You probably couldn’t help but notice advertisements all over Singapore public transport as CIMB Bank makes its move to become one of the major players in credit cards.

The bank hasn’t been in the top six when it comes to credit cards for some time, but they’re making a determined effort with a publicity campaign that draws attention to what it sees as its Visa Signature Card’s unique selling point: Higher cash rebates than the rest of the field.

We’ve said time and time again that the credit card and banking business in Singapore is hugely competitive, with every one of the banks climbing one on top of each other to offer customers the best deal possible. Banks know that once they’ve got you as a customer, in over 90% of cases, they’ve got you for life, such is the loyalty that people show to their financial institutions. (We say that you don’t need to show a bank any loyalty at all – they’ve never done the same to you, so you should always be comparing the market and moving your money to where the best deals can be found).

CIMB know this as much as any other company, which is why they’re openly targeting millennials – people born in the last twenty years or so who are just considering their first bank accounts and first credit cards. And that’s why all those adverts you’ve seen have been on the sides of buses and on ticket barriers – the new customers are the newly affluent setting out on life without a car.

Mak Lye Mun, CIMB’s country head for Singapore told Marketing Interactive that it’s a card to suit the changing lifestyle needs of young Singaporeans, and completes their credit card offerings “to suit the needs of the mass affordable segment of customers”.

Mak said: “Since we first introduced CIMB Credit Cards in 2009, we have increased our card base seventeen-fold and captured more than 10% market share.”

Aiming higher, the CIMB chief claims that the company’s premium card, the CIMB VISA Infinite now has more than 16,000 holders, an excellent performance in a tight top level credit card market.