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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

2. UOB Preferred Platinum Visa


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


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

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

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

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

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

3. Citi PremierMiles MasterCard

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

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

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

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

4. DBS Altitude VISA/AMEX

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



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

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

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

5. Maybank Horizon Platinum Visa

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



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

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

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

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

6. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend AMEX

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



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

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

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

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

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

7. Citibank Rewards Card

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



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

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

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

8. DBS Woman's World MasterCard® Card

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



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

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

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

9. OCBC Titanium Rewards Card

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

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

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

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

============

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

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Old May 10, 2016, 1:17 am
  #5611  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,575
Received a text message today from UOB: "Contactless is now available for UOB PRVI Miles AMEX Card! Plus earn 2 miles on all contactless payments at all major supermarkets."

Maybe some smart bean counter has realised that since they switched the UNI$ earning from PPV to the dreadful SMART$ people have stopped using it at Cold Storage.

But I still don't get this new promo. Why would anyone switch to using the PRVI AMEX when PPV gives 4 miles at NTUC Fairprice?
carrotjuice is offline  
Old May 10, 2016, 1:17 am
  #5612  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
Originally Posted by pbl22
This will be unhelpful to you, but DBS was the only bank to originally give me a credit card. As previously mentioned, I am on an EP and HSBC is my transactional bank. UOB and ANZ repeatedly rejected me, as did others and I spent my first couple of months in Singapore using my foreign credit cards from my home country until I decided to apply to DBS.

I have given up trying to understand why these things happen or they don't, but it is certainly frustrating.
Thanks for the input. It really doesn't seem to make any sense. If an application is rejected neither due to credit history or supporting documents (i.e. identification or proof of income), what is then the reason?
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Old May 10, 2016, 1:30 am
  #5613  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SYD
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Posts: 1,421
Originally Posted by staff
If an application is rejected neither due to credit history or supporting documents (i.e. identification or proof of income), what is then the reason?
I wish I knew the answer.

But my rationale has become that if a bank doesn't want my credit card business, then I don't want it. That means I miss out on some nice offers or perhaps a few more points, but there still seems a number of options around to take advantage of.
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Old May 10, 2016, 3:59 am
  #5614  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: ZRH
Programs: LH
Posts: 414
Originally Posted by staff

Any forumers who are on EP, do not bank with DBS and have still been approved for a DBS credit card? If that's the case it may be worth setting up a basic transactions account and then re-apply.
EP holder here who's only relationship with DBS is the credit card and never opened another account with them. They even gave me a credit line equal to more than half a year's salary.
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Old May 10, 2016, 4:20 am
  #5615  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
Originally Posted by flo-e
EP holder here who's only relationship with DBS is the credit card and never opened another account with them. They even gave me a credit line equal to more than half a year's salary.
Interesting. Did you apply online?
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Old May 10, 2016, 5:12 am
  #5616  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Originally Posted by pbl22
This will be unhelpful to you, but DBS was the only bank to originally give me a credit card. As previously mentioned, I am on an EP and HSBC is my transactional bank.
Exactly the same situation with me, except that I used DBS as my primary bank, HSBC as transnational bank.

Originally Posted by pbl22
UOB and ANZ repeatedly rejected me, as did others and I spent my first couple of months in Singapore using my foreign credit cards from my home country until I decided to apply to DBS.
I had no problem getting ANZ, UOB and Citibank credit card approved. My wife got DBS Altitude and Woman card as a primary cardholder as well.

Originally Posted by pbl22
I have given up trying to understand why these things happen or they don't, but it is certainly frustrating.
Question is - if this is recent phenomenon. I got my DBS cards in 2012, UOB in 2013 (closed at the same year due to uselessness) and ANZ in 2014 (still open but no use) and Citi PM/Rewards in last year.

Last edited by invisible; May 10, 2016 at 9:23 am
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Old May 10, 2016, 11:29 pm
  #5617  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Originally Posted by wikitraveller
matchmove.cards
top up this card with DBS WWM can get 4 miles?
Never used matchmove.cards before sorry.
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Old May 11, 2016, 12:01 am
  #5618  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
Originally Posted by SingaporeDon
Had not really investigated this before, but did some research today and realised that HSBC Premier Mastercard charges .5% for income tax payments, and with 4 miles per $ spend you would effectively buy SQ KF miles at 1.25 cents per mile, which is better than what you get with ANZ or HSBC Revolution or SCB VI which are usually mentioned as good cards for tax payments. Wonder if I have missed something?

Originally Posted by invisible
Bolding mine - where did you get 4mi/$ for Premier card? I have that card 4 years and it is standard 1$/1point rate with atrocious redemption rate - 10K points - 4k miles.
Sorry, my bad - I mistyped that bit. You are right redemption is 4k miles for $10k spend (i.e. 10 HSBC Reward points).

But I pay .5% on the $10,000 tax payment (= $50), so I am effectively buying 4k points by paying a fee of $50, ergo 1.25 cents per SQ KF mile.

Is this card therefore not the best card for Income Tax payments, better than the ANZ and SCB VI cards people normally use for income tax payments? Or am I missing something?
SingaporeDon is offline  
Old May 11, 2016, 12:12 am
  #5619  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Originally Posted by SingaporeDon
But I pay .5% on the $10,000 tax payment (= $50), so I am effectively buying 4k points by paying a fee of $50, ergo 1.25 cents per SQ KF mile.

Is this card therefore not the best card for Income Tax payments, better than the ANZ and SCB VI cards people normally use for income tax payments? Or am I missing something?
You made error again. You are getting 10K points/4K miles for $50. Yes can be calculated this way, but similar ratio you will get by paying annual fee in other cards.
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Old May 11, 2016, 1:16 am
  #5620  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, HHonors, Marriott, RCCL, CEL
Posts: 17
I received confirmation from a HSBC CSO yesterday that for the Premier Mastercard, Revolution Card and Platinum card, the 0.5/0.75% fee is in return for 1 reward point to $1. However for the VI, the 1.5% (no waiver or lowering granted) will give 1 mile for each dollar.
bertrande is offline  
Old May 11, 2016, 3:03 am
  #5621  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ Krisflyer, Hilton Gold, Best Western Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 155
Originally Posted by ExSin
Vade - are you getting 4x for other payments too?
I tried paying for my Singtel bills using SAM Online with me Citibank Rewards MC but i do not get the 10x. Do I only get the 10x if I pay via e-axs?
kt85 is offline  
Old May 11, 2016, 3:08 am
  #5622  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 2
It will only work with a Citibank Rewards MasterCard on e-AXS website.
guru8888 is offline  
Old May 11, 2016, 9:10 am
  #5623  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,575
Originally Posted by guru8888
It will only work with a Citibank Rewards MasterCard on e-AXS website.
Or pay on Singtel's own website.
carrotjuice is offline  
Old May 11, 2016, 10:37 am
  #5624  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Originally Posted by carrotjuice
Or pay on Singtel's own website.
You can't do it if it is corporate account
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Old May 11, 2016, 7:57 pm
  #5625  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
edit.

Last edited by Kilian Zoll; May 11, 2016 at 11:55 pm
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