Back in October 2018, DBS launched a promotion that allowed DBS Altitude Cardholders to earn an additional 1 mpd by paying an additional 2.2% admin fee on all purchases. The name of this campaign, and I’m not even joking here, was More Miles to Fly in Style.
Needless to say, this was a horrible idea. 2.2 cents per mile, even back in 2018, was way above what you should be paying. The fact that you’d have to wait up to 90 days for the bonus miles to credit was just the icing on the crap croissant (the family-friendly nature of this website precludes me from using the more popular culinary item).
DBS later redubbed the feature as Miles Accelerator and reduced the admin fee to 2%, but the deal was still bad, and I hereby disown any reader who took it up.
Well, in a classic case of “and nothing of value was lost”, DBS has announced that they’ll be ending Miles Accelerator from 1 July 2023.
DBS Altitude ends Miles Accelerator feature
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| Miles Accelerator T&Cs |
| Miles Accelerator FAQs |
Since I need to pad out this article a bit, here’s how Miles Accelerator works.
DBS Altitude AMEX or Visa cardholders need to opt in by registering on the DBS website (no, I’m not providing the link; think of the children), and registration is effective from the first day of the following calendar month. Registration can subsequently be withdrawn, also with one month’s notice.
During the registration period, cardholders will automatically be billed an additional 2% admin fee on all transactions, in exchange for an additional 1 mpd on top of regular earn rates- in other words, 2 cents per mile.
| Base Miles | Miles Acc. | Total Miles | |
| Local Spend | 1.2 mpd | 1 mpd | 2.2 mpd |
| Overseas Spend | 2 mpd | 1 mpd | 3 mpd |
| Online Flight & Hotel | 3 mpd | 1 mpd | 4 mpd |
DBS provides the following illustration:
This cardholder clocked S$2,000 in local spend, earning 2,400 miles per the DBS Altitude Card’s regular 1.2 mpd earn rate. He will then be charged a 2% admin fee (S$40) and receive an additional 1 mpd, resulting in a total of 4,400 miles (2,400 base miles + 2,000 bonus miles). Following this, he will ideally remove himself from the gene pool in an expedient manner that does not interfere with my morning commute.
DBS has now announced that it will be ending the Miles Accelerator programme from 1 July 2023:
With effect from 1 July 2023, we will be ceasing the Miles Accelerator Promotion. Registered cardmembers will continue to earn 1 additional mile on their eligible spend till 30 June 2023. The final 2% administrative fee will be charged by 31 July 2023.
-DBS
Look. Absolutely no tears should be shed over this. If you need to top up your miles, there are dozens (dozens!) of ways to do so for less than 2 cents:
- Sign up for a credit card (free-1.94 cents per mile)
- Pay bills via Citi PayAll (1 cent per mile)
- Pay rent via CardUp (1.07-1.43 cents per mile)
- Pay income tax via CardUp (1.07-1.81 cents per mile)
- Pay income tax via StanChart Visa Infinite (1.14 cents per mile)
- Use the OCBC VOYAGE Payment Facility (1.9-1.95 cents per mile)
I’m aware that the DBS Points received under Miles Accelerator can be converted into not just KrisFlyer miles, but Asia Miles and Qantas Frequent Flyer Points as well. But regardless of which programme you choose, I wouldn’t value a mile at more than two cents, and besides, you could buy miles with those same three programmes at lower cost via the methods above.
If there’s a use case for Miles Accelerator, I just don’t see it.
Conclusion
The DBS Altitude will ends its Miles Accelerator feature from July 2023, but anyone who was using it should see this as an act of mercy on the bank’s part.
Now, if only DBS had spent those five years coming up with a competitive response to Citi PayAll…
