How to maximise miles when buying a new iPhone 14

First things first: I’m a Blackberry man through and through, and will be until one of us dies (latest bookie odds favour the Key2 to outlast me). Nothing’s ever going to beat the tactile sensation of a physical keyboard, which lets me blind text under the table instead of engaging in social interactions. I love it. 

But for whatever reason, some people seem to prefer iPhones (I won’t judge; history will do it for me). And with last week’s launch of the iPhone 14, interested parties will soon have an expense ranging anywhere from $1,299 to S$2,629. 

So here’s some pointers on how to maximise miles on this big ticket purchase. 

Use Kris+ for an extra 3 mpd

Android | iOS

S$5 for new Kris+ users (W644363)

iStudio, Challenger and Harvey Norman (iPhones not yet in stock, at the time of writing) are all Kris+ partners, offering an extra 3 mpd on purchases. This can be stacked with up to 4 mpd from credit cards for a total earn rate of 7 mpd. 

To sweeten the deal, iStudio and Kris+ are teaming up to offer a 214,000 KrisFlyer miles giveaway. That’s enough for a round-trip Business Class Saver award from Singapore to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle or Vancouver. 

Customers will receive one lucky draw entry for every transaction of at least S$80 (before GST) made between 8 September to 31 October 2022. They are not allowed to break up a single purchase into smaller payments (e.g. making 3x payments of S$80 for a single S$240 item), though obviously there’s nothing stopping them from buying three separate items in three separate transactions. 

The full details of the lucky draw and T&Cs can be found here.

In terms of what card to use, Kris+ transactions code as online, and maintain the MCC of the underlying merchant. This should be MCC 5732 (Electronic Sales) for iStudio, Challenger and Harvey Norman.

You can use the following cards to maximise the miles earned.

💻 Best Cards for Electronics (MCC 5732)
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
DBS WWMC Apply	4 mpd	Max S$2K per c. month. Must be online Review
HSBC Revolution Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1K per c. month. Must be online or contactless Review
OCBC Titanium Rewards Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$13.3K per m. year Review
C. month= Calendar month, M. year= Membership year

Don’t forget to transfer any miles earned on Kris+ to KrisFlyer immediately, in their entirety. If you wait more than seven days, the miles will be stuck in Kris+, where they can only be spent at a miserly valuation of 0.67 cents apiece. 

Buying in-store

If you’re planning to buy the iPhone 14 in-store and Kris+ is not an option, then your best bet would be to use the following cards. 

Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
HSBC Revolution Apply	4 mpd	Max S$1K per c. month Review
UOB Pref. Plat Visa Apply	4 mpd	Max S$1,110 per c. month, must use mobile payments Review
UOB Visa Signature  Apply	4 mpd	Min S$1K, max S$2K per s. month on contactless Review
C. Month= Calendar Month, S. Month= Statement Month

For the HSBC Revolution, note that the transaction MCC must fall under MCC 5732 or one of the other eligible MCCs in order for 4 mpd to be awarded. For the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa and UOB Visa Signature, you will earn 4 mpd so long as you make payment via mobile contactless. 

You could also pair the Citi Rewards Card with the Amaze. The Amaze will convert the transaction into online spend, which earns 4 mpd, capped at S$1,000 per statement month.

If you’re buying the iPhone 14 online, you can refer to the previous section on Kris+ for the best cards to use (and add in the Citi Rewards, provided you’re not using in-app payments). 

Use a BNPL service to break up the cost

Since an iPhone 14 will set you back at least S$1,299, it’s going to bust the 4 mpd cap on cards with a monthly limit of S$1,000.

Assuming the store doesn’t let you split the cost over different cards, one simple way of circumventing this is to use a BNPL service. These break the transaction into three interest-free monthly installments (you might even be able to save a few bucks if you’re a first-time customer), and you’ll still earn miles as per normal.

	Installments	Late Payment Fee
Merchant List	3 months	S$20-60
(aka ShopBack PayLater) Merchant List	3 months	S$5-30
Merchant List	3 months	From S$15
Merchant List	3 months	S$10-60

The official Apple store partners with pace, while iStudio and Singtel partner with Atome. 

For the best cards to use with BNPL providers, refer to the following article. I’ve personally found the Citi Rewards and DBS Woman’s World Card to be the most reliable. 

What’s the best credit card for Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) platforms?

Buy it on KrisShop for up to 12.5 mpd

The iPhone 14 is now available for pre-order on KrisShop, which means there’s an opportunity to earn up to 12.5 mpd. This is broken down into:

• Up to 4 mpd for KrisShopper members
• A bonus 4.5 mpd for shopping via KrisShop on Kris+ (valid till 31 October 2022, but has been regularly extended)
• Up to 4 mpd for using the right card

This would be a potentially superior option to buying in-store via Kris+, assuming the pricing works out to be the same. 

For the full details on the latest KrisShop miles promotion, refer to the article below.

Earn up to 12.5 mpd on KrisShop with KrisShopper and Kris+

AMEX x Apple Rewards Store

AMEX Apple Rewards Store

If you’re flush with American Express Membership Rewards points, you might want to consider redeeming some of them for an iPhone via the AMEX x Apple Rewards Store.

AMEX offers a redemption rate of S$6 per 1,000 MR points redeemed, which is equivalent to accepting a value of:

• AMEX Platinum Charge/Centurion: 0.96 cents/mile
• All other AMEX cards: 1.08 cents/mile

This isn’t a fantastic valuation, but there are periodic promotions which boost the value. A recent offer allowed members to cover up to half the cost with points at a rate of S$10 per 1,000 MR points, which would work out to:

• AMEX Platinum Charge/Centurion: 1.6 cents/mile
• All other AMEX cards: 1.80 cents/mile

I’d certainly consider that if I were in the market!

Do note that the iPhone 14 is not showing as in-stock at the time of writing, but it’s bound to happen sooner or later.

Conclusion

The latest iPhone 14 will set you back at least S$1,299, and if you’ve decided to splash that kind of money, you might as well earn some miles from it. If you’re willing to wait a few weeks, there should be more opportunities to earn miles as it becomes available in-store at Challenger and Harvey Norman, or online at KrisShop.

Seriously though, just use a Blackberry. 

Any other tips for earning miles on the latest iPhone?