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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 29, 2017, 5:11 am
  #7336  
 
Join Date: May 2004
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Okay, not sure what type of spend the card awards points for, but couldn't you order / buy something that can be refunded later after you got the 10kmls transferred? E.g. fully refundable flight ticket?
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 5:31 am
  #7337  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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just send $80 via paypal to a friend. you'll have to pay like $3 in fees (~4%) but probably worth it.
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 5:34 am
  #7338  
 
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Originally Posted by demue
Okay, not sure what type of spend the card awards points for, but couldn't you order / buy something that can be refunded later after you got the 10kmls transferred? E.g. fully refundable flight ticket?
I think it is not advisable to buy refundable air tickets as there is administrative fee for refund. Maybe should try to book hotel room with free cancellation at Agoda?
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 5:45 am
  #7339  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Originally Posted by Tiger9119
I think it is not advisable to buy refundable air tickets as there is administrative fee for refund.
Not all airlines charge a fee for the refund. For example, I've had full refund from Air China, and UA (UA was refunded within 24 hours of booking for full refund).
Still says free refund for business class standard for refunds before flight date (for Air China).
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 8:28 am
  #7340  
 
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Apparently I will have an altitude card in my hands in 3-5 days, and points will expire on the Live Fresh according to usual timeframe, just won't be able to earn them. Looks like Altitude card is best option rather than manufacturing spend. Will give me another 2 priority passes as well, so definitely looks OK. Not that I need such a card, as my partner has one and we use his when it makes sense to.
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 6:14 pm
  #7341  
 
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For anyone who doesn't already have a citi prestige card and has large purchases coming up, there's a decent welcome promo now. Apply for the card, pay $535 annual fee, spend $20k in 3 months and get a total of 80,000miles.

Breakdown:
Pay $535 annual fee and get 25,000miles --> Buy miles at 2.14 cents (sing) each*
Spend $20,000 and get 55,000 miles --> Earn 2.75mpd

* 2.14c is marginally on the high side but the annual fee also gets you a bunch of other stuff, i especially like the free airport limo transfer, free 4th night hotel stay, 1-for-1 $100gourmet every other month, etc.

https://www.citibank.com.sg/gcb/cred...redit-card.htm
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Old Dec 4, 2017, 1:52 am
  #7342  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Does anyone know when exactly a “pending” transaction for Citibank converts to a “confirmed” spend?

I was a couple of points short before I could make a transfer of my Citibank Rewards to KF. I have an award on hold at KF. So made an online spend on 2 Dec that would pip me to the points transfer threshold. Have been watching it like a hawk a few times per day (slow day at the office... LOL) but until now 4 Dec evening still not confirmed.

Does anyone know? Knowing that Citibank now uses the Thank You portal - will it refresh during Singapore hours or overnight during US hours?
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Old Dec 4, 2017, 3:54 am
  #7343  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Originally Posted by carrotjuice
Does anyone know when exactly a “pending” transaction for Citibank converts to a “confirmed” spend?

I was a couple of points short before I could make a transfer of my Citibank Rewards to KF. I have an award on hold at KF. So made an online spend on 2 Dec that would pip me to the points transfer threshold. Have been watching it like a hawk a few times per day (slow day at the office... LOL) but until now 4 Dec evening still not confirmed.

Does anyone know? Knowing that Citibank now uses the Thank You portal - will it refresh during Singapore hours or overnight during US hours?
It is dependent on whether the merchant that you have made the purchase has "settled" the transaction with his bank. Example, if the merchant bank is HSBC HK, HSBC HK will send the transaction for settlement via the Visa / MasterCard network after the merchant has sent the transaction for settlement. Most merchants will settle on daily basis, but some merchants may not. Even if the merchant settles on daily basis with his bank, it will be dependent on the bank (in this case, HSBC) to send transactions to Visa / MasterCard network. Generally, AFAIK, some banks doesn't have a "system batch run" during weekends (e.g. Sunday) to Visa/MasterCard for settlement.

Once HSBC has sent the transaction for settlement during their end of day batch run, this information will be batched to the various banks (and in your case, CitiBank SG) for billing /payment. Then during at CitiBank's end of day batch run (e.g. around wee-hours in SG), this will then be posted to the Card member's account. Going by this cycle, typically it will take around 1-2 days for local purchases (that is, the merchant bank is in SG too, as this eliminates the possible time-zone difference), and possibly longer for overseas transactions (2-4 days).

There are instances where transactions will show up at the next morning (after the wee hour transaction batch run) is when the merchant is using the credit card terminals from CitiBank SG as well. If they perform the settlement prior to the end of day transaction batch run, this will then be captured in the customer's credit card account as these transactions are posted directly without having to go through the Visa / Mastercard settlement network.

Hope this helps to explain the time taken.

You may wish to check your account every morning to see if it has been posted.
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Old Dec 5, 2017, 6:45 am
  #7344  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,567
Originally Posted by hclee01
It is dependent on whether the merchant that you have made the purchase has "settled" the transaction with his bank. Example, if the merchant bank is HSBC HK, HSBC HK will send the transaction for settlement via the Visa / MasterCard network after the merchant has sent the transaction for settlement. Most merchants will settle on daily basis, but some merchants may not. Even if the merchant settles on daily basis with his bank, it will be dependent on the bank (in this case, HSBC) to send transactions to Visa / MasterCard network. Generally, AFAIK, some banks doesn't have a "system batch run" during weekends (e.g. Sunday) to Visa/MasterCard for settlement.

Once HSBC has sent the transaction for settlement during their end of day batch run, this information will be batched to the various banks (and in your case, CitiBank SG) for billing /payment. Then during at CitiBank's end of day batch run (e.g. around wee-hours in SG), this will then be posted to the Card member's account. Going by this cycle, typically it will take around 1-2 days for local purchases (that is, the merchant bank is in SG too, as this eliminates the possible time-zone difference), and possibly longer for overseas transactions (2-4 days).

There are instances where transactions will show up at the next morning (after the wee hour transaction batch run) is when the merchant is using the credit card terminals from CitiBank SG as well. If they perform the settlement prior to the end of day transaction batch run, this will then be captured in the customer's credit card account as these transactions are posted directly without having to go through the Visa / Mastercard settlement network.

Hope this helps to explain the time taken.

You may wish to check your account every morning to see if it has been posted.
Thanks for the detailed explanation... much appreciated.

Unfortunately, 3 days on, the pending transaction is still not settled. Will keep checking.
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Old Dec 5, 2017, 7:26 pm
  #7345  
 
Join Date: May 2006
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Posts: 1,462
Anyone know if Alipay HK peer to peer transactions count as online spend on a SG based credit card (e.g. Citi Rewards Card)? Ping @percysmith
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Old Dec 6, 2017, 5:32 am
  #7346  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
DBS WWMC , paypal and 10x points

Could anyone provide here definite and facts based answer if paypal transactions with DBS Woman card earn 10x points or not?
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Old Dec 17, 2017, 11:33 am
  #7347  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
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Originally Posted by invisible
Could anyone provide here definite and facts based answer if paypal transactions with DBS Woman card earn 10x points or not?
Yup, Paypal transaction in Nov earned 10x points.
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Old Dec 19, 2017, 6:38 pm
  #7348  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Posts: 6,900
Thanks. There was whole confusion at HWZ about this.

Separate question - Citi Rewards cards and PayPal - any experiences with 10x?
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Old Dec 21, 2017, 3:52 pm
  #7349  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 87

Yes and no. Almost 90% of my transaction on DBS woman card via Paypal cannot got 10X
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Old Dec 22, 2017, 6:23 am
  #7350  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Originally Posted by ronaldko

Yes and no. Almost 90% of my transaction on DBS woman card via Paypal cannot got 10X
Could you provide examples which one does and which does not?
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