Having trouble choosing an air miles credit card in Singapore? These generous welcome offers will help you decide.
First published on 11 July 2016. Credit card promotions, terms, and conditions valid as of 03 October 2016.
When comparing air miles credit cards, most Singaporeans only focus on the base miles – that is, the number of miles you earn for every dollar spent in Singapore and overseas.
While these are certainly worth noting, pay attention to welcome gifts or renewal bonuses too. You can go places faster with the right offer.
So if you’re still can’t decide on the right card, consider the bonus miles offered by these:
Citi PremierMiles Visa Card: Up to 42,000 Miles
Currently, the Citi PremierMiles Visa Card offers the most bonus miles if you spend wisely during the first three months.
First, you need to apply for the card before the promotion ends on 31 December 2016 and agree to pay the annual fee of S$192.60. Then you get a welcome bonus of 15,000 Citi miles just by using the credit card within the first 3 months.
Spend a total of S$10,000 during those first 3 months to get another 15,000 Citi miles. And with the S$10,000 spend, you earn another 12,000 from the base miles rate of 1.2 miles per S$1 spent locally.
| Miles earned when you apply and spend any amount within the first 3 months | 15,000 miles |
| When you spend a total of S$10,000 within the first 3 months | 15,000 miles |
| Earned on your spend of S$10,000 based on 1.2 per S$1 spent locally | 12,000 miles |
| Total Bonus Miles | 42,000 miles |
Even if you don’t spend S$10,000 in three months, the 15,000 miles you earn from your first swipe gives you a leg up in the miles game.
What We Like
- 2 miles earned per S$1 spent in Singapore, 2 miles earned per S$1 spent overseas
- Miles never expire
- Earn 6 miles per S$1 spent on Expedia.com
- Earn 10 miles per S$1 spent on Kaligo.com
- Redeem your miles on over 60 airlines via participating frequent flyer programmes, including KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, and SkyMiles
The Fine Print
- Minimum annual income requirement of S$50,000
- S$192.60 annual fee
- S$25 administration fee will be charged for each redemption
ANZ Travel Visa Signature Card: Up to 25,000 Bonus Miles
The ANZ Travel Visa Signature Card rewards you with a hefty bonus of up to 25,000 miles for signing up.Here’s how you can earn the full amount: by opting to pay the annual fee during the first year, you’ll receive 10,000 air miles.
Next, by charging at least $3,000 to your card within the first month, you’ll receive 10,800 miles as a bonus. And then, based on the base exchange rate of 1.4 miles per $1 spent locally, you’ll be awarded a further 4,200 miles for a total of 25,000 air miles.
If you charge at least $500 during the first month, you’ll receive 2,000 bonus miles. This is on top of the 700 miles you’ll earn on the $500 spend (1.4 x $500). In total, you’ll still be picking up 12,700 miles.
Additionally, if you book flights on Qantas or Jetstar, you’ll earn miles at double the rate – 2.8 miles for every $1 spent. This accelerated rate also applies on retail purchases made in Australia and New Zealand.
| If you charge at least $3,000 the first month | If you charge at least $500 in the first month | |
| Miles earned for paying your 1st year annual fee | 10,000 miles | 10,000 miles |
| Bonus miles earned in the first month | 10,800 miles | 2,000 miles |
| Miles earned based on spend (1.4 miles per $1) | 4,200 miles | 700 miles |
| Total Bonus Miles | 25,000 miles | 12,700 miles |
What We Like
- 4 miles earned per S$1 spent in Singapore, 2.8 miles earned per S$1 spent on Qantas and Jetstar bookings, or retail spending in Australia and New Zealand
- Bonus miles earned under the 2.8 miles programme is capped at 14,000 miles per principal cardholder per month
The Fine Print
- Minimum annual income requirement of S$60,000 for Singaporeans, S$90,000 for foreigners
- S$200.00 annual fee
- Enrolment in the Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP) is needed to convert your miles, with a $25 conversion fee chargeable per transaction
- Miles can only be used within the 5-year period they were earned
Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card: Up to 35,000 Welcome Miles
If nothing less than luxury travel suits you, the Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card serves it to you on a silver platter, with its exceptional privileges and preferential rates.
Applicants have a choice of one of two welcome offers: 35,000 miles, or 25,000 miles and S$100 Uber credits. Either way, you’ll need to pay the hefty annual fee of S$588.50 (including GST).
You’d be hard-pressed to find a similar premium travel card that lets you purchase miles as low as S$0.017 per mile. Check out our detailed Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card review for more information about this card.
What We Like
- 4 miles per S$1 spent locally, 3 miles per S$1 spent overseas
- 10% cashback on Uber rides
- Luxury hotel privileges and gourmet dining privileges
The Fine Print
- Minimum annual income requirement of S$150,000 for non-priority/private banking customers and S$30,000 for Singaporean priority/private banking customers,
- S$588.50 annual fee
Spend at least $2,000 to earn miles every statement cycle or you only earn 1 mile per local or overseas dollar spend
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