DBS Woman’s World Card cutting monthly 4 mpd cap to S$1,500

The DBS Woman’s World Card is a stalwart of many miles collectors’ strategies, thanks to its generous 4 mpd earn rate on up to S$2,000 of online transactions per month.

Unfortunately, it’s also become the first big nerf of this year, with a planned reduction of its bonus cap by 25% from March 2024.

While this doesn’t nuke its value proposition by any means, it’s still a painful blow to take- especially with its UOB Lady’s Card compatriot also ending its year-long 6 mpd promotion and reverting to 4 mpd at the same time.

DBS Woman’s World Card cuts 4 mpd bonus cap

From 1 March 2024, the DBS Woman’s World Card will cut its  4 mpd cap from S$2,000 to S$1,500 per calendar month. 

Per an update on the DBS website:

With effect from 1 March 2024, please note that the online bonus awarding cap for eligible spend will be adjusted from S$2,000 to S$1,500. Continue to use your DBS Woman’s World Card to enjoy up to 4 miles per S$1 on your purchase

Any spend beyond the bonus cap earns just 0.4 mpd (unless it’s in FCY, in which case you earn 1.2 mpd– still pretty bad), so cardholders should take great care not to go above the limit.

There is no change to how the bonus posts: 

• If your online transaction is in SGD, you’ll receive 0.4 mpd initially, and 3.6 mpd by the end of the next calendar month
• If your online transaction is in FCY, you’ll receive 1.2 mpd initially, and 2.8 mpd by the end of the next calendar month

With the reduction to the bonus cap, you’d max out at 72,000 miles per year (S$1,500 x 4 mpd x 12 months), versus 96,000 miles before. That 24,000 miles difference is equivalent to a one-way Business Class ticket to Bangkok or Hanoi, so yes, ouch.

The revised T&Cs can be found here.

No changes to the DBS Woman’s Card

I can’t imagine anyone really cares, but there are no changes to the DBS Woman’s Card, which continues to earn 2 mpd on the first S$1,000 of online spend per calendar month.

That’s a rather unattractive rate, and there’s really no reason why any of you should be using it- especially since the DBS Woman’s World Card’s S$80,000 income “requirement” is more serving suggestion than cardinal rule.

How bad is this nerf?

Any nerf is a bad nerf, but I find myself more relieved than anything that DBS didn’t decide to match the Citi Rewards Card and reduce the cap to S$1,000 per month.

That said, a 25% cut will certainly be felt, especially if you use the DBS Woman’s World Card for big ticket expenses. For example, with a S$2,000 cap you could one-shot all versions of the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, as well as the 128/256GB versions of the Pro and 256GB version of the Pro Max.

With the reduction to S$1,500, you’re limited to just the 128/256GB versions of the iPhone 15, and the 128GB version of the Plus- all other versions will incur a 0.4 mpd penalty for at least part of the transaction. 

In the cold light of day, however, the DBS Woman’s World Card remains a compelling option for online spend, even with a reduced cap. With so many day-to-day transactions taking place online — ridesharing, shopping, food delivery, groceries, movie tickets, streaming subscriptions, air tickets, hotels — having a no-nonsense card that earns 4 mpd on everything is invaluable. 

The key drawback continues to be its one-year points expiry, which necessitates annual cash-outs. 

What alternatives are there?

The next closest competitor would be the Citi Rewards Card, which earns 4 mpd on S$1,000 of online spend per statement month, excluding mobile wallet and travel-related transactions (e.g. airlines and hotels). The inclusion of travel is a key advantage that the DBS Woman’s World Card continues to hold over the Citi Rewards Card.

After that, I’d consider options like the HSBC Revolution, OCBC Rewards, UOB Lady’s Cards and UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, all of which offer 4 mpd on online spending- albeit on selected categories only. 

For detailed guides on the ins and outs of each card, refer to the articles below:

• Review: Citi Rewards Card
• Review: HSBC Revolution
• Review: OCBC Rewards Card (formerly known as Titanium Rewards)
• Review: UOB Lady’s Cards
• Review: UOB Preferred Platinum Visa

Conclusion

2024 is kicking off with the unfortunate news that from March, the DBS Woman’s World Card will be cutting its 4 mpd cap from S$2,000 to S$1,500 per calendar month.

This 25% reduction will no doubt sting, especially if you use the card for big ticket purchases, and with the UOB Lady’s Card also ending its upsized 6 mpd promotion from March, let’s hope there’s other things to cheer this year.

How will this change your miles strategy?