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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 Nov 7, 2016, 5:20 pm
  #6376  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by carrotjuice
Interesting. I just got my new iphone and set up my PPV on Apple Pay. But if this isn't getting me 4 miles then I'm not going to use it.
There was one instance when I used Apple Pay with UOB PPV, I ended up having to sign the payment slip as well... this was for an amount over $100 so not sure if that had anything to do with it. Not sure about 4x points as I don't check diligently. But since then, I stopped using Apple Pay altogether.. just straight to paywave.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 6:40 pm
  #6377  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SIN and wandering.
Posts: 1,549
Originally Posted by SQ319
I just called UOB again and spoke with a staff who asked me to cancel the card and "consolidate my spending in the other UOB cards which I hold". She said she will raise the request for me to "higher managerment" again.

I have asked her to put in the remarks that I have just booked my Maxicab using this card, so I will be committing at least $1,000 expenditure on this card in Q4.

Will prob cancel this card after Q4 though. Admitably I have used this card much lesser ever since I received my PRVI Visa. However, the complimentary Maxicab is still v useful.
Just an update that I've managed to get the fee waiver for the PRVI Amex, however the waiver only came through during my trip, so I've already started spending on the card. Think the staff doing the waiver wanted to see some committed spending before doing the waiver.

Originally Posted by carrotjuice
$1000 spend gets you 2 rides.
Great, thanks for the verification. I've already hit $1k, so will go ahead to book the Maxicab for my next trip.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 7:37 pm
  #6378  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 162
Originally Posted by SQ319
Great, thanks for the verification. I've already hit $1k, so will go ahead to book the Maxicab for my next trip.
What card / benefit is this please?
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 7:49 pm
  #6379  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
UOB Prvi Miles Amex

Originally Posted by appledabble
What card / benefit is this please?
UOB Prvi Miles Amex.

When this card was first introduced, any air ticket/hotel spending (IIRC) on this card gets a free limousine one way between airport and city. They later devalued it to the current scenario, was good while it lasted. I hardly use this card anymore. For general spending, I usually use Citibank PremierMiles Visa which is decent.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 8:17 pm
  #6380  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SIN and wandering.
Posts: 1,549
Originally Posted by lcpteck
UOB Prvi Miles Amex.

When this card was first introduced, any air ticket/hotel spending (IIRC) on this card gets a free limousine one way between airport and city. They later devalued it to the current scenario, was good while it lasted. I hardly use this card anymore. For general spending, I usually use Citibank PremierMiles Visa which is decent.
Yup, PRVI Amex.

Actually I never got to use the limousine, cuz the limousine transfer must be within 3 months of the flight ticket charge (minimum $500, not any hotel/flight ticket charge).

I could hardly use it since I tend to redeem my tickets, so the flight ticket charges are usually way in advance (>3 months) and the charges are usually way lesser as it's for the taxes only.

This current requirement of minimum $1000 overseas spending is much easier for me to achieve.
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Old Nov 8, 2016, 8:23 am
  #6381  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 53
Originally Posted by 5h4n3
There was one instance when I used Apple Pay with UOB PPV, I ended up having to sign the payment slip as well... this was for an amount over $100 so not sure if that had anything to do with it. Not sure about 4x points as I don't check diligently. But since then, I stopped using Apple Pay altogether.. just straight to paywave.
I use Apple Pay and notice it's 10x points
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Old Nov 8, 2016, 10:48 am
  #6382  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
Originally Posted by SQ319
Yup, PRVI Amex.

Actually I never got to use the limousine, cuz the limousine transfer must be within 3 months of the flight ticket charge (minimum $500, not any hotel/flight ticket charge).

I could hardly use it since I tend to redeem my tickets, so the flight ticket charges are usually way in advance (>3 months) and the charges are usually way lesser as it's for the taxes only.

This current requirement of minimum $1000 overseas spending is much easier for me to achieve.
Yes I remember the old scheme. Not too fondly as I too never utilised it. Exactly, it penalised people who made travel bookings on the card more than 3 months prior to actually travelling.

Though at that time it applied to also local travel spends - so you can hypothetically book a staycation and utilise the limo benefit if you happen to have an overseas trip within 3 months. Now it requires $1000 of overseas spend (though need not be travel) - being AMEX you're effectively paying for the benefit through the higher FX conversion rate.
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Old Nov 8, 2016, 10:51 am
  #6383  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
Originally Posted by Ghost07
I use Apple Pay and notice it's 10x points
What do you mean? UOB PPV through Apple Pay for > $100 spends at any merchant gets you 10X points? Please clarify and provide details.
carrotjuice is offline  
Old Nov 9, 2016, 7:12 pm
  #6384  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 819
http://www.dbs.com.sg/iwov-resources...ds-ffp-faq.pdf

We are pleased to share with you with effect from 15th November 2016, we will no longer charge an annual fee for participation in our Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP). You will only be charged an admin fee of S$26.75* (inclusive of GST) whenever you make an air mile redemption to your designated airline’s FFP.

Your FFP annual fee end date is on XXX. As you are currently enrolled in our DBS FFP, the admin fee will only be applicable to you after your FFP annual fee end date.

Some will prefer the old system, some will prefer the new system.
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Old Nov 11, 2016, 9:45 pm
  #6385  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 53
Originally Posted by carrotjuice
What do you mean? UOB PPV through Apple Pay for > $100 spends at any merchant gets you 10X points? Please clarify and provide details.
I use UOB PPV through Apple Pay for transaction less than $100, and get 10X points
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Old Nov 14, 2016, 12:47 am
  #6386  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Post Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

For you Star Wars Fans, using Citibank Credit Cards. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of spending in the next few months.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story & Citibank

It's on a first come first serve basis so don't bet your hopes on it.

Last edited by lcpteck; Nov 14, 2016 at 12:54 am
lcpteck is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2016, 5:55 am
  #6387  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Checked my UOB PPV statement and redmart did not earn 10Uni$, but only 1Uni$ in Oct. Confirmed with UOB CSR.

In previous months(year) redmart definitely earned 10Uni$. Of course, I complained, but that's a waste of breath as we know. UOB changes things as they like. Using other card now.
demue is online now  
Old Nov 15, 2016, 5:57 am
  #6388  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 55
Originally Posted by demue
Checked my UOB PPV statement and redmart did not earn 10Uni$, but only 1Uni$ in Oct. Confirmed with UOB CSR.

In previous months(year) redmart definitely earned 10Uni$. Of course, I complained, but that's a waste of breath as we know. UOB changes things as they like. Using other card now.
When my annual sub kicks in around next month and unable to get waiver then i will also discontinue their card.
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Old Nov 15, 2016, 7:54 am
  #6389  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
All good things must come to an end....

All good things must come to an end....

Another month to go so do make use of it in the meantime.
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Old Nov 15, 2016, 10:18 am
  #6390  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 129
Originally Posted by lcpteck
All good things must come to an end....

Another month to go so do make use of it in the meantime.
Damn, that's very very bad news . I was using this to pay for all my insurance premiums and telco bills. Any recommendations for alternative?
vade is offline  


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