KrisShop offering 30% off KrisFlyer miles redemptions for all items

KrisShop has launched a new promotion offering 30% off miles redemptions between now and 30 September 2024, with no minimum spend necessary. 

Unlike similar promotions previously, which only covered Apple products or specific gadgets, this sale covers everything site-wide, with no brand restrictions. The only thing you cannot redeem with your KrisFlyer miles are e-gift cards.

KrisFlyer miles can normally be used to offset KrisShop purchases at a rate of 0.8 cents per mile, so this offer boosts the value to 1.14 cents. It’s still not as good as redeeming a flight, but if you have miles are due to expire soon, this would be one of the better ways of spending them on the ground. 

KrisShop offering 30% off miles redemptions

KrisShop Sale

From 9-30 September 2024, KrisShop is offering 30% off miles redemptions for all items on its website. 

At the time of check-out, you’ll be able to select how many miles you want to redeem, starting from a minimum of 1,000. The sliding scale allows you to enter the exact amount you wish to use, in intervals as small as 1 KrisFlyer mile. 

Regardless of how many miles you redeem, the value you’ll receive per mile is 1.14 cents, up from the usual 0.80 cents.

Keep in mind, only the miles portion is discounted; any cash portion remains at full price.  KrisShop provides the following examples:

At least the UX is a lot better this time round. During previous promotions, KrisShop would show the cash price of participating items discounted by 30%, which caused a whole lot of confusion because it wasn’t actually possible to buy the items for cash- you had to redeem the full amount in miles to qualify. In other words, the cash price was imaginary. 

The T&Cs for this offer can be found here. 

How does this compare to other options?

This offer is part of a limited-time promotion called KrisFlyer Miles Paradise, which offers boosted value for spending KrisFlyer miles with Kris+, KrisShop or Pelago, as well as conversions to Esso Smiles or LinkPoints. 

Here’s how the the value from using KrisFlyer miles on KrisShop compares with the other redemption options. 

Remember: KrisFlyer miles resumed expiring from July 2023, so those with expiring balances and no intention to travel need to seriously consider their on-ground options or end up empty-handed.

Is the price realistic?

Of course, the 1.14 cents per mile valuation assumes the original retail price shown on KrisShop is realistic. To the extent that you can find the same item available elsewhere for less, then you’re getting less than 1.14 cents per mile. 

For example, during a similar sale previously, a pair of Beats Studio Buds were listed on KrisShop with an original price of S$184.22 (S$200.80 after GST). After adjusting for the discount, you paid 16,119 miles (17,570 miles after GST).

This gives us a valuation of 1.14 cents per mile (S$184.22/16,119 miles or S$200.80/17,570 miles), but that only holds if the price on KrisShop is reflective of what you’d pay elsewhere.

In reality, that same pair of Beats can be bought on Amazon Singapore for S$159, which means your actual value is 0.90 cents per mile (S$159/17,570).

So be sure to comparison shop before pulling the trigger!

Other uses for expiring miles

If you find yourself with expiring miles on your hands, don’t forget that there’s other options for spending them. I’ve written a detailed guide that analyses each option, though ideally you’ll be burning your miles for flights well before expiry comes into the picture. 

What to do with expiring KrisFlyer miles

What card to use with KrisShop?

If you prefer to spend cash instead of miles with KrisShop, remember that KrisShop transactions code as MCC 5309 Duty Free Stores.

Using the following cards will earn you an additional 2-4 mpd.

💳 Best Cards for KrisShop
Card	KrisShop.com	KrisShop on Kris+	Cap
UOB Lady’s Card Apply	4 mpd	4 mpd	Cap S$1K per c. month with Travel as bonus category
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card Apply	4 mpd	4 mpd	Cap S$2K per c. month with Travel as bonus category
DBS WWMC Apply	4 mpd	4 mpd	Cap S$1.5K per c. month
Citi Rewards  Apply	4 mpd	0.4 mpd	Cap S$1K per s. month
UOB Pref. Plat. Visa Apply	4 mpd	4 mpd	Cap S$1.1K per c. month
HSBC Revolution Apply	4 mpd	4 mpd	Cap S$1K per c. month
OCBC Rewards Card Apply	4 mpd	4 mpd	Cap S$1.1K per c. month
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card Apply	3 mpd	3 mpd	No cap
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Apply	2 mpd	1.2 mpd	No cap
AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card Apply	2 mpd	1.1 mpd	No cap
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month

Do note the distinction between KrisShop.com and KrisShop on Kris+ for the Citi Rewards Card and AMEX KrisFlyer cards.

While the Citi Rewards Card will earn 4 mpd on KrisShop.com, it will only earn 0.4 mpd on KrisShop on Kris+. That’s because checkouts on Kris+ must be done via in-app payments, using a card linked to Apple Pay or Google Pay. This is excluded from the Citi Reward Card’s 4 mpd bonus (although pairing it with Amaze solves the problem).

Likewise, KrisShop.com transactions earn 2 mpd on the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend and AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card, but only the regular 1.2/1.1 mpd via Kris+. This has something to do with how the transactions are coded, since payment processing via Kris+ is different from KrisShop. 

There is no such distinction for the rest of the cards. 

Conclusion

KrisShop is now offering a 30% discount for all KrisFlyer miles redemptions site-wide, with a minimum redemption of just 1,000 miles required.

This covers anything you can find on the site, except for e-gift cards, and while 1.14 cents per mile is lower than what you’d get with an award flight, it at least boosts the usually-dismal value to something a bit more palatable. 

Just keep in mind that KrisShop prices can be inflated to begin with, and if at all possible, I’d be looking at a premium cabin redemption instead, even if speculative.