Roundup: Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses (December 2023)

Here’s The MileLion’s monthly roundup of the latest credit card sign-up bonuses in Singapore for December 2023. 

If you have any big ticket spending coming up, these bonuses could be an opportunity to rack up some extra miles or gifts, so plan your spending accordingly!

At a glance: Current sign-up bonuses

Here’s a summary of the current sign-up bonuses on the market, presented two ways: 

1. Payoff ratio
2. Cost per mile

Payoff ratio refers to the bonus miles divided by total spend (excluding annual fee). Basically: what’s the bang for your buck? For every S$1 of spend, how many miles do you get?

On that basis, here are are best sign-up offers. 

💳 Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses (sorted by payoff ratio)
	Spend (AF)	Miles^	Payoff@
Citi Premier Miles	S$800 (S$194)*	30K	37.5
Citi Prestige	S$2K (S$540)	71K	35.5
UOB PRVI Miles Card	S$2K (S$259)	45.2K	22.6
HSBC T1 Card	S$1K (S$194)	20K	20
Citi Rewards	S$800 (FYF)	16K	20
UOB VI Metal	S$4K (S$648)	80K + S$200 Grab vouchers	20
DBS Altitude AMEX	S$2K (S$194)*	32.6K	16.3
DBS Vantage	S$4K (S$594)	60K	15
StanChart Journey	S$3K (S$194)*	45K + S$140	15
AMEX Platinum Charge	S$6K (S$1,728)	82.8K	13.8
DBS Altitude Visa	S$2K (S$194)*	26.6K	13.3
KrisFlyer UOB	S$2K (FYF)	25K	12.5
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend	S$3K (S$340)	30.4K	10.1
AMEX HighFlyer	S$6K (S$302)	57.2K	9.5
^Does not include base miles *Fee waiver option available, with smaller number of bonus miles. See below for full details. @ Ignores non-miles gifts

Cost per mile refers to the annual fee divided by bonus miles. If you need to pay an annual fee as part of the sign-up bonus, you’re essentially paying for miles- the question is, how much?

On that basis, here are are best sign-up offers.

💳 Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses (sorted by cost per mile)
	Spend (AF)	Miles^	Cost Per Mile@
KrisFlyer UOB	S$2K (FYF)	25K	–
Citi Rewards	S$800 (FYF)	16K	–
StanChart Journey	S$3K (S$194)*	45K + S$140	0.43
AMEX HighFlyer	S$6K (S$302)	57.2K	0.53
UOB PRVI Miles Card	S$2K (S$259)	45.2K	0.57
DBS Altitude AMEX	S$2K (S$194)*	32.6K	0.60
Citi Premier Miles	S$800 (S$194)*	30K	0.65
DBS Altitude Visa	S$2K (S$194)*	26.6K	0.73
Citi Prestige	S$2K (S$540)	71K	0.76
UOB VI Metal	S$4K (S$648)	80K + S$200 Grab vouchers	0.81
HSBC T1 Card	S$1K (S$194)	20K	0.97
DBS Vantage	S$4K (S$594)	60K	0.99
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend	S$3K (S$340)	30.4K	1.12
AMEX Platinum Charge	S$6K (S$1,728)	82.8K	2.09
^Does not include base miles *Fee waiver option available, with smaller number of bonus miles. See below for full details. @ Ignores non-miles gifts

Ultimately, both sets of ranking criteria have a common shortcoming: they only look at miles. Some of these cards have additional benefits like free hotel nights or airport lounge access, which you’ll also need to factor in.

Therefore, it’s always advisable to read through each of the sign-up bonus articles and The MileLion’s Card Reviews before coming to a decision.

AMEX HighFlyer Card

AMEX HighFlyer Card (Offer Ends: 28 Feb 23)
Apply
Details
	New & Existing
Annual Fee	S$301.80 (must be paid)
Spend	S$6,000
Spend Period	90 days
Base Miles	10,800
Bonus Miles	57,200
Total Miles	68,000
Applicants who have cancelled the AMEX HighFlyer Card previously for the same company are not eligible.

New AMEX HighFlyer Cardholders who submit their applications by 28 February 2024 (with approval by 30 April 2024) will receive:

• 57,200 bonus HighFlyer points, or
• A Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 luggage bag

On top of the bonus HighFlyer points or luggage, they’ll earn 10,800 HighFlyer points for spending S$6,000 (based on 1.8 HighFlyer points per S$1).

The S$301.80 annual fee must be paid. There is no requirement that you be new-to-AMEX; the offer applies even if you hold an existing AMEX consumer card. Applicants who have cancelled the AMEX HighFlyer Card previously for the same company are not eligible. 

Unfortunately, there’s no more first year fee waiver option available for the AMEX HighFlyer Card, and this card no longer earns miles on GrabPay top-ups.

That said, the AMEX HighFlyer Card does come with a complimentary Accor Plus Explorer membership with a 1-night hotel stay and up to 50% off dining across Asia Pacific. If you’re interested in this, then the AMEX HighFlyer Card’s S$301.80 annual fee represents a ~30% discount to the usual retail price of S$418.

AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend

AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend (Offer Ends: 28 Feb 24)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$340.20 (must be paid)	S$340.20 (must be paid)
Spend	S$3,000	S$3,000
Spend Period	90 days	90 days
Base Miles	3,600	3,600
Bonus Miles	30,400	20,400
Total Miles	34,000	24,000
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal AMEX consumer card (DBS, Citi and UOB-issued AMEX cards do not count, nor does the AMEX HighFlyer Card) and have not cancelled an AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card in the past 12 months

New-to-bank cardholders who receive approval for an AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card by 28 February 2024 will enjoy 30,400 bonus miles when they pay the S$340.20 annual fee and spend S$3,000 within 90 days of approval. Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 3,600 base miles (S$3,000 @ 1.2 mpd).

Existing cardholders who receive approval for an AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Card by 28 February 2024 will enjoy 20,400 bonus miles when they pay the S$340.20 annual fee and spend S$3,000 within 90 days of approval. Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 3,600 base miles (S$3,000 @ 1.2 mpd).

Do note that the calculations assume that this is your first-ever American Express Singapore Airlines cobrand card. If you have held one in the past, you need to deduct 5,000 miles from the bonus component.

While the first year’s annual fee cannot be waived, you’ll receive a complimentary one night stay at participating Hilton properties, Hilton Silver status (which saves you the 5th night off redemptions), and four complimentary lounge passes.

AMEX Platinum Charge

AMEX Platinum Charge (Offer Ends: 31 Jan 24)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$1,728 (must be paid)	S$1,728 (must be paid)
Spend	S$6,000	S$6,000
Spend Period	60 days	60 days
Base Miles	4,688	4,688
Bonus Miles	82,813	53,125
Total Miles	87,500	57,813
New customers are defined as those who have not cancelled an AMEX Platinum Charge in the past 24 months, and do not currently hold a principal AMEX consumer card (AMEX cards issued by Citi/DBS/UOB do not count, nor does the AMEX HighFlyer Card).

New-to-bank customers who are approved for an AMEX Platinum Charge by 31 January 2024 will enjoy 132,500 bonus MR points (82,813 miles) when they pay the S$1,728 annual fee and spend S$6,000 within 60 days of approval. Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 7,500 base MR points (4,688 miles). 

Existing customers who are approved for an AMEX Platinum Charge by 31 January 2024 will enjoy 85,000 bonus MR points (53,125 miles) when they pay the S$1,728 annual fee and spend S$6,000 within 60 days of approval. Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 7,500 base MR points (4,688 miles). 

On a spend to points basis, this is the biggest offer we’ve ever seen for the AMEX Platinum Charge, so if you’ve been on the fence about applying this is an offer well worth considering.

Don’t forget that all AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders will be able to enjoy two sets of the newly-launched dining, lifestyle, air travel, fashion and entertainment statement credits in their first year, since these are awarded based on calendar year instead of membership year (except for entertainment credits, which are awarded per month).

This makes the first year of membership quite the sweet spot, as I’ve explained in the post below.

The AMEX Platinum Charge first-year sweet spot

Citi PremierMiles Card

Citi PremierMiles Card (Offer Ends: 31 Jan 24)
Apply
Details
	New  (Offer 1)	New (Offer 2)
Annual Fee	S$194.40 (must be paid)	Waived
Spend	S$800	S$800
Spend Period	2-3 months	2-3 months
Base Miles	960	960
Bonus Miles	30,000	8,000
Total Miles	30,960	8,960
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal Citi credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months

New-to-bank customers have a choice of two offers for the Citi PremierMiles Card. 

They can earn 30,000 bonus miles when they pay the S$194.40 annual fee and spend S$800 within 2-3 months of approval (the exact timeframe depends on when approval comes through; you have until the end of the second month after the approval month to spend). Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 960 base miles (S$800 @ 1.2 mpd).

Alternatively, they can earn 8,000 bonus miles when they spend S$800 within 2-3 months of approval, together with an annual fee waiver. Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 960 base miles (S$800 @ 1.2 mpd).

Citi Prestige Card

Citi Prestige Card (Offer Ends: 29 Feb 24)
Apply
Details
	New & Existing
Annual Fee	S$540 (must be paid)
Spend	S$1,000 in SGD S$1,000 in FCY
Spend Period	2-3 months
Base Miles	3,300
Bonus Miles	71,000
Total Miles	74,300
Offer valid for anyone who has not cancelled a Citi Prestige Card in the past 12 months

The Citi Prestige Card is offering a welcome bonus of 71,000 bonus miles for cardholders who:

• Pay the S$540 annual fee (25,000 miles)
• Spend S$1,000 in local currency (23,000 miles)
• Spend S$1,000 in foreign currency (23,000 miles)

The minimum spend for local and foreign currency must be made within 2-3 months of approval (the exact timeframe depends on when approval comes through; you have until the end of the second month after the approval month to spend).

Assuming you meet both the local and foreign currency spending goals, you’ll earn a further 3,300 base miles (S$1,000 @ 1.3 mpd + S$1,000 @ 2 mpd).

As a reminder, Citi PayAll transactions can be used to meet the S$1,000 local currency spend component, and there’s currently a promotional 1.8 mpd earn rate with a minimum spend of S$8,000 till 29 February 2024 (reducing the cost per mile to 1.22 cents).

What’s noteworthy about this offer is that it’s available to existing Citi cardholders as well, so holding a Citi PremierMiles Card or Citi Rewards Card won’t disqualify you from participating.

Citi Rewards Card

Citi Rewards Card (Offer Ends: 31 Jan 24)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	Waived	N/A
Spend	S$800
Spend Period	2-3 months
Base Miles	3,200
Bonus Miles	16,000
Total Miles	19,200
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal Citi credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months

New-to-bank customers can earn 16,000 bonus miles when they spend S$800 within 2-3 months of approval (the exact timeframe depends on when approval comes through; you have until the end of the second month after the approval month to spend). The first year’s annual fee is waived. 

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on online transactions (and you should, given how easy it is), you’ll earn a further 3,200 base miles (S$800 @ 4 mpd).

I consider the Citi Rewards Card to be practically essential for miles collectors, and if you don’t have one for whatever reason, that’s something you need to change.

DBS Altitude AMEX Card

DBS Altitude AMEX (Offer Ends: 31 Jan 24)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$194.40 (can be waived with 10,000 fewer bonus miles)	S$194.40 (can be waived with 10,000 fewer bonus miles)
Spend	S$2,000	S$2,000
Spend Period	30 days	30 days
Base Miles	2,600	2,600
Bonus Miles	32,600	21,600
Total Miles	35,200	24,200
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal DBS/POSB credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months

New-to-bank customers who apply for a DBS Altitude AMEX with the promo code ALTMEX will enjoy 32,600 bonus miles when they pay the S$194.40 annual fee and spend S$2,000 within 30 days of approval (should you not wish to pay the annual fee, applying with the code ALTMEXW gets you a first year fee waiver, with 22,600 bonus miles). 

Existing customers who apply for a DBS Altitude AMEX with the promo code ALTMEXA will enjoy 21,600 bonus miles when they pay the S$194.40 annual fee and spend S$2,000 within 30 days of approval (should you not wish to pay the annual fee, applying with the code ALTMEXAW gets you a first year fee waiver, with 11,600 bonus miles). 

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 2,600 base miles (S$2,000 @ 1.3 mpd).

DBS Altitude Visa Card

DBS Altitude Visa (Offer Ends: 31 Jan 24)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$194.40 (can be waived with 10,000 fewer bonus miles)	N/A
Spend	S$2,000
Spend Period	30 days
Base Miles	2,600
Bonus Miles	26,600
Total Miles	29,200
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal DBS/POSB credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months

New-to-bank customers who apply for a DBS Altitude Visa with the promo code ALTVIS will enjoy 26,600 bonus miles when they pay the S$194.40 annual fee and spend S$2,000 within 30 days of approval (should you not wish to pay the annual fee, applying with the code ALTVISW gets you a first year fee waiver, with 16,600 bonus miles). 

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 2,600 base miles (S$2,000 @ 1.3 mpd).

DBS Vantage Card

DBS Vantage Card (Offer Ends: 31 Jan 24)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$594 (must be paid)	S$594 (must be paid)
Spend	S$4,000	S$4,000
Spend Period	30 days	30 days
Base Miles	6,000	6,000
Bonus Miles	60,000	40,000
Total Miles	66,000	46,000
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal DBS/POSB credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months

New-to-bank/existing customers will enjoy 60,000/40,000 bonus miles when they apply for a DBS Vantage Card, pay the S$594 annual fee and spend S$4,000 within 30 days of approval.

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 6,000 base miles (S$4,000 @ 1.5 mpd).

Do note that we periodically see the Vantage Card’s sign-up offer upsized to 80,000/60,000 bonus miles for new-to-bank/existing customers, so if you can wait, I’d recommend holding out for that offer to return.

HSBC TravelOne Card

HSBC TravelOne Card (Offer Ends: 31 Dec 23)
Apply
Details
	New & Existing
Annual Fee	S$194.40 (must be paid)
Spend	S$1,000
Spend Period	1-2 months
Base Miles	1,200
Bonus Miles	20,000
Total Miles	21,200

The newly-launched HSBC TravelOne Card is offering 20,000 bonus miles to both new and existing HSBC cardholders who:

• Pay the annual fee of S$194.40
• Spend at least S$1,000 during the qualifying spending period
• Opt-in for marketing communications during the sign-up process

The qualifying spending period is as follows:

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 1,200 base miles (S$1,000 @ 1.2 mpd).

Cardholders will enjoy other perks like four lounge visits per calendar year (i.e. eight in the first membership year), 20 transfer partners, plus no conversion fees till 31 May 2024. 

If you want this card for the free lounge visits, then take the first year fee waiver option instead (which does not come with the bonus miles).

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card (Offer Ends: 31 Dec 23)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	Waived	N/A
Spend	S$2,000
Spend Period	60 days
Base Miles	2,400
Bonus Miles	25,000
Total Miles	27,400
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal UOB credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 6 months

What’s this? An uncapped UOB sign-up bonus? Surely this must be a glitch in the Matrix!

Apparently not. New-to-bank customers who apply for a KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card will enjoy 25,000 bonus miles when they spend at least S$2,000 in the first 60 days. The first year’s annual fee is waived.

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 2,400 base miles (S$2,000 @ 1.2 mpd).

I’ve made no secret of my issues with the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card, but when it’s all said and done, this is a card that offers an uncapped 3 mpd on SIA and Scoot tickets, Kris+, dining, online shopping and travel, and transport. If you’ve maxed out your 4 mpd allowances, or god forbid are part of the “one card” camp, then this would be the next best alternative. 

StanChart Journey Card

StanChart Journey Card (Offer Ends: 31 Dec 23)
Apply (Fee Waiver)
Apply (Fee Paying)
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$194.40 (can be waived with 10,000 fewer bonus miles)	N/A
Spend	S$3,000
Spend Period	60 days
Base Miles	3,600
Bonus Miles	45,000
Total Miles	48,600
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal StanChart credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months

New-to-bank customers who apply for a StanChart Journey Card will receive 35,000 bonus miles for spending S$3,000 in the first 60 days of approval. They can also choose to pay the first year’s S$194.40 annual fee for an extra 10,000 bonus miles.

Assuming the S$3,000 is spent in local currency, cardholders will earn an additional 3,600 base miles (S$3,000 @ 1.2 mpd). 

Don’t forget that in November and December 2023 there’s an opportunity to earn 2 mpd on all overseas spend with a rebate of the usual 3.5% FCY transaction fee, courtesy of StanChart’s year end FCY spending promo. 

Applying via SingSaver gives new-to-bank customers an extra S$100 cash, with no minimum spend required.

UOB PRVI Miles Card

New-to-bank UOB PRVI Miles Cardmembers will enjoy up to 45,200 bonus miles, split into:

• 20,000 miles for paying the S$259.20 annual fee
• 25,200 miles for spending S$1,000 per month for two consecutive months

There is no cap on the maximum customers eligible for either component. However, do note that you must be approved by 31 December 2023, so don’t leave your application till the last minute. 

Assuming the S$2,000 minimum spend is clocked locally, a further 2,800 base miles (S$2,000 @ 1.4 mpd) will be earned. If the minimum spend is clocked overseas, a further 4,800 (S$2,000 @ 2.4 mpd) base miles will be earned. UOB assumes the latter scenario in its marketing, which is why you’ll see claims of a 50,000 miles sign-up bonus (45,200 bonus + 4,800 base) on its website.

UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card

UOB VI Metal Card (Offer Ends: 31 Dec 23)
Apply
Details
	New	Existing
Annual Fee	S$648 (must be paid)	S$648 (must be paid)
Spend	S$4,000	S$4,000
Spend Period	30 days	30 days
Base Miles	5,600	5,600
Bonus Miles	80,000 + S$200 Grab voucher	40,000 + S$200 Grab voucher
Total Miles	85,600 + S$200 Grab voucher	45,600 + S$200 Grab voucher
New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal UOB credit card, and have not cancelled one in the past 6 months

New-to-bank/existing customers will enjoy 80,000 miles + S$200 Grab vouchers/40,000 bonus miles + S$200 Grab vouchers when they apply for a UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card, pay the S$648 annual fee and spend S$4,000 within 30 days of approval.

Assuming you clock the minimum spend on local transactions, you’ll earn a further 5,600 base miles (S$4,000 @ 1.4 mpd).

The new-and-improved UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card features unlimited lounge access for the principal cardholder plus one guest, S$10 of Grab vouchers every month (on top of the S$200 you get as a sign-up gift), complimentary Pan Pacific DISCOVERY Platinum status, and a waiver of the usual S$25 admin fee for miles conversions.

Frankly, there should be enough to offset the annual fee in the first year at least, especially if you’re a new-to-bank customer.

My picks for December 2023

As always, the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card and Citi Rewards Card offer a waiver of the first year’s annual fee, so provided you can meet the minimum spend, then it’s basically 41,000 free miles up for grabs. 

Another first year free option worth considering is the StanChart Journey Card and its welcome offer of 35,000 bonus miles (+10,000 more if you choose to pay the fee) + $100 cash (though it’s been downsized from last month, where it was S$120). Don’t forget that for November and December 2023, all FCY spending will earn a 3.5% cash rebate, which effectively offsets the usual FCY transaction fee. This makes it a great option to earn 2 mpd on your travels, with no minimum spend and no cap. 

I know its S$1,728 annual fee will be a huge deterrent, but if you’re sold on the benefits (and the first year sweet spot), then the AMEX Platinum Charge is offering one of its best welcome offers ever with 132,500 MR points (82,813 miles) for just S$6,000 spend. To put things in perspective, the minimum spend for welcome offers on this card has historically been in the S$10,000-20,000 range!

If that’s just too expensive for you, then maybe the upsized Citi Prestige sign-up offer will be better. Both new and existing Citi cardholders can take advantage of this, and even though the S$540 annual fee has to be paid, there’s 71,000 bonus miles waiting at the end of the rainbow.

Non-miles sign-up bonuses

Here’s a brief summary of some of the other non-miles sign-up bonuses that are currently running in the market. 

💳 Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses (Non-miles)
	Spend (Period)	Reward^	Remarks
DBS yuu AMEX Apply	S$300 (30 days)	Up to S$150	Ends 29 Feb 24. T&Cs apply
DBS yuu Visa  Apply	S$300 (30 days)	Up to S$150
MB Horizon Apply	S$1,200 (2 x S$600 per 30 day period)	S$260	Ends 31 Dec 23. T&Cs apply
OCBC 365 Apply	S$500 (30 days)	S$250	Ends 20 Dec 23. T&Cs apply
CIMB Visa Signature Apply	S$988 (60 days)	S$250	Ends 7 Jan 24. T&Cs apply
CIMB World MC Apply	S$988 (60 days)
CIMB Visa Infinite Apply	S$988 (60 days)
SC Simply Cash Apply	S$500 (30 days)	S$350	Ends 7 Jan 24. T&Cs apply
^Non-cash rewards may be offered too, click on links for full details

Do note that you will only count as a new customer for the first card you apply for. Subsequently, you’re considered an existing customer.

Conclusion

As with all credit card sign-up offers, it’s important to read through the T&Cs to confirm eligibility, qualifying spend definitions, and fulfilment timelines. Don’t panic if you don’t see the bonus immediately upon meeting the minimum spend; these usually take three months or more to process.

I also recommend saving a copy of the T&Cs for your own reference, because banks may overwrite the T&Cs when new campaigns are launched, or worse, retroactively modify them!