StanChart Smart Card 5.6 mpd on fast food, streaming and SimplyGo now permanent feature

Back in October 2021, Standard Chartered launched the somewhat unimaginatively-named Smart Credit Card, which had a surprisingly solid value proposition: 5.6 mpd on fast food, streaming entertainment, and SimplyGo.

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T&Cs
Income Req.	Annual Fee	FCY Fee
S$30,000	None	3.5%
Regular Earn	Bonus Earn	Cap
0.46 mpd	5.6 mpd on fast food, streaming, SimplyGo	S$818 per statement month
❓ Wasn’t it 7.7 mpd?
When the SC Smart Card first launched in 2021, it was possible to earn up to 7.7 KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent provided you had an SC Visa Infinite or SC X Card.  But StanChart no longer pools points between Visa Infinite and non-Visa Infinite Cards for KrisFlyer redemptions, so the earn rate is effectively cut to 5.6 mpd. You can still pool points for non-KrisFlyer redemptions, and if you choose a different programme such as EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, your earn rate can still be up to 7.7 mpd. If you’re hopelessly confused, this post should make everything clear.

This 5.6 mpd rate was positioned as a limited-time offer, set to lapse on 31 December 2022. This was extended for a further year until 31 December 2023, and now StanChart has removed the expiry wording from the T&Cs altogether.

I’m waiting for official confirmation from Standard Chartered, but I think it’s safe to assume this is now a permanent feature.

SC Smart Card bonuses now permanent

First, a brief recap of how the no-annual-fee SC Smart Card works. 

Cardholders normally earn a very underwhelming 1.6 points per S$1 (equivalent to 0.46 mpd) on all spending.

However, if cardholders spend on fast food, streaming entertainment or public transportation (no min. spend required), they’ll earn:

• the regular base rate of 1.6 points per S$1 (0.46 mpd), and
• a bonus of 17.6 points per S$1 (5.10 mpd)

This means a total earn rate of 19.2 points per S$1 (5.6 mpd), capped at 14,400 bonus points per statement month (S$818 spend).

These are excellent earn rates, no doubt, but you need to exercise caution with the fast food merchants because I’ve read reports of bonus points not crediting if payment is made in the respective apps instead of in person.

The bigger question is: how much can you realistically spend on these three verticals each month anyway? Unless you’re a KFC addict (and believe me, they do exist), it’s unlikely you’ll max out the S$818 cap.

Therefore I’d be careful about adding this card to my rotation if I’m not using any other Standard Chartered cards, because it increases the chances of ending up with a pile of orphan miles.

For what it’s worth, Standard Chartered has a wide variety of transfer partners, making its points more valuable than most other banks.

Frequent Flyer Programme	Conversion Ratio (SC Points: Partner)
	Visa Infinite & Journey	Non-Visa Infinite
	25,000 : 10,000	34,500 : 10,000
	2,500 : 1,000
	2,500 : 1,000
	2,500 : 1,000
	2,500 : 1,000
	3,000 : 1,000
	3,500 : 1,000
	3,500 : 1,000
	3,500 : 1,000
	5,000 : 1,000

SC Smart Card welcome offer

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❓ New-to-bank Definition

New-to-bank customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal Standard Chartered card, and have not in the 12 month period before application. Debit cards, supplementary cards and corporate cards do not count.

If you count as a new-to-bank customer with Standard Chartered, SingSaver is offering a choice of the following welcome gifts:

• Apple AirPods Gen 3 + MagSafe charger
• FujiFilm Instax Mini Evo Camera + Instax Mini Film
• S$260 cash

This is valid for applications submitted by 7 January 2024, with a minimum spend of S$250 in the first 30 days of approval.

Conclusion

SC Smart Cardholders can now enjoy 5.6 mpd on on fast food, streaming entertainment, and SimplyGo on a permanent basis.

These are attractive rates in and of themselves, but you should do some sums on how much you spend on these categories each month, lest you end up with a bunch of orphan miles. 

(HT: Ryan Quek)