Oct 31, 2014, 6:05 am
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):
============
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
============
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)***
============
In no particular order (apart from personal preference in terms of good-mileage opportunities):
============
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
Apr 4, 2011, 2:35 am
#181
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
JUst my two cents worth on an sometimes overlooked factor. I had to do dispute resolutions with both Amex (KF Gold) and Visa (Citibank Plat) and Mastercard (German LH M&M version) I can only tell you that both Visa and Mastercard are very poor in my view how they handle such disputes.
Amex credits back the amount, contacts the vendor, discusses the issue raised with the charge and overall supports you as a card holder quite well. Visa and MC ask for tons of paperwork, do nothing for weeks and come back saying they can't do anything and that one should take legal (civil court) action. Utter rubbish. This may sound like something not important but it really pays when it happens and is needed.
That's why I stick to KF Amex Gold and Citi Visa Plat combo. Yes not the most optimal version but I don't want too may cards and I really appreciate Amex service which has come through 3 times now on disputes.
Amex credits back the amount, contacts the vendor, discusses the issue raised with the charge and overall supports you as a card holder quite well. Visa and MC ask for tons of paperwork, do nothing for weeks and come back saying they can't do anything and that one should take legal (civil court) action. Utter rubbish. This may sound like something not important but it really pays when it happens and is needed.
That's why I stick to KF Amex Gold and Citi Visa Plat combo. Yes not the most optimal version but I don't want too may cards and I really appreciate Amex service which has come through 3 times now on disputes.
Also anecdotally Amex has sided with the customer, at least in the US. Dunno whether this applies 100% to Asia.
Though there was one instance where I recommend using Visa over Amex - signing up for long-term fitness contracts (or any long-term service contracts). Visa allows for chargeback as late as 540 days after purchase, Amex 180 days http://www.hongkongcard.com/forum/fo...ow.php?id=4983
We in HK found an exception to this.
Apr 4, 2011, 10:54 pm
#182
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Fair enough. No Fitness Club memberships for me, I'm cheap and use the one in my condo 
. Both my Amex and Visa are SIN issued CCs. The disputes where done here in SIN. One with local vendor, one with US vendor, one with a UK vendor.
Either way, plenty of info in this thread for anyone to find a card for their individual purposes and needs.
. Both my Amex and Visa are SIN issued CCs. The disputes where done here in SIN. One with local vendor, one with US vendor, one with a UK vendor.Either way, plenty of info in this thread for anyone to find a card for their individual purposes and needs.
Apr 5, 2011, 2:58 am
#183
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 819
In Singapore you'll find that tons of advertising is misleading.
In a general sense, the best card right now is still the DBS Altitude Amex.
Of course there are "speciality cards" that earn more in certain cases, like the Citi Platinum card for supermarket/department store spend, or the Maybank one for overseas spend.
So of course the ideal way is to have several cards, but if you only want to focus on one then I'd get the Altitude Amex.
In a general sense, the best card right now is still the DBS Altitude Amex.
Of course there are "speciality cards" that earn more in certain cases, like the Citi Platinum card for supermarket/department store spend, or the Maybank one for overseas spend.
So of course the ideal way is to have several cards, but if you only want to focus on one then I'd get the Altitude Amex.
Transfer to KrisFlyer/Asia Miles in blocks of 2,000 miles, not flexible. If you need small number of miles, you need to spend a lot more and waste $$. eg: if you are just short of 1234 miles to do a redemption of air tickets, you waste the balance 766miles. Citibank is better, transfer in ANY amount greater than 500miles, eg: 4366miles. Also, annual transfer fee of S$42.80 applies, although unlimited transfers, compared to Citibank's S$25 per transfer.
Bad side of AMEX KrisFlyer Gold:
Need minimum spending of S$12k a year to get the rate lower to $0.80 per mile (bonus 50% + 50%), usual is $1.60 per mile. And the worst part is: they make you wait till February the following year to get the bonus miles part. What if you need to use the miles urgently? Annual admin fee of $60 applies, annual fee $50 is waivable. Citibank's Premiermiles card is better. Awards $0.83 per mile instantly WITHOUT minimum spending. S$25 per transfer. Annual fee of S$192.60 if waivable if you do not want the 10,000 bonus miles.
3 MUST HAVE CITIBANK CARDS IN SINGAPORE!
1. Citi Platinum Visa/MasterCard: 5x rewards at departmental stores and supermarkets.
Every $1 spent get 5 Citidollars = 2 miles, ie: $1 spent = 2 miles, compared to Citi Premiermiles: $1 = 1.2 miles
Citibank 5X Rewards Merchants
Department Stores (Note: Citi Rewards Card awards 10x points)
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
Supermarkets/Hypermarket
Carrefour . Cold Storage . Giant . Market Place . NTUC Fair Price . Shop N Save . Singapore Meidi-Ya. Sheng Siong
2. Citi Clear Platinum Card:
5X Rewards at:
Nightspots - Zouk, Butter Factory, Wala Wala Café Bar, Helipad, Timbre, Brewerkz, St James Power Station and more
• Cinemas - Cathay, Golden Village, Shaw, Eng Wah and more
• Cafes - Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ®, TCC, Spinelli, Coffee Club and more
• Book Stores - Borders, Kinokuniya, MPH, Times, POPULAR Bookshop and more
• Music Stores - Gramaphone, That CD Shop, HMV and more
3. Citi Rewards Card: Enjoy rewards X10 (S$ 1 spend = Citi$ 10) whenever you shop for shoes, bags or clothing (Eg: BATA, Giordano, Hang Ten, World of Sports etc) or at department stores, locally & overseas. S$1 spent = 4 miles!
Department Stores
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
Note: UOB Preferred Platinum American Express® Card also earn 10x points for every S$5 spent at any department store or any retail store worldwide that sells clothes, shoes, or bags as its main business activity. But it awards points for every S$5 spent. If you spend S$9.99, you will lose out the points for the balance S$4.99 part & miles are transferred in blocks of 10,000 miles, S$20 admin fee per transfer.
Can combine Citidollars from Clear Platinum, Platinum Visa/Mastercard & Citi Rewards Card and transfer them to Frequent Flyer programs so that you pay the S$25 admin fee once, by calling Citibank at 6225 5225. Quote Clause 3.7 in the Terms & Conditions. Transfer in any amount greater than 500 miles, eg: 1234 miles. Every 5 Citidollars = 2 miles, eg: 3085 Citidollars = 1234 miles, hence more flexible than transferring in blocks of 500/1,000/2,000/10,000 miles.
Last edited by vsepr; Apr 5, 2011 at 3:06 am
Apr 5, 2011, 3:43 am
#184
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: SPG Gold, SQ Blue, OZ Diamond, JAVA and occasionally C
Posts: 5,563
Yes. I've topped up $200 so far and have concentrated all grocery spends at 7elevens and cold storage. That means that I've earned 800 miles so far! Cheapest method of earning miles I've ever encountered, got to milk it while it lasts.
Apr 5, 2011, 11:06 am
#185
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: *A Gold
Posts: 140
JUst my two cents worth on an sometimes overlooked factor. I had to do dispute resolutions with both Amex (KF Gold) and Visa (Citibank Plat) and Mastercard (German LH M&M version) I can only tell you that both Visa and Mastercard are very poor in my view how they handle such disputes.
Amex credits back the amount, contacts the vendor, discusses the issue raised with the charge and overall supports you as a card holder quite well. Visa and MC ask for tons of paperwork, do nothing for weeks and come back saying they can't do anything and that one should take legal (civil court) action. Utter rubbish. This may sound like something not important but it really pays when it happens and is needed.
That's why I stick to KF Amex Gold and Citi Visa Plat combo. Yes not the most optimal version but I don't want too may cards and I really appreciate Amex service which has come through 3 times now on disputes.
Amex credits back the amount, contacts the vendor, discusses the issue raised with the charge and overall supports you as a card holder quite well. Visa and MC ask for tons of paperwork, do nothing for weeks and come back saying they can't do anything and that one should take legal (civil court) action. Utter rubbish. This may sound like something not important but it really pays when it happens and is needed.
That's why I stick to KF Amex Gold and Citi Visa Plat combo. Yes not the most optimal version but I don't want too may cards and I really appreciate Amex service which has come through 3 times now on disputes.
Apr 6, 2011, 12:48 am
#188
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 819
AMEX does not award points for EZ-link top-ups
Refer to point 4.1:
https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p....shtml?page=CM
No points accrue in the respect of:
a. Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date.
b. Express Cash and other cash services.
c. American Express Travellers Cheque purchases.
d. Charges for dishonoured cheques.
e. Finance charges – including charges and Card interest charges.
f. Late payment and collection charges.
g. Tax refunds from overseas purchases.
h. Balance Transfer.
i. Annual Card fees and Membership Rewards fees.
j. Pay portion billed for a “Pay + Points” reward, where the Cardmember uses Points along with paying a specific amount to redeem the reward.
k. Amount billed for purchase of Membership Rewards points to top-up your points balance.
l. Purchase and top-up charges for EZ-Link cards
https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p....shtml?page=CM
No points accrue in the respect of:
a. Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date.
b. Express Cash and other cash services.
c. American Express Travellers Cheque purchases.
d. Charges for dishonoured cheques.
e. Finance charges – including charges and Card interest charges.
f. Late payment and collection charges.
g. Tax refunds from overseas purchases.
h. Balance Transfer.
i. Annual Card fees and Membership Rewards fees.
j. Pay portion billed for a “Pay + Points” reward, where the Cardmember uses Points along with paying a specific amount to redeem the reward.
k. Amount billed for purchase of Membership Rewards points to top-up your points balance.
l. Purchase and top-up charges for EZ-Link cards
Apr 6, 2011, 1:47 am
#189
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Refer to point 4.1:
https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p....shtml?page=CM
No points accrue in the respect of:
a. Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date.
b. Express Cash and other cash services.
c. American Express Travellers Cheque purchases.
d. Charges for dishonoured cheques.
e. Finance charges – including charges and Card interest charges.
f. Late payment and collection charges.
g. Tax refunds from overseas purchases.
h. Balance Transfer.
i. Annual Card fees and Membership Rewards fees.
j. Pay portion billed for a “Pay + Points” reward, where the Cardmember uses Points along with paying a specific amount to redeem the reward.
k. Amount billed for purchase of Membership Rewards points to top-up your points balance.
l. Purchase and top-up charges for EZ-Link cards
https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p....shtml?page=CM
No points accrue in the respect of:
a. Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date.
b. Express Cash and other cash services.
c. American Express Travellers Cheque purchases.
d. Charges for dishonoured cheques.
e. Finance charges – including charges and Card interest charges.
f. Late payment and collection charges.
g. Tax refunds from overseas purchases.
h. Balance Transfer.
i. Annual Card fees and Membership Rewards fees.
j. Pay portion billed for a “Pay + Points” reward, where the Cardmember uses Points along with paying a specific amount to redeem the reward.
k. Amount billed for purchase of Membership Rewards points to top-up your points balance.
l. Purchase and top-up charges for EZ-Link cards
Best card for miles (KF or AM) is SCB Priority Banking Visa Infinite over here (HK$7.5 (S$1.25)/mile).
Last edited by percysmith; Apr 6, 2011 at 2:03 am
Apr 6, 2011, 1:57 am
#190
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Refer to point 4.1:
https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p....shtml?page=CM
No points accrue in the respect of:
a. Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date.
b. Express Cash and other cash services.
c. American Express Travellers Cheque purchases.
d. Charges for dishonoured cheques.
e. Finance charges – including charges and Card interest charges.
f. Late payment and collection charges.
g. Tax refunds from overseas purchases.
h. Balance Transfer.
i. Annual Card fees and Membership Rewards fees.
j. Pay portion billed for a “Pay + Points” reward, where the Cardmember uses Points along with paying a specific amount to redeem the reward.
k. Amount billed for purchase of Membership Rewards points to top-up your points balance.
l. Purchase and top-up charges for EZ-Link cards
https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p....shtml?page=CM
No points accrue in the respect of:
a. Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date.
b. Express Cash and other cash services.
c. American Express Travellers Cheque purchases.
d. Charges for dishonoured cheques.
e. Finance charges – including charges and Card interest charges.
f. Late payment and collection charges.
g. Tax refunds from overseas purchases.
h. Balance Transfer.
i. Annual Card fees and Membership Rewards fees.
j. Pay portion billed for a “Pay + Points” reward, where the Cardmember uses Points along with paying a specific amount to redeem the reward.
k. Amount billed for purchase of Membership Rewards points to top-up your points balance.
l. Purchase and top-up charges for EZ-Link cards
Does that mean that EZ Link now accept Amex? Until very recently they only accpeted locally issued Visa and MC.
Apr 6, 2011, 2:00 am
#191
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
Bad side of DBS Altitude AMEX:
1. Citi Platinum Visa/MasterCard: 5x rewards at departmental stores and supermarkets.
Every $1 spent get 5 Citidollars = 2 miles, ie: $1 spent = 2 miles, compared to Citi Premiermiles: $1 = 1.2 miles
Citibank 5X Rewards Merchants
Department Stores (Note: Citi Rewards Card awards 10x points)
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
Supermarkets/Hypermarket
Carrefour . Cold Storage . Giant . Market Place . NTUC Fair Price . Shop N Save . Singapore Meidi-Ya. Sheng Siong
2. Citi Clear Platinum Card:
5X Rewards at:
Nightspots - Zouk, Butter Factory, Wala Wala Café Bar, Helipad, Timbre, Brewerkz, St James Power Station and more
• Cinemas - Cathay, Golden Village, Shaw, Eng Wah and more
• Cafes - Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ®, TCC, Spinelli, Coffee Club and more
• Book Stores - Borders, Kinokuniya, MPH, Times, POPULAR Bookshop and more
• Music Stores - Gramaphone, That CD Shop, HMV and more
3. Citi Rewards Card: Enjoy rewards X10 (S$ 1 spend = Citi$ 10) whenever you shop for shoes, bags or clothing (Eg: BATA, Giordano, Hang Ten, World of Sports etc) or at department stores, locally & overseas. S$1 spent = 4 miles!
1. Citi Platinum Visa/MasterCard: 5x rewards at departmental stores and supermarkets.
Every $1 spent get 5 Citidollars = 2 miles, ie: $1 spent = 2 miles, compared to Citi Premiermiles: $1 = 1.2 miles
Citibank 5X Rewards Merchants
Department Stores (Note: Citi Rewards Card awards 10x points)
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
Supermarkets/Hypermarket
Carrefour . Cold Storage . Giant . Market Place . NTUC Fair Price . Shop N Save . Singapore Meidi-Ya. Sheng Siong
2. Citi Clear Platinum Card:
5X Rewards at:
Nightspots - Zouk, Butter Factory, Wala Wala Café Bar, Helipad, Timbre, Brewerkz, St James Power Station and more
• Cinemas - Cathay, Golden Village, Shaw, Eng Wah and more
• Cafes - Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf ®, TCC, Spinelli, Coffee Club and more
• Book Stores - Borders, Kinokuniya, MPH, Times, POPULAR Bookshop and more
• Music Stores - Gramaphone, That CD Shop, HMV and more
3. Citi Rewards Card: Enjoy rewards X10 (S$ 1 spend = Citi$ 10) whenever you shop for shoes, bags or clothing (Eg: BATA, Giordano, Hang Ten, World of Sports etc) or at department stores, locally & overseas. S$1 spent = 4 miles!
Our Premiermiles is HK$8 (S$1.33)/mile. Singapore deal is better.
Citibank SG Platinum is comparable to our Citibank HK Rewards - dept stores, supermarket and telecom bill payment 5X. Your S$1 = 2 miles is almost equivalent to our HK$3=1 mile for that kind of spending. Ours is capped at $12,500 spending/month though, hope there're no such silly caps in SG.
We don't have anything looking like your Clear or Rewards. Pity. On the whole I find the Singapore card offers better than HK.
Will be coming over for Easter but with HK cards - still, earning 6X on our SCB HK AE spending in S$ (S$0.42/mile) isn't bad. In fact for these two months I've got 7.5X (S$0.33/mile) on card-present overseas spending!
Apr 6, 2011, 2:14 am
#192
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 819
More info here:
http://www.ezlink.com.sg/top-up/ez-reload-app-card.php
Apr 6, 2011, 8:43 am
#193
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SIN
Programs: KrisFlyer, Asia Miles
Posts: 60
Avoid Citi Rewards card
[QUOTE=vsepr;16162376]3. Citi Rewards Card: Enjoy rewards X10 (S$ 1 spend = Citi$ 10) whenever you shop for shoes, bags or clothing (Eg: BATA, Giordano, Hang Ten, World of Sports etc) or at department stores, locally & overseas. S$1 spent = 4 miles!
Department Stores
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
A word of caution about the Citi Rewards card. Citi says 10X rewards for shopping. I did just that recently in London shopping at Marks & Spencer. When the credit card bill came through, I found that I had earned only the base rate of 1X rewards. When I called the hotline, I was told that Citi's system had tagged Marks & Spencer as a supermarket (!) and hence I was not eligible for the 10X rewards. The inconsistency is that M&S in Singapore qualifies for 10X rewards.
In view of this, I intend to just use my Maybank Horizon card in future. 5X rewards for ALL overseas spend. I may earn fewer miles but at least I know I will be getting the miles I deserve. None of this roulette playing with the Citi Rewards card.
Department Stores
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
A word of caution about the Citi Rewards card. Citi says 10X rewards for shopping. I did just that recently in London shopping at Marks & Spencer. When the credit card bill came through, I found that I had earned only the base rate of 1X rewards. When I called the hotline, I was told that Citi's system had tagged Marks & Spencer as a supermarket (!) and hence I was not eligible for the 10X rewards. The inconsistency is that M&S in Singapore qualifies for 10X rewards.
In view of this, I intend to just use my Maybank Horizon card in future. 5X rewards for ALL overseas spend. I may earn fewer miles but at least I know I will be getting the miles I deserve. None of this roulette playing with the Citi Rewards card.
Apr 6, 2011, 11:27 am
#194
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: *A Gold
Posts: 140
[QUOTE=chrispstan;16170175]
I am currently in a fight with Citi on something similar. Will update once it is resolved. Being nice to the CSO helps.
3. Citi Rewards Card: Enjoy rewards X10 (S$ 1 spend = Citi$ 10) whenever you shop for shoes, bags or clothing (Eg: BATA, Giordano, Hang Ten, World of Sports etc) or at department stores, locally & overseas. S$1 spent = 4 miles!
Department Stores
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
A word of caution about the Citi Rewards card. Citi says 10X rewards for shopping. I did just that recently in London shopping at Marks & Spencer. When the credit card bill came through, I found that I had earned only the base rate of 1X rewards. When I called the hotline, I was told that Citi's system had tagged Marks & Spencer as a supermarket (!) and hence I was not eligible for the 10X rewards. The inconsistency is that M&S in Singapore qualifies for 10X rewards.
In view of this, I intend to just use my Maybank Horizon card in future. 5X rewards for ALL overseas spend. I may earn fewer miles but at least I know I will be getting the miles I deserve. None of this roulette playing with the Citi Rewards card.
Department Stores
Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store.
A word of caution about the Citi Rewards card. Citi says 10X rewards for shopping. I did just that recently in London shopping at Marks & Spencer. When the credit card bill came through, I found that I had earned only the base rate of 1X rewards. When I called the hotline, I was told that Citi's system had tagged Marks & Spencer as a supermarket (!) and hence I was not eligible for the 10X rewards. The inconsistency is that M&S in Singapore qualifies for 10X rewards.
In view of this, I intend to just use my Maybank Horizon card in future. 5X rewards for ALL overseas spend. I may earn fewer miles but at least I know I will be getting the miles I deserve. None of this roulette playing with the Citi Rewards card.
Apr 15, 2011, 8:02 am
#195
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: *A Gold
Posts: 140
[QUOTE=aacreative;16171248]
Resolved with Citi. They agreed to give me points after I threatened to write to the ST.
Will never use that crap card again. It is a crapshoot whether your spend is eligible for 10x rewards.
Will never use that crap card again. It is a crapshoot whether your spend is eligible for 10x rewards.