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)***
============
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$25 will be charged
10. UOB Lady's Card
https://www.uob.com.sg/personal/card...ard/index.page
============
The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread
Apr 25, 2010, 2:52 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: SIN
Programs: Marriott/SPG Platinum, KF Gold
Posts: 85
Great thread, Aster!
Please change Citi PremierMiles Visa mileage accrual to "1 mile for .83 cents" to make it easy to compare with the way you have listed other credit cards accrual rates.
Also, may be useful to add details about how points expire. I know that the DBS Treasures Black Amex card points expire on a particular date every year, so you are supposed to transfer before that date, including the miles earned in the last month before the expiry date, even though you may not even know how much you have earned in that last month by the time the deadline come!. Luckily, they normally give you one month grace to move the points to airline frequent flyer miles
By the way, I have found this card, with double points for overseas spend (1 mile for S$ 0.42 = US$0.30 cent spend one of the best ways to accrue Krisflyer miles, inspite of teh FX charge that AMEX will add to foreing spend
Please change Citi PremierMiles Visa mileage accrual to "1 mile for .83 cents" to make it easy to compare with the way you have listed other credit cards accrual rates.
Also, may be useful to add details about how points expire. I know that the DBS Treasures Black Amex card points expire on a particular date every year, so you are supposed to transfer before that date, including the miles earned in the last month before the expiry date, even though you may not even know how much you have earned in that last month by the time the deadline come!. Luckily, they normally give you one month grace to move the points to airline frequent flyer miles
By the way, I have found this card, with double points for overseas spend (1 mile for S$ 0.42 = US$0.30 cent spend one of the best ways to accrue Krisflyer miles, inspite of teh FX charge that AMEX will add to foreing spend
Apr 25, 2010, 5:54 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Yeah, I thought they'd do that.
That's why I put the exact amount in parenthesis (1.2 miles for every $1). Same thing with the DBS Altitude AMEX, it's roughly 83 cents/mile but in parenthesis the exact wording is used: 6 miles for every $5 spent. They also round down, so if you spend $9.99 it's the same as spending $5 in terms of mileage accrual.
Or maybe I should do it the other way around and write: 1.2 miles for every $1 spent, rounded down to nearest dollar (approx. 1 mile for every $0.83)
That's why I put the exact amount in parenthesis (1.2 miles for every $1). Same thing with the DBS Altitude AMEX, it's roughly 83 cents/mile but in parenthesis the exact wording is used: 6 miles for every $5 spent. They also round down, so if you spend $9.99 it's the same as spending $5 in terms of mileage accrual.
Or maybe I should do it the other way around and write: 1.2 miles for every $1 spent, rounded down to nearest dollar (approx. 1 mile for every $0.83)
Last edited by aster; Apr 25, 2010 at 6:00 am
Apr 26, 2010, 12:52 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Updates:
- points/miles conversion fees added for ALL cards
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold AMEX added, including explanation of all the bonuses and example of max miles for ticket purchase
- as per SingaporeDon's request, Citi PremierMiles Visa mileage accrual now listed as: 1 mile for every $0.83 spent (every $1 gives 1.2 miles)
- notice in CAPS above card list about all values posted being in SGD
- points/miles conversion fees added for ALL cards
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold AMEX added, including explanation of all the bonuses and example of max miles for ticket purchase
- as per SingaporeDon's request, Citi PremierMiles Visa mileage accrual now listed as: 1 mile for every $0.83 spent (every $1 gives 1.2 miles)
- notice in CAPS above card list about all values posted being in SGD
Apr 26, 2010, 3:53 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: HAK / HFE / NYC / SIN / SZX
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Honors Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb, Marriott Platinum,SQ, DL, AA, Hyatt
Posts: 688
Thanks aster for spearheading this list. ^ It is not an easy task as almost every credit card issued in Singapore has the option to convert to KF miles. Some have rather complicated T&Cs.
Here are some suggestions to include:
1) In the Pro/Con, list those "forced" conversion of points to miles (ie KF Amex Gold every month auto convert/tranf to KF account thus miles will expire in 3yrs, etc)
2) List the minimum "block" of points to convert from points to miles (ie UOB minimun is UNI$5,000, etc)
3) Promotions <this will need to be updated (and archived for future reference ??> (ie UOB Privi Amex just started a 10x UNI$ for 3 months, etc)
Btw, MayBank has a maximum 999,999 Points to be held in the account at any one time. Which means, if your account has a balance of 999,999 points, all future transactions would not earn any more points. Remedy is to transfer out the points.
Also, to include UOB Privi Amex credit card. This is rather complicated with their annual bonuses as well as loyalty bonuses (10% every year to a max of 40%)
Good luck! :-:
Here are some suggestions to include:
1) In the Pro/Con, list those "forced" conversion of points to miles (ie KF Amex Gold every month auto convert/tranf to KF account thus miles will expire in 3yrs, etc)
2) List the minimum "block" of points to convert from points to miles (ie UOB minimun is UNI$5,000, etc)
3) Promotions <this will need to be updated (and archived for future reference ??> (ie UOB Privi Amex just started a 10x UNI$ for 3 months, etc)
Btw, MayBank has a maximum 999,999 Points to be held in the account at any one time. Which means, if your account has a balance of 999,999 points, all future transactions would not earn any more points. Remedy is to transfer out the points.
Also, to include UOB Privi Amex credit card. This is rather complicated with their annual bonuses as well as loyalty bonuses (10% every year to a max of 40%)
Good luck! :-:
Apr 26, 2010, 8:50 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Thanks. ^ At first I was going to just include info that would be part of the decision-making process, where the amount of miles per $ spent is probably the #1 factor.
I even thought about ditching the card cost info as it isn't really a major factor, I mean whether the card costs $120 or $180... people are still going to go for the one that gives them the best rate of return in terms of mileage accrual.
As part of the "conversion cost" info I can add if forced conversions take place & the chunks in which points are converted.
I looked at the UOB card months ago but it seemed like a poor offer compared to the other cards out there. So far I've only added cards which are either the top ones in general or at least in a specific area, the sole exception being the official KrisFlyer one which does not appear to be better in any way.
I even thought about ditching the card cost info as it isn't really a major factor, I mean whether the card costs $120 or $180... people are still going to go for the one that gives them the best rate of return in terms of mileage accrual.
As part of the "conversion cost" info I can add if forced conversions take place & the chunks in which points are converted.
I looked at the UOB card months ago but it seemed like a poor offer compared to the other cards out there. So far I've only added cards which are either the top ones in general or at least in a specific area, the sole exception being the official KrisFlyer one which does not appear to be better in any way.
May 11, 2010, 5:19 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
UOB and OCBC are unfortunately still not in the mileage game in any serious way, so no cards being added from them.
DBS just improved it's offer for their Altitude AMEX card which is already one of the best CCs on the market:
http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/cards...s/default.aspx
:-: ^
DBS just improved it's offer for their Altitude AMEX card which is already one of the best CCs on the market:
http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/cards...s/default.aspx
:-: ^
May 11, 2010, 6:39 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 323
For the Australian market, here's the card I use:
http://info.westpac.com.au/singapore...mBenefits.aspx
It's a great card. When the first started it they had a double points promo on for the AMEX for the first several months, so 3 points per $1 AUD.
http://info.westpac.com.au/singapore...mBenefits.aspx
20,000 KrisFlyer miles received after your first purchase using either of your cards
On your Singapore Airlines Westpac American Express® Card, earn:
1.5 KrisFlyer miles for every $1 spent on purchases
On your Singapore Airlines Westpac Visa Card, earn:
1.5 KrisFlyer miles for every $1 spent on purchases with merchants located outside of Australia
1 KrisFlyer mile for every $1 spent on purchases with merchants located within Australia
$125 annual fee for the first year (usually $250)
On your Singapore Airlines Westpac American Express® Card, earn:
1.5 KrisFlyer miles for every $1 spent on purchases
On your Singapore Airlines Westpac Visa Card, earn:
1.5 KrisFlyer miles for every $1 spent on purchases with merchants located outside of Australia
1 KrisFlyer mile for every $1 spent on purchases with merchants located within Australia
$125 annual fee for the first year (usually $250)
May 11, 2010, 10:54 am
#24
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: QF LTG, SQ EGTP, Bonvoy LTG
Posts: 4,847
I'4. Citi Platinum Visa/MasterCard
Mileage accrual: 1 mile for every $0.50 spent (every $5 gives 5 Citi Dollars which equal 10 miles) at supermarkets (Carrefour . Cold Storage . Giant . Market Place . NTUC Fair Price . Shop N Save . Singapore Meidi-Ya) and department stores (Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store).
1 mile for every $2.50 spent elsewhere.
Requirements: min. income $30,000 ($60,000 for foreigners).
Cost: First year free, then $150 for main and $80 for supplementary. Annual fee waiver if you charge $15,000 or more per year, BUT applicable to main card only.
Miles conversion fee: $25 per conversion.
Pros: Great for shopping at supermarkets and department stores.
Cons: Great ONLY for shopping at supermarkets and department stores. Points might be allocated on every $5 spent, rounded down to next $5 (someone please confirm).
Mileage accrual: 1 mile for every $0.50 spent (every $5 gives 5 Citi Dollars which equal 10 miles) at supermarkets (Carrefour . Cold Storage . Giant . Market Place . NTUC Fair Price . Shop N Save . Singapore Meidi-Ya) and department stores (Tangs . Isetan . John Little . Marks & Spencer . Metro . OG . Robinsons . BHG . Takashimaya Department Store).
1 mile for every $2.50 spent elsewhere.
Requirements: min. income $30,000 ($60,000 for foreigners).
Cost: First year free, then $150 for main and $80 for supplementary. Annual fee waiver if you charge $15,000 or more per year, BUT applicable to main card only.
Miles conversion fee: $25 per conversion.
Pros: Great for shopping at supermarkets and department stores.
Cons: Great ONLY for shopping at supermarkets and department stores. Points might be allocated on every $5 spent, rounded down to next $5 (someone please confirm).
Big downside is lack of transparency around definition of nightspots and cafes (spend a night with colleagues at oosh bar, I put on my cc and came through at the paltry rate of 1 mile for $2.50, had I known that would have used my Premier Miles card)
May 27, 2010, 2:10 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Just thought I'd add a recent experience with DBS Altitude AMEX:
When you decide to convert your earned DBS points to miles (you can do so over the phone via the automated system) the general policy is that it will take up to 3 weeks to process the transfer.
I tried it and in my case it took... one day.
^
Also, points on the card no longer expire every year. The policy has changed this month and now the points will never expire as long as the card is maintained. ^
When you decide to convert your earned DBS points to miles (you can do so over the phone via the automated system) the general policy is that it will take up to 3 weeks to process the transfer.
I tried it and in my case it took... one day.
^Also, points on the card no longer expire every year. The policy has changed this month and now the points will never expire as long as the card is maintained. ^
May 27, 2010, 10:41 am
#26
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
Last edited by SingaporeDon; Jan 31, 2020 at 10:58 pm
May 27, 2010, 1:01 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
Any reason you have the Black card? I mean the Altitude one is way better for accruing miles as they now give 4x DBS points (8 miles) for every S$5 spent above S$1,000.
I looked at all the cards when choosing mine and the black one never stood out as attractive compared to Altitude AMEX.
I looked at all the cards when choosing mine and the black one never stood out as attractive compared to Altitude AMEX.
May 28, 2010, 7:26 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Sydney, NSW
Programs: QFF Gold, SQ Krisflyer
Posts: 299
For the Australian market, here's the card I use:
http://info.westpac.com.au/singapore...mBenefits.aspx
It's a great card. When the first started it they had a double points promo on for the AMEX for the first several months, so 3 points per $1 AUD.
http://info.westpac.com.au/singapore...mBenefits.aspx
It's a great card. When the first started it they had a double points promo on for the AMEX for the first several months, so 3 points per $1 AUD.
May 29, 2010, 10:10 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
Any reason you have the Black card? I mean the Altitude one is way better for accruing miles as they now give 4x DBS points (8 miles) for every S$5 spent above S$1,000.
I looked at all the cards when choosing mine and the black one never stood out as attractive compared to Altitude AMEX.
I looked at all the cards when choosing mine and the black one never stood out as attractive compared to Altitude AMEX.
I guess for local spend Altitude makes more sense, for overseas spend, the Black Amex is better.
Still cant find a good visa/mastercard for SQ Krisflyer accrual. The Citibank one looks like the best bet. May be I will get that and the Altitude card after the summer holidays.
Last edited by SingaporeDon; May 29, 2010 at 10:37 am
May 30, 2010, 3:27 am
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
DBS should allow you to have both Black and Altitude cards, which would be ideal for overseas vs local spend.
As for MC/Visa, it's Citibank all the way.
P.S. I'm surprised at how OCBC and UOB aren't offering a decent card for mileage accrual. Maybe one day...
As for MC/Visa, it's Citibank all the way.
P.S. I'm surprised at how OCBC and UOB aren't offering a decent card for mileage accrual. Maybe one day...