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The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread

Old Oct 31, 2014, 6:05 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: lifeonthego_k
I'm going to update this first post as more info flows in to create a 'master list' of all credit cards that offer a decent way of accruing miles - so please help out!

If you know of and/or use any other cards (or the ones already mentioned), please share your thoughts.

***ALL VALUES BELOW IN SINGAPORE DOLLARS (SGD)***
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In no particular order (apart from personal preference in terms of good-mileage opportunities):
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1. UOB PRVI Miles VISA, MasterCard, AMEX

VISA:
http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...iles_visa.html
MasterCard:
http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...astercard.html
Amex:
http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...amex_card.html
http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...ard/microsite/



Mileage accrual:
The earn rate will be 1.4 miles for every $1 spent in multiples of S$10 (every multiple of S$5 gives 6 to 7 miles due to 3.5 UNI$ rounding off, every S$10 gives 14 miles), and 2.4 miles for every $1 spent OVERSEAS (every $5 gives 12 miles).

Requirements: min. income $80,000 (not strict).
Cost: First year free, then S$256.80 for main, first two supplementary always free. Annual fee waiver for Amex card if you charge $50,000 or more in a year.
Miles conversion fee: $25 per conversion. UNI$ are combined in 1 cardholder's name/FIN Number/NRIC together for all UOB cards which earn UNI$.

Pros: Best mileage accrual rates for overseas spend only. 20,000 bonus miles and annual fee waiver with spend of $50,000 per year (both only for Amex card). $45 1-way airport transfer voucher for $1,000 overseas spend in a given quarter (Amex only).
Cons: AMEX not always accepted by merchants. Points allocated on every $5 spent, rounded down to next $5. Transfer in blocks of 5000 UNI$ points = 10,000 miles. Points are valid for 2 years (transfer before expiry and they will subsequently be valid for a further 3 years from the date of transfer to KrisFlyer).

2. UOB Preferred Platinum Visa


http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards..._platinum.html
http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...visa_card.html


Mileage accrual: Earn 4 miles for every $1 spent using ONLY MOBILE CONTACTLESS every $5 gives 10 UNI$ which equal 20 miles). Same incredible mileage-earning ratio for internet shopping with certain restrictions (travel-related, utilities, etc.). Earn 0.4 mile for every $1 for regular, signature-based payments AND ORPHAN SPEND DUE TO $5 ROUNDING OR EXCEEDING THE BONUS U$2000 SPEND (every $5 gives 1 UNI$ which equal 2 miles).

Earning 4 miles/$ is limited to the first S$1110 spent during the per calendar month (via Mobile Contactless). 2,000UNI$ refers to the extra 9UNI$ and does not include the normal 1UNI$.(Stop when you notice you earn 3UNI$ (1 + bonus 2) for the last S$5 transaction. ($1110/5)x9=1998UNI$, hence the last S$5 transaction will earn 2 bonus UNI$. The total bonus UNI$ awarded to you from qualifying spend on Selected Online Transactions and Mobile Contactless Transactions is capped at UNI$2,000 for each calendar month. THE CAP IS ON THE 9 UNI$ BONUS NOT 10UNI$ TOTAL YOU GET WITH BASE OF U$1 PER $ SPEND

Keep in mind that some merchants offer different, non-mileage accruing awards with UOB cards which are called SMART$. Some popular merchants include Cold Storage, Guardian and Giant Supermarket, ToastBox and Starbucks. A full list of merchants where Mobile contactless transactions will NOT earn miles can be found here:
http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...smartclub.html

Requirements: min. income $30,000 ($60,000 for foreigners).
Cost: First year free, then $192.60 for main and $96.30 for supplementary. Annual fee waived off easily.
Miles conversion fee: $25 per conversion, in blocks of 5000 UNI$=10,000 miles. UNI$ are combined in 1 cardholder's name for all UOB cards.

Pros: Incredible mileage accrual rates for Paywave transactions (not all merchants - some give SMART$ instead which are different rewards!) as well as internet transactions (some restrictions apply).
Cons: Points allocated on every $5 spent, rounded down to next $5. Transfer in blocks of 5000 UNI$ points = 10,000 miles. Points are valid for 2 years (transfer before expiry and they will subsequently be valid for a further 3 years from the date of transfer to KrisFlyer).

3. Citi PremierMiles MasterCard

https://www.citibank.com.sg/credit-cards/travel/premiermiles-card/?ecid=PSGONSGCCAENPM

Mileage accrual: Earn 1.2 miles for every $1 spent. Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent OVERSEAS. 10,000 bonus miles for each annual membership renewal.

Requirements: min. income $50,000 for VISA. Principal cardholder must be at least 21 years of age.
Cost: First year free, then $192.60 for VISA main, supplementary always free. Annual fee waiver available in exchange for forfeiting the 10,000renewal bonus.
Miles conversion fee: $25 per conversion.

Pros: Decent all-rounder, good for overseas spend. Points never expire. Bonus miles for annual card renewal. 11 frequent flyer programs & 3 hotel programs to choose from, including EVA Air - only 25,000 miles for 1 way Business Class within Asia!!
Cons: No miles awarded for EZ-Link & Transitlink transactions. Miles awarded per S$1. Cents not included. 1.2 miles/S$1. Transfer in blocks of 10,000 miles.

4. DBS Altitude VISA/AMEX

http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/cards...e/default.aspx
http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/cards...e/default.aspx



Mileage accrual: Earn 1.2 miles for every $1 spent (every $5 gives 3 DBS points which equal 6 miles). Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent OVERSEAS.

Requirements: min. income $80,000.
Cost: First year free, then $180 for main and $90 for supplementary. Annual fee waiver if you charge $25,000 or more in a year.
Miles conversion fee: S$26.75 per transfer, redeem 1700 DBS points to waive off.

Pros: Points never expire. No rounding down transaction amount to nearest $5 (calculation is done as follows: DBS points = 'transaction amount' divided by 5, multiply by 3, after that round down to nearest whole number. Minimum spend is S$1.67. Each DBS point = 2 miles). Earn 3 miles per S$1 spent on all online Flight and Hotel transactions (capped at S$5,000 per month). 10,000 miles renewal bonus if you have to pay card renewal fees.
Cons: All local spend now down to 1.2 miles/$ (since Dec 1, 2013). AMEX not always accepted by merchants. Transfer in blocks of 5000 DBS points = 10,000 miles (on the plus side points don't expire). Per transfer of S$26.75, redeem 1700 DBS points to waive off.

5. Maybank Horizon Platinum Visa

http://info.maybank2u.com.sg/persona...visa-card.aspx



Earn 3.2 air miles (8X TREATS Points) with every dollar spent on dining, petrol, taxi fares and hotel bookings at Agoda.com/horizon
Earn 2 air miles (5X TREATS Points) with every dollar spent on air tickets, travel packages and foreign currency transactions, with a minimal S$300 in a calendar month

Earn 0.4 mile for every $1 spent elsewhere (1 mile for every $2.50 spent).

Requirements: min. income $30,000 ($80,000 for foreigners).
Cost: $150 for main, supplementary always free. Unsure of any annual fee waiver conditions.
Miles conversion fee: In blocks of 5,000 points to 2000 Asia Miles or KrisFlyer. S$26.75 fee applies.

Pros: Great for ticket purchases and overseas spend. Complimentary access to selected VIP airport lounges when you charge a minimum of S$400 in a single transaction on air tickets or travel packages to your Card 3 months prior to the date of travel.
Cons: Great ONLY for ticket purchases and overseas spend. Points are valid for 1 year only, expire either on 30 June or 31 December of the same year if not Rewards Infinite member.

6. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend AMEX

https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/s...nd-credit-card



Mileage accrual: Earn 1.2 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent on all your eligible purchases with your Card

Earn 2 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 equivalent in foreign currency spent overseas on eligible purchases during June and December

Requirements: min. income $50,000 ($60,000 for foreigners). Principal cardholder must be over 21 years of age.
Cost: First year free, otherwise $256.80 for main, 2 supplementary cards always free (more available at $80.25 each). Annual fee cannot be waived unless you spend alot.
Miles conversion fee: None - your KrisFlyer miles are transferred to your account directly with no conversion fees or charges.

Pros: None, except for welcome offers (4 complimentary airport lounge access vouchers, one complimentary night with Millennium Hotels and Resorts).

Cons: Simply nothing special - there are better cards available for all types of purchases, including flight tickets, even with all of the bonuses above applied. AMEX not always accepted by merchants.

7. Citibank Rewards Card

http://www.citibank.com.sg/gcb/credi...CACRENCCHOCALM



Earn 10X Rewards (10 Rewards Points or 4 Miles for every S$1 spent) when you shop for clothes, bags and shoes or at departmental stores or online shopping websites, including SingTel & M1 online bill payment!

Pros: Transfer to 11 FFPs & 3 Hotel programs in blocks of 25,000 points=10,000 miles; S$25 fee.

Cons: Points awarded per S$1 spend. Cents not included. Cannot combined Thank You Points across cards.

8. DBS Woman's World MasterCard Card

http://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/cards...astercard-card



10X Rewards for Online Retail Purchases
T&C Here: https://www.dbs.com.sg/iwov-resource...s_card_tnc.pdf

Pros: Men also can get this card!! DBS points are combined in 1 cardholder's name. No rounding down transaction amount to nearest $5 (calculation is done as follows: DBS points = 'transaction amount' divided by 5, multiply by 10, after that round down to nearest whole number. Minimum spend is S$1. Each DBS point = 2 miles).

Cons: DBS points are valid for 1 year based on card anniversary date. The additional 9X DBS Points for online retail spend in a calendar month will be awarded on the 16th of the next calendar month. If the above days are not working days, the Points will be awarded on the next working day. The additional 9X DBS Points are only applicable to the first S$2,000 online retail spend every calendar month.

9. OCBC Titanium Rewards Card

https://www.ocbc.com/personal-bankin...astercard.html

10x OCBC$ on your shopping Local & Overseas Shopping Transactions, Local & Overseas Department Store Transactions and Local & Overseas Online Transactions.
The remaining 9 OCBC$ will be posted to the Card Account by the end of the next calendar month

https://www.ocbc.com/assets/pdf/card...ons.pdf?rand=1
10,000 KrisFlyer miles requires OCBC$ 25000, For each conversion of OCBC$ to KrisFlyer miles a fee of S$25 will be charged

10. UOB Lady's Card
https://www.uob.com.sg/personal/card...ard/index.page

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The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread

Old Jan 17, 2013, 7:52 pm
  #1036  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
Originally Posted by SingaporeDon
Aster, I see you are switching to UOB too. Is the mileage expiry an issue for you?
Also is foreign transaction fee and FX rate similar for DBS and UOB?
Hi Don, I've actually decided to switch to the Altitude Visa since I get the same miles/high travel insurance as with the Amex, and the 'verified by Visa' scheme for online transactions is something I like too.

I thought about the UOB card but the amount of extra miles and the sending through of all required documents all over again doesn't have me moving just yet.

I'm not too worried about the validity of points as KF will give you an additional 3 yrs which is plenty of time to do something with them. Not sure about the foreign fx rates as I hardly ever use my card abroad. I make the occasional purchase in USD so if you like I can let you know the purchase date and end fx rate from USD to SGD that was used.
aster is offline  
Old Jan 17, 2013, 11:34 pm
  #1037  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 33
Originally Posted by SingaporeDon
Looks like UOB. PRIVI Amex is best card now as it gives same 1.6 miles per S$1 spend as DBS Altitude Visa or Amex for local spend even for the first $2,000 spend per month. Also best card for overseas spend as it gives 2.5 miles per S$1 overseas spend (versus 2.4 miles for DBS Treasure's Amex Black and DBS Altitude

Wondering if it is time to switch to UOB PRIVI.

The only worry is no expiry for DBS versus two year expiry for UOB.
With Krisflyer'd three year expiry rule, DBS no expiry makes it a good place to hold miles but with UOB one won't be able to go this

Aster, I see you are switching to UOB too. Is the mileage expiry an issue for you?
Also is foreign transaction fee and FX rate similar for DBS and UOB?
Good, but just note the following points:

PRVI is an AMEX card, so acceptance will not be comparable to DBS Altitude or ANZ Travel Visa cards.

From my understanding, the fee/exchange rate used by AMEX is also usually higher than Visa.
Gymrat76 is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2013, 4:59 am
  #1038  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
Originally Posted by aster
Hi Don, I've actually decided to switch to the Altitude Visa since I get the same miles/high travel insurance as with the Amex, and the 'verified by Visa' scheme for online transactions is something I like too.

I thought about the UOB card but the amount of extra miles and the sending through of all required documents all over again doesn't have me moving just yet.

I'm not too worried about the validity of points as KF will give you an additional 3 yrs which is plenty of time to do something with them. Not sure about the foreign fx rates as I hardly ever use my card abroad. I make the occasional purchase in USD so if you like I can let you know the purchase date and end fx rate from USD to SGD that was used.
Aster, I switched to the DBS Altitudes Visa six or so months ago as it gives the higher miles than the Citi Premiermiles Visa I was using and is more accepted than the DBS Altitudes Amex.

The UOB PRIVI looks attractive due to:

a) For DBS Altitude the $2,000 per month threshold means you will earn 9,600 krisflyer miles less than the UOB Privi for the same spend ( assuming spend higher than $2,000 per month):

b) For overseas spend the 2.5 miles for S$1 spend that UOB offers is really good. The only problem seems to be the higher FX fees AMEX seems to charge compared to Visa

I might apply for the UOB PRIVI. They are throwing in a free Kenneth Cole watch if you dont already have a UOB credit card. They have a one day approval process, so may not be too bad in terms of paperwork!
SingaporeDon is offline  
Old Jan 19, 2013, 2:46 am
  #1039  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
Originally Posted by SingaporeDon
Aster, I switched to the DBS Altitudes Visa six or so months ago as it gives the higher miles than the Citi Premiermiles Visa I was using and is more accepted than the DBS Altitudes Amex.

The UOB PRIVI looks attractive due to:

a) For DBS Altitude the $2,000 per month threshold means you will earn 9,600 krisflyer miles less than the UOB Privi for the same spend ( assuming spend higher than $2,000 per month):

b) For overseas spend the 2.5 miles for S$1 spend that UOB offers is really good. The only problem seems to be the higher FX fees AMEX seems to charge compared to Visa

I might apply for the UOB PRIVI. They are throwing in a free Kenneth Cole watch if you dont already have a UOB credit card. They have a one day approval process, so may not be too bad in terms of paperwork!
I've been considering it but I've managed to kept the number of CCs I have to a minimum, which is one. All my other cards are debit cards aimed at the various offers (dining or other) that numerous banks here have.

I would have gladly gone for the Citi Platinum card but they pulled it unfortunately. This UOB Amex card is certainly interesting, but if we look at the number of miles they give and take a round number for spend like S$10k then the difference is just under 5.3% extra miles:

S$10,000 charged to card per month (excluding the $5 issue):

1. DBS: 2,400 (first S$2k at 1.2) + 12,800 (1.6 miles thereafter) = 15,200 miles
2. UOB: 16,000 miles

That's 800 miles per statement period. If this was about DBS Altitude Amex vs UOB Privi Miles Amex it would be worth considering a switch. But I'm currently moving from the Altitude Amex to the Visa version, so I'm wondering whether the increase in transactions that I will be able to charge to my card will make up for those 800 miles? Technically if I add $500 extra spend to the Visa card then the number of miles will be equal.
aster is offline  
Old Jan 19, 2013, 2:47 am
  #1040  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
Is it just DBS that won't let you change your address to a PO Box if you have credit cards with them? As soon as you do that you receive a letter asking you to revert back to a residential address or else they might have to cancel your cards.
aster is offline  
Old Jan 19, 2013, 8:11 pm
  #1041  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SFO, SIN, PVG
Programs: UA, AA, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 303
The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread

UOB also have a year spending bonus of 20k miles for 50k SGD spending per membership year. But the foreign exchange fee is prohibitively high.
kunk00 is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2013, 10:07 am
  #1042  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
I have a question concerning the higher mileage rate for spend above $2000 per month for the DBS Altitude card. What if you already have the Altitude Amex card and go for the Altitude Visa one as well?

Will the higher 1.6 ratio apply for spend above $2k on each card or from the cumulative spend on all cards combined (Amex, Visa)? Because if they treat this separately on each card then it doesn't make sense to have both.
aster is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2013, 1:35 am
  #1043  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,818
Originally Posted by aster
I have a question concerning the higher mileage rate for spend above $2000 per month for the DBS Altitude card. What if you already have the Altitude Amex card and go for the Altitude Visa one as well?

Will the higher 1.6 ratio apply for spend above $2k on each card or from the cumulative spend on all cards combined (Amex, Visa)? Because if they treat this separately on each card then it doesn't make sense to have both.
Hey Aster,

Someone replied in the HWZ forums pertaining to your same question. Unfortunately answer is no, both cards are treated separately.
lcpteck is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2013, 6:40 am
  #1044  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
Right, so as soon as I test out the new card and there are no issues with per transaction limits (like charging my monthly serviced apartment bill to it) then it'll be time to shut down the Amex one straight away.
aster is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2013, 9:45 am
  #1045  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
Originally Posted by planetshakers
I believed it took me less than 5 mouse clicks and 1 OTP to apply, saw the card reflected in internet banking the next working day. Card sent in less than a week. Fastest application ever.
DBS even shows the application status as "Successful" as soon as you apply for the card online (at least that's what I got).

You mentioned that they sent the card within a week, it's already been a week here and no card so I'm curious if the time-frame can change due to card-printing demand or not...
aster is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2013, 11:16 am
  #1046  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: UA PP; A3 *G
Posts: 26
i applied for the woman's card.. not a bad deal if 4mile/S$1 for the online spends.
intelmaster is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2013, 6:55 pm
  #1047  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 1,799
Originally Posted by intelmaster
i applied for the woman's card.. not a bad deal if 4mile/S$1 for the online spends.
I'm still thinking about it. At the very least, I get all of my flight tickets online, and that's something like, 20 tickets per year. However, as a guy, I would dread the day when I have to call up to get my fee waived or cancel the card...
Awesom Andy is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2013, 7:46 pm
  #1048  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,818
Originally Posted by Awesom Andy
I'm still thinking about it. At the very least, I get all of my flight tickets online, and that's something like, 20 tickets per year. However, as a guy, I would dread the day when I have to call up to get my fee waived or cancel the card...
Well, you can always use the online banking email.

Do note that the S$1=4 miles is only applicable for first S$2000 charged per month. After S$2000, it goes back to S$1=0.4 miles.
lcpteck is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2013, 8:30 pm
  #1049  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: SIA Solitaire PPS, IHG Royal Amb, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Hhonor Gold
Posts: 2,203
Originally Posted by Awesom Andy
I'm still thinking about it. At the very least, I get all of my flight tickets online, and that's something like, 20 tickets per year. However, as a guy, I would dread the day when I have to call up to get my fee waived or cancel the card...
Actually, the annual fee waiver is done through the automated voice response system. So far, based on my experience with other DBS cards, once I have inputted the card number, the system will respond with the message that the annual fee is waived. No need to speak to the CSO.
hclee01 is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2013, 9:54 pm
  #1050  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,128
Isn't there a min. annual spend after which the renewal is automatically free? At least that's how it is with the Altutude card.
aster is offline  

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