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

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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

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Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:36 am
  #1786  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SIN
Posts: 543
Originally Posted by vsepr
Yup, still no internet banking for ANZ.

But the 5% rebate for EZ-link and Grocery at CS/GIANT/MP/Jasons is very attractive. DBS Altitude VISA/AMEX do not have such rebates.

DBS Altitude VISA/AMEX is good for >S$4000 spent in a statement month. Otherwise ANZ is a better option.

Also, DBS transfer miles in blocks of 10,000 miles. ANZ Travel Card transfers in blocks of 500 miles.

DBS transfer has annual fee of S$42.80 (unlimited times), ANZ Travel Card has a transfer fee of S$25 PER transfer.

Depending on how many 10,000 blocks of miles you can create per year, you decide for yourself is paying the annual S$42.80 more worth or transferring 1 shot more worth. You can take your past 12 months credit card statement to calculate how many miles you earned to make a sound judgement.


I always follow vsepr advice. Won't go wrong Having said that, I do use Citibank PM for the fact that they do give 2X miles for overseas spend and not to forget their wide range of FFP for transfer of points.
luv_flying is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:44 am
  #1787  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: SIA Solitaire PPS, IHG Royal Amb, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Hhonor Gold
Posts: 2,208
Source: ChannelNewsAsia

From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.

In an email to its cabbies, the taxi operator said it was informed by Visa that it can no longer charge an administrative fee.

Those who use credit and debit cards now pay 10 per cent extra, excluding goods and services tax. This, however, is a breach of contract terms, said Visa, which issued an ultimatum to Singapore's largest taxi operator to stop the surcharge, saying it would pull out otherwise.
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Old Jul 10, 2013, 10:22 am
  #1788  
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Join Date: May 2009
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Posts: 19,803
Originally Posted by hclee01
Source: ChannelNewsAsia

From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.
Same as HK. We had a cab company who tried taking Visa cards. The merchant bank provided it for free for the first year (2011) and even gave its cardholders who used those cabs 20% rebate. In January 2012, all the terminals have been torn out en masse.

We don't even get Octopus (EZ-Link). Well, I normally get those 85% taxis. It's a market economy.
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Old Jul 10, 2013, 11:03 am
  #1789  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Originally Posted by vsepr
But the 5% rebate for EZ-link and Grocery at CS/GIANT/MP/Jasons is very attractive. DBS Altitude VISA/AMEX do not have such rebates.
When earning 1.2/1.4/1.6 miles/$ I agree that the 5% rebate sounds enticing and would go for it in lieu of miles.

But when given the opportunity to rake in 4 miles/$ using Paywave or EZ-Link (reloaded using the UOB PPV or DBS Women's World MC) I think that the 4 miles ratio is too good to pass up and is better than the 5% rebate even.

Is there a reason why ANZ is not going online? It must be regulatory as I cannot see this being a technical issue, or am I missing something here?
aster is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 4:53 pm
  #1790  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SQ QPP1, HYATT DIA, SPG GOLD, HH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 656
Originally Posted by hclee01
Source: ChannelNewsAsia

From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.

In an email to its cabbies, the taxi operator said it was informed by Visa that it can no longer charge an administrative fee.

Those who use credit and debit cards now pay 10 per cent extra, excluding goods and services tax. This, however, is a breach of contract terms, said Visa, which issued an ultimatum to Singapore's largest taxi operator to stop the surcharge, saying it would pull out otherwise.
I saw this on a Comfort taxi yesterday morning and actually asked the driver about it. The driver said that the admin fee is used by Comfort to invest in the infrastructure that allows paying by CC.

I also find that other taxi operators are reluctant/simply do not accept CC payment.
MilesBuzz is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 4:57 pm
  #1791  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SQ QPP1, HYATT DIA, SPG GOLD, HH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 656
Originally Posted by aster
When earning 1.2/1.4/1.6 miles/$ I agree that the 5% rebate sounds enticing and would go for it in lieu of miles.

But when given the opportunity to rake in 4 miles/$ using Paywave or EZ-Link (reloaded using the UOB PPV or DBS Women's World MC) I think that the 4 miles ratio is too good to pass up and is better than the 5% rebate even.

Is there a reason why ANZ is not going online? It must be regulatory as I cannot see this being a technical issue, or am I missing something here?
I am still insisting not to apply for the ANZ Travel Card Too many cards for my wallet to take :P

Just got my DBS Altitude Visa approved (my first approved CC in SIN...yeay!), while the UOB PRVI and Preferred Platinium got stalled (application cannot be processed pending some documents). I called up the UOB hotline to enquire abt this issue on Tuesday and they promised to call back by the same day. Until now, I have yet to receive any calls.

As for the Krisflyer Ascend, they are also still processing it and will inform me by today. I was actually expecting to receive it before my trip tomorrow
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Old Jul 10, 2013, 5:01 pm
  #1792  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SQ QPP1, HYATT DIA, SPG GOLD, HH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 656
Originally Posted by percysmith
Same as HK. We had a cab company who tried taking Visa cards. The merchant bank provided it for free for the first year (2011) and even gave its cardholders who used those cabs 20% rebate. In January 2012, all the terminals have been torn out en masse.

We don't even get Octopus (EZ-Link). Well, I normally get those 85% taxis. It's a market economy.
Honestly, I didn't even bother using cards to pay for taxis while I was still in HKG and hardly see anyone with the device. Similarly, too many of my rides had been on those discounted taxis (15% off the meter reading) or short-distance rides (below HK$50).
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Old Jul 10, 2013, 5:06 pm
  #1793  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Posts: 656
Originally Posted by aster
You still can't check the ANZ card online, right?

Depending on the spend, the DBS Altitude Visa might also be a better option than the ANZ card. For the first 2k$ spend you earn 1.2 miles, but after that it shoots up to 1.6. So if you spend a lot, then this is quite a good card to use (better acceptability than AMEX and DBS converts in a more beneficial way - not for every $5 chunk as UOB does).
I guess each card has its own pros and cons as rightfully mentioned in the first page. The biggest cons for the ANZ Travel Card is as what you mentioned....the inability to check statements/transactions online. You have to wait monthly for it.

In addition, given that I will travel to Indonesia quite often since I am now based in SIN, the Visa card is more acceptable for use at restaurants and retails there (and here in SIN too). The same reason why I had to use my Citibank PM (HKG-card) while in Jakarta last weekend and also in some small retails shops in Singapore yesterday.
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Old Jul 10, 2013, 5:12 pm
  #1794  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SQ QPP1, HYATT DIA, SPG GOLD, HH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 656
Originally Posted by luv_flying
I always follow vsepr advice. Won't go wrong Having said that, I do use Citibank PM for the fact that they do give 2X miles for overseas spend and not to forget their wide range of FFP for transfer of points.
I will still apply for the Citibank PM (SIN-based, possibly to replace my HKG card sometime in the near future if I cancel it). It's arguably not the best card in terms of miles accrual, but its an all-rounder that will come in handy sometimes. For example: I can only pay my Insurance premium in HKG using non-AE and Unionpay card. So, I use the Citibank PM card (one of the only 2 of those cards I have...the other one is the infamous Shacom Visa that I will ultimately cancel, having settled my last utility bills before I moved to SIN) for those charges and the earn rate is not too shabby. Plus, it's now only among the rare cards in HKG that you can transfer the pts to KF. Likewise, in SIN, the mileage accrual to non-KF programs is always welcomed
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Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:19 pm
  #1795  
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Originally Posted by MilesBuzz
As for the Krisflyer Ascend, they are also still processing it and will inform me by today. I was actually expecting to receive it before my trip tomorrow
Any reason you went for this card? The official KrisFlyer cards have always been tremendously disappointing when running the numbers and planning on using them in the long run. It seems they are only good for raking in the bonuses and then ditching the card altogether...
aster is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:20 pm
  #1796  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Originally Posted by lokijuh
Or, noting the OP's status, BA Avios.
Citi PM card miles can be credited to Avios? Would this all be at a rate that is worthwhile or just as an additional (but not very effective) option?
aster is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:44 pm
  #1797  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: QF LTG, SQ EGTP, Bonvoy LTG
Posts: 4,847
Originally Posted by aster
Citi PM card miles can be credited to Avios? Would this all be at a rate that is worthwhile or just as an additional (but not very effective) option?
Yes, relatively new, and not well publicised. But it is 1:1. SIN-SYD in Y/J is 20K/40K Avios (on QF or BA) vs 21K/47K using KF miles. So it can be worthwhile.
lokijuh is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2013, 8:49 pm
  #1798  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,820
Originally Posted by lokijuh
Yes, relatively new, and not well publicised. But it is 1:1. SIN-SYD in Y/J is 20K/40K Avios (on QF or BA) vs 21K/47K using KF miles. So it can be worthwhile.
I think it's been there since 2008 when I first signed up for the card (If I remember correctly).

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Old Jul 10, 2013, 10:18 pm
  #1799  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SQ QPP1, HYATT DIA, SPG GOLD, HH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 656
Originally Posted by aster
Any reason you went for this card? The official KrisFlyer cards have always been tremendously disappointing when running the numbers and planning on using them in the long run. It seems they are only good for raking in the bonuses and then ditching the card altogether...
Just to get the bonuses and I have a large SQ purchase coming up
MilesBuzz is offline  
Old Jul 11, 2013, 3:59 am
  #1800  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 1,799
Avios on Citi PM is newly added, in 2012 IIRC.
Awesom Andy is offline  


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