DCS Imperium Card: Ordinary benefits, extraordinary price

In November 2023, DCS Card Centre, formerly known as Diner’s Club, went off-script by unveiling a high-end, invite-only card called the Imperium.

Given the card issuer’s historical association with more humble brands like Sheng Siong and Mustafa, the last thing you’d probably expect is a metal card with an annual fee of S$3,583.92. But hey, if it’s good enough, the card could be issued by Gringotts for all I care- I’m still going to get it. 

And then something strange happened: nothing. No media blitz, no high society gala dinner, no advertorials in Tatler, or FHM, or whatever it is that the upper crust read these days. 

So the card dropped off my radar for a full year, until last week I came across a sponsored post extolling the virtues of the product. A quick check of DCS’s Instagram page confirmed that the Imperium is now out in the wild, with some slight modifications since we last saw it.

Let’s pause for a second to appreciate the breathless prose with which DCS describes the Imperium:

Indulge in the epitome of luxury with the DCS Imperium World Elite Card, a pinnacle of refined luxury crafted exclusively for those who quietly enjoy the finer things in life. Imperium, a name embodying absolute power, while the Chinese name 御 embodies royalty, speaks of how you too can enjoy the experiences reserved for a very select few.

Experience a world where luxury seamlessly intertwines with your inherent desire to remain humble. Explore the exclusive rewards that await you, as you wield the Imperium card, which helps you subtly live a life fit for sovereignty.

“Experience a world where luxury seamlessly intertwines with your inherent desire to remain humble”. Wow. Well, I am a very humble person indeed- definitely more than you, anyway. I would also like to live a subtle life fit for sovereignty (is that the one where I don’t need to wear a mask?), so what does the DCS Imperium have to offer?

Given the price tag, shockingly little. 

Overview: DCS Imperium World Elite Card

More Info
Income Req.	By invitation only	Points Validity	No expiry
Annual Fee	S$3,583.92	Min. Transfer	?
Miles with Annual Fee	100,000	Transfer Partners	1
FCY Fee	3.25%	Transfer Fee	?
Local Earn	1.6 mpd	Points Pool?	No
FCY Earn	2.4 mpd	Lounge Access?	Yes
Special Earn	4 mpd on FCY spend (till 15 Feb 25, with S$25K min. spend!)	Airport Limo?	Yes
Cardholder Terms and Conditions (#1, #2)

The DCS Imperium World Elite Card is strictly by invitation only, and carries a non-waivable annual fee of S$3,583.92. One supplementary metal card is free for life. The second and subsequent supplementary cards will be issued in plastic, and cost S$215.82 each.

The jaw-dropping annual fee should alert you to the fact that DCS isn’t just going for premium with the Imperium- it’s straight up gunning for the likes of the DBS Insignia and UOB Reserve.

💳 Elite Card Annual Fees
Cards	Annual Fee
AMEX Centurion	S$7,630 Review
Citi ULTIMA	S$4,237.92 Review
UOB Reserve	S$3,924 Review
DCS Imperium	S$3,583.92
DBS Insignia	S$3,270 Review

As such, you might expect the benefits to be equally awe-inspiring, right?

Well…

Earn Rates

DCS Imperium Cardholders earn:

• 1.6 mpd on local spend
• 2.4 mpd on FCY spend

There is no minimum spend required, nor cap on the miles that can be earned. 

In addition to this, from 21 November 2024 to 15 February 2025, cardholders can earn an extra 1.6 mpd on all FCY transactions, for an overall rate of 4 mpd. This 4 mpd is uncapped, but you need to spend at least S$25,000 in FCY during the promotion period. Yes, S$25,000!

I’ve often said that the S$800 minimum spend required to trigger the Maybank Horizon’s 3.2 mpd FCY earn rate isn’t that big a deal, because chances are if an uncapped earn rate is what attracts you, then a minimum spend isn’t an issue. But a minimum spend of S$25,000? Yeah, um, that might be an issue.

All miles are awarded in the form of Imperium Points, which can be converted into KrisFlyer miles at a 5 points : 2 miles ratio. Imperium Points don’t expire, but you’re capped at holding a maximum of 2 million Imperium Points (800,000 miles) at any time. It’s a strange rule (though Maybank has something similar), though perhaps it’s more IT-related than anything else?

A 3.25% FCY fee applies on all overseas transactions, and there’s no way of avoiding that fee since Amaze is on the exclusions list. Also excluded are standard things such as charitable donations, education, hospitals, insurance premiums and government payments.

Welcome & renewal offer

DCS Imperium Cardholders receive 100,000 miles upon paying their annual fee, whether in the first or subsequent years. No minimum spend is necessary.

100,000 miles is a lot, but not nearly enough to cover the entire S$3,583.92 on its own. If you value a mile at 1.5 cents like I do, then that’s only S$1,500, or less than half.

However, DCS is offering a bonus welcome gift of a bottle of Tomatin 3388 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, valued at S$2,388. I’m sure there’ll be some who relish that, but the offer is only available to the first 50 applicants of the DCS Imperium Card.

The funny thing is that when I saw the pre-launch website last year, the offer was available to the first 100 applicants. Maybe someone at DCS got thirsty?

Airport limo transfers

DCS Imperium Cardholders enjoy 5x complimentary airport limo transfers, with no minimum spend necessary.

• In Singapore: 4x rides per calendar year
• Global: 1x ride per calendar year

The global ride can be used in any supported location, including Singapore if you so wish. 

Airport lounge access

Given that several cards in the $120K segment already offer unlimited lounge visits, you might think that a much more expensive card like DCS Imperium would match, if not exceed that (e.g. a more generous guest allowance).

Wrong. Principal and supplementary cardholders get six lounge visits each per calendar year. Let that sink in. This card, with a S$3,583.92 annual fee, offers fewer lounge visits than a $545 Citi Prestige!

I simply cannot wrap my head around the fact that someone at DCS took a look at this perk and said “Six visits? Yeah, that’s fine”.

Crisis24 protection

DCS Imperium Cardholders receive worldwide medical, security and emergency assistance through Crisis24, a risk management platform.

Just for fun, I created an account (which isn’t particularly difficult; all you need to do is register your email and use DCSXXXX for the member ID, where XXXX is any random four digits). This let me access the complimentary Crisis 24 Horizon portal, which provides country-specific risk information and traveller advice. But there’s nothing here you couldn’t find by Googling, or by visiting the respective embassy’s travel advisory page.

Besides, what good is a threat monitoring network that doesn’t have regular alerts on Yishun?

There’s also an “advice” section that feels like it was written by Captain Obvious himself, with mildly-condescending articles on how to wash your hands properly, overcome jetlag, and stay safe on a cruise (actual tip: apply all pool safety measures you’d apply on land). Given the banality, I’m surprised they don’t also remind you to take a few breaths every now and then to stay alive.

And even if you do end up needing emergency medical transportation, ransom support, personal security or that sort of thing, it’s not like you get it for free. Case management fees start from S$4,850 per day per consultant, with a further 10% markup on all expenses incurred.

So I really don’t see the value of this service. My guess is that if you’re the kind of person who needs an armoured car and bodyguards, you’d have them already.

Personalised card number

DCS Imperium Cardholders have the ability to pick a personalised card number. 

Now, don’t get carried away. Your card number can’t be 80085 and an entire sequence of 69s. Instead, what you can do is choose the last four digits of the principal card (so…8008 or 6969). 

I imagine there are some superstitious types out there who might value the option to bypass unlucky numbers, but otherwise, this has to be one of the weirdest perks ever- and certainly contributes nothing towards the annual fee. 

Generic World Elite Mastercard benefits

While the DCS Imperium Card’s landing page lists a host of other perks, they’re nothing more than generic World Elite Mastercard benefits:

• Avis President’s Club membership
• HoteLux Elite Plus membership
• Free 3GB Flexiroam package
• Four complimentary golf games per calendar year
• Wyndham Rewards Diamond status match (and several other hotel programmes like GHA DISCOVERY and I Prefer, though the landing page doesn’t mention them)
• Mastercard One Dines Free programme
• Mastercard Luxury Hotels & Resorts Collection
• Held Tables for reservations at more than 600 dining venues worldwide

Let’s be clear: you do not need an Imperium to enjoy any of these perks. These are available to any World Elite cardholder, and some World Elite cards even come with a perpetual fee waiver!

Card	Annual Fee	Qualification Req.
Citi Prestige	S$545	Income ≥ S$120K
Citi Private Client Debit Card	N/A	Min. AUM S$1.5M
Citi ULTIMA	S$4,238	Income ≥ S$500K
HSBC Premier Mastercard	S$490.50*	Min. AUM S$200K
OCBC Premier World Elite Debit Card	N/A	Min. AUM S$350K
StanChart Beyond Card	S$1,635	Income ≥ S$200K
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Metal Card	S$599	Spend S$45K in 3-month period on UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card
*Fee waived so long as min. AUM is maintained

What is DCS thinking?

I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but the DCS Imperium has a S$3,583.92 annual fee. At that price, you’d expect much more than just six lounge visits, five airport limo rides and 100,000 miles each year, because that represents the sum total of the DCS Imperium’s benefits.

In fact, let me list down every single privilege currently mentioned on the DCS Imperium’s website.

It’s quite telling that the bulk of the Imperium’s privileges are nothing more than generic Mastercard benefits, almost as if they’re hoping that people don’t know any better. 

Of the few benefits that are unique to the Imperium, they’re either offered by other cards at a much lower price (like lounge access) or so niche they can hardly be seen as beneficial (15% off a minimum spend of S$10,000 at Dopamine Gems, anyone?).

I think that’s incredibly damning for a card priced so high. 

Conclusion

The DCS Imperium Card is now open for applications, but given its lacklustre benefits and S$3,583.92 annual fee, that Imperium concierge better be able to resurrect the dead or something. 

Even with a 100,000 miles welcome and renewal gift — which the DBS Insignia also offers, together with a lower annual fee and many more benefits — you’re still going to come up way short. I mean, I have some misgivings about the new StanChart Beyond Card, but next to the Imperium, it looks like the deal of the century!

The DCS advertorial concludes by inviting readers to “experience unparalleled benefits, designed for those who demand the extraordinary.”

That would be rather difficult, when the DCS Imperium Card struggles to offer even the ordinary.