You can now earn and redeem KrisFlyer miles with Kris+ in Australia

KrisFlyer members travelling to Australia, or who choose to live there despite the ever-present danger of drop bears, can now earn and redeem miles with Kris+ at selected cafes, restaurants and retailers.

To be clear, Kris+ has been available in Australia for a while now, but only as a deals platform without earning or redemption possibilities.

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

The initial rollout covers Melbourne and Sydney, with other cities like the megapolis that is Canberra likely to be added in due course.

Earn and redeem miles with Kris+ in Australia

Kris+ earning and redemptions has launched with 26 partners across Melbourne and Sydney. 

Do note that the Kris+ app lists other merchants in these cities too, but not all support the earning and redemption of KrisFlyer miles at this time. Merchants which don’t offer this feature will have a label at the top of their description, as shown below.

Merchants which offer earning and redemption of miles will have a blue banner at the top of their description.

Earning miles

Earning miles is as simple as scanning a QR code, typing in the amount, and using Apple or Google Pay to complete the transaction.

Don’t forget to transfer any KrisPay miles you earn to KrisFlyer within 7 days of the transaction, in their entirety. A big “Transfer to KrisFlyer” button will appear after every transaction; you can’t miss it.

If you wait longer than seven days, or spend any portion of the KrisPay miles earned, the remaining balance will be stuck in Kris+, where they will expire after six months.

Redeeming miles

15 KrisPay miles= AS$0.10

Kris+ users can also spend KrisPay miles to offset purchases made in Australia, but the value is so low you won’t want to do this (unless the miles are stuck inside the app, like the ones earned from Challenges or promotions). 

The rate on offer is 15 KrisPay miles = A$0.10, or 0.67 Australian cents each. If that sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s the same as what’s offered in Singapore- at least in absolute terms. However, because of the exchange rate, you’re getting less value because 0.67 Australian cents is worth about 0.59 Singapore cents.

It’s better to avoid this option, unless there’s some generous milesback offers planned (and based on Kris+’s rollout strategy in Singapore there very well may be!).

2,000 bonus miles offer

To mark the launch of Kris+, the app is offering up to 2,000 bonus miles to Kris+ users who:

• have downloaded the Kris+ app after 0000 hrs (AEDT) 20 November 2023; and
• are among the first 2,000 participants to carry out an eligible transaction during the promotional period from 20 November 2023, 0000hrs (AEDT) to 31 December
  2023, 2359hrs (AEDT)

Eligible transactions are defined as payments of at least A$15 made at Kris+ merchants across Melbourne or Sydney.

• Payment at 1 participating partner: 1,000 miles
• Payment at 2 or more participating partners: 2,000 miles

For avoidance of doubt, you’re only entitled to one of the above rewards, so the maximum bonus you can receive is 2,000 miles.

Do note that you will need to make the payments at different partners; two payments made at the same partner will only entitle you to 1,000 miles, not 2,000 miles.

Unlike most Kris+ bonus campaigns, these miles can be transferred to your KrisFlyer account, subject to you doing so within seven days of accrual. 

The T&Cs of this offer can be found here.

What credit card should you use with Kris+ in Australia?

I have no idea what the credit card scene is like in Australia, and will leave it to the local experts to advise.

That said, if you’re a Singapore-based Kris+ member visiting Australia, note that Kris+ transactions made here will code as foreign currency online spend. The following cards will earn you the most miles:

💳 Best Cards for Kris+ in Australia
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
UOB Visa Signature Apply	4 mpd	Min. S$1K max. S$2K per s. month
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
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Apply	3.2 mpd*	Min. S$800 per c. month
KrisFlyer UOB Card Apply	3 mpd	No cap
StanChart Visa Infinite Apply	3 mpd	Min. S$2K per s. month
*Limited-time rate; refer to this post for more details

You may also be able to use cards like the HSBC Revolution, UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, or UOB Lady’s Card for 4-6 mpd, depending on the MCC.

Conclusion

Kris+ has launched earning and redemptions in Australia, and while the initial list of merchants is thin, it’s almost certainly going to grow in the weeks and months to come. 

You can currently earn up to 3 mpd from Kris+, plus further miles from your credit card, all while enjoying special deals or privileges. Whether you’re an Australian resident/inmate or visitor from Singapore, there’s no reason to leave miles on the table.