Invitees to Hong Leong Bank’s (HLB) new Opus card unlock 60,000 Malaysia Airlines Enrich points and worldwide lounge access the moment they pay the annual fee.
But securing one isn’t a matter of simply filling out an application.
Reserved strictly for select high-net-worth and business clients, HLB Opus is Southeast Asia’s first ceramic credit card and Malaysia’s inaugural Visa Infinite Privilege payment experience crafted with G+D’s Convego® Ceramic card technology to bring premium materials and sophisticated payment technology together.
Why G+D’s Convego Ceramic After 25 Years of Metal?
Forged at over 1,200°C, diamond-refined, and produced at a rate of fewer than six cards a day, the physical card is crafted from Giesecke+Devrient’s (G+D) Convego Ceramic.
Made with zirconia, the scratch-resistant material is traditionally associated with luxury timepieces and fine jewellery.
For more than two decades, metal has defined the premium card market.
However, Atul Singh, Global Head of Distribution Sales at G+D, sees ceramic as a major category shift that gives issuers a fresh direction to stand out.
“The association of customers with their physical cards is important because this is where brand recognition comes from,” Singh explained.
As banks and fintechs compete more aggressively for wealthy clients, the physical card itself remains a primary differentiator.
Andrew Jong, Managing Director of Personal Financial Services at Hong Leong Bank Berhad, emphasises that physical touchpoints still carry immense weight—particularly in wealth and business banking, where relationships tend to be high-touch.
“Customers overwhelmingly still choose a physical card,” Jong said. “Digital provides the convenience; it provides the accessibility, but the card itself provides you the passport into a bespoke set of curated experiences.”
To ensure physical luxury does not come at the expense of digital ease, cardholders can also add HLB Opus to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
What HLB Opus Holders Actually Get
Visa’s refreshed premium tier structure comprises Visa Infinite, Visa Infinite Privilege, and Visa Infinite Private. Positioning HLB Opus in the middle Privilege tier allows the bank to expand significantly on standard Visa Infinite benefits:
- Travel & Lounge Access: Unlimited Plaza Premium Lounge access worldwide and immigration fast-track passes.
- Elite Status Matches: Direct status upgrades with Harrods Gold, ALL Accor+ Explorer Gold, and Banyan Voyager, alongside access to Visa private clubs.
- Enrich Loyalty Perks: 60,000 Enrich Points upon paying the annual fee, a dedicated points-conversion tier, and 1 Elite Point for every RM10,000 spent overseas.
Bridging Corporate Success and Personal Wealth
These high-end privileges are designed specifically for entrepreneurs and business leaders who have built long-standing relationships with the bank.
Through its “One Bank” approach, HLB connects a client’s enterprise journey with their personal wealth management.
Commercial banking teams may have supported an enterprise through early expansion; as wealth is created, that same client transitions into priority or private banking.
HLB Opus integrates the card business directly into that existing ecosystem.
Jong views the entrepreneur and the wealth client as “one and the same.”
He links the ceramic card’s creation process—being “forged in fire”—to the resilience, personal sacrifice, and hard-earned success of these clients.
Ultimately, Hong Leong Bank wants holders to look at the card and feel they have truly earned it.
Access remains tightly controlled, and when asked how the bank decides who receives an invitation, Jong offered a simple principle:
“The card will choose you.”
G+D: Helping Banks Go Above and Beyond
With decades of experience in innovative card manufacturing and payments technology, G+D partners with financial institutions to help them develop premium card programs that balance design, durability, and performance.
From concept development to large-scale manufacturing, we help banks transform their premium propositions into distinctive physical experiences that resonate with high-value customers
Download Convego Ceramic Card Case Study HLB
Curious how HLB Opus came together?
Watch the full conversation with Andrew Jong and Atul Singh for more on the ceramic card, its privileges and how the partnership developed.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Malaysia based on an image by Fintech Fireside Asia via YouTube.
