CardUp has launched a new promotion for American Express cards, which offers new and existing CardUp customers a 1.8% and 1.99% admin fee respectively for payments scheduled by 31 December 2024.
This is marginally less generous than the last promotion in May when the fee for existing users was 1.9%, but it’s still a great opportunity for those with bills to pay, or looking to meet the minimum spend on a welcome offer.
With a 1.8% or 1.99% admin fee, the cost per mile starts from 1.36 cents (new) or 1.50 cents (existing), depending on which AMEX card you hold. Limited redemptions apply, so you’ll want to get your payments set up as soon as possible.
CardUp offers for AMEX cards
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| Offer Details |
This offer is valid for all CardUp payments, including income tax, rent, insurance and school fees.
However, do note that due to compliance regulations imposed by American Express, AMEX cards are not supported for certain CardUp payments such as car loans and helper salaries.
All Singapore-issued AMEX cards are eligible, with the exception of:
- AMEX True Cashback Card
- AMEX HighFlyer Card
- AMEX Corporate Cards
- AMEX cards issued by DBS and UOB
New CardUp Users (1.8%)
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| Code | 24AMEX18 |
| Limit | 250 total redemptions (1x per user) |
| Admin Fee | 1.8% |
| Min. Spend | None |
| Cap | S$3,500 |
| Schedule By | 31 Dec 2024, 6 p.m (SGT) |
| Due Date By | 6 Jan 2025 |
| Payment Type | One-off payment, or first payment of a recurring series |
| 24AMEX18 T&Cs | |
New CardUp users (defined as those who have yet to make their first payment on the platform) can use the code 24AMEX18 to enjoy a 1.8% admin fee on their first payment.
The payment must be scheduled on CardUp between 1 September to 31 December 2024 before 6 p.m (SGT), with a due date between 2 September 2024 and 6 January 2025.
No minimum payment is required, but there is a cap of S$3,500. Any amount exceeding S$3,500 will be subject to the prevailing 2.6% fee. For example, if you have a payment of S$6,000, S$3,500 will be charged 1.8%, and S$2,500 will be charged 2.6%.
The code can be used either on a one-off payment, or the first payment of a recurring series, and a maximum of 250 redemptions are permitted (one redemption per user). You’ll be able to see if the promo code is still available before confirming your payment.
Existing CardUp Users (1.99%)
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| Code | 24AMEX19 |
| Limit | 400 total redemptions (1x per user) |
| Admin Fee | 1.99% |
| Min. Spend | None |
| Cap | S$3,000 |
| Schedule By | 31 Dec 2024, 6 p.m (SGT) |
| Due Date By | 6 Jan 2025 |
| Payment Type | One-off payment, or first payment of a recurring series |
| 24AMEX19 T&Cs | |
Existing CardUp users can use the code 24AMEX19 to enjoy a 1.99% admin fee on their first payment of any kind.
The payment must be scheduled on CardUp between 1 September to 31 December 2024 before 6 p.m (SGT), with a due date between 2 September 2024 and 6 January 2025.
No minimum payment is required, but there is a cap of S$3,000. Any amount exceeding S$3,000 will be subject to the prevailing 2.6% fee. For example, if you have a payment of S$6,000, S$3,000 will be charged 1.8%, and S$3,000 will be charged 2.6%.
The code can be used either on a one-off payment, or the first payment of a recurring series, and a maximum of 400 redemptions are permitted (one redemption per user). You’ll be able to see if the promo code is still available before confirming your payment.
Terms & Conditions
The AMEX T&Cs for this promotion can be found at the bottom of this page.
The Cardup T&Cs for this promotion can be found here.
What’s the cost per mile?
Here’s the cost per mile for various AMEX cards, given their earn rates and a 1.8% or 1.9% admin fee.
| Card | Earn Rate | Cost Per Mile (1.8% fee) |
Cost Per Mile (1.99% fee) |
 AMEX Solitaire PPS Card |
1.3 | 1.36ยข | 1.50ยข |
 AMEX PPS Card |
1.3 | 1.36ยข | 1.50ยข |
 AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend |
1.2 | 1.47ยข | 1.63ยข |
 AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card |
1.1 | 1.61ยข | 1.77ยข |
 AMEX Centurion |
0.98 | 1.80ยข | 1.99ยข |
 AMEX Platinum Charge |
0.78 | 2.27ยข | 2.50ยข |
 AMEX Platinum Credit Card |
0.69 | 2.56ยข | 2.83ยข |
 AMEX Platinum Reserve |
0.69 | 2.56ยข | 2.83ยข |
The cost per mile starts from 1.36 cents apiece, and even though this isn’t as low as some of the rates you could get with Visa or Mastercard, it’s as good as things get for AMEX cardholders.
CardUp transactions count towards minimum spend for AMEX welcome offers
CardUp transactions do count towards the minimum spend for AMEX welcome offers, so this promotion represents a great opportunity to get the job done.
As a reminder, AMEX is currently running the following welcome offers as part of its 30 Million Mile campaign.
| ๐ณ Upsized AMEX Welcome Offers (amounts shown below are before adding base points) |
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| Card | New-to-AMEX | Existing AMEX |
 AMEX Platinum ChargeApply |
131,000 MR points (81,875 miles) |
120,000 MR points (75,000 miles) |
 AMEX KrisFlyer AscendApply |
36,800 miles | 26,800 miles |
 AMEX KrisFlyer Credit CardApply |
16,900 miles | N/A |
Assuming a 1.99% fee up to S$3,000 and 2.6% fee beyond that, you’d be paying the following to meet the minimum spend.
- AMEX Platinum Charge (S$8,000 min. spend): S$189.70
- AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend (S$1,000 min. spend): S$19.90
- AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card (S$1,000 min. spend): S$19.90
I think that’s a very reasonable fee to pay to unlock the bonuses on offer, and keep in mind, those figures assume you clock the entire minimum spend via CardUp. In reality, most people will only need CardUp to cover the a portion of the difference (or may simply buy supermarket vouchers or Amazon gift cards).
Conclusion
CardUp is offering new and existing customers a discounted fee of 1.8% and 1.99% respectively when they make payment with an AMEX credit card. This reduces the cost per mile to as low as 1.36 cents, and allows you to clock some easy spend towards your welcome offer.
Codes are now live, so act fast before they’re gone.
