At some point, everyone’s probably found themselves short of the miles they need for a redemption (well, except this guy).
In that case, you might turn to some quick and instant ways of topping up a KrisFlyer account, such as transferring HSBC points, shopping at a Kris+ merchant, or converting LinkPoints. But what if those avenues still aren’t enough to get you over the line?
Well, while I generally advocate earning miles as a by-product of spending instead of buying them outright, there are situations where purchasing miles can make sense.
In this post, we’ll look at how you can buy KrisFlyer miles for your next trip- legitimately.
How do I know if a source is legitimate?
Yes, I said “legitimately”. Believe it or not, there are certain less-than-reputable sources which will sell you bootleg miles.
Buying miles from illegitimate sources is risky. Not only do you run the risk of being scammed, even if the transaction goes off without a hitch, KrisFlyer reserves the right to audit accounts suspected of engaging in such activity. If you’re discovered, you run the risk of your account being shut down, all your miles confiscated, and all your outstanding award tickets cancelled. Don’t risk it.
How do you know if a given source of miles is legitimate?
The simple answer is to check whether it’s featured on KrisFlyer’s partner list. At the time of writing, more than 200 banks, hotels, car rental companies, loyalty programmes and retail partners have the right to issue KrisFlyer miles. Anything that does not appear on this list is probably not kosher. So, for example, you shouldn’t be buying KrisFlyer miles from a random dude on Carousell!
I should also clarify that even though we talk about “buying KrisFlyer miles”, most of these partners will not sell you KrisFlyer miles directly.
- In some cases, you’ll earn KrisFlyer miles as a by-product of your spending, such as signing up for a magazine subscription, or purchasing an electricity plan with PacificLight.
- Other times, the partner may sell you its own points currency, which can then be converted into KrisFlyer miles (for example, by paying the annual fee on my DBS Altitude Card I receive 5,000 DBS Points, which can be converted into 10,000 KrisFlyer miles).
And finally, even if a given source is legitimate, there can be illegitimate ways of going about things. For example, banks are a legitimate source of miles, but manufactured spending (where you artificially spend on cash equivalent instruments for the sole purpose of generating credit card rewards) is going to land you in trouble eventually.
The methods I’m listing below may not be the most exciting, but they’re all above board.
โ ๏ธ Important Note |
In this article I’m only talking about ways of buying miles, i.e. paying for them out of pocket. There are other ways to earn miles quickly such as spending on Kris+, but since that doesn’t involve an explicit cost I’m not mentioning them here. |
(1) Bill payment services
Price | From 0.92 cents each (based on the lowest price we’ve seen in 2024; the actual price depends on ongoing promotions) |
Pros |
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Cons |
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If you have bills to pay, then bill payment services consistently offer the cheapest way of buying miles in Singapore.
Platform | Admin Fee Earn Rate |
CPM |
2.5% 1-1.6 mpd |
1.52-2.44ยข | |
1.5-2.6% 1-1.6 mpd |
0.92-2.53ยข | |
2.6% 1.2-1.6 mpd |
1.63-2.17ยข | |
1.9-1.95% 1 mpd |
1.9-1.95ยข | |
1.9% 1-1.4 mpd |
1.36-1.90ยข | |
1.9% 1-1.4 mpd |
1.36-1.90ยข | |
1.7-2.2% 1 mpd |
1.70-2.20ยข | |
*Not to be confused with AXS Pay Any Bill, which is not a reliable way of earning miles |
These platforms work in two main ways.
AXS Pay+Earn, CardUp, Citi PayAll, and SC EasyBill will:
- Charge your credit card for the amount due plus an admin fee
- Perform a bank transfer to the recipient on your behalf (the recipient need not be registered with the platform)
Here’s an example:
- I have a S$5,000 rental payment to make
- I schedule a payment with CardUp, which charges a 1.79% admin fee (code: SAVERENT179)
- I charge the entire S$5,089.50 amount to my UOB PRVI Miles Card
- CardUp sends S$5,000 to my landlord
- I earn 7,125 miles from the transaction (S$5,089.50 @ 1.4 mpd, ignoring rounding)
- Cost per mile= S$89.50/7,125 miles= 1.26 cents
OCBC VOYAGE Payment Facility, StanChart Tax Payment Facility and UOB Payment Facility will:
- Charge your credit card for the amount due plus an admin fee
- Transfer the amount due to your designated bank account (in cash)
- You use the cash to pay the bill yourself
Here’s an example:
- I have a S$10,000 income tax bill
- I apply for the OCBC VOYAGE Payment Facility, which charges a 1.95% admin fee
- OCBC deposits S$10,000 into my designated bank account, and charges my VOYAGE Card S$10,195
- I use the S$10,000 to pay IRAS myself
- I earn 10,000 miles from the transaction (S$10,000 @ 1 mpd; unlike the CardUp example, you don’t earn miles on the admin fee as this is an in-house solution)
- Cost per mile= S$195/10,000= 1.95 cents
When comparing platforms, don’t make the mistake of only looking at admin fees. That’s just half the picture; you need the earn rates to calculate the all-important cost per mile.
For example, the UOB Payment Facility has an admin fee of 1.7-2.2%, but the earn rate is a flat 1 mpd. So even though Citi PayAll has a higher admin fee of 2.6%, it can come out cheaper in some cases because the earn rates on Citi cards range from 1.2-1.6 mpd.
Historically speaking, Citi PayAll has been the cheapest way of buying miles, though with its recent fee hike to 2.6% you should be considering other alternatives outside of promotions.
For a full guide to Citi PayAll, refer to the post below.
Running a close second is CardUp, which offers frequent discounts on certain payment types that further reduce the admin fee.
For a full guide to CardUp, refer to the post below.
The main catch with bill payment services is that you actually need a bill of some sort to pay (except with the OCBC VOYAGE Payment Facility and UOB Payment Facility). Certain platforms (e.g. CardUp) request documentation, others (e.g. Citi PayAll) do not. I’m going to let you draw your own conclusions on that, suffice to say you’re not allowed to pay yourself, and paying family members may result in tax implications.
But look- even if you don’t rent a house, rare is the man who is short of bills to pay: insurance premiums, tuition fees, utilities bills, income or corporate taxes, renovations, membership fees, MCST or town council fees will haunt you to the grave, I assure you of that.
You can mourn the fact, or you can take advantage of the opportunity to generate some extra miles for a small fee.
(2) Credit card annual fees
Price | From 1.42 cents |
Pros |
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Cons |
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Most general spending cards offer miles in exchange for paying the annual fee. This allows cardholders to buy miles on an annual basis.
๐ณ Miles with Annual Fee |
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Card | Annual Fee | Miles | CPM |
(Premier) Apply |
S$497.12 | 35,000 1st Year Only |
1.42ยข |
Apply |
S$599.50 | 35,000 1st Year Only |
1.71ยข |
(Regular) Apply |
S$662.15 | 35,000 1st Year Only |
1.89ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 | 1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$196.20 | 10,000 |
1.96ยข |
Apply |
S$545 | 25,000 | 2.18ยข |
Apply |
S$599.50 | 25,000 | 2.40ยข |
Apply |
S$654 | 25,000 | 2.62ยข |
Apply |
S$498 | 15,000 | 3.32ยข |
^Alternative option: Pay S$3,270 for 150,000 miles, which cannot be kept as VOYAGE miles and will be automatically converted to KrisFlyer |
While this helps top-up your mileage account, you can only take advantage of it once a year, and only in the month your card is due for renewal. If you need the miles now, but your card is only due for renewal six months down the line, you can’t call up the bank and ask to pay early (what a model customer you are)!
Frequency and timing issues aside, you’ll also notice the prices here aren’t nearly as good as bill payment services- especially if you’re not a high earner. You could, in theory, buy miles from as little as 1.42 cents, but that requires you to be a HSBC Premier customer with at least S$200,000 AUM.
If you earn closer to the S$30,000 mark, then you’ll be paying around 1.96 cents per mile with mass market options like the Citi PremierMiles Card or DBS Altitude Card. I’d argue this is probably too expensive, given the lower prices available via bill payment platforms.
For a full rundown of this topic, refer to the post below.
(3) Buying Marriott Bonvoy points
Price | From 2.90 cents per mile (based on the lowest price we’ve seen in 2024; the actual price depends on ongoing promotions) |
Pros |
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Cons |
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Marriott Bonvoy runs periodic points sales throughout the year, offering targeted bonuses that run as high as 40% (based on what we’ve seen so far in 2024).
Assuming a 40% discount, you’re paying 0.89 US cents per point. Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to KrisFlyer miles at a rate of 3 points = 1 mile, with a 5,000 miles bonus for every 60,000 points transferred (i.e. 60,000 points = 25,000 miles).
Do the math, and this works out to paying US$534 for 25,000 miles, or 2.90 SG cents per mile. That’s not very cheap, and remember, it’s already a best case scenario. If you need the points during a period where there’s no sale, or where your targeted bonus is smaller, then the price can go up significantly.
Moreover, given how easy it is to earn KrisFlyer miles in Singapore, if I were to convert Bonvoy points to miles, I’d much rather pick more “exotic” programmes with other sweet spots.
You could also buy and convert Hilton Honors or IHG One Rewards points to miles, but the rates are so poor it is almost never worth it.
(4) Buying from Singapore Airlines
Price | US$40 per 1,000 miles (5.3 cents each) |
Pros |
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Cons |
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While other airlines like Alaska, British Airways and United run a roaring trade selling their miles at discounted prices throughout the year, Singapore Airlines has chosen not to go down that path. That said, you can buy miles from SIA- though the price is so exorbitant that this should only be seen as a last resort!
KrisFlyer members who have at least 50% of the miles required for an award ticket may purchase the remaining balance from SIA during the booking process. The offer will be made automatically if your itinerary is eligible, and miles awarded instantly.
โ What if I cancel my award? |
SIA’s physical miles top-up request form (thankfully, you don’t ever need to use this if you book your ticket online!) contains the following line: “In the event that miles from a completely unused award ticket are redeposited into a memberโs account, any purchased miles will not be refunded.” This has led some to conclude that any purchased miles will simply vanish. Thankfully, this is untrue. SIA has confirmed that the cash paid for the miles will not be refunded, but the miles themselves will be refunded to the member’s account as per normal. |
What’s the catch? The price. Singapore Airlines charges a jaw-dropping US$40 per 1,000 miles, or approximately 5.3 cents per mile at the time of writing. Given the cheaper alternatives we’ve covered here, why would you even consider it?
Well, I can think of two reasons:
- Purchased miles are available for use instantly. If you were to buy miles via bill payment platforms or annual fees, there’d be a time lag for the points to be credited to your account, then a further time lag for them to be converted to miles. In that period, the award seats you’ve been eyeing may have disappeared
- If you’re just shy of a small number of miles, then it might be acceptable to purchase miles to get yourself over the finish line. But keep in mind we’d be talking about very small amounts, perhaps no more than 5,000 or 6,000 miles (everyone will have a different threshold, of course)- and perhaps buying vouchers on Kris+ might be a better option?
I mean, it’s a terribly expensive price to pay, but if you want the flight badly enough…
Other ways of getting miles?
Given the time lag involved with earning miles from bill payment services and credit card annual fees, the unpredictability of Bonvoy points sales, and the hefty price of buying miles directly from SIA, it’s probably better you don’t find yourself in this situation in the first place.
For those who need a quick way of topping up KrisFlyer miles on standby, I’d recommend planning your spending around the options mentioned in the post below.
Conclusion
If you find yourself short of the miles required for a redemption, the good news is that you can buy them through legitimate channels at competitive rates.
The best option by far would be to rely on bill payment services such as CardUp and Citi PayAll, although you can also pay your credit card’s annual fee (albeit at a much less competitive rate). And finally, there’s always the option of buying miles via Marriott Bonvoy or from Singapore Airlines during the booking process, but this is highly inadvisable unless you’re truly desperate.
Any other ways to legitimately buy miles?
Kris+ ?
doesnt it make sense to sort out the various methods by cost? or time to credit?
Aiya, simple solution…buy airline tickets directly lor.
oh ok. then no point you read this blog then. no need points. just buy direct.
Another super low cost way: apply new credit card that offering miles and maximise the welcome offer
grey areas still the best way to buy miles.. just have to weigh risk and reward
there are still legitimate manufactured spending ways but nobody is going to share them as these will be shut down asap.