The MileLion’s 2024 Credit Card Strategy

New year, new strategy. Here's how I plan to maximise my miles accumulation in 2024.

Welcome to The MileLion’s 2024 Credit Card Strategy, where I lay out my game plan to maximise the miles on my spending for the year ahead.

💳 2024 Credit Card Strategy
Abbreviations: c. month= calendar month, s. month= statement month, m. year= membership year

Before we start

Before we talk about specific cards, here’s a few important points to make. 

Not a comprehensive listing

First, this article is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of the best cards for each category. For example, in the public transport section I’ve not included the StanChart Smart Card, even though it earns an impressive 5.6 mpd on bus and MRT rides.

That’s because StanChart cards don’t otherwise feature in my regular rotation, and by adding a single card just for bus/MRT rides, I’d likely end up with orphan miles. Remember, the goal here is to share a strategy, not an encyclopedia.

If you’re interested in a comprehensive listing of the best cards for a given category, you should instead refer to the articles below.

💳 What’s the Best Card for…
❓ Overall Guide
✈️ Air Tickets
🌎 Amaze  💗 Charity
🍽️ Dining
🏫 Education 🥡 Food Delivery
🏥 Hospitals 🏨 Hotels
☂️ Insurance
📱 Kris+ Petrol 🚍 Public Transport
🛒 Supermarkets 🚰 Utilities  

Leverage welcome offers

Second, this article doesn’t take into account ongoing welcome offers.

However, if you meet the definition of a new-to-bank customer, you should absolutely check these out first because they’re an opportunity to pick up a big chunk of miles by meeting a certain minimum spend.

Bookmark my Welcome Offers page to keep tabs on the latest promotions.

Categories can overlap

Third, categories can overlap or be subsets of each other, so don’t think about them too rigidly.

For example, a card which earns bonuses on contactless payments can be used at a restaurant, department store, supermarket, or anywhere that contactless payments are accepted. Likewise, if a card earns bonuses on foreign currency spend, it doesn’t matter whether that spend is dining, shopping or travel-related.

Check the definitions

Fourth, different cards may define the same category differently. For example, what counts as “dining” to HSBC may be different from UOB. Always refer to the T&Cs for the exact list of eligible MCCs.

❓ What’s the MCC?
Most bonus categories are defined by MCC (Merchant Category Code). You can find the MCC prior to spending using the methods below.
Method Ease of Use Reliability
HeyMax ●●●
📱 Instarem app ●● ●●
🤖 DBS digibot
●●●

Overall Strategy

Broadly speaking, there’s two types of miles cards out there:

  • General spending cards: Earn a flat rate of 1.0-1.6 mpd on all transactions
  • Specialised spending cards: Earn 4-6 mpd on certain categories, 0.4 mpd otherwise

Since specialised spending cards cover such a wide range of transactions, it seems almost sinful to settle for the lower earn rates of a general spending card. Put it another way: someone who regularly utilises 4-6 mpd cards will earn a free flight much faster than someone who puts everything on a 1.2 mpd card.

The goal therefore, in so many words, is to:

Use specialised spending cards as much as possible

It doesn’t mean that general spending cards are useless; as I’ve highlighted in the post below, they have a role to play in a well-balanced miles strategy. But they certainly shouldn’t be your first port of call!

Should you bother to get a general spending card?

Contactless Payments: UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, UOB Visa Signature

Card Earn Rate Remarks
UOB PPV
Apply
4 mpd Max S$1.1K per c. month, must use mobile payments
Review
UOB Visa Signature 
Apply
4 mpd Min S$1K, max S$2K per s. month on contactless & petrol
Review

Contactless payments aren’t a category of spending as such, more like a method. But that works to your advantage. Since contactless terminals are so ubiquitous these days, earning 4 mpd on the vast majority of your spending should be straightforward. 

The UOB Preferred Platinum Visa (PPV) continues to be the go-to option, earning 4 mpd on all mobile payment transactions.

Those who regularly spend beyond the UOB PPV’s monthly S$1,000 cap can consider the UOB Visa Signature which has a higher cap of S$2,000. Cardholders will earn 4 mpd on contactless transactions, with a minimum spend of S$1,000 per statement month on contactless and/or petrol transactions. 

Do note the difference in how each card defines contactless spending. You will not earn any bonuses if you tap the physical UOB PPV card!

 
  UOB PPV UOB VS
Excludes MST
Tapping physical card
In-app payments are not considered contactless, and excluded from bonuses
⚠️ Statement Month vs Calendar Month

Your card’s bonus cap may follow the calendar month or statement month.

  • Calendar month is straightforward (i.e. 1-31 January).
  • Statement month can be found on your e-statement. In the example below, the statement month runs from the 12th to the 11th of the following month.

The UOB Visa Signature’s 4 mpd cap resets on the statement date. This adds an additional level of complexity, but you can always call up customer service and ask them to change your statement cycle to follow the calendar month instead.

For both cards, take care when dealing with UOB$ merchants such as Bread Talk, Cold Storage, Giant, Guardian and Starbucks. At UOB$ merchants:

  • you’ll earn 3.6 mpd with the UOB Visa Signature
  • you’ll earn no miles with the UOB PPV

For why this is the case, refer to this post. There are some workarounds, but it might be better to avoid the issue altogether.

Also, I shouldn’t have to say this (though based on some angry emails I receive, perhaps I do), but UOB’s standard exclusion list still applies. You won’t earn 4 mpd if you use contactless payments at an educational institution or government office.

Online Transactions: Citi Rewards, DBS Woman’s World Card

Card Earn Rate Remarks
Citi Rewards
Apply
4 mpd Max S$1K per s. month, excludes travel
Review
DBS WWMC
Apply
4 mpd Max S$2K per c. month
Review

Like contactless payments, online transactions are another big catch-all category.

Both the Citi Rewards and DBS WWMC will earn 4 mpd, so long as it doesn’t fall into:

Blacklist vs Whitelist

You could certainly use the HSBC Revolution or UOB PPV for some online transactions, but you’ll need to exercise more caution because these cards follow a “whitelist” approach- a given online transaction doesn’t earn 4 mpd unless its MCC falls within the inclusion list. 

Contrast this with the Citi Rewards and DBS WWMC, which follow a “blacklist” approach- a given online transaction will earn 4 mpd unless its MCC falls within the exclusion list.

In other words, both the Citi Rewards and DBS WWMC would be well-suited to cover transactions like:

  • Deliveroo, GrabFood or Foodpanda orders
  • Grab or gojek rides
  • Google Play or Apple App Store purchases
  • Netflix, Spotify and other streaming subscriptions
  • E-commerce sites like Amazon, Lazada,Qoo10, Shopee etc.
  • (WWMC only) Buying airline tickets, cruises, prepaid hotels or activities & attraction bookings

Dining: HSBC Revolution, UOB Lady’s Cards and KrisFlyer UOB

Card Earn Rate Remarks
UOB Lady’s Card
Apply
6 mpd* Max S$1K per c. month. Must choose Dining as bonus category
Review
UOB Lady’s Solitaire
Apply
6 mpd* Max S$3K per c. month. Must choose Dining as bonus category
Review
HSBC Revolution
Apply
4 mpd Max S$1K per c. month. Must be online or contactless
Review
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card
Apply
3 mpd Min. S$800 on SIA Group transactions in a m. year
Review
*Until 29 February 2024, after which 4 mpd

In March 2023, the UOB Lady’s Card and UOB Lady’s Solitaire were given one heck of a buff: 6 mpd on a choice of up to two bonus categories. Even better- in July 2023, the cards became gender-neutral!

The upsized 6 mpd rate lasts till 29 February 2024, after which it reverts to the usual 4 mpd, so take advantage of it while you can. Dining is one of the bonus categories you can choose, and covers both dine-in as well as food delivery.

If you’d prefer to choose other bonus categories for your UOB Lady’s Card, then your main dining card can be the HSBC Revolutionwhich earns 4 mpd. 

Alternatively, consider the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card, which earns 3 mpd on dining without cap, provided you spend at least S$800 on SIA Group transactions (Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop) in a membership year. 

🍽️ Dining Card MCC Coverage
 
  HSBC Revo
UOB Lady’s
KF UOB
5811  
5812
5813  
5814
5441    
5462    
5499  
Earn Rate 4 mpd 6 mpd 3 mpd
Monthly Cap S$1K S$1K/3K No cap

There’s an interesting trade-off running across these three cards:

  • the HSBC Revolution offers the widest dining MCC coverage, but has a monthly cap of S$1,000 and an earn rate of 4 mpd
  • the UOB Lady’s Card/Lady’s Solitaire have a more restricted dining MCC coverage, but have a monthly cap of S$1,000/3,000 and an earn rate of 6 mpd
  • the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card has the narrowest dining MCC coverage, but offers 3 mpd with no cap (assuming you meet the min. S$800 spend on SIA Group merchants per membership year, which shouldn’t be that hard to do)

Speaking of dining, be sure to check whether the restaurant you’re eating at is a Kris+ merchant, because that’s an opportunity to stack a further 1-9 mpd on top of your credit card miles.

S$5 for new Kris+ Users
⚠️ Don’t forget Kris+

Whenever you dine out, be sure to check whether the restaurant is featured on Kris+. This can be an opportunity to earn bonus miles, on top of whatever you’d get from your credit card. For the best cards to use with Kris+, refer to this post. 

Get S$5 when you sign-up with code W644363 and make your first Kris+ transaction.

I’ve written a separate guide on the best cards to use with Kris+.

Groceries: DBS yuu, UOB Lady’s Cards, HSBC Revolution

Card Earn Rate Remarks
DBS yuu AMEX
Apply
18% rebate* Min. spend & cap of S$600 per c. month

DBS yuu Visa
Apply
UOB Lady’s Card
Apply
6 mpd^ Max S$1K per c. month. Must choose Family as bonus category
Review
UOB Lady’s Solitaire
Apply
6 mpd^ Max S$3K per c. month. Must choose Family as bonus category
Review
HSBC Revolution
Apply
4 mpd Max S$1K per c. month. Must be online or contactless
Review
*Until 29 February 2024, after which 5%
^Until 29 February 2024, after which 4 mpd

Groceries is the only category where I’d break my no-cashback-cards rule, at least until 29 February 2024.

That’s because the DBS yuu Card is offering 26 yuu Points per S$1 (the equivalent of an 18% cash rebate) at Cold Storage and Giant (plus other yuu merchants). You’d have to value a mile at more than 3 cents each for the closest competitor, the UOB Lady’s Cards, to beat that.

But 29 February will eventually come and go, after which the yuu Card will get downgraded to a more prosaic 5% rebate. At that point, the 4 mpd offered by the HSBC Revolution and UOB Lady’s Cards (remember, they’re due for a 29 February downgrade too from 6 mpd to 4 mpd) will become the superior option.

Foreign Currency (FCY): Amaze, UOB Visa Signature or Maybank Horizon

Card Earn Rate Remarks
Amaze + Citi Rewards
Apply
4 mpd Max $1K per s. month
Review
UOB Visa Signature
Apply
4 mpd S$1-2K per s. month on FCY spending
Review
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature
Apply
Up to 3.2 mpd^ Min. S$800 per c. month, no cap
Review
^If your card was approved before 1 November 2023, earn 3.2 mpd till 31 January 2024. If your card was approved from 1 November 2023, earn 3.2 mpd for the approval month + 3 full calendar months. 2.8 mpd subsequently. Read more here.

Amaze rates may be creeping upwards, but at the end of the day it’s still a superior option to using bank credit cards and their 3.25% FCY fees (don’t forget that there’s a rebate of up to 1% through InstaPoints as well). 

The question then becomes which credit card you pair it with, and my default option is the Citi Rewards Card for 4 mpd. There’s a few other cards you can consider too, depending on category; refer to the article below for more information. 

What’s the best card to use with Amaze?

If you don’t want to use Amaze, consider the UOB Visa Signature. This earns 4 mpd on overseas spending, subject to a minimum FCY spend of S$1,000 per statement month, and capped at S$2,000 FCY spend per statement month. Do note that this cap is shared with the 4 mpd cap for contactless payments/petrol. For a more detailed explanation of how the caps work, refer to this article.

But what if you’re spending big and need something without a cap? The Maybank Horizon Visa Signature is your best bet in that case. Provided you spend at least S$800 per calendar month (in either local or FCY transactions), you’ll earn an uncapped 3.2 mpd on FCY spending for a limited period (refer to the footnote in the table above), and 2.8 mpd afterwards. 

Even better, this bonus even applies to categories like foreign currency donations, education, hospitals and utilities!

Offline Shopping: Citi Rewards, HSBC Revolution, Amaze

Card Earn Rate Remarks
Citi Rewards
Apply
4 mpd Max S$1K per s. month
Review
HSBC Revolution
Apply
4 mpd Max S$1K per c. month. Must be contactless
Review
Amaze + KF UOB Credit Card
Apply
3 mpd Min. S$800 on SIA Group transactions in a m. year
Review

I don’t often shop at department stores or brick-and-mortar bags, shoes, and clothes establishments, but when I do my choice is the Citi Rewards and HSBC Revolution, both of which will earn 4 mpd.

But both those cards have a cap of S$1,000 per month, and if you need more firepower, switch to the Amaze + KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card. This will earn you an uncapped 3 mpd on shopping, provided you spend at least S$800 on SIA Group transactions in a membership year.

Why do you need to add the Amaze? Because the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card’s 3 mpd rate is only for online shopping, and Amaze turns offline transactions into online ones.

Do note that each bank has a slightly different definition of shopping:

Card Shopping MCCs
Citi Rewards
5311, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5655, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5948
HSBC Revolution
4816, 5045, 5262, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5655, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5732 to 5735, 5912, 5942, 5944 to 5949, 5964 to 5970, 5992, 5999
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card
4816, 5262, 5306, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5732, 5733, 5735, 5912, 5942, 5944-5949, 5999, 7278 (only for Shopee, Lazada and Qoo10)

To figure out which MCC corresponds with what, refer to this guide.

Petrol: UOB Lady’s Cards, UOB Visa Signature

Card Earn Rate Remarks
UOB Lady’s Card
Apply
6 mpd*^ Max S$1K per c. month. Must choose Transport as bonus category
Review
UOB Lady’s Solitaire
Apply
6 mpd*^ Max S$3K per c. month. Must choose Transport as bonus category
Review
UOB Visa Signature
Apply
4 mpd* S$1K-2K on petrol + contactless per s. month
Review
*SPC transactions will earn bonus UNI$ but not base UNI$, i.e. deduct 0.4 mpd from the amounts above
^Until 29 February 2024, after which 4 mpd

Although I feel the best card for petrol is the one that gives the biggest discount, if you’re just looking at miles then it’s a toss up among the UOB Lady’s Cards or UOB Visa Signature. 

UOB Lady’s Cardholders will earn 6 mpd on petrol (4 mpd from 29 February 2024), provided they select Transport as their quarterly bonus category.

UOB Visa Signature Cardholders will earn 4 mpd, provided they spend at least S$1,000 on local contactless payments and/or petrol in a given statement month.

Public Transport: UOB Lady’s Cards, KrisFlyer UOB Card

Card Earn Rate Remarks
UOB Lady’s Card
Apply
6 mpd* Max S$1K per c. month. Must choose Transport as bonus category
Review
UOB Lady’s Solitaire
Apply
6 mpd* Max S$3K per c. month. Must choose Transport as bonus category
Review
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card
Apply
3 mpd Min. S$800 on SIA Group transactions in a m. year
*Until 29 February 2024, after which 4 mpd

Public transport won’t be a huge component of your monthly expenditure, but it’s still a category worth optimising. 

The UOB Lady’s Card and UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card will earn 6 mpd, provided Transport is chosen as the quarterly bonus category. Alternatively, use the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card for 3 mpd, subject to a minimum S$800 spend on SIA Group transactions in a membership year.

General Spending: Amaze + Citi Rewards, AMEX HighFlyer Card, UOB PRVI Miles Card

Card Earn Rate Remarks
Amaze + Citi Rewards
Apply
4 mpd Max $1K per s. month
Review

AMEX HighFlyer Card
Apply

1.8 mpd Only available to SME owners 
Review

UOB PRVI Miles Card
Apply

1.4 mpd (local)
2.4 mpd (overseas)
S$5 blocks may reduce effective mpd on smaller trxns
Review

If you haven’t yet exhausted the 4 mpd cap on the Citi Rewards, then it can be a useful general spending card when paired with Amaze. Remember, Amaze converts all offline transactions into online ones, so you can spend in-store and still earn 4 mpd.

Otherwise, the AMEX HighFlyer Card (only available to SME owners) is the highest-earning general spending card with 1.8 mpd on all local and overseas spend. 

The main drawback is that it limits you to converting a maximum of 150,000 KrisFlyer miles per calendar year (30,000 miles to five accounts), but you probably won’t be putting that much on a general spending card in the first place. 

For everyone else, there’s the UOB PRVI Miles Card which earns 1.4 mpd on local spend and 2.4 mpd overseas. There’s no real harm in using the DBS Altitude/ Citi PremierMiles/ OCBC 90°N Card either, even though they earn slightly less. Ideally, you’d be putting as little spending as possible on your general spending card anyway, so the difference shouldn’t be too material.

Of course, if you earn enough to qualify for one of the 1.6 mpd general spending cards such as the Citi ULTIMA, UOB Reserve, DBS Insignia or the OCBC VOYAGE (Premier/PPC/BOS), by all means go ahead and use it.

As I said at the start, you should be using your general spending card as sparingly as possible. This should be reserved for situations where you’ve exhausted your bonus caps on specialised spending cards, or when the category is not “bonus-able”. 

⚠️ Don’t forget the effects of rounding!

A card with a lower earn rate could still end up earning more miles than a card with a higher earn rate if its rounding policy is more favourable. For example, the UOB PRVI Miles Card rounds all transactions down to the nearest S$5 before awarding points, while the Citi PremierMiles Card rounds transactions down to the nearest S$1.

To learn more about rounding policies for each card, refer to this post.

Bill Payments

The trouble with bill payments such as insurance premiums, rent, tuition fees, taxes and utilities is that credit cards either aren’t accepted, or if they are, usually won’t earn rewards. 

But these aren’t lost causes. If you’re willing to pay a small admin fee, then platforms like CardUp and Citi PayAll let you earn miles.

 
  CardUp Citi PayAll
Admin Fee 1.5-2.6% 2.2%
Cost Per Mile From 0.92 cents* From 1.1 cents^
Supported Payments
Insurance
MCST Fees
Mortgage Loans  
Renovation
Helper Salary
Season Parking
Rent
Education
Car Loans  
Taxes
Electricity
Donations  
Travel Expenses  
Wedding Expenses  
Child Care Services  
Medical Services  
Storage  
*Depends on type of payment and payment method
^Based on limited-time promotion offering 1.8 mpd on all payments with min. S$8,000 aggregate spend, capped at S$120,000. Ends 29 Feb 24
❓ New to CardUp?
First-time CardUp users save S$30 off their first payment with the promo code MILELION. No minimum payment required; for Visa and MC cards only

For details on the ongoing CardUp and Citi PayAll promotions, refer to the posts below.

What’s the best card to use for CardUp?

Citi PayAll offering 1.8 mpd on all payments; buy miles at 1.2 cents each

Should you pay the admin fee? It all boils down to how much you value a mile. I personally would consider options that let me buy miles at less than 1.5 cents apiece, but your situation may differ.

Is it possible to over-optimise?

As much as we want to maximise 4-6 mpd everywhere, is it possible to overdo it?

Definitely. The way I see it, there are two additional considerations:

(1) Conversion Fees

By spreading your cards across multiple banks, you’re collecting different points currencies and will have to pay more than one conversion fee.

However, I’m not too worried about this. Conversion fees are annoying and we try to minimise them where we can, but paying them isn’t the end of the world. In the grand scheme of things, an extra S$25 here and there isn’t going to destroy the overall value proposition of the miles game.

Issuer Per Conversion Annual Option
S$201 N/A
S$30 N/A
S$27.252 N/A
S$27.25 S$43.603
N/A S$43.604
S$27.255 N/A
S$25 N/A
S$27.25 N/A
S$256 S$507
1. Waived for all AMEX Platinum and AMEX Centurion cardholders
2. Waived for Citi ULTIMA cardholders
3. Automatic conversions in blocks of 500 DBS points (1,000 miles) each quarter. Additional ad-hoc redemptions can be done for free
4. Covers all HSBC cards you may have, even though HSBC points don’t pool
5. Waived for Maybank Visa Infinite and Maybank World Mastercard cardholders
6. Waived for UOB Reserve, UOB Visa Infinite Metal, UOB Visa Infinite and UOB Privilege Banking cardholders
7.
Automatic conversions in blocks of UNI$2,500 (5,000 miles) each month for balances above UNI$15,000. Additional ad-hoc redemptions cost S$25

Moreover, it doesn’t necessarily mean more cards = more fees. If you own multiple cards from the same bank, you may still pay only a single conversion fee, provided the points are pooled.

For example, a UOB customer could hold a UOB PRVI Miles, UOB PPV, UOB Visa Signature and UOB Lady’s Card, all while paying only a single conversion fee. 

Which credit cards offer free miles conversions?

(2) Orphan Points

Orphan points are a bigger concern than conversion fees in my book. If you spread yourself too thin, you may end up in a situation where you’re optimising on individual transactions, but not in an overall sense. 

What are orphan miles, and how do you avoid them?

To illustrate, suppose I drive very infrequently but get a Maybank World Mastercard just so I can earn 4 mpd on petrol. I may be optimising on that particular transaction, but it counts for very little if I end up with a small chunk of TREATS points that I can’t cash out. 

All things equal, the larger a card’s minimum conversion block, the more likely you are to end up with orphan miles. 

✈️ Min. Conversion Blocks
(KrisFlyer Miles)
Currency Points Miles
AMEX Membership Rewards
(Plat. Charge, Centurion)
400 250
AMEX Membership Rewards
(All others)
450 250
BOC Points 45K 10K
Citi Miles 10K 10K
Citi ThankYou Points 25K 10K
DBS Points 5K 10K
HSBC Points 25K 10K
Maybank TREATS 25K 10K
OCBC$ 25K 10K
OCBC Travel$ 1K 1K
OCBC VOYAGE Miles 1 1
SC Rewards Points
(Visa Infinite)
25K 10K
SC Rewards Points
(Non-Visa Infinite)
34.5K 10K
UOB UNI$ 5K 10K
* Fee waived for Citi ULTIMA cardholders
^Fee waived for Maybank Visa Infinite and World Mastercard cardholders
#Fee waived for UOB Reserve, Visa Infinite, Visa Infinite Metal and Privilege Banking Visa Infinite cardholders

tl;dr: Optimisation is good, but you need to look at both the micro and macro picture. If you don’t spend a significant amount on a particular category, then consider using your general spending card instead.

Conclusion

While the sheer number of cards mentioned above may seem intimidating, the good news is that many can pull double duty. For example, a HSBC Revolution would take care of your dining, grocery and travel expenses, while a UOB PPV would be a simple solution for anywhere that accepts mobile payments. Likewise, if you’re dining at an overseas restaurant, you could use the HSBC Revolution (dining) or the UOB Visa Signature (FCY) to earn 4 mpd.

If you told me I could have five cards and no more, my top picks would be:

  1. UOB PPV (for all mobile payments at physical merchants)
  2. Citi Rewards (for all online transactions, as well as in-store transaction paired with Amaze)
  3. DBS WWMC (for all online transactions)
  4. HSBC Revolution (for dining, grocery, travel and shopping transactions)
  5. UOB Lady’s Solitaire (with Travel and Dining as my two bonus categories)

Once again, I want to emphasise that this article is not meant to be an exhaustive list of cards you can use for each category. There are other cards not mentioned which could justifiably fit into a sound miles strategy, depending on which bank you’re already earning points with, and your overall spending patterns. 

Any other cards that are featuring in your 2024 game plan?

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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D K

Hi Aaron, for those with big regular insurance bills – use of SCB prudential card might be a better option compared to paying fees to cardup. My insurance bills racks up to more than $40k per annum.

Jay Wow

Earns for all insurers, but the earn rate is very low for a no-fee option. Used to be using it until we couldn’t pool the SC Rewards points together.

Jonathan Chan

Hi Aaron,

Would you use Amaze paired with UOB Lady Solitaire for dining, or just the card directly?

Kel

Should HSBC Revolution still figure prominently as a travel card after their recent nerfs?

Pchoz

After Feb will there be categories for the uob ladies card? Or default everything 4mpd like the ppv?

J C

Thanks @Aaron as always for sharing this very comprehensive article. For myself I opted for a simple “brain dead” strategy because I dont want to be one of those people that are constantly stressing about which card to use for which transaction, not to mention orphan points and worrying about expiry currently adopting a 2 card strategy: 1. Main: Citi rewards + AMAZE This is used for all day-day transaction e.g dining, shopping , petrol. usually about ~$1000 which is the cap for rewards (although some months may exceed the cap slightly) 2. Sub: Citi PM. for sub mainly used… Read more »

Tom

I do a similar strategy, HSBC Revo instead of the above just to get 1k @ 4mpd then OCBC Premier Voyage for 1.6 elsewhere. Sure I leave some miles on the table but I avoid a lot of headaches.

SNG

I would replace HSBC revo with UOB VS in the top 5 list as it is more encompassing.

Convenience

Hi, just thinking that maybe there’s a 3rd reason for not over-optimising. The time and preference factor. Essentially if using 4mpd cards affects: 1. Choice of shop/dining/website to patronize 2. Having to monitor various cards for : (a) spending min/max limits (b) annual fee waivers (esp UOB /OCBC) (c) points expiry (d) transaction vs posting date or statement month cycles I think this applies especially if I sign on to more cards then I can usually use for my monthly/annual spending habits. For a busy person, maybe the time saved and the lack of soft constraints on spending could be… Read more »

Jax

Agree. Plus it’s also how much does 1 spend per month. For me, I only use HSBC Revolution for all things offline. And DBS Women’s for all things online. These two cards are enuf for my expedition monthly, which is usually below $2k. Should I travel, I use SC Journey or HSBC Travel One. Sometimes with Amaze but also without at times. If it’s travelling for work, I don’t care about fcy since it’s gonna reimbursed, so it’s all about earning miles. If travelling for leisure, I might even use Revolut/Youtrip cause it’s more of saving money than earning miles.… Read more »

milechaser

@Aaron, can you clarify why you put UOB PPV  over HSBC Revolution as your #1 choice?
I would have thought revo would be much better as a overall balanced card with lack of restriction(see: min spend) as well as no annual fee

Weng You Sim

Hi, If given the option, I would rather avoid ALL UOB cards completely due to lack of proper customer support in case of any transactional issue and the call center giving misleading information. Just to share you my recent experiences: (1) My purchase at the Microsoft store last year was taken as a fraudulent transaction. As a result, my attempts to pay for my purchase has been rejected consecutively for 5 times. Then when I called the UOB call center for assistance, the customer service confirmed that my 6th attempt was successful but it only lasted 30 mins as it… Read more »

Convenience

Yes UOB. I’ve had lousy call experiences too.That’s why I hesitate to take up the Infinite Metal or the Lady’s Solitaire and prefer to stay with other banks. I dropped all my OCBC cards too.

Tom

In with you 100% on this. I effectively boycott UOB products (credit card or banking) – can’t be bothered jumping through hoops with their small print to get any bonuses and I’ve found their customer care to be borderline malicious it is so ineffective.

Nick

Hi Aaron, I noticed you don’t seem to recommend the WMMC as a general spending card (for contactless payments) anymore. Has this benefit been nerfed or do we still get 4mpd for tapping it on a contactless terminal?

Nick

Argh you’re right. I don’t know why I got it mixed up. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been using it mostly for grab and Shopee purchases anyway.

Wei Siang

Hi Aaron,

Currently I’m using amaze card link with citi rewards card. In the past I was using card-up through this citi rewards card for insurance payment to earn the citi points, I stop using card-up due to the admin fee.

I would like to check If I don’t use card-up for the insurance and just make payment through amaze card, can I still earn citi points for my citi rewards card?

Tony

I need a Spreadsheet to keep track of these terms and conditions that are regularly changed . Good to have Aaron giving us regular updates. Thanks Aaron.

J L

I would also suggest under the “Offline Shopping” category, to also include the UOB Lady’s Cards (Shopping category selected) and OCBC Titanium Rewards Blue/Pink (though yes it has been nerfed to SGD1K cap per month)

Last edited 3 months ago by J L
Moses

Hi Aaron
is Grab in the transport category for the UOB lady’s solitaire?

Chong

Hi Aaron, for cards like uob ppv & uob vs, is making payments using mobile contactless sufficient for us to earn the bonus miles? Or do we need to be mindful of the mccs as well?

Dirk

Was told at UOB today that the the PPV is discontinued. They aren’t accept any new applications. Some other cards got the axe as well. I took a photo of the current list. Happy to share.

Elle

Hi Aaron,

Thanks for the comprehensive write-up! For someone living overseas, and coming back once a year – are there any cards with no currency conversion fees so that I can spend overseas and earn miles at the same time?

Phoebe

Hello Aaron, love your articles. If you could only pick one between Citi rewards and UOB PPV, which would be your pick?

ralyn

could you do an updated strat post following all the nerfs