What’s the best card to use for Kris+?

Kris+ is Singapore Airlines’ lifestyle rewards app that allows users to earn and redeem KrisFlyer miles at participating merchants in Singapore and Australia, as well as enjoy special discounts and privileges .

Miles earned on Kris+ can be transferred instantly to KrisFlyer at a 1:1 ratio with no conversion fees, so it’s an excellent way of topping up your account for an award redemption.

S$5 for new Kris+ Users

Get S$5 (in the form of 750 KrisPay miles) when you sign-up with code W644363 and make your first transaction

In Singapore, Kris+ now has more than 400 merchants, with earn rates ranging from 0.5-9 mpd. This includes popular merchants such as Audio House, Challenger, Esso, Harvey Norman, iStudio, Paradise Group, and Tung Lok. 

Keep in mind, the rates above are before factoring in credit card miles, which can yield an additional 3-6 mpd.

In this post, we’ll look at the best cards for pairing with Kris+.

What card should I use with Kris+?

Here’s a brief reminder of the ground rules for Kris+:

• All Kris+ payments must be made in-app, via Apple Pay or Google Pay
• All Kris+ transactions code as online
• Kris+ transactions generally retain the original MCC of the underlying transaction (with some limited exceptions)

This means you should either use:

• a card that explicitly awards bonuses for Kris+
• a card that awards bonuses for online spending
• a card which bonus categories match the underlying MCC

If you’re uncertain about the MCC, here’s three ways you can check it before making a purchase.

For a detailed guide, refer to the following article.

How to check Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) before making a purchase

All Kris+ transactions

💳 Best Cards for Kris+ (All Categories)
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
DBS WWMC Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$2K per c. month*
Citi Rewards + Amaze Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1K per s. month. Do not use Citi Rewards Card alone- no bonuses
KrisFlyer UOB Card Apply	3 mpd	No cap
*Cut to S$1.5K per c. month from 1 March 2024 C. Month= Calendar Month | S. Month= Statement Month

If you want a fuss-free solution that will work regardless of MCC, then any of the above cards will do the job. 

The DBS Woman’s World Card earns 4 mpd on Kris+ transactions, capped at S$2,000 per calendar month (cut to S$1,500 from 1 March 2024), by virtue of the fact they code as online.

While the Citi Rewards Card will only earn 0.4 mpd on Kris+ transactions (because of the exception clause for in-app Apple/Google Pay payments) pairing it with the Amaze Card will circumvent the restriction. This allows you to earn 4 mpd on the first S$1,000 per statement month.

However, do remember that Apple Pay does not support Amaze, so this is only a solution for Android users (while Apple users can download Google Pay, they cannot use it for in-app transactions).

Finally, the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card was enhanced in November 2022 to offer an uncapped 3 mpd on all Kris+ transactions, with no minimum spend required. 

Kris+ Dining

🍴 Best Cards for Kris+ Dining
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
UOB Lady’s Card Apply	6 mpd*	Max. S$1K per c. month. Must choose Dining as bonus category
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Apply	6 mpd*	Max. S$3K per c. month. Must choose Dining as bonus category
HSBC Revolution Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1K per c. month
UOB Pref. Plat. Visa Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1.1K per c. month
*Reduced to 4 mpd from 1 April 2024 C. Month= Calendar Month | S. Month= Statement Month
These cards are in addition to those mentioned in the Kris+ (All Categories) table above

If you’re paying with Kris+ at a restaurant, then the UOB Lady’s Card or UOB Lady’s Solitaire, with dining selected as the quarterly bonus category, will earn 6 mpd on the first S$1,000 or S$3,000 per calendar month. Be advised that the rate will be reduced to 4 mpd from 1 April 2024, when UOB’s year-long promotion draws to a close

Alternatively, you can go with the HSBC Revolution or UOB Preferred Platinum Visa for 4 mpd on the first S$1,000 or S$1,110 per calendar month. 

Do note that the “safest” card to use for dining would still be the HSBC Revolution or UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, since they have the broadest definition of dining. 

🍽️ Dining Card MCC Coverage
	HSBC Revo	UOB Lady’s	UOB PPV
5811 Caterers	✅	✅	✅
5812 Restaurants	✅	✅	✅
5813 Bars & Nightclubs	✅
5814 Fast Food	✅	✅	✅
5441 Candy, Nut, Confectionary Stores	✅		✅
5462 Bakeries	✅		✅
5499 Misc. Food Stores	✅	✅	✅

Kris+ Shopping

🛍️ Best Cards for Kris+ Shopping
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
UOB Lady’s Card Apply	6 mpd*	Max. S$1K per c. month. Must choose Fashion as bonus category
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Apply	6 mpd*	Max. S$3K per c. month. Must choose Fashion as bonus category
HSBC Revolution Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1K per c. month
UOB Pref. Plat. Visa Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1.1K per c. month
OCBC Rewards Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1.1K per c month
*Reduced to 4 mpd from 1 April 2024 C. Month= Calendar Month | M. Year= Membership Year
These cards are in addition to those mentioned in the Kris+ (All Categories) table above

Shopping is a bit of a tricky category because of the sheer number of possible MCCs involved. 

You’ll need to compare the MCC (here’s how to find it before making a transaction) against the T&Cs for your card, but generally speaking the HSBC Revolution and UOB Preferred Platinum Visa cover the widest range.

Card	Shopping MCCs
HSBC Revolution	4816, 5045, 5262, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5655, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5732 to 5735, 5912, 5942, 5944 to 5949, 5964 to 5970, 5992, 5999
OCBC Rewards	5309, 5311, 5611, 5621, 5631 ,5641, 5651, 5655, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5941, 5948
UOB Lady’s Card	5311, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5651, 5655, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5948
UOB Lady’s Solitaire
UOB Pref. Plat Visa	4816, 5262, 5306, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5732-5735, 5912, 5942, 5944-5949, 5964-5970, 5992, 5999

For shopping, the UOB Lady’s Card or UOB Lady’s Solitaire, with Fashion selected as the quarterly bonus category, will earn 6 mpd on the first S$1,000 or S$3,000 per calendar month (reduced to 4 mpd from 1 April 2024).

Alternatively, you can go with the HSBC Revolution, OCBC Rewards or UOB Preferred Platinum Visa for 4 mpd on the first S$1,000 (Revolution) or S$1,110 (Rewards, Preferred) per calendar month.

Transfer your miles immediately!

Here’s the standard Kris+ PSA: whenever you earn any miles through the Kris+ app, be sure to transfer them to your KrisFlyer account immediately. There’ll be a big blue “transfer to KrisFlyer” button that pops up after payment; you can’t miss it.

If you wait more than seven days, or spend any of the miles earned on a given transaction via the Kris+ app, the remaining balance will be stuck in Kris+ where it can only be spent at a paltry rate of 150 miles = S$1, with a six-month expiry.

Don’t forget Challenges

Kris+ Challenges, for the uninitiated, are simple tasks that award extra KrisPay miles. You can find the Challenges section at the top of the Kris+ home screen (you may need to swipe to the left to see it).

Do make a point of registering for all the Challenges you see, in the off chance you trigger the reward criteria inadvertently!

For instance, the most recent Challenge awarded 3,750 KrisPay miles (worth S$25) to Kris+ users who spent at least S$100 in a single payment with a Mastercard. While miles earned from Challenges cannot be transferred to KrisFlyer, it’s still free!

Earn extra miles for restaurant bookings

Don’t forget that the Kris+ Makan+ platform offers 100 KrisPay miles for each restaurant reservation made via the app. 

To book restaurants, simply tap the Reserve A Table button at the top of the homepage. 

This isn’t a huge reward, but it costs you nothing extra to earn, and the selection is pretty substantial since it’s powered by Chope. You might even find restaurants here that aren’t Kris+ earn partners, but let you clock the 100 miles nonetheless. 

Earn 100 KrisFlyer miles per restaurant reservation with Makan+

Conclusion

S$5 for new Kris+ Users

Get S$5 (in the form of 750 KrisPay miles) when you sign-up with code W644363 and make your first transaction

Kris+ is an easy way of earning up to an extra 9 mpd on your spending, which can be further stacked with 3-6 mpd from the right credit card.

For a fuss-free solution, the DBS Woman’s World Card or KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card is your go-to. But if you’re willing to spend some time figuring out the MCC, then the UOB Lady’s Card offers an unbeatable 6 mpd, until 31 March 2024 at least.

Be sure to browse the Kris+ app periodically because they also run limited-time flash deals with certain merchants that offer upsized miles or in-store discounts.