How does the DBS KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme work?

DBS cardholders usually pay a S$27.25 fee each time they convert DBS Points into airline miles. However, there is an alternative option for those who prefer to convert their points more frequently, or in smaller quantities: the KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme.

This programme, available to selected DBS cardholders, automatically converts points into KrisFlyer miles every quarter, in blocks of 1,000 miles. And once UOB sunsets its own automatic conversion programme next month, DBS will be the only bank to offer such a feature. 

In this post, I’ll explain how it works, and who it’s best suited for. 

Overview: DBS KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme

FAQs

T&Cs

Read Point 10.1-10.2

How much does it cost?

The DBS KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme costs S$43.60 per 12-month membership period. This fee is waived for DBS Insignia Cardholders. 

Cardmembers can enrol via this online form, which will be processed within 14 working days. An email will be sent upon successful enrolment. 

Which cards are eligible?

The following cards are eligible for the DBS KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme:

• DBS Altitude AMEX
• DBS Altitude Visa
• DBS Insignia Card
• DBS Treasures Black Elite Card

All other DBS cards, including the DBS Vantage and DBS Woman’s World Card, are ineligible. However, because DBS Points pool, so long as you have one participating card, you can use it as a “conduit” to automatically convert DBS Points earned on a non-eligible card.

How does it work?

Upon successful enrolment, an automatic conversion will be effected at the end of every quarter by the 10th day:

• 10th January
• 10th April
• 10th July
• 10th October

All of the principal cardmember’s DBS Points will be converted in blocks of 500 DBS Points (1,000 KrisFlyer miles).

This is 10x smaller than the standard conversion block of 5,000 DBS Points (10,000 KrisFlyer miles), so it helps to minimise orphan points in your account. 

Here’s an example of a cardholder with a DBS Altitude Card (registered in the auto-conversion programme) and a DBS Woman’s World Card, with a total of 4,200 DBS Points.

Card	DBS Points
DBS Altitude Card Auto-conversion	1,000
DBS Woman’s World Card	3,200
Total	4,200
Converted	(4,000)
Remainder	200

During the auto-conversion, 4,000 DBS Points will be converted to 8,000 KrisFlyer miles, with 200 DBS Points left in the cardmember’s account.

DBS will always convert the earliest expiring points first, so the 4,000 DBS Points will consist of:

• 3,200 DBS Points from the Woman’s World Card (expire in one year)
• 800 DBS Points from the Altitude (never expire)

After each successful conversion, the cardmember will receive an email notification from DBS, with the total number of DBS Points converted into KrisFlyer miles. All conversions will be processed within the usual timeframe, i.e. 1-3 working days.

Can I still make ad-hoc conversions?

Yes. Cardmembers enrolled in the Auto Conversion Programme can still opt to make ad-hoc conversions to KrisFlyer miles, with a waiver of the usual S$27.25 fee.

However, these conversions must be made in the standard blocks of 5,000 DBS Points (10,000 miles). 

Is it worth enrolling?

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of enrolling in the DBS KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme.

Pros

• Pay a single fee for four automatic conversions a year
• Ad-hoc conversions are free
• The minimum conversion block is reduced from 5,000 DBS Points (10,000 KrisFlyer miles) to 500 DBS Points (1,000 KrisFlyer miles)
• Avoids a situation where you forget about the 1-year expiry of DBS Points on the DBS Woman’s World Card and end up wasting them

Cons

• The 3-year expiry on your KrisFlyer miles starts as soon as they are converted. Had you kept your DBS Points with your Altitude, Insignia or Treasures Black Elite Card, they would never expire
• Effectively locks you into KrisFlyer, as opposed to DBS’s other transfer partners. You can still make ad-hoc conversions to Asia Miles or Qantas between quarters, but it’s likely you’ll need to end participation in the Auto Conversion Programme to acquire a critical mass

Ultimately, whether the Auto Conversion Programme makes sense depends on your miles transfer patterns.

If you only want to earn KrisFlyer miles, and if you make more than one transfer to KrisFlyer per year, the Auto Conversion Programme already pays for itself (2x ad-hoc transfers cost S$54.50, versus S$43.60 for auto conversion). That assumes the early start of the 3-year expiry period for KrisFlyer miles doesn’t bother you. 

In fact, you might even argue that this could be a good thing, since it encourages you to earn and burn, rather than earn and hold. It’s dangerous to keep your credit card points on ice indefinitely, since they don’t earn interest, and frequent flyer programmes undergo devaluations every 3-5 years.

What if I want to withdraw?

If you wish to withdraw from the KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme, you’ll need to fill out this form. 

Do note that there will be no refund of the S$43.60 enrolment fee, and the withdrawal request will take 10 working days. During this period, the automatic conversion may still be processed, so if you want to opt out, be sure to do so well in advance of the 10th of January/April/July/October, as applicable.

Following a successful withdrawal, you’ll be charged the usual S$27.25 fee per conversion.

What else can you do with DBS points?

At the risk of stating the obvious, opting for the KrisFlyer Miles Auto Conversion Programme locks you into KrisFlyer.

However, DBS actually has four transfer partners in total:

Frequent Flyer Programme	Conversion Ratio (DBS Points : Miles)
	5,000 : 10,000
	5,000 : 10,000
	5,000 : 10,000
	500 : 1,500

The only other programme I’d honestly consider transferring to is Asia Miles however, since Qantas Frequent Flyer and AirAsia rewards don’t offer very good value.

How does this compare to the UOB automatic conversion programme?

UOB also offers an automatic conversion scheme, which will be discontinued from 20 May 2026. For academic interest, however, here’s how the two programmes compare:

The UOB automatic conversion scheme converts points every month, and is available on all cards. 

Apart from that, however, it’s almost universally worse. The programme is slightly more expensive at S$50, the conversion block is bigger at 5,000 miles, ad-hoc conversions still cost you S$27, and the best part of all: UOB will only convert UNI$ in excess of 15,000 (30,000 miles). That’s a hefty working capital balance!

UOB claims the minimum 15,000 UNI$ balance is to give cardholders “the flexibility to convert the UNI$ to other items from UOB Rewards Catalogue”, which is better spin than David Guetta.

Conclusion

DBS cardmembers can enrol in the KrisFlyer Miles Automatic Conversion Programme, which offers four quarterly conversions per year for a flat fee of S$43.60. This has the added benefit of reducing the minimum transfer block from 5,000 to 500 DBS Points, although it also means starting KrisFlyer’s 3-year expiry clock early.

If you make at least two conversions a year, the Automatic Conversion Programme might be worth considering.