XNAP outage: Routine maintenance, or something more?

I’m a big fan of XNAP, which allows you to earn credit card rewards at QR code-only merchants like hawker centres and wet market stalls. In a way, it does what GrabPay used to, before rewards were nerfed for GrabPay top-ups.

With XNAP, you can easily earn 4 mpd at a wide range of merchants that would otherwise be cash or PayNow-only situations. Buying sugarcane juice has never been so rewarding- quite literally. 

However, the XNAP app has been down for almost a week now, and things aren’t looking good. 

XNAP outage: what we know

The first reports of XNAP not working came in the afternoon of Wednesday, 24 April 2024. Attempts to scan a merchant’s QR code would lead to the XNAP app automatically crashing.

Later that day, the XNAP app disappeared altogether from the Apple App Store and Google Play (it’s still listed on the desktop version, but not the mobile).

On Thursday, 25 April 2024, a notice was posted on the XNAP website:

Please note that the XNAP app is currently undergoing maintenance and will be temporarily suspended during this period. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Our team is diligently working to enhance performance and deliver an improved user experience. We appreciate your patience and will notify you when the app is back online. Thank you for your continued support.

-XNAP

Attempts to reach customer service have been unsuccessful, and the XNAP Facebook page has been taken down.

At this point, I don’t think it’d be wild speculation to say that this is more than routine maintenance. Rumours are circulating that the app may not be long for this world, though my contacts are tight-lipped as to its future (XNAP is backed by Liquid Group, and there are a couple of recent complaints on Google Reviews from merchants who have been unable to contact the company).

Alternatives to XNAP

If you’re looking to earn credit card rewards at QR code-only merchants, then keep an eye out for the AMEX Pay logo. 

All you need to do is set up AMEX Pay in the AMEX app, after which you can charge your payments directly to your American Express credit card, earning the usual general spending rate. 

Card	Earn Rate
AMEX HighFlyer Card	1.8 mpd
AMEX Solitaire PPS Credit Card	1.3 mpd
AMEX PPS Credit Card	1.3 mpd
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend	1.2 mpd
AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card	1.1 mpd
AMEX Centurion	0.98 mpd
AMEX Platinum Charge	0.78 mpd
AMEX Platinum Reserve	0.69 mpd
AMEX Platinum Credit Card	0.69 mpd

While not part of the SGQR code system, be on the lookout for a ShopBack Pay QR code as well. ShopBack Pay transactions, whether in-store or online: 

• Code as online spend
• Retain the MCC of the underlying merchant (in most cases, though there can be the odd exception)

You should therefore use a card that gives a blanket bonus for online purchases, or a card that awards bonuses for the relevant category.

💳 Best Cards for ShopBack Pay
Card	Earn Rate	Remarks
Citi Rewards Card Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1K per s. month
DBS WWMC Apply	4 mpd	Max. S$1.5K per c. month

Other cards like the HSBC Revolution or UOB Preferred Platinum Visa would also earn 4 mpd, depending on whether the merchant’s MCC falls within their respective whitelists. 

Otherwise, the best you can hope for is some cashback through apps DBS PayLah, which still offers S$3 off hawker meals every Friday from 6 a.m, limited to 100,000 redemptions.

Conclusion

XNAP has been unavailable for a week now, with the app removed from the Apple and Google Play store, and the Facebook page taken down.

While the claim is that the app is only “temporarily suspended”, you’d have to be a brave man to bet on a comeback at this point. My only hope is that some other company comes up with a similar solution, because XNAP was the key link between credit card rewards and mom-and-pop merchants.