah, those days feel like ancient history. Maya’s evolution into a full-blown digital bank continues, and its latest play is the Maya Black Credit Card, a Visa Platinum offering that just landed today, April 30.

Forget dusty bank branches and lengthy paperwork, as Maya is betting big on its app-centric ecosystem. This isn’t just another credit card launch; it’s Maya trying to weave credit deeper into the daily financial lives of its users, especially the mobile-first crowd and maybe even those traditionally sidelined by banks demanding long credit histories.

Maya’s pitch hinges on its tech:

• AI-powered approvals. Instead of relying solely on traditional credit scores, Maya says it’s using its own transactional data and AI models to figure out who gets approved. This could potentially open doors for folks without existing credit records. There’s even a “secured card pathway” option integrated into the app for newbies, skipping extra applications.
• All-digital experience. From application to approval, tracking your spending, paying your bill, and getting support — it all happens inside the Maya app you already use for savings, payments, and maybe even crypto.
• Instant gratification (almost). Get approved, and a virtual card appears instantly in your app, ready for online spending. A sleek, numberless physical card follows, promised within about five to seven days.
• Numberless for security. The physical card is minimalist — no PAN, CVV, or expiry date printed on it. All those sensitive details live securely inside the app, which also lets you freeze or replace your card in real-time if needed.

The perks: Miles, lounges, and (maybe) no fees

Maya Black is positioned as a premium card, and it comes with the expected bells and whistles.

• Maya Miles. You earn these reward points on transactions. The rate seems to be 1 Mile per ₱40 (roughly (P0.72) spent, based on early information, potentially boosted at partner merchants. You can use the reward points like cash within Maya’s network, convert them to airline miles, with Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay Miles specifically mentioned, or redeem them for other travel stuff directly in the app.
• Welcome wagon. Activate the physical card and spend ₱5,000 ($90) within the first 60 days to receive 3,000 bonus Maya Miles.
• Lounge life. Cardholders get complimentary airport lounge access via DragonPass, specifically mentioning PAGSS and Marhaba lounges at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
• Go global. It’s a Visa card, so expect acceptance pretty much anywhere Visa is taken. We’re talking more than 130 million merchants globally.
• Zero annual fee… for now? Early reports and user experiences suggest Maya is launching this with a “zero annual fee” promotion for early applicants. Whether this sticks or becomes a standard tiered fee later remains to be seen.

Didn’t Maya already launch a credit card?

Good memory. Around May 2024, Maya partnered with Landers Superstore for the Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card. Nearly 200,000 of those have been issued. So, how does Maya Black Credit Card stack up?

Think different rewards for different folks:

• Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card. Focuses squarely on cashback, especially at Landers (up to 5%), but also for dining (2%) and general spending (1%). Rewards are typically redeemed as discounts or vouchers for Landers purchases. It also doubles as your Landers membership card.
• Maya Black Credit Card. Shifts the focus to miles and travel. If converting points to flights like PAL Mabuhay Miles and accessing airport lounges is more your speed, this is the card Maya wants you to look at.

They are separate products with distinct rewards programs — you can’t pool miles and cashback points. According to Maya’s support pages, having issues with one card won’t impact the other. You can potentially hold both, but early reports indictae Maya might be prioritizing applicants for the Black Credit Card who don’t already have the Landers one.

Getting in: Eligibility and how to apply

So, are you eligible to apply? The basics are: You need to be a Filipino resident, aged 21 to 65, have a regular monthly income, and possess an upgraded Maya account. Meeting these doesn’t guarantee approval, as the company uses its own assessment models.

How do you throw your hat in the ring? You’ll need the latest version of the Maya app. Log in, head to the Savings section (yes, Savings, not Cards, according to early users), and scroll down to look for the Maya Black Credit Card application banner. Tap that and follow the prompts. Keep in mind the rollout might be gradual, so it might not appear for everyone immediately. Some users reported seeing it on iOS before Android, so your mileage may vary.

The credit crunch context

Filipinos are increasingly searching for credit cards — Google says they make up 38% of financial product searches — yet access remains tight. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2021 showed more than half of adults found qualifying difficult, and TransUnion in the last quarter of 2023 reported only 15% actually held a credit card. Maya clearly sees an opportunity to leverage its user base, which is heavy on millennials and Gen Z, and its data-driven approach to fill that gap.

Whether Maya Black truly democratizes premium credit or just offers another option in a crowded market remains to be seen, but its deep integration within the Maya app makes it a compelling proposition for existing users.

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