The Milelion is delighted to be featured in today’s Zaboao Finance section.
Here’s a translated version for those of us who are bilingual in other ways (and thank you very much to Ms Milelion for the translation)-
Besides being convenient to carry around, credit cards can also be used to collect air travel miles which makes travel in so much more affordable – so how should consumers efficient allocate their spending to get the most miles and points within the shortest period?ย
ไฟก็จๅก้คไบๆนไพฟๆบๅธฆ๏ผ่ฟๅฏไปฅ็งฏๅๆขๅไพฟๅฎๆบ็ฅจ๏ผๆถ่ดน่ ่ฏฅๅฆไฝ้ ็ฝฎ๏ผๆ่ฝๅจๆ็ญ็ๆถ้ดๅ ่ตๅๆๅค็ๅๆฐๅข๏ผ
The travel season is here! For those avid travelers out there – perhaps you might consider using your credit card to accumulate miles to lowerย your traveling expenses.
ๅฏนๆไบไบบ่่จ๏ผๆถ้ๅๆฐๆขๅๅฅๅๅฐฑๅฅฝๆฏไธๅบๆธธๆ๏ผๅจๆธธๆ่งๅ็้ๅฎ่ๅดๅ ๏ผ็่ชๅทฑๆฏๅฆ่ฝไปฅๆๆๆ็ๆนๅผๆขๅๆ็ฉๆๆๅผ็็คผ็ฉใ
For some, accumulating points in exchange for rewards is like a game – the objective being to get the most value out of the points one has.
่บซไธบ็ฒพๆ็ๆถ่ดน่ ๏ผๆไปฌๅ่ฏฅๅฆไฝ็ฉ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ็็งฏๅๆธธๆๅข๏ผ
As savvy consumers, how do we game the system when it comes to accumulating points?
่ฝ็ถๅคๆฐ้ถ่ก้ฝๅ่กไปฅ็ดฏ็งฏ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐไธบไธป็ไฟก็จๅก๏ผ่ไธ่กจ้ขไธ็่ตทๆฅๅคงๅๅฐๅผ๏ผไฝๅฎ้ ไธ๏ผๅฎไปฌ็ปไบ็ๅฅๅฑไปๆ็ปๅพฎ่้่ฆ็ๅทฎๅซใ
Although most banks issue air miles credit cards which appearย to provide similar returns on the surface, the devil lies in the details.
้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅก็ไธๅคง็นๅพ๏ผๆฏ่ฎฉๆถ่ดน่ ๅทๅกๆถ๏ผ้กบไพฟ็ดฏ็งฏๅฏๆขๅ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ็ๅๆฐใๅ ๆญค๏ผๆถ่ดน้้ขๅฏน้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ็ๆฏ็ๅฏๆพ็คบไธๅผ ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅกๆฏๅฆๅ ทๆ่ถณๅค็ๅธๅผๅใ
The biggest characteristic of air miles credit cards isย that they allow consumers to accumulate air miles when they charge their expenditure. Hence the miles per $ expenditure ratio is the most important feature which determines the “attractiveness” of the air miles credit card
ใ่ๅๆฉๆฅใๆด็ไบๅธ้ขไธๅ ญๅผ ๅธธ่ง้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅก็ๅฅฝๅคๅ๏ผๅ็ฐๅคงๅ้ถ่กPRVI Milesๅจๅฃซๅกไธ่ฌๆถ่ดนๅฏ่ตๅ็ๅๆฐๆฏๅ ถไปๅก่ฆ้ซ๏ผ่ง่กจ)ใ
<lian he zaobao> has compared the most common air miles credit card on the market, and found that the UOB PRVI MILES Visa card can earn you more points per $ spent thanย the other cards (see table)
ไธๅๆถ่ดน็จไธๅๅกย ๅทงๅฆ้ ็ฝฎๅๆฅๅคง
Use different cards for different types of expenditure for greater returnsย
ๅผๅพไธๆ็ๆฏ๏ผไธๅ้ถ่กไผไธไธๅๅๅฎถๅไฝ๏ผๅฐฑ็น็งๆถ่ดน็ปไบๆๅกไบบๆดๅค้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ๏ผๅ ๆญคไพๆ ๅตไฝฟ็จ้ๅฝ็ๅก๏ผๅฏไปฅๆดๆๆๅฐ่ตๅๅๆฐใ
It is worth mentioning that banks will collaborate with different merchants and hence the certain types of expenditure will give you more miles than others on the same card. Hence, using different cards for different types of spending can help you collect miles and points faster.
ไพๅฆ๏ผๅฐฑๆฐ่ช๏ผSIA๏ผใ็ๅฎ่ช็ฉบ๏ผSilkAir๏ผๆKrisShop็ไบคๆไฝฟ็จๅคงๅ้ถ่ก็PRVI Milesไปๆฌพ๏ผๆฏ่ฑไธๅ ๅฏ่ตๅไธ้ใ
For example, you can obtain 3 miles for every dollar spent on SIA/Silkair or KrisShopย transactions with your UOB PRVI Miles card.
ๆพณๆฐ้ถ่ก้กพๅๆไนไธๆพณๅคงๅฉไบๅๆฐ่ฅฟๅ ฐๆๅฏๅๅ ณ่๏ผๅ ๆญคไปปไฝๆ่พพๅฃซ่ช็ฉบ๏ผQantas๏ผๆๆทๆ่ช็ฉบ๏ผJetstar๏ผ็ไบคๆ๏ผไปฅๅๅจๆพณๆดฒๆๆฐ่ฅฟๅ ฐ็ๆถ่ดน๏ผๆฏ่ฑไธๅ ๅฏ่ตๅ2.8้ใ
As expected, ANZ has close links to all things Australian and Kiwi, and hence every dollar spent on Qantas, JetStarย or any overseas spending in Australia or NZ can earn you 2.8 miles per dollar.
่ฑๆ้ถ่กๅไธๅ็งๅๅฎถๅไฝ๏ผๅ ถไธญ้่ฟไฝๅฎฟ้ข่ฎข็ฝ็ซKaligo้ข่ฎขไฝๅฎฟ๏ผๅนถไฝฟ็จ่ฑๆ้ถ่ก็PremierMilesๅจๅฃซๅกไปๆฌพ๏ผๆฏ่ฑไธๅ ๅฏ่ตๅ10้ไนๅค๏ผไฟ้ๆช่ณไปๅนดๅบ๏ผใ
Citibank has linked up with a number of different merchants, including the accommodation booking websiteย kaligo.com. Using Citi’s premier miles Visa card, you can obtain 10 miles per dollar spent onย kaligo.comย (promotion valid till theย end of this year)
้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ่ต่ฎฏ็ฝ็ซMileLion็ๅๅไบบ้ปๅฎฃๆๆฅๅๆฌๆฅ่ฎฟ้ฎๆถ่ฏด๏ผ่ฆๆๆๅฐ็ดฏ็งฏ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ๏ผๅช็จไธๅผ ไฟก็จๅกๅ ถๅฎไธๅ็ฎ๏ผๅบ่ฏฅๅฐฑไธๅ็น็งๆถ่ดน็ปๅไธๅๅก๏ผไปฅ่ทๅ่พ้ซๅๆฅใ
Aaron Wong, the founder of The Milelion, thinks that in order to most efficiently accumulate air miles, one needs to have more than one credit card and use each card depending on the type of expenditure.
ไป่ฏด๏ผๅ่ฎพไธไธชไบบไธๅนดๅ ็่ฑ่ดนๆฏ1ไธ5000ๅ ๏ผไฝฟ็จไบๅผ ไฟก็จๅก่ตๅ็ๅๆฐ๏ผๆฏไฝฟ็จไธๅผ ไฟก็จๅก่ตๅ็ๅๆฐๅคๅบ็บฆไธๅ๏ผ่ง่กจ๏ผใ
According to him,ย if a person spends $15000 per year on his card, he may earn more that twice the amount of miles by allocating the spending among 5 different cards (depending on the type of expenditure) thanย using a single card.
ไป่ฏด๏ผโไฝ ไธๅฎ่ฆๅจ่ฟไธ้ข่ฑ็นๅฟๆใไฝ ๅฏไปฅ็ณ่ฏทGIROไปๆฌพไปฅๅ ่ฟไปๅก่ดฆใไธ่ฟ๏ผๅฆๆไฝ ่งๅพ้พไปฅๆงๅถ่ฑ่ดน๏ผ่ฟไธชๆนๆกๅฐฑไธ้ๅไฝ ใๆๆฏๆ้ฝไผไปๆธ ่ดฆๆฌพ๏ผไฝฟ็จไฟก็จๅก็บฏ็ฒนๆฏไธบไบ็งฏๅ๏ผๆไปๆฅไธ็จไฟก็จๅกๅ้ฑใโ
Aaron said, “you have to spend time and effort to get this right. To make things simpler, you can apply to pay you credit card bills via GIRO. However, if you find it difficult to control your spending, then this hobbyย may not be for you. I clear all my credit card debts at the end of the month and I purely use credit cards for earning pointsย and never for borrowing money.
ไธชไบบ็่ดข็ฝ็ซGET.com็ๅๅไบบๅ ผไธป็ผ่พ้็พ็ชๅ่ฎฟๆถ่ฏด๏ผโ่ฝ็ถๆฐๅ ๅกๆไธๅฐไฟก็จๅกๅฏไปฅ่ฎฉไฝ ๅจๆถ่ดนๅ็จๅๆฐๆขๅ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐ๏ผไฝๆไปฌๅบ่ฏฅๅๆๆไปฌ็้ฑๅฐๅบ่ฑๅจๅช้๏ผๅฅฝ่ฎฉๆไปฌๅจๆ็ญๆถ้ดๅ ่ตๅๆๅค้ๆฐใโ
The founder of GET.com, Ms ้็พ็ช said during our interview: “Although Singapore has quite a wide range of air miles credit card, consumers should analyze their spending patterns so that they can allocate their expenditure accordingly to earn miles more efficiently.”
ๅฅน่ฏด๏ผ็ปๅธธๅบๅฝ็ไบบๅฏ่่ไฝฟ็จๅจๆตทๅคๆถ่ดนๅฏ่ตๅ่พ้ซๅๆฐ็ไฟก็จๅกใๆ นๆฎๅ ถ็ฝ็ซ็็ญ้๏ผPRVI Milesไธๆๅฑ้ถ่กAltitudeๅจๅฃซๅพก็บๅกๅจ่ฟๆน้ขๆฏๆๅฅฝ็จ็ใๅฐฑๅคๅธๆถ่ดน่่จ๏ผๅ่ ๅฏ่ตๅ2.4้๏ผๅ่ ๅฏ่ตๅ2้๏ผ่ไธ็จAltitudeๆฏไป็ฝไธ่ฎข่ดญ็ๆบ็ฅจๆ้ ๅบ่ฟๅฏ่ตๅ3้ใ
She added that for those who travel on a frequent basis, it would be wise to make use of an air miles card that gets you more miles per dollar of overseas expenditure. Based on the websites’ information, PRVI Miles and DBS Altitude are the better cards on the market for this purpose. The former earns you 2.4 miles per dollar spent overseas, while the latter earns you 2 miles per dollar spent overseas. Furthermore, the Altitude card also earns you 3 miles for each dollar spent on online air travel and accommodation bookings.
้็พ็ช่ฏด๏ผโๅฆๆไฝ ไธๅธธๆ ่ก๏ผไฝ ๅบ่ฏฅไฝฟ็จไธๅผ ๅจๆฌๅฐๆถ่ดนๅฏ่ตๅ่พ้ซ้ๆฐ็ไฟก็จๅก๏ผ่่ฟๅผ ๅกไนๅบ่ฏฅๅ ทๆ็ตๆดปๆง๏ผ่ฎฉไฝ ๅฏไปฅๆขๅๅ ถไปๅฅๅฑ๏ผๆฏๅฆ็ฐ้ๅๆฃใๆไปฌๅปบ่ฎฎๆถ่ดน่ ไธ่ฆๅช็ไธ่ฌ็ๅฅฝๅค๏ผ่ๆฏ็ณ่ฏทๆ็ฌฆๅ่ช่บซ้ๆฑ็ไฟก็จๅกใโ
้็พ็ช said “if you don’t travel much, you should use a card which gets you more miles per dollar spent locally. However this card should also give you the flexibility to exchange points for other rewards such as cashback options. Consumers should not only analyzeย the perks each card gives, but should choose one which fits his or her own personal needs”
้้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅกไนๆๅๆฐๆฟ
Air miles credit card also gives you pointsย
้ถ่กๅจๆจ้ไฟก็จๅกๆถ๏ผ้ๅธธไผๅด็ปๆไธชไธป้ข๏ผๆฏๅฆ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅก็ๅฏน่ฑกๆฏๅๆฌขๆ ่ก็ไบบ๏ผๅฅณๆงๅก้ๅธธไผๆ่ดญ็ฉๆน้ข็ๅฅๅฑ๏ผๆฅๅธธๆ้ๅกๅไผๆ่ถ ๅธๆๆๆฒนๆน้ข็ๆๆฃ็ญใ
When promoting credit cards, banks usually will structure the perks of each card depending on their target audience a for example, air miles card are targeted at those who love air travel, while women’s’ cards usually provide shopping perks and rewards. General spending cards on the other hand, will provide discounts on groceries shopping and petrol.
ๅ ถๅฎ๏ผๅณไพฟๆๅผ ๅกไธๆฏไปฅ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅก็ๅไนๆจ้๏ผไนๅฏ็จๆฅๆขๅ้ๆฐใ่ฟๆฏๅ ไธบ๏ผๅคๆฐไฟก็จๅก็็งฏๅๆบๅถ๏ผๆฏ่ฎฉไฝ ๅ ็ดฏ็งฏ้ถ่ก่ชๅทฑ่ฎพๅฎ็ๅๆฐ๏ผๅฆๆๅฑ้ถ่ก็ๆๅฑ็นๆฐ๏ผDBS Point๏ผๆๅคงๅ้ถ่ก็UNI$๏ผ็ถๅๆ่ฎฉไฝ ็จ่ฟไบๅๆฐๆฅๆขๅไธๅๅฅๅฑ๏ผ่้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๅฐฑๆฏๅฅๅฑ็ๅ ถไธญไธ็งใ
Actually, even though some cards are not marketed as air miles cards, they can also be used to accumulate points. In facts, most credit cards operate on a points accumulation system – such as DBS points or UOB’s UNI$ – these points can then be converted into different rewards, and air miles is one such reward.
ๅผๅพๆณจๆ็ๆฏ๏ผๆฏๆฌกๆขๅ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐๆถ๏ผ้ถ่กไผๆถๅไธ็ฌ่ฝฌๆข่ดน๏ผๅคๆฐ้ถ่ก็ๆถ่ดนไธบๆฏๆฌก25ๅ ๏ผๆไบ้ถ่กๅไธบไธๅนด42ๅ 8่งใ
However, it is worth it toย note that every points to miles conversion comes with a conversion charge. Most banks charge $25 for each conversion, while others charge $42.80 on an annual basis for the conversion.
้ปๅฎฃๆๆๅบ๏ผๆๅฑ้ถ่ก็ๅฅณๅฃซไธ็ไธไบ่พพๅก๏ผDBS Woman’s World MasterCard๏ผๅจ็ฝไธ่ดญ็ฉๆฏ่ฑ1ๅ ๅฏ่ตๅ4้๏ผๆไบไบบๆ่ฎธไธ็ฅ้๏ผ็ทๅฃซๅ ถๅฎไนๅฏไปฅ็ณ่ฏท่ฟๅผ ๅกใไปๆฌ่บซๅฐฑไฝฟ็จ่ฟๅผ ๅกๆฅ็ฝ่ดญ๏ผๅนถไธ่ฏดๆไบไธๅฐ็ทๅไบ็ณ่ฏท่ฟๅผ ๅกใ
Aaron mentioned that the DBS Woman’s World MasterCard lets you earn 4 miles per dollar spent for online shopping. While some may not be aware, men can also apply for this card. Aaron himself uses this card for his online shopping and managed to convince his male colleagues to do the same.
ไปฅ็ดฏ็งฏ้ฃ่ก้ๆฐไธบ็ฑๅฅฝ็้ปๅฎฃๆ๏ผๆพ็ปๅฉ็จๆ็ดฏ็งฏ็้ๆฐๆขๆฅๅคด็ญ่ฑไฝ็ไฝ้ช๏ผๅนถ็ธไฟกๅช่ฆ่ฏ่ฑๆถ้ดๅ่ถณๅ่ฏพ๏ผๅฐฑๅฏไปไธญ่ทๅพๅๆฅใ
Aaron, who treats air miles accumulation as a hobby, has already managed to travel on first class and Suitesย using the miles he has collected over the years. He believes that as long as one is willing to spend time and effort, he will be able to reap a handsome return.
ไป่ฏด๏ผโๆ่งๅพ๏ผ่ฟไธช็ฑๅฅฝ๏ผ้ๅธธๅผไบบๅ ฅ่๏ผๅฐฑๅๅจ็ฉๆธธๆไธๆ ท๏ผๆณๅๆณๅฉ็จๆผๆดๆๆพๅบ่ๅบ็ๆนๆณใๆๅ็ฐๅช่ฆไฝฟ็จๆญฃ็กฎ็ไฟก็จๅก๏ผๅฐฑๅฏไปฅ็ดฏ็งฏๅฐๅพๅค้ๆฐ๏ผ่ฏทๅฎถไบบๅปๅพๆฃ็ๆ ่กใโ
Aaron says “I find this hobby very fun and addictive, it’s just like a game of discovering loopholes in the system. I’ve discovered that as long as I use the right credit card, I can accumulate so many more miles and I hope accumulate enough so I can take my family on amazing holidays abroad”
Please have a read of the full Q&A because there are some good tips in there for first-timers to the miles and points game!
Congratulations Aaron!
Congrats and btw I’ll be taking QR business class to LHR soon and it’d be interesting to do a review of the on-board experience and also on the Al Mourjan Business Lounge in Doha.
Let me know if you’d keen on it?
Cheers,
Boon
thanks boon! Yes, i would love to read about that