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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

2. UOB Preferred Platinum Visa


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


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

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

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

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

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

3. Citi PremierMiles MasterCard

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

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

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

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

4. DBS Altitude VISA/AMEX

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



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

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

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

5. Maybank Horizon Platinum Visa

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



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

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

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

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

6. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend AMEX

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



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

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

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

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

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

7. Citibank Rewards Card

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



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

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

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

8. DBS Woman's World MasterCard® Card

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



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

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

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

9. OCBC Titanium Rewards Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Old Jul 6, 2016, 7:50 pm
  #5986  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
Originally Posted by Ghost07
UOB rewards shows your point up to last post transaction, where your statement only shows the point up to the statement date.

Usually transactions take 1-3 days to post
Strange, I have fewer UNI$ on uobrewards.com compared to on my latest statement -- and that's accounting for the fact that they charged 6,000 UNI$ for the annual fee.
Kilian Zoll is offline  
Old Jul 6, 2016, 9:28 pm
  #5987  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Originally Posted by staff
Strange, I have fewer UNI$ on uobrewards.com compared to on my latest statement -- and that's accounting for the fact that they charged 6,000 UNI$ for the annual fee.
Maybe they didn't show the UNI$ annual fee transaction on this statement? Usually the annual fee transaction is on the next statement I think.
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 1:28 am
  #5988  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
Originally Posted by lcpteck
Maybe they didn't show the UNI$ annual fee transaction on this statement? Usually the annual fee transaction is on the next statement I think.
The annual fee transaction is included on the latest statement, as per the below:

Statement:
UNI$ - 6,000 (annual fee) = UNI$ Balance

uobrewards.com = UNI$ Balance (smaller than on the statement)


I guess I will have to give them another call. I specifically asked last time if there were any other UNI$ deductions apart from the annual fee, but she confirmed this wasn't the case...
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 8:49 am
  #5989  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 53
Originally Posted by SingaporeDon
And just a reminder, I understand they have stopped issuing the PP AMEX with 4 miles per $ for dining, so if you have one better hang on to it
Can consider HSBC advance card. But do in mind that, a lot of people complaint about HSBC customer service is not up to the standard
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 8:54 am
  #5990  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Originally Posted by Ghost07
Can consider HSBC advance card. But do in mind that, a lot of people complaint about HSBC customer service is not up to the standard
I applied for HSBC advance at beginning of April, last week got notified that my application got approved and I should receive card before end of this year.
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 8:42 pm
  #5991  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SIN and wandering.
Posts: 1,549
Originally Posted by invisible
I applied for HSBC advance at beginning of April, last week got notified that my application got approved and I should receive card before end of this year.
LOL

On a separate note, is there any reason for me to keep the ANZ Travel Card. I used to use this for most of my misc spend (that is non-Paywave, non-F&B, travel etc etc), however, ever since I received my PRVI Visa, I kinda reduced my usage for this card. Am thinking if I should keep it considering there is no internet banking, and their miles take quite long to transfer to KF (one week and still counting...).
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 9:51 pm
  #5992  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Singapore / India
Programs: SQ QPP, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Taj Inner Circle Gold
Posts: 639
Originally Posted by SQ319
LOL

On a separate note, is there any reason for me to keep the ANZ Travel Card. I used to use this for most of my misc spend (that is non-Paywave, non-F&B, travel etc etc), however, ever since I received my PRVI Visa, I kinda reduced my usage for this card. Am thinking if I should keep it considering there is no internet banking, and their miles take quite long to transfer to KF (one week and still counting...).
Yes, for the unlimited Veloce Lounge access. Although still some issues in SIN where T3 lounges temporarily suspended I was told there recently.

Now it's in my passport holder, not in my wallet.
SQueeze is offline  
Old Jul 7, 2016, 10:33 pm
  #5993  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 1,799
Quick question for those with UOB cards - if I have multiple cards and cancel one of them, does the UNI$ get affected? Given how everything is pooled together, does it still cancel the relevant portion?
Awesom Andy is offline  
Old Jul 7, 2016, 11:01 pm
  #5994  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Originally Posted by Awesom Andy
Quick question for those with UOB cards - if I have multiple cards and cancel one of them, does the UNI$ get affected? Given how everything is pooled together, does it still cancel the relevant portion?
That's a good question.

I wonder which card does it get pooled to, or they put it in a separate account.
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 11:01 pm
  #5995  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,571
Originally Posted by Awesom Andy
Quick question for those with UOB cards - if I have multiple cards and cancel one of them, does the UNI$ get affected? Given how everything is pooled together, does it still cancel the relevant portion?
No. Once it's pooled, it's pooled. At NRIC level I was told previously.
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Old Jul 7, 2016, 11:04 pm
  #5996  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,571
Originally Posted by SQueeze
Yes, for the unlimited Veloce Lounge access. Although still some issues in SIN where T3 lounges temporarily suspended I was told there recently.

Now it's in my passport holder, not in my wallet.
If you have unlimited priority pass, this is redundant right?

I used it to charge $2500 every month to get a Wolero ride... now stopped since they had ceased this perk.
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Old Jul 8, 2016, 12:50 am
  #5997  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Singapore / India
Programs: SQ QPP, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Taj Inner Circle Gold
Posts: 639
Originally Posted by carrotjuice
If you have unlimited priority pass, this is redundant right?

I used it to charge $2500 every month to get a Wolero ride... now stopped since they had ceased this perk.
Yes it will be redundant.

Where do we get the PP unlimited? Something that we have to subscribe to?
SQueeze is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2016, 1:19 am
  #5998  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Originally Posted by SQueeze
Yes it will be redundant.

Where do we get the PP unlimited? Something that we have to subscribe to?
Some of the higher tier credit cards provide complimentary Unlimited Priority Pass.
lcpteck is offline  
Old Jul 8, 2016, 2:24 am
  #5999  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Singapore
Programs: Krisflyer Gold, Starwood Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 444
Originally Posted by lcpteck
Some of the higher tier credit cards provide complimentary Unlimited Priority Pass.
I recommend Citi Prestige. Unlimited PP access for card holder and a guest, plus some other neat stuff like 4 hotel nights for price of 3.
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Old Jul 8, 2016, 4:17 am
  #6000  
 
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 w4rd
I recommend Citi Prestige. Unlimited PP access for card holder and a guest, plus some other neat stuff like 4 hotel nights for price of 3.
But note the AF
1.Citi Prestige :Basic Card annual fee: $535 (inclusive of GST)
Supplementary Cards: Free for life

2, Other option is HSBC Visa Infinite Card, which is slightly cheaper in terms of AF ($4xx) but gives PP access to supplementary card holders too.
SingaporeDon is offline  


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