DBS has launched a new overseas spending promotion for the DBS Altitude AMEX and DBS Altitude Visa, which runs from now till 31 January 2023.
Cardholders will earn up to 4 mpd on all overseas spend, with a minimum spend of S$2,500 and capped at S$3,000 per month.
Registration is required, and this offer is only available to the first 5,000 registered cardmembers. Fortunately, Unlike Other Banks (UOB) which shall remain nameless, DBS offers a tracker that clearly shows how many registration slots are left. No shenanigans here!
Earn up to 4 mpd with DBS Altitude Cards
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| DBS Altitude Promo |
From 1 November 2022 to 31 January 2023, DBS Altitude AMEX and DBS Altitude Visa cardholders will earn 4 mpd on in-person foreign currency (FCY) transactions as follows:
| Regular Rate | Bonus Rate | Overall | |
| FCY Spending | 2.0 mpd | 2.0 mpd | 4.0 mpd |
This comprises of the regular 2 mpd rate on FCY spend, plus an additional 2 mpd bonus. Once again, do note that transactions must be made in-person; card-not-present transactions like online shopping will not qualify.
A minimum spend of S$2,500 per month is required. The minimum spend can be met by both local and FCY spending (see next section for exact definition).
A cap of S$3,000 per month applies, which means you can earn a maximum of 6,000 bonus miles for every month of the promotion.
Registration required
Registration is required for each calendar month you wish to participate. In other words, if you want to participate in the promotion for November, December and January, you need to register three times.
Registration can be done via the DBS PayLah! app. Simply tap on the Rewards tab at the bottom, then scroll down to More Promotions. Once registered, you’ll see a tracker that shows how far you are from the S$2,500 minimum spend.
Registration is capped at the first 5,000 cardmembers per calendar month, but notice how DBS shows clearly how many slots are left. This means that if you’re successfully registered, you can rest assured you’ll receive the bonus provided all other conditions are met.
For avoidance of doubt, there is no need to participate in all three months of the promotion period if you do not wish to.
Is it worth it?
All FCY transactions on the DBS Altitude AMEX or DBS Altitude Visa are subject to a 3% or 3.25% FCY fee respectively, which given a 4 mpd earn rate represents buying miles at 0.75 or 0.81 cents apiece.
That’s a good deal in and of itself, although your default overseas spending solution should still be the Amaze + Citi Rewards Card, which earns 4 mpd on S$1,000 per statement month without FCY fees (a spread applies, but you still come out on top).
Don’t forget that you can earn 5 mpd on overseas dining and shopping with UOB PRVI Miles Cards up till 31 December 2022. That would be a better option than the DBS Altitude offer, provided you don’t mind the narrower definition of overseas spend.
What transactions count towards minimum spend?
Minimum spend refers to retail transactions charged to the card, excluding:
- posted 0% interest-free instalment plan monthly transactions (“IPP”);
- posted My Preferred Payment instalment plan monthly transactions (“MP3”);
- interest, finance charges, cash withdrawal, cash advance, balance transfer, AXS payments (except Pay+Earn), SAM online bill payments, bill payments via internet banking and all fees charged by DBS;
- any transaction that is subsequently cancelled, voided, refunded or reversed (“Refunded Transactions”) for any reason.
DBS makes no mention of its usual exclusion list like education or insurance , which leads me to assume that these transactions will count towards the minimum spend, while not themselves earning points.
Qualifying spend can also count towards the minimum spend, so you could spend S$2,500 in foreign currency overseas and immediately unlock the 4 mpd rate.
When will bonus miles be credited?
Bonus miles (in the form of DBS Points) will be credited within 60 days from the end of each calendar month of the promotion period.
In other words:
- Bonus miles for 1-30 November 2022 spend will be credited by 31 December 2022
- Bonus miles for 1-31 December 2022 spend be credited by 30 January 2023
- Bonus miles for 1-31 January 2023 spend will be credited by 2 March 2023
You’ll receive a push notification via the DBS PayLah! app informing you of the crediting.
What can you do with DBS Points?
DBS Points do not expire for DBS Altitude Cardholders, and can be transferred to the following frequent flyer programs at a ratio of 1 DBS Point= 2 miles (except AirAsia, where the ratio is 1:3), with a minimum transfer of 5,000 DBS Points.
| 💳 DBS Transfer Partners | |
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| For a full list of transfer partners, refer to this article | |
Transfers cost a flat S$26.75, regardless of the number of points converted. DBS also offers automatic conversions to KrisFlyer for a 12-month period with a S$42.80 fee.
In my opinion, it’s only worth transferring miles to KrisFlyer or Asia Miles. AirAsia BIG is more of a rebates program than a traditional frequent flyer scheme, and Qantas Frequent Flyer doesn’t have any real sweet spots for Singapore-based travellers (unless maybe you want to book a round-the-world trip, or domestic flights within Australia).
Terms and conditions
The full T&Cs for the DBS Altitude 4 mpd on overseas spending promotion can be found here.
Conclusion
DBS Altitude Cardholders can register to enjoy 4 mpd on in-person foreign currency spending up till 31 January 2023. A minimum spend of S$2,500 per month applies, and the bonus is capped at S$3,000 per month.
Registrations are capped at the first 5,000 cardholders per month, so do make it a point of registering early if you intend to take part.
For a full review of the DBS Altitude Card and how to get the most out of it, refer to the article below.
