Given the rapid proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) in Singapore, it’s perhaps a little surprising that there are so few cards offering bonuses for EV charging.
One of these is the StanChart Smart Card, which added EV charging as a bonus category in December 2024. Cardholders can earn up to an uncapped 9.28 mpd, though it’s not quite as easy as it sounds on paper (more on that later).
This was originally positioned as a limited-time promotion that would end on 31 December 2025, but Standard Chartered has now extended it for the rest of 2026 as well.
StanChart Smart Card extends EV charging bonuses for 2026
 |
|||
| Apply |
The StanChart Smart Card has updated its T&Cs to extend the validity of its EV charging bonuses, which will now run until 31 December 2026.
Bonus 360° Rewards Points earned from spends charged to EV charging merchants is only applicable from 6 December 2024 to 31 December 2026.
-StanChart T&Cs
As a reminder, when spending on EV charging (or other bonus merchants), the StanChart Smart Card will earn:
- the regular base rate of 1.6 points per S$1 (0.46 mpd), and
- a bonus of 11.2-30.4 points per S$1 (3.25-8.82 mpd), depending on monthly spend
Now, here’s where it gets complicated. The StanChart Smart Card has three different earning tiers, based on total spend within a statement month.
| Card Spend (per statement month) |
Bonus Categories | Non-Bonus Categories |
| Less than S$800 |
1.6 pts/S$1 0.5% 0.46 mpd |
1.6 pts/S$1 0.5% 0.46 mpd |
| S$800 to S$1,499 | 25.6 pts/S$1 8% 7.42 mpd |
1.6 pts/S$1 0.5% 0.46 mpd |
| S$1,500 or more | 32 pts/S$1 10% 9.28 mpd |
3.2 pts/S$1 1% 0.93 mpd |
| Cashback percentages based on conversion rate of 3,200 points = S$10 statement credit | ||
When spending on bonus categories:
- Cardholders who spend less than S$800 per statement month will earn 0.5% cashback or 0.46 mpd
- Cardholders who spend at least S$800 but less than S$1,500 per statement month will earn 8% cashback or 7.42 mpd
- Cardholders who spend at least S$1,500 per statement month will earn 10% cashback or 9.28 mpd
There is no cap on the miles that can be earned, which sounds fantastic — who wouldn’t want an uncapped 9.28 mpd?
But in practice, you might find that hard to attain because of the minimum spend requirement. It’s difficult to see anyone spending more than S$800 on bonus merchants alone, let alone S$1,500.
| 💳 SC Smart Card Bonus Merchants | |
| Category | Merchants |
| 🍔 Fast Food |
|
| 📺 Streaming |
|
| 🚆 Transport |
|
| *Until 31 December 2026 | |
| Note: With the exception of EV charging, bonuses are not awarded by MCC. Instead, fast food, streaming entertainment and public transportation are limited to the specifically named merchants, so you won’t earn any bonuses at MOS Burger or Jollibee, for example | |
Think about it. Let’s say you have a Disney+ (S$22.98), Netflix (S$29.98) and Spotify (S$20.98) subscription (the most expensive plans for all three services), and suppose you have an EV and charge your vehicle once a week (S$200). That only comes up to S$273, so you’d need to spend at least S$527 on the fast food category, or perhaps buy prepaid credits with EV charging providers which offer such a feature.
Otherwise, you’ll need to top-up the minimum spend with spending on non-bonus categories, and the 0.46 mpd rate will drag down your average very quickly.
Other cards to use for EV charging
Apart from the StanChart Smart Card, the only other card on the market which awards bonuses for EV charging is the DBS yuu Visa (not the AMEX)— and even then, only at Charge+ specifically.
Cardholders will earn 10 mpd provided they spend at least S$800 per calendar month and transact at four participating merchants. The 10 mpd rate is capped at S$823 per calendar month.
Beyond that, the only alternatives would be to take advantage of the 4 mpd bonuses for online spend with the Citi Rewards or DBS Woman’s World Card. Keep in mind, this will only work if you’re paying through an app, rather than at the charging station itself.
| ⚡ Best Cards for EV Charging (MCC 5552) |
||
| Card | Earn Rate | Remarks |
 DBS yuu VisaApply |
10 mpd | Charge+ only. Min. S$800 per c. month and 4x participating merchants, capped at S$823 per c. month |
| SC Smart Card Apply |
9.28 mpd | Min. S$1.5K per s. month, no cap. 7.42 mpd with min. S$800 per s. month |
 Citi Rewards CardApply |
4 mpd | Cap S$1K per s. month |
 DBS Woman’s World CardApply |
4 mpd | Cap S$1K per c. month |
| C. month= Calendar month, S. month= Statement month |
||
Keep in mind that not all EV chargers code as MCC 5552. Shell Recharge still codes as MCC 5541 Petrol Stations, so you could use whichever card you’d normally pick for petrol, such as:
- UOB Lady’s Card or UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card (with Transport as the bonus category) for 4 mpd, capped at S$1,000 or S$750 per calendar month
- UOB Visa Signature for 4 mpd, capped at S$1,200 per statement month (and subject to a minimum spend of S$1,000 on petrol and local contactless spend in a statement month)
I’m currently working on an update to my guide on the best cards for EV charging, so stay tuned.
Conclusion
The StanChart Smart Card has extended its EV charging bonuses for 2026, and cardholders can earn up to an uncapped 9.28 mpd every time they juice up their ride.
The catch is that a hefty minimum spend of S$1,500 is necessary to unlock the 9.28 mpd earn rate, though you can still earn an uncapped 7.42 mpd with a minimum spend of S$800. I don’t think any EV requires that amount of charging, but you can supplement the minimum spend with streaming subscriptions, and (a whole lot of) fast food.
If you don’t mind sticking to Charge+, then the DBS yuu Visa offers a superior return at 10 mpd, though it has its own minimum spend and cap to contend with.
