Extended: Get a pair of Apple AirPods when you sign up for SCB credit cards (including X Card)

For the month of February, new-to-bank customers who get approved for selected Standard Chartered credit cards will receive a pair of Apple AirPods (RRP: S$239), plus up to S$80 cashback. 

The following cards are eligible for this promotion:

	Income Requirement	Annual Fee	New-to-Bank Gift
SCB X Card Apply here	S$80,000	S$695.50	AirPods
SCB Unlimited Apply here	S$30,000	S$192.60 (2 years waiver)	AirPods + S$80 cashback
SCB Spree Apply here	S$30,000	S$192.60 (2 years waiver)	AirPods + S$80 cashback
SCB Rewards+ Apply here	S30,000	S$192.60 (2 years waiver)	AirPods + S$80 cashback

The AirPods are fulfilled by SingSaver; the cashback is fulfilled by SCB. The cashback does not require you to spend anything- simply activate your physical card within 30 days of approval, and you’ll receive an S$80 statement credit.

Similarly, the AirPods do not require any spending, and will be redeemable within 3 months of approval. You’ll receive an email or SMS regarding collection at a redemption centre. 

If you’re an existing SCB customer (defined as someone who holds a principal SCB credit card now or in the past 12 months), you’ll receive S$50 cash (from SingSaver) plus an additional S$20 cashback (from SCB).

Is this an opportunity to get the SCB X Card?

As you may already know, SCB has ended the sign up bonus on the SCB X Card. Therefore, you’ll now be forking out S$695.50 for a card with 30,000 welcome miles and two lounge visits. That’s a cost of 2.3 cents per mile, way above what you should be paying. 

Although this promotion lets you snag a pair of AirPods while signing up for the SCB X Card, I still don’t think it’s the right time to do so. Remember, the S$80 cashback isn’t applicable to the SCB X Card, and you could just as well parlay your new-to-bank status into a pair of AirPods + S$80 cashback on another card with an annual fee waiver, like the SCB Spree, the SCB Unlimited or the SCB Rewards+.

Subsequently, if SCB does decide to add a new sign up bonus on the SCB X Card, you should still be eligible for it notwithstanding the fact that you’re an existing SCB customer. That was the case last year at least, where both the 100,000 and 60,000 miles offers were available to all SCB X Card applicants regardless of status. 

So I’d bide my time with the SCB X Card because there’s no real reason to get it at the moment. Given that the SCB Visa Infinite is set to be demarketed any day now, I’d expect us to see some improvements to the X Card in the near future. 

Conclusion

If it’s AirPods you fancy, then here’s a way to pick up a pair and some cashback for a few minutes’ work. Remember to look out for the SingSaver rewards email that will be sent to your inbox- you’ll need to fill this out with your application number in order to receive your reward.