At things even money can’t buy, use Platinum Card

For theater dwellers, the release of certain credit cards with unimaginable credit ceiling, has somewhat exterminated the most popular recipes for gangsters and action movies. Let’s face it; nobody is seeing any bad guys with suitcases of money chained on their wrists lately.

Even so, if they insisted to carry such scenario, these bad guys are doomed to die at the end. Not necessarily at the end, even at the start, with the rest of the movie revolved around those who take the suitcases and ended up killed. Moral of the story; carrying a suitcase of money is never a good idea.

On the other hand, the story would be different if, for instance, Mel Gibson’s kid was held for ransom. Bad guys in action films with kidnapping themes always wanted a chopper; safe passage out of the country; and last definitely not least, a bag full of money.

A bag full of money, not a credit card, not a solitary moment shared between the victim and his credit card, and the kidnapper and his credit card zipping machine. Why? Because the average stories where the bad guys managed to squeeze some money out of a stolen credit card, or through illegal bank transactions ended up with a bully by the authorities, or the bank requiring longer process for security. Yep, thanks Hollywood for the insight.

But in case we need to spend a bag full of money, on a whim of buying an island, or establishing worldwide funds for the poor like what Oprah did, it’s always possible to do so. With the average Platinum card’s credit ceiling reaching Rp500, 000, 000; and banks like Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) provided acceptance at about 1.3 million ATMs worldwide and access to 24/7 MasterCard Concierge Services, Platinum card owners literally carry a suitcase of money whenever they go.

But more than that, they carried the bank, including the tight security system. As if it’s not enough, they also carried the glamorous means to support their lifestyle. Privileges like professional assistance in travels, the providing of personal and medical needs, reward programs at renowned merchants worldwide, all sum up within a single card, fit in your back pocket.

“We believe, the BII Platinum Card will satisfy the needs of our affluent customers when conducting banking transactions at home or overseas,” said Sanjay Kapoor, Consumer Banking Director of BII on a recent release.

With more people in the nation achieved worldwide success, the need for sustainable wealth management is rising to give them ease in doing what they’re doing, unimpeded by faulty management issues.

People like Ananda Sukarlan, for example, has more to think than ensuring the safety of his funds. He needs to create brilliant music, perform in various notable orchestras around Europe, and able to give to sustain his prestigious scholarship program; the Ananda Sukarlan award. Bad management problem is a risk he doesn’t want to take.

And just to illustrate, such needs for better wealth management is not only popular in the nation, but also the region. MasterCard, one of the world’s leading brand in payment solution, reported on a recent release that its “penetration in the first quarter of 2008 in Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA) region revealed that for the quarter until March 31, the region has witnessed double-digit growth in gross dollar volume (20.1%), purchase volume (22.7%), purchase transactions (19.5%), cash transactions (18.8%) and cards issued (15.9%) compared to the same period last year.”

This group of loaded people is not necessarily equipped with profound financial mangement background; a great deal of them is actors, musicians and artists, though many of them are entrepreneurs and business giant. For them, wealth management is not their main business; and this is where banks are doing them the favor.

MasterCard also mentioned the issuing of over 217 million cards during the period, with cardholders made more than 800 million purchase transactions at around 26.6 million locations worldwide and at nearly 917,000 merchant locations in the APMEA.

In the topic of Platinum card, various banks in the nation has decided to target the promising market and cooperated with payment solutions companies to release the card. Banks like ABN, Standard Chartered, even Danamon and BRI have offered such services with similar privileges.

And MasterCard, along with other issuers like Citibank, understands the growing requests for greater securities in major transactions. “The affluent customers segment has specific lifestyle needs and desires. At MasterCard, we are bound to provide them with innovative payment solutions, customized by their needs,” said Vadyo Munaan, Vice President and Senior Country Manager, Indonesia, MasterCard Worldwide at a recent interview.

But though it offers privileges that even money can’t buy, the only problem with Platinum card is of course; you have to be rich first.

Yet, even the average people are starting to move to credit card, lured by various privileges offered by both banks and issuers, including discounts at renowned hotels, priorities and cut price of flight tickets, memberships in glamorous clubs and the likes.

Another privilege is the promotions that follow. MasterCard, for example, had recently granted a lucky card owner and his seven friends a week stay at Bali’s most expensive hotel, transported to and fro by a private jet -which per-hour rent could buy a nice house in Menteng, by the way.

So zip your Premium card, spend Rp1, 000, 000; in your upcoming visit to Purwokerto, and you too could experience marvelous things unexpectedly.

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behold guys, my rejected article. Isn't it funny that I actually talk about credit card.. whatta joke, i don't even own one.. nevertheless.. I think of it as a way to express myself, though not really think that my editor will ever going to give me an assignment ever again

haha..

thanks Pipim and Sony during the stressful hours, you guys are the best.