A better rate. But how much more money?

Work out what changes in ringgit, after caps, bonus periods and costs. A higher advertised rate is only useful if you can earn it without disrupting your budget.

One extra percentage point, in real money

At an unchanged RM1,000 balance, an extra 1% p.a. is approximately RM10 over 365 days. At RM10,000, it is RM100. These are simple-interest illustrations. A 4% annual rate applied for 90 days earns roughly one quarter of the annual amount.

Three ways a headline can mislead

A small improvement may still be enough

Hypothetical: RM5,000 at 2% earns RM100 over 365 days; at 3% it earns RM150. The extra is RM50 before costs. If moving adds RM12 of charges, the extra falls to RM38. That may suit money already set aside; it is not a reason to spend RM50 unnecessarily to unlock a reward.

A cap and a short bonus change the answer

Hypothetical capped-bonus example: RM30,000 stays for 365 days. Both accounts pay 2% ordinarily. The alternative adds 2% on only RM20,000 for 30 eligible days and costs RM10. Ordinary return is RM600 in either account. The bonus is about RM32.88; the alternative earns RM622.88 after costs, only RM22.88 extra. Applying 4% to the full RM30,000 for the year would wrongly suggest RM1,200.

Untick bonus eligibility in the calculator: the alternative falls to RM590 after its RM10 cost, or RM10 less than staying. The rate after day 30 is the ordinary rate entered, not the promotional total.

Different maturities are different choices

Hypothetical: RM10,000 at 3% for 90 days earns about RM73.97; 4% for 365 days earns RM400. The second figure commits money for much longer. Compare over the same intended holding period and establish what rate, access and renewal terms apply afterward. Do not stretch a 90-day offer across a year.

What this estimate leaves out

The model holds the balance and ordinary rates constant and uses a 365-day year, including when your selected period crosses a leap year. It excludes compounding, daily credit rounding, minimum-credit thresholds, taxes and changing balances. It rounds final outputs to sen; displayed subtotals can differ by a sen from a separately rounded difference. Actual bank day-count and crediting rules control.

For changing ordinary rates or deposits, calculate each stable period separately and add the results, counting fees only once. The tool does not model tiered ordinary rates, bonus-on-incremental-balance formulas, stamp resets, early-withdrawal forfeiture, prize odds or cashback. Do not use it as a payout promise for those products.

Use actual terms before entering a rate

Check these offer conditions before entering rates into the calculator.

• GXBank: Bonus Pocket — 3.80% p.a. total · 6-month tenure. Withdraw early and the accrued bonus is forfeited. Offer checked 1 October 2026.
• Ryt Bank: Save Pocket bonus — 4.00% p.a. total · first RM20,000. After the introductory period, earn five stamps on different days for 30 days of bonus. Offer checked 1 October 2026.
• Hong Leong Bank / HLISB: eCASA referral cashback — RM8 + RM7 one-off rewards for an eligible new account. Enter the referral code during application; each reward pool is limited. Offer checked 1 October 2026.
• Boost Bank: Bid at Boost — Up to 20% p.a. · winners only · four weeks. At most five highest unique deposits win each round. Matching bids are disqualified. Offer checked 1 October 2026.

GX’s total includes its ordinary return and requires completion of the chosen tenure for the bonus. Ryt’s bonus has a combined balance cap and eligible-day rules. The calculator cannot determine whether your payments qualify. For Boost’s competitive reward or HLB’s one-off cashback, use the offer’s explanation to assess the reward.

Is the extra worth another account?

• Salary and bills: leave enough where payments are due. A late bill can outweigh the extra return. Use the changeover checklist before moving payroll.
• Emergency money: check access, transfer limits and any lost bonus on withdrawal. A fixed deposit and an accessible savings balance do different jobs.
• Routine spending: only count qualification you would achieve anyway. Check exclusions and the campaign end date in Deals & Promotions.
• Practical costs: compare card, ATM and payment capabilities on Compare Banks, and save a support route outside the app.

Keeping your current bank is reasonable when the extra benefit is small or the new conditions make your money harder to manage. You can test a modest second-account balance without replacing your main account. Eligible deposits also need to be considered within PIDM’s limits and categories.