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
============
The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread
Apr 16, 2015, 11:12 pm
#4081
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Singapore
Programs: BAEC Gold, Le Club Platinum, Hilton HHonors Gold, M&C Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 561
The value increases as the taxes/fees portion of the ticket becomes smaller relative to the overall price. Hence Business/First/Suites Long-Haul are the best value. Generally I get between 4 and 6 cents value for each mile. If I am earning more than 1 mile per $ then for me I'll get better value overall from miles than from a cashback card.
Apr 16, 2015, 11:35 pm
#4082
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Krisflyer
Posts: 46
What percentage of cashback would make it worth it for you, say if we use Singapore Airlines business class flights from Singapore to London as a benchmark?
Apr 17, 2015, 1:28 am
#4083
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: 7,741
I'm confused... UOB PRVI Miles gives the highest miles per S$, but there seems to be negative feedback on this thread.
So is it worth getting a UOB PRVI Miles card, or should you stick with DBS Altitude?
And is the Mastercard PRVI Miles supposed to be the best miles card since it's not an Amex?
So is it worth getting a UOB PRVI Miles card, or should you stick with DBS Altitude?
And is the Mastercard PRVI Miles supposed to be the best miles card since it's not an Amex?
Someone commented that UOB Amex still gives credit for Ezlink top-up so if you got that one just go ahead.
Apr 17, 2015, 1:34 am
#4084
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: 7,741
Question about DBS Altitude cards...
Should I spend S$800 on the Altitude Visa to get the 12,000 promo miles (plus 2,000 for getting the card via online banking) or just not use the Altitude Visa? There is a S$42.80 annual charge to convert miles so it will be a bit expensive for such a small miles bonus.
I can spend the S$800 on my existing Altitude Amex and just redeem the miles in one go before I cut the lousy DBS card and apply for new cards.
S$800 at 1.6 miles from the UOB PRVI Miles is only 1,280 miles, so does the math support spending S$800 on the DBS Altitude Visa then stop using the card?
Should I spend S$800 on the Altitude Visa to get the 12,000 promo miles (plus 2,000 for getting the card via online banking) or just not use the Altitude Visa? There is a S$42.80 annual charge to convert miles so it will be a bit expensive for such a small miles bonus.
I can spend the S$800 on my existing Altitude Amex and just redeem the miles in one go before I cut the lousy DBS card and apply for new cards.
S$800 at 1.6 miles from the UOB PRVI Miles is only 1,280 miles, so does the math support spending S$800 on the DBS Altitude Visa then stop using the card?
With this promo I would sign up for DBS Altitude Visa in heartbeat if I didn't have it already.
Last edited by demue; Apr 17, 2015 at 1:40 am
Apr 17, 2015, 1:58 am
#4085
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: HH Diamond, GHA Titanium
Posts: 1,961
Example, I just redeemed 102k miles for 2x one-way Suites to Tokyo (List price fare is $4830x2 = $9,660). Assuming Citi 1.2miles per $, I spent $85k and got flights worth $9,660, representing 11.3% "cash back."
But wait, you say, how can you consider the award flights at full value? You should, at most, value them at (insert arbitrary value here) because (insert any variety of reasons here). And you wouldn't be wrong. Maybe you would value those flights at $1,000 each, so you'd only be getting 2.4% of value back which totally sucks compared to 5% cash back.
Apr 17, 2015, 3:23 am
#4086
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SIN
Programs: Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
Posts: 184
The same itinerary bought with cash would cost 7,416.90 SGD (for travel in Aug 2015).
In this case, 136,000 KF miles offset 6,550 SGD of airfare or one mile offsets 4.8 SGD cents of airfare.
Let's assume that I earn all my miles through UOB Preferred Platinum Visa on transactions which earn 10X UNI$ per dollar spent (= 4 KF miles per dollar).
If I value the flights at its actual cost, I am getting back at least 19.2% return per dollar spent (4*4.8), almost 4 times the 5% cash back offered by ANZ Optimum.
However, I am not willing to pay 7.4k SGD for a return business class flight to LHR. I am only willing to pay for the cheapest business class ticket available.
MH charges 3,765 SGD for a return J trip between SIN and LHR (via KUL) and I am willing to pay that amount. Using the same method of calculation, 136,000 KF miles offset 2,898 SGD of airfare or 1 KF mile offsets 2.1 SGD cents of airfare.
Using UOB Preferred Platinum Visa as the example again, my return would be 8.4% (2.1*4), still better than the 5% cash back offered by ANZ Optimum.
Ultimately, as shuigao pointed out, if one's valuation for J redemption is only 1,000 SGD, 5% cash back is a much better deal.
My valuation of the miles is similar to AddictedTraveller; I will probably look into rebates cards if they are offering >10% cash back (unlikely to happen).
Last edited by chongsss; Apr 17, 2015 at 3:42 am
Apr 17, 2015, 3:32 am
#4087
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SIN
Programs: Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
Posts: 184
Could you critique my target list of credit cards?
1. UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard - default card for 8 miles/S$5 local and 12.5 miles/S$5 overseas spend
2. OCBC 365 - 6% cashback for weekend dining, 3% cashback for weekday dining, groceries and phone bill, minimum spend of S$600/month and maximum cashback of S$80/month (S$1,333/month of weekend dining)
3. ANZ Optimum World Mastercard - 5% cashback for selected category (travel, shopping or dining), 1% cashback for other spend
4. UOB Preferred Platinum Visa - 10 UNI$ or 40 miles/5S$ for online purchases and Visa payWave transactions
5. American Express Platinum - 50% off meals for two in certain restaurants in Singapore's city center
6. OCBC Arts - discounts from specific performances on Sistic (though the current list of covered shows is underwhelming)
I'm a single guy and my biggest regular spends are eating out and buying books. Next comes travel, then big one-time purchases (clothes, gadgets, etc.). I think the Wiki might need to be updated for the strong cash rebate credit cards available now, since a 5% cash rebate or a large discount on a purchase you would have made anyway beats even 10x promos of UOB Preferred Platinum Visa or Citi Rewards. (Too bad Standard Chartered's Manhattan card went down from 5% to 3% cashback.)
A large part of my one-time spending does not actually go to normal stores. I get most of my clothes tailored and buy a lot of things from eBay and smaller online merchants. Does anyone know how tailors, eBay and one-man online stores count for credit card rebates and other promos?
Is there any way to get credit card rebates or points from Paypal transactions?
Any tweaks you would make to this list? For example, would the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa be less useful if you plan to assign big purchases to a cash rebate credit card?
1. UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard - default card for 8 miles/S$5 local and 12.5 miles/S$5 overseas spend
2. OCBC 365 - 6% cashback for weekend dining, 3% cashback for weekday dining, groceries and phone bill, minimum spend of S$600/month and maximum cashback of S$80/month (S$1,333/month of weekend dining)
3. ANZ Optimum World Mastercard - 5% cashback for selected category (travel, shopping or dining), 1% cashback for other spend
4. UOB Preferred Platinum Visa - 10 UNI$ or 40 miles/5S$ for online purchases and Visa payWave transactions
5. American Express Platinum - 50% off meals for two in certain restaurants in Singapore's city center
6. OCBC Arts - discounts from specific performances on Sistic (though the current list of covered shows is underwhelming)
I'm a single guy and my biggest regular spends are eating out and buying books. Next comes travel, then big one-time purchases (clothes, gadgets, etc.). I think the Wiki might need to be updated for the strong cash rebate credit cards available now, since a 5% cash rebate or a large discount on a purchase you would have made anyway beats even 10x promos of UOB Preferred Platinum Visa or Citi Rewards. (Too bad Standard Chartered's Manhattan card went down from 5% to 3% cashback.)
A large part of my one-time spending does not actually go to normal stores. I get most of my clothes tailored and buy a lot of things from eBay and smaller online merchants. Does anyone know how tailors, eBay and one-man online stores count for credit card rebates and other promos?
Is there any way to get credit card rebates or points from Paypal transactions?
Any tweaks you would make to this list? For example, would the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa be less useful if you plan to assign big purchases to a cash rebate credit card?
Apr 17, 2015, 5:04 am
#4088
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
Apr 17, 2015, 8:33 am
#4089
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
I thought most cash rebates are capped, with fairly low caps. Have I missed any cashback cards with unlimited or very high cashback limits?
Apr 17, 2015, 9:27 am
#4090
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Hoboken, New Jersey
Programs: Hilton Diamond ANA Diamond
Posts: 27
UOB AE card is the best for KF miles?
UOB AE card is the best for KF miles?
Earn 2.5 KrisFlyer mile for every S$1 spent on all your purchases abroad
or is there any other better credit card for KF miles
I spend a lot of time in Australia
Earn 2.5 KrisFlyer mile for every S$1 spent on all your purchases abroad
or is there any other better credit card for KF miles
I spend a lot of time in Australia
Apr 17, 2015, 9:38 am
#4091
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Hoboken, New Jersey
Programs: Hilton Diamond ANA Diamond
Posts: 27
UOB Tragedy
*Please note that the rewards earn rate will be revised to 2.4 miles for
every $1 overseas spend and 1.4 miles for very $1 local spend,
effective from 15 May 2015.
is there a better card to earn KF miles? seems not?
every $1 overseas spend and 1.4 miles for very $1 local spend,
effective from 15 May 2015.
is there a better card to earn KF miles? seems not?
Apr 17, 2015, 11:58 am
#4092
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: SIA Solitaire PPS, IHG Royal Amb, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Hhonor Gold
Posts: 2,208
Please note that UOB will be revising the miles earning rates for both its PRIV Miles AMEX and PRIV Miles Mastercard wef 15 May 2015 as follows:
- 2.4 miles for every $1 overseas spend
- 1.4 miles for every $1 local spend
More details available at its websites:
UOB PRIV Miles Mastercard
UOB PRIV Miles AMEX Card
- 2.4 miles for every $1 overseas spend
- 1.4 miles for every $1 local spend
More details available at its websites:
UOB PRIV Miles Mastercard
UOB PRIV Miles AMEX Card
Apr 17, 2015, 5:13 pm
#4093
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
Please note that UOB will be revising the miles earning rates for both its PRIV Miles AMEX and PRIV Miles Mastercard wef 15 May 2015 as follows:
- 2.4 miles for every $1 overseas spend
- 1.4 miles for every $1 local spend
More details available at its websites:
UOB PRIV Miles Mastercard
UOB PRIV Miles AMEX Card
- 2.4 miles for every $1 overseas spend
- 1.4 miles for every $1 local spend
More details available at its websites:
UOB PRIV Miles Mastercard
UOB PRIV Miles AMEX Card
If it is, this is typical UOB bait-and-switch...
Apr 17, 2015, 6:02 pm
#4094
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 819
OMG!! That's bad news!!
ANZ Travel Card is still better than UOB PRVI Miles because there is S$5 rounding off and 3.5xUNI$ rounding off!!
If you charge S$5, ANZ gives you 7 miles, but UOB PRVI gives you 6 miles!!
PRVI Miles is only good for overseas transactions wef 15 May 2015!!
Now let's see when UOB will change the earning rate for 10x UNI$ with Preferred Platinum AMEX and Preferred Platinum VISA!!
ANZ Travel Card is still better than UOB PRVI Miles because there is S$5 rounding off and 3.5xUNI$ rounding off!!
If you charge S$5, ANZ gives you 7 miles, but UOB PRVI gives you 6 miles!!
PRVI Miles is only good for overseas transactions wef 15 May 2015!!
Now let's see when UOB will change the earning rate for 10x UNI$ with Preferred Platinum AMEX and Preferred Platinum VISA!!
Apr 17, 2015, 9:05 pm
#4095
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
Stop tempting fate!! I sure hope they stop these 'enhancements' because, certainly for PPV, the 10X UNI$ for online and paywave has been enhanced away with the cap imposition since last year.