Q: What is Card Spend AI / "Max"?
A: Max is an AI chat assistant in the HeyMax app that helps you understand your credit card spending and rewards. You can ask it things like "What's my best card for dining?", "How much did I spend last month?", or "How close am I to my UOB VS cap?".
Q: How do I access Card Spend AI?
A: A: Card Spend AI is currently being rolled out in stages. If you don't see it in your app yet, it will be available to you soon. Stay tuned!
Q: Do I need to link my cards first?
A: No — you can access Card Spend AI from your card page right away. Max can answer questions about card reward structures, MCC categories, and best card recommendations without any linked cards. However, it works best when you have Visa cards linked and VOP-enrolled, which enables real-time transaction tracking, spending analysis, and personalized reward calculations based on your actual spend.
Q: Which cards are supported?
A: We support Singapore-issued credit cards from major banks including DBS, UOB, HSBC, OCBC, Maybank, Citi, American Express, Standard Chartered, and Bank of China. We will continue to add more banks in future.
Q: Does Card Spend AI work with Mastercard or AMEX cards?
A: Currently, transaction tracking and spending analysis only works with Visa cards enrolled through Visa On Platform (VOP). If you have a Mastercard or AMEX, Max can still answer questions about card rules, reward structures, and best card recommendations — but it won't have access to your actual transaction data or reward calculations for those cards.
Spending & Transactions
Q: What's the difference between "settled" and "pending" transactions?
A: Settled transactions have been fully processed by your bank — the amount is finalized and rewards have been calculated. Pending transactions have been authorized but not yet posted to your statement — the amount may change slightly and rewards will only be calculated upon settlement. Max always shows this distinction clearly.
Q: What date range does Max use by default?
A: When you ask about spending or rewards without specifying dates, Max defaults to the current calendar month (1st of the month to today). You can ask about any specific date range (e.g., "last 3 months", "January to March", "last month", "this week").
Q: Can I see transactions from all my cards at once?
A: Yes. By default, Max shows data across all your linked cards. If you're viewing a specific card in the app, Max will scope answers to that card only. You can always ask to see "all cards" or a specific card.
Rewards & Caps
Q: How accurate are the reward calculations?
A: Max uses the same reward engine that powers HeyMax's card tracking. It accounts for bonus categories, spending caps, minimum spend thresholds, MCC exclusions, rounding rules, and promo periods. The numbers come directly from our calculation engine, not AI estimates.
Q: What does "rewards on settlement" mean?
A: For pending transactions, Max shows the spend amount but not the reward amount, because rewards are only finalized when the transaction settles. The message "rewards on settlement" means you'll see the actual miles/cashback once your bank processes the transaction.
Q: How does Max know my cap utilization?
A: Max checks your actual transactions within the current tracking period (either your statement cycle or calendar month, depending on the card) and calculates how much of each cap you've used. It separates settled and pending amounts so you can see both confirmed usage and projected usage.
Q: My card has a minimum spend requirement. Can Max track that?
A: Yes. When you ask about a card's reward structure or your rewards for a period, Max will show your min-spend progress — how much qualifying spend you've made vs. what's required to unlock bonus rewards.
Q: Why does Max show different reward rates for the same card?
A: Credit cards often have different reward rates for different spending categories (identified by MCC codes). For example, a card might earn 4 miles per dollar on dining but only 0.4 miles per dollar on general spending. Max shows the specific rate applied to each transaction.
Best Card Recommendations
Q: I already know my card categories. Why do I need Max AI?
A: Knowing your card categories is a great start — but the "best card" changes depending on how you pay, how much you've already spent this month, and whether you've hit any reward caps. Max AI tracks all of that for you in real time, so you don't have to.
Q: What can Max AI tell me that a Google search can't?
A: Google might tell you Grab is coded as "Transport." But did you know GrabFood delivery codes differently from Grab rides? And that GrabPay top-ups are a third category entirely? Max AI knows which MCC each variation falls under and recommends the right card for each one.
Q: Does it account for reward caps?
A: Yes. If your dining cashback card is already at S$700 out of an S$800 monthly cap, Max AI will flag that and suggest your next-best card for the remaining spend — so you don't waste transactions on a capped-out bonus.
Q: What about minimum spend requirements?
A: Max AI tracks your progress toward min-spend thresholds. If you're S$200 away from unlocking a 10x bonus on one card, it'll factor that in when recommending which card to use next.
Q: What if I just want to know the best card for "groceries" without naming a specific store?
A: That works too. You can ask by category ("best card for groceries"), by payment method ("best card for contactless"), or even by situation ("best card for overseas spending") — and Max AI will give you a personalized answer based on your actual cards.
Q: How is this personalized to me?
A: Max AI knows which cards you've linked, what you've spent on each one this cycle, how close you are to caps and min-spend thresholds, and which bonuses are still available to you. Two people asking "best card for Starbucks?" can get different answers — because their cards, spending, and cap status are different.
Q: Does it look at my past transactions?
A: Yes, with your permission. It can surface patterns like "You've spent S$450 at Cold Storage this month across 12 transactions — your grocery cap is nearly full on this card, consider switching to another one for the rest of the month."
Q: What if Max AI isn't sure about a merchant's category?
A: It'll tell you. Every merchant recommendation comes with a confidence level. If a merchant's coding is inconsistent or based on limited knowledge, Max AI flags that so you can make an informed decision.
Q: So in one sentence — what does Max AI actually do?
A: It answers the question "Which card should I pull out right now?" — factoring in the merchant, how you're paying, your reward caps, min-spend progress, and card exclusions.
Q: Max recommended a card but I'm not earning the expected rewards. Why?
A: A few possible reasons:
MCC mismatch: The merchant may be coded differently than expected by Visa (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel might code as "lodging" instead of "dining")
Payment method matters: Some card bonuses only apply to contactless or online payments — check if your payment method matches the bonus requirement
Cap already hit: You may have already maxed out the bonus cap for that category this month
Promo period ended: Some bonus rates are promotional and may have expired
Q: Does Max account for overseas spending?
A: Yes. You can ask about overseas spending by mentioning it's an overseas transaction. Max will evaluate cards using their foreign currency (FCY) rates and will warn you about the typical 3–3.5% foreign currency conversion fee that most banks charge.
Q: What's the difference between MCC Search and Ask Max?
A: MCC Search lets you look up the Merchant Category Code (MCC) for a specific merchant and recommend you the best card. Ask Max goes further — it can answer MCC-related questions and recommend your best card for that merchant based on your linked cards, spending caps, and reward structures. Right now, these are separate entry points in the app. Our team is actively working to unify them into a single, seamless experience. The goal is to give you the most accurate information possible — whether you're looking up a merchant code or figuring out which card to use — all in one place.
Card Rules & T&Cs
Q: Can Max explain my card's terms and conditions?
A: Yes. Ask things like "What are the rules for my HSBC Revolution?" or "What MCC codes are excluded from UOB VS bonus?". Max has detailed T&C data for supported cards including reward tiers, caps, exclusions, and recent changes.
Q: How up-to-date are the card rules?
A: We regularly update card rules when banks announce T&C changes. However, there may be a short delay between when a bank announces a change and when it's reflected in Max. If you notice a discrepancy, type feedback followed by your observation directly in the chat — the team reads every one and will investigate.
Q: Can Max tell me about upcoming T&C changes?
A: It depends — if we've documented upcoming changes, Max can tell you about promo rates that are ending or new reward structures taking effect on a specific date. For very recent announcements, there may be a delay before Max is updated.
Loyalty Program Transfers
Q: Can Max help me decide where to transfer my miles?
A: Yes. Ask "Where can I transfer my DBS points?" or "Which of my cards can transfer to KrisFlyer?". Max will show you:
Which loyalty programs your bank can transfer to
The transfer ratio (e.g., 2 DBS points → 1 KrisFlyer mile)
The effective miles-per-dollar for each program based on your card's earning rate
Troubleshooting
Q: Max said "No transactions found" but I know I made purchases.
A: Check the following:
Card not linked: The card you used may not be VOP-enrolled in HeyMax
Date range: Max may be looking at a different time period than you expect — try specifying exact dates
Processing delay: Very recent transactions may not have arrived yet (1–3 business days)
Bill payment: Some transaction types like certain bill payments may not appear.
Q: Max is giving me an error or not responding.
A: Possible causes:
Rate limit: You may have hit the message limit (20 per minute or 500 per day). Wait a minute or try again tomorrow.
Server issue: Try closing and reopening the chat. If the problem persists, contact support.
Q: Can Max modify my card settings or transactions?
A: No. Max is read-only. It can analyze your spending and provide recommendations, but it cannot:
Change your card settings
Dispute or modify transactions
Enroll or unenroll cards
Transfer miles or redeem rewards
Access your bank account directly
Q: Is my data safe with Card Spend AI?
A: Yes. Max uses the same transaction data already available in your HeyMax app. Your data is processed securely and is not shared with third parties. Conversations are stored in your account for continuity but can be cleared at any time.
Q: Max gave me advice that doesn't seem right. What should I do?
A: While Max's reward calculations are highly accurate (they use the same engine as HeyMax's card tracking), AI responses about general advice or T&C interpretation could occasionally be imprecise. If something seems off, type feedback followed by your observation directly in the chat — for example: feedback the dining category for Grab seems wrong. The team reads every submission and will investigate.
Limitations & Scope
Q: Can Max help me with non-Singapore cards?
A: Currently, Card Spend AI is focused on Singapore-issued credit cards only. Cards from other markets are not yet supported.
Q: Can Max predict my future rewards or spending?
A: No. Max analyzes historical and current spending data. It doesn't forecast future spending or project reward earnings.
Q: Can Max help me apply for a new credit card?
A: Max can explain card reward structures and compare cards, but it cannot process credit card applications. For card applications, visit the bank's website directly.
Q: Can Max answer questions not related to credit card rewards?
A: No. Max is specialized for credit card reward optimization. If you ask unrelated questions, it will politely redirect you to its area of expertise.