2025 Edition: Best Credit Cards for Government Services

Aside from insurance premiums, government services are probably the toughest category for earning credit card rewards in Singapore. 

For as long as I can remember, most credit cards have excluded these transactions from earning points or miles. There used to be a few workarounds, but those have largely been nerfed over time (RIP GrabPay!).

That said, it’s not completely hopeless, and in this post we’ll cover the (limited) alternatives.

What MCC do government services code as?

While government services technically use the entire MCC range from 9000 to 9999, the one you’ll encounter the most frequently is MCC 9399 Government Services (Not Elsewhere Classified).

Some examples of where you might encounter this include:

• ActiveSG bookings
• Bali tourism levy
• Certain tourist attractions run by government agencies (e.g. Palace of Versailles Paris)
• HealthHub and Health Buddy (though only for selected cards)
• HDB season parking
• OneMotoring road tax
• National parks passes
• SAFRA
• Singapore Management University school fees (other universities in Singapore code under the education MCC range)
• SingHealth and NHG pharmacy
• Visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation fees

Needless to say, all your usual government agencies like ACRA, ICA, LTA, NEA, NPB etc. will almost certainly code as 9399 too.

If you need to check the MCC of a particular merchant, there are three ways of looking it up before making a transaction:

Merchants in this MCC range typically pay below-average processing fees, which makes these transactions less profitable for banks, and hence more likely to be excluded from rewards.

Which credit cards earn rewards for government services?

As mentioned at the start, the vast majority of banks now exclude government services from earning points. Here’s a snapshot of each bank’s policy:

Card Issuer	Awards Points for Government Services?
	✓
	✕
	✓
	✕
	✕
	✕
	✕
	✕
	✕
	✕

This really only leaves the following cards as viable options.

🗳️ Best Cards For Government Services
Card	Earn Rate
AMEX Solitaire PPS Credit Card Apply	1.3 mpd
AMEX PPS Credit Card Apply	1.3 mpd
AMEX HighFlyer Card Apply	1.2 mpd
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Apply	1.2 mpd
AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card Apply	1.1 mpd
Chocolate Visa Card Apply	1 mpd (Capped at 100 Max Miles per calendar month)
AMEX Centurion Apply	0.98 mpd
AMEX Platinum Charge Apply	0.78 mpd
AMEX Platinum Reserve Apply	0.69 mpd
AMEX Platinum Credit Card Apply	0.69 mpd

For what it’s worth, I’ve personally tested and verified that American Express cards do indeed earn points for government services. I used my AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend to pay for my Australia ETA and the MileLioness’ registration with Singapore Dental Council, and in both cases earned rewards. 

The bigger problem is that American Express acceptance is far from universal. I should also state that HealthHub transactions do not earn rewards with American Express cards (presumably they’re excluded based on merchant name rather than MCC).

If American Express isn’t accepted, then the only remaining option is really the Chocolate Visa Debit Card, which will earn 1 Max Mile per S$1, though capped at a mere 100 Max Miles per calendar month (a cap that is shared with all other so-called “bill payments”).

Other ways to earn points on government services

Provider	Admin Fee
	2.25% 1.79% fee for first payment  with code MILELION
Pay+Earn	2.5%
	2.6%
Note: When comparing alternatives, it’s not sufficient to just compare admin fees. You must also factor in the earn rate on your card to derive the actual cost per mile

If you really want to earn miles on government services, and don’t mind paying an admin fee, then you can consider using bill payment platforms like AXS Pay+Earn, CardUp, and Citi PayAll. 

How it works is that your card is charged for the amount due plus an admin fee, and a bank transfer made in your name to the relevant agency. That said, not every government agency is available through these platforms. AXS probably has the widest range, including HDB, URA, town councils, and public hospitals. 

Whether it’s “worth it” to buy miles at this price all boils down to how much you value a mile. The gold standard is of course to earn miles for free, but if you don’t have any of the abovementioned cards, then this is really the only option left.

Conclusion

Government services are notoriously difficult to earn rewards for, but if it so happens that American Express cards are accepted, then that’s really your only option (Chocolate Visa and its paltry cap aside).

Otherwise, you’ll have to pay an admin fee to earn miles through a platform like AXS Pay+Earn or CardUp— assuming the agency even accepts payments this way.