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

[aster]

Agreed, CCs do seem easier for stuff like car hire or hotel check-in, where they can block a certain amount and then just call it off later.

Amazon credit would be a nice way of burning any rewards points - at the end of the day they need to keep these rewards schemes simple, but even the air miles thing in Singapore is pretty straight-forward with some - albeit not all - cards.

HSBC recently started issuing a new card where it's basically a (S$) buck a mile for local spend, and double that for overseas purchases. Very simple, no strings attached, and you even get a free one-way limo transfer to/from Changi if you bought your ticket using this card. If you spend enough then you can get up to 1.5 miles per buck for local spend from the 2yr onwards...

https://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/personal/ca ... redit-card

[JR8]

I'm not sure about hotels only being able to 'block' funds on a credit card. I've four open hotel bookings right now, and enjoyed a 5th booking over easter all made on my debit card. And there hasn't been the slightest problem or question about it being a debit card and not a credit card.

[Splatted]

Do you have a Citi Platinum credit card? If so you really want to hang onto that one as they don't issue them any more.

Singapore-based cards are extremely simple to understand, it's stuff like special bonuses, etc. that throw the whole picture into disarray, something that you see Amex cards promotions based on (like extra miles for the first 90 days, etc.).

To keep things simple, the two cards that are the absolute best out there for general spend are the DBS Altitude Visa and the Citi PremierMiles. Nothing gets close to these cards for overall spend, where you get roughly 1.2 miles per $ spent. The DBS card has the advantage of going into "overdrive," so once you pass the $2,000 mark of your monthly spend it boosts the ratio to 1.6 miles/$.

The Citi Platinum card is good in that it gives extra miles for supermarket and department store spend - something that can be quite a chunk of your overall expenses. In those places you get 2 miles per $, so quite a jump. But as mentioned, they've stopped giving them out...

Well, citibank has decided to call me out of the blue and offer me the citi premiermiles card.

Apparently person on phone said the card wasn't available to public(?) - only by invite, was told. Strange - i'm sure I've heard of it before.. anyway, I agreed to let them sign me up and just received my card in mail.

[amarettoSour]

So which one is better? DBS Visa Altitude or Citibank Premier Miles?

the only difference I can see is that Citibank gives you 2x miles for overseas spending. Also that DBS charges you 2% transaction fee for foreign currency, while citi charges 2.5%.

[offshoreoildude]

WE should really add in the hotel and flight rewards somewhere on this forum as well. Personally I don't get much out of my KF gold Amex. I can't be bothered with anything else apart from a Maybank MC for where I can't use an Amex. I'm sometimes shocked at how many cards sinkes who earn a fifth of what I do carry around. A recipe for disaster.

[zzm9980]

So which one is better? DBS Visa Altitude or Citibank Premier Miles?

the only difference I can see is that Citibank gives you 2x miles for overseas spending. Also that DBS charges you 2% transaction fee for foreign currency, while citi charges 2.5%.

DBS card charges you an additional un-waivable free of S$42.80/year to be able to convert to miles. Looks like if you spend more than $2k/month locally, the DBS card is better. Although, the Citibank cards have some pretty nice discounts at a lot of places I regularly spend a fair amount of cash. (Starbucks and Esso!)

I personally use the Citi card for all of my SG spending, and a US card (Chase Sapphire Preferred) for all overseas spending - the Chase card has no foreign conversion fees.

[zzm9980]

I actually just saw an ad on the wall at the mall for a UOB PRVI Miles AMEX card. It's on my to-do list this week to check it out.

[stueyhall]

FYI

ANZ VISA Travel Card, 1.4 miles per $ spent locally. 2.8 per $ on overseas spend.

http://www.anz.com/singapore/en/Persona ... avel-card/

Seems to top all the other cards you've been talking about...

[revhappy]

To me, a better way of maximising credit card use is to find out which credit card gives you maximum value for your buck. It doesnt really have to be air miles, I mean does it matter whether you spend in actual $$$ for your air ticket and instead use the points generated for something else?

[zzm9980]

FYI

ANZ VISA Travel Card, 1.4 miles per $ spent locally. 2.8 per $ on overseas spend.

http://www.anz.com/singapore/en/Persona ... avel-card/

Seems to top all the other cards you've been talking about...

From either this forum or another, I seem to recall reading ANZ doesn't even have a web interface for cardholders you can log into to see transactions. If you have a bank account with them you can download your last official statement, but not see recent transactions since them. Seems very 90s to me.

[zzm9980]

To me, a better way of maximising credit card use is to find out which credit card gives you maximum value for your buck. It doesnt really have to be air miles, I mean does it matter whether you spend in actual $$$ for your air ticket and instead use the points generated for something else?

See I've found the opposite. Most of those schemes are convoluted and have so many catches it isn't worth trying to track down. I redeemed for Cold Storage shopping vouchers, what a hassle! $170 worth; I was sent 17 individual $10 vouchers that I need to fill out each, then go sit in line at Cold Storage to fill out more forms just to redeem these for more vouchers. I have no clue why the banks can't just issue a gift card (Stored value card) like they do in the US with the exact amount redeemed...

As long as I get a good enough return, I'm happy. CitiPremier for its decent miles (1.2 = $1 local) in combination with discounts (10% many places, including starbucks, same 17% at Esso with a free smiles card) and then the US one for overseas travel. That's not an option for most of you, but if you are an American, Chase Sapphire Premier has no overseas transaction fees and 2pts = $1 on travel and overseas spend. Can turn it into dollars, points at almost any online retailed (Amazon, iTunes, etc) or use it to purchase airfare on any airline through their own scheme. The nice thing with their own scheme is say you're 15% short of the amount of points needed for the ticket, they only make you pay a pro-rated 15% of the ticket, as opposed to most airlines that charge criminal amounts for small amounts of miles to bridge the gap.

I am still considering the Visa infinite (from HSBC) though. S$490 annual fee, but it comes with free usage of Jet Quay and a nice welcoming gift. At one point I was invited with 45,000 Asia miles (I'm MP Gold though), I should have taken it. Now it's only 30k.... Even so, free use of Jet Quay (free parking at Changi!) is pretty much worth it.

[revhappy]

I just came back from Giant at Tampines and saw some HSBC sales guys there with a banner of 80$ cash back. I have applied for a HSBC platinum card, lol.

So you see, how locals here end up with several cards in their wallet. Its the initial 80$ cash back that pulls you and one you have those cards, you are trapped and actually start frequenting places just because you have the cobranded card, lol. Like every since I got the PastaManiac card, I have frequenting there compared to Pizza Hut, for Pizzas, lol.

[stueyhall]

From either this forum or another, I seem to recall reading ANZ doesn't even have a web interface for cardholders you can log into to see transactions. If you have a bank account with them you can download your last official statement, but not see recent transactions since them. Seems very 90s to me.

Do you want points or transactions on the internet?

[zzm9980]

From either this forum or another, I seem to recall reading ANZ doesn't even have a web interface for cardholders you can log into to see transactions. If you have a bank account with them you can download your last official statement, but not see recent transactions since them. Seems very 90s to me.

Do you want points or transactions on the internet?

Ideally, both, but minimally I expect to be able to log in somewhere and see my recent transactions and have some option of making payments.

[zzm9980]

I just came back from Giant at Tampines and saw some HSBC sales guys there with a banner of 80$ cash back. I have applied for a HSBC platinum card, lol.

So you see, how locals here end up with several cards in their wallet. Its the initial 80$ cash back that pulls you and one you have those cards, you are trapped and actually start frequenting places just because you have the cobranded card, lol. Like every since I got the PastaManiac card, I have frequenting there compared to Pizza Hut, for Pizzas, lol.

And enough people probably forget to call and have the annual fee waved that HSBC is probably rolling in a nice profit!