DBS Go Online Promotion: Get 8% back on your online or in-app spending

From 17 Feb to 30 Apr 2020, DBS is running a “Go Online” promotion that awards qualifying customers with a sure-win gift worth 8% of their spending.

Registration is required and is open to the first 50,000 principal cardholders.

I tried registering through iBanking and received an error message, but upon checking in the DBS Lifestyle App I could see my registration had gone through.

Here are the links to the T&Cs and FAQs of this promotion.

How does it work?

Upon registration, you’ll receive a personalized spend goal. This can be met by online or in-app spending on any of your DBS/POSB credit cards during the qualifying period. Spending can be combined across cards; there’s no need to stick to just one.

The promotion is split into two periods, so you can potentially win two different gifts.

Once you’ve registered, that registration is valid for both qualifying periods (so there’s no need to register twice).

Qualifying spending refers to online or in-app spending, and excludes the following transactions. Note in particular that CardUp and ipaymy are excluded.

Based on past promotions, GrabPay top-ups should count, but as always you’ll run the risk of falling afoul of e) payment of funds to prepaid accounts or o) any other transactions determined by DBS from time to time. Roll the dice if you want, but don’t blame me if it doesn’t count.

The T&Cs have included some examples of qualifying and non-qualifying transactions.

What can I win?

Once you’ve hit your spending target, you’ll receive a push notification on the DBS Lifestyle App to redeem your reward. Rewards for Qualifying Period 1 and 2 must be redeemed by 30 Apr 20 and 31 May 20 respectively.

You’ll play a mini-game (basically selecting a gift box) with the chance to win one of the following prizes:

Obviously a cash credit is much more preferable to an e-voucher, but based on the gift quantities I think an e-voucher is the more likely outcome.

All e-vouchers are from foodpanda, Lazada, or Redmart. These must be redeemed by 31 July 2020, and do not have a minimum spend (however, the amount payable must be at least equal to the voucher amount).

What DBS cards should I be using for online spending?

If you’re collecting miles, these are the two DBS cards you’ll want to use for the online/in-app spending promotion.

Card	Online Spending	Remarks
DBS Woman’s World Card	4 mpd	Capped at S$2K per calendar month
DBS Altitude AMEX/Visa	3 mpd on flights and hotels	Capped at S$5K per calendar month

The DBS Woman’s World Card is the more flexible option, offering 4 mpd on the first S$2,000 of online spending per calendar month. If you’re spending on flights and hotels specifically, you can also use the DBS Altitude AMEX/Visa card for 3 mpd, on the first S$5,000 per calendar month. Do note that in the case of hotels, your reservation must be fully prepaid online; using your card to guarantee your reservation does not count.

Conclusion

With more people staying home and shopping online on account of the Covid-19 outbreak, it’s not surprising to see banks trying to get a share of their online wallet. I suspect we may see similar promotions from other banks, so be on the lookout for those. A quick calculation shows that the total prizes on offer are worth S$3.6 million (of course DBS won’t pay full face value for those vouchers, so this is probably an overestimate), a pretty hefty “stimulus package” by DBS.

If you’re holding a DBS card, do register ASAP because registrations are limited, and your spending doesn’t count until you’ve registered.