Kris+ cuts earn rate on Comfort taxi rides to just 0.33 mpd

Back in December 2022, KrisFlyer announced a tie-up with Comfort Delgro’s CDG Zig, which allows Kris+ users to book Comfort taxi rides via the Kris+ app. A promotional earn rate of 3 mpd was offered for all bookings until March 2023, later extended a further month to April 2023. 

Now May is here, and unfortunately the earn rate has been cut to a very underwhelming 0.33 mpd. This essentially means that it’s not worth using the Kris+ app for taxi bookings anymore, since the 30 cent platform fee would offset any benefits on all but the most expensive rides.

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Earn rate for CDG taxi rides cut to 0.33 mpd

From 1 May 2023, Kris+ users will earn just 1 mile per S$3 spent (0.33 mpd) when booking CDG taxi rides via the Kris+ app. 

This effectively kills off Kris+ as a way of booking taxi rides, because of the S$0.30 platform fee applicable when using Kris+ & CDG Zig as opposed to CDG Zig directly. 

That might not sound like a lot, but when you do the math, you’ll soon realise you’re paying way over the odds for miles. 

For example, a S$20 taxi fare would earn 60 miles under the old system, and just 6 miles under the new system. Either way a S$0.30 fee is payable, which means a cost per mile of 1 cent under the old system, and 10 cents(!) under the new system. 

My personal valuation of a mile is 1.5 cents, so it’s only when the fare is S$60+ that using Kris+ makes sense. And seeing as how I’m not in the habit of commuting from NTU to Changi Airport…

Add the fact that booking taxi rides via Kris+ is a nightmare — the interface lags badly, keyboard inputs are often not registered, and app crashes are common — and there’s really no reason to put yourself through the aggravation anymore. 

Booking taxi rides via Kris+

If, for whatever reason, you still wish to book a taxi ride via Kris+, look for the “Book A Taxi” icon at the top of the Kris+ home screen.

You’ll then be brought to an in-app login screen for CDG Zig, where you enter your mobile number and OTP. After that, proceed to book a ride as per normal. 

At the final step, you’ll be sent back to the Kris+ app where you’ll choose how you want to pay: with card (via Google/Apple Pay), KrisPay miles, or a combination of the two. 

Do note that there will be two additional charges when booking CDG taxi rides via Kris+:

• A S$0.30 platform fee
• An S$8 surcharge

The S$0.30 platform fee is the same as what you’d pay had you used a platform like NETS, DBS PayLah!, OCBC PayAnyone etc., but as mentioned earlier it really doesn’t make sense with the nerfed earn rates. 

The S$8 surcharge is intended to cover additional charges like ERP fees (even if your route doesn’t pass a single gantry), and the balance will be refunded at the end of the trip. This tends to overstate the number of miles you earn per ride, since it’s rare the full S$8 will be utilised.

Kris+ miles will be credited after the trip is completed, and as always, must be transferred to KrisFlyer within seven days of accrual. Fail to do so, and the miles will be stuck inside Kris+ where they expire after six months, and can only be spent at a rate of 150 miles= S$1. 

What card should you use for CDG taxi bookings via Kris+?

While Comfort taxi rides normally code as MCC 4121 (Taxicabs and Limousines), when processed via Kris+ they code as MCC 4789 (Transportation Services Not Elsewhere Classified). This may change in the future, but until then, it will not trigger the bonuses for taxi rides on the HSBC Revolution. 

You can use the following cards to earn up to a bonus 6 mpd. 

🎁  CDG Taxi Rides via Kris+
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
UOB Lady’s Card Apply	6 mpd	Max S$1K per c. month. Must choose Transport as 10X category.
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Apply	6 mpd	Max S$3K per c. month. Must choose Transport as 10X category.
DBS Woman’s World Card Apply	4 mpd	Cap at 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 Credit Card Apply	3 mpd	No min. spend required

Keep in mind, however, that you could just as well earn the above rates when paying via the CDG Zig app directly. 

Or even better, book taxis via gojek/Grab, since these allow you to earn up to 6 mpd without CDG Zig’s 10% admin fee.

Conclusion

Kris+ has cut the earn rate for CDG taxi rides from 3 mpd to just 0.33 mpd, which means it’s no longer worth the hassle or platform fee to book rides this way. 

It was good while it lasted, but ultimately the team hasn’t managed to finesse the integration to the point where convenience can trump earn rates. Booking CDG rides via Kris+ is a technical dumpster fire, and there’s simply no reason to subject yourself to that anymore.