The following is a sponsored post by OCBC. All opinions and analysis remain those of The Milelion. |
OCBC VOYAGE is running a limited-time offer exclusively for Milelion readers that ends today (1 April), and just in the nick of time, the deal’s gotten even more enticing.
New cardholders will receive up to a S$500 cash rebate when they spend at least S$1,500 on their card within the first 1-2 months of approval and pay the card’s annual fee. There is no “new-to-bank” requirement, i.e. existing OCBC cardholders also qualify for this deal (however, customers who cancelled an OCBC VOYAGE card in the last 12 months before application will not be eligible).
๐ If you applied for a VOYAGE card through The Milelion from 26-31 March when the offer was S$450, don’t worry- you’ll get S$500 too! Read on for the details. |
OCBC VOYAGE Card offer for Milelion readers
Apply Here |
Terms & Conditions |
New OCBC VOYAGE cardholders who apply through any of the links in this article and make a qualifying spend of at least S$1,500 will receive a S$300 cash rebate, credited to their account within two months from the qualifying spend end date.
Note: This is only available for OCBC VOYAGE applications; the Premier/ PPC/ BOS VOYAGE are available by invitation only. |
The qualifying spend end date depends on when your card is approved:
Card Approval | Qualifying Spend End Date | $300 Credited By |
1-31 March 2021 | 30 April 2021 | 30 June 2021 |
1-30 April 2021 | 31 May 2021 | 31 July 2021 |
What this means is you’ll want to apply as close as possible to the start of the month, in order to give yourself up to two months to make the qualifying spend. For example, if you’re approved on 1 April, you’ll have the whole of April and May to spend.
The S$300 cash rebate is in addition to the miles received from paying the annual service fee. Cardholders receive 15,000 VOYAGE Miles for paying the S$488 annual fee, and thanks to OCBC’s temporarily enhanced rates for cashing out VOYAGE Miles, that’s worth S$200 cash (normally: S$150).
In other words, a new cardholder who spends S$1,500 could receive an effective rebate of S$500 (S$300+ S$200), essentially wiping out the first year’s fee.
Alternatively, they could choose to keep the VOYAGE Miles, effectively buying them at 1.25 cents each ([S$488-300]/15,000). That’s a good price in my opinion, considering they can be converted to KrisFlyer miles at a 1:1 ratio with no transfer fees, or redeemed for 2-3 cents against airfares, depending on destination.
What counts as qualifying spend?
The S$1,500 qualifying spend threshold follows OCBC’s usual rewards exclusions for the VOYAGE card. The full exclusion list can be found in the VOYAGE T&Cs, but the key ones to highlight are:
- Charitable donations
- Education & school fees
- GrabPay top-ups
- Insurance premiums
- Public, community and non-profit hospitals
- Utilities bills
Do note that even though OCBC will soon exclude all hospital transactions from earning rewards, an exception has been carved out for the VOYAGE, which will continue to earn rewards for private hospital transactions such as Gleneagles and Mount Elizabeth.
As always, all spending must post by the end of the qualifying period to be counted; there may be a time lag between the date of transaction and the date of posting, so always give yourself a couple of days’ buffer (i.e if the end date is 31 May, don’t wait until 30 May to spend).
Key Benefits: OCBC VOYAGE
Income Req. | S$120,000 p.a | Points Validity | No expiry |
Annual Fee | S$488/ S$3,210 |
Min. Transfer |
1 mile |
Miles with Annual Fee |
15,000/ 150,000 |
Transfer Partners |
|
FCY Fee | 3.25% | Transfer Fee | None |
Local Earn | 1.3 mpd | Points Pool | No |
FCY Earn | 2.2 mpd | Lounge Access | Unlimited for principal & supp. |
Special Earn | N/A | Airport Limo | Yes |
Cardholder Terms and Conditions |
OCBC VOYAGE cardholders earn 1.3 mpd on local spending and 2.2 mpd on foreign currency transactions. VOYAGE Miles do not expire, and can be converted to KrisFlyer miles at a 1:1 ratio with no conversion fees. Alternatively, they can be spent on airfare through the VOYAGE concierge for any seat on any flight.
All cardholders (whether principal or supplementary) receive unlimited lounge access to Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide, and principal cardholders can earn one airport limo ride with a minimum of S$5,000 spent each month (capped at two per month). Since that may not be the most useful perk at the moment, limo rides can be encashed at a rate of S$25 per ride (till 31 March 2021, after which the rate reverts to S$20 per ride).
VOYAGE cardholders receive periodic offers for 1-for-1 deals at fine dining restaurants (the most recent being Chinoiserie and The Macallan Private Dining Experience), and access to the VOYAGE Exchange concierge, a 24/7 service providing assistance with travel and lifestyle needs.
As a Visa Infinite card, online purchases made with the OCBC VOYAGE receive complimentary eCommerce purchase protection, with up to US$1,000 annual coverage for issues like damage or non-delivery.
Conclusion
If you’ve been eyeing an OCBC VOYAGE card, this represents a great opportunity to get onboard while saving on the first year’s annual service fee.
To take advantage of this offer, be sure to apply through the links in this post by end of day on 1 April 2021.
Ahhh man! Mine got approved in Feb! I thought there was never any sign up bonus for Voyage cards
Will paying for income tax via cardup/ipaymy qualify for the $1500 minimum spending?
AXS Pay+Earn should be safer.
Thanks for sharing!
what do you mean by AXS Pay+Earn method?
yes, that is not on the exclusion list.
If I am currently holding a supplementary card will I qualify for the rebate if I manage to get my own voyage card?
correct, existing supp cardholders are eligible for this offer if they get a principal card of their own (and didn’t hold a principal card in the last 12 months)
If I get a new premier voyage card within the promotion period will this rebate be applicable?
only regular voyage
If we do not pay the annual fee, would we still be eligible for the 300 cash rebate? Since itโs stated as additional to the 150,000 miles given if the annual fee is paid
this is one of those cards where the annual fee must be paid.
how would this compare to citi prestige?
In what sense specifically? Your question is very broad.