Which cards do I bring along for overseas trips?

With the mid-year holidays coming up fast, I wanted to share a bit more about the cards that I’ll be packing along for my travels, whether for spending, lounge access, or ATM withdrawals.

Just a note before we begin: this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of every possible card you can use for overseas spending; if that’s what you’re interested in, you should refer to my separate article on the best cards for overseas spend.

For spending

Citi Rewards + Amaze

Citi Rewards + Amaze Apply
Earn Rate	4 mpd
Eligible Spending	All FCY spend except travel
Min. Spend	N/A
Cap	S$1,000 per s. month

The classic combination of Citi Rewards and Amaze is still my go-to option for overseas spending, earning 4 mpd with no minimum spend requirement. In my experience, Amaze still charges a 2% spread over Mastercard, which works out to a relatively low cost of 0.5 cents per mile.

The only thing you need to be careful to avoid are travel-related transactions such as hotel stays, car rentals or train tickets, which won’t earn 4 mpd on the Citi Rewards because of its travel-related blacklist.

UOB Visa Signature

UOB Visa Signature Apply
Earn Rate	4 mpd
Eligible Spending	All FCY spend
Min. Spend	S$1,000 per s. month
Cap	S$1,200 per s. month

The UOB Visa Signature has been a constant companion on my travels for many years now, and while it still offers 4 mpd on all FCY spending, it’s become more temperamental of late.

I’m referring, of course, to the introduction of bonus sub-caps in September 2025.

Basically, the 4 mpd sweet spot for FCY spending has changed from S$1,000 to S$2,000 to S$1,000 to S$1,200. This means the “margin for error” has shrunk considerably — once you hit S$1,000, you need to pump the brakes immediately and not go over S$1,200, because you’ll earn just 0.4 mpd beyond that!

Fortunately, this has become a lot easier to monitor with the HeyMax Card Maximiser, which tracks my spending in real time and alerts me when I hit the minimum spend or cap.

UOB PRVI Miles Card

UOB PRVI Miles Card AMEX Mastercard Visa
Earn Rate	5 mpd
Eligible Spending	In-person shopping and dining
Min. Spend	S$1,500 for promo period
Cap	S$3,080-S$4,000 for promo period

I don’t normally pack the UOB PRVI Miles Card, but it’s offering a lucrative 5 mpd for overseas dining and shopping from 18 May to 30 June 2026.

This requires a minimum spend of S$1,500, but it should be quite achievable given the wide range of eligible MCCs — including big-ticket items like wine, jewellery, leather goods, handbags and electronics.

This promotion will cover up to S$3,080-S$4,000 of spending, depending on your overall mix or regional and non-regional spending.

Maybank XL Rewards Card

Maybank XL Rewards Card Apply
Earn Rate	4 mpd
Eligible Spending	All FCY spend
Min. Spend	S$500 per c. month
Cap	S$1,000 per c. month

The Maybank XL Rewards Card is another relatively straightforward option for overseas spending, offering 4 mpd with a minimum spend of S$500 and a cap of S$1,000 per calendar month.

In my experience, however, Maybank’s anti-fraud systems are a bit tetchy. I’ve had my cards blocked on multiple occasions when overseas, and you can’t get them unblocked outside of business hours in Singapore!

Mind you, this card also offers 4 mpd on dining, shopping, travel and entertainment, so in some cases, it might make more sense to utilise its bonus cap for those categories instead.

HSBC Revolution

HSBC Revolution Apply
Earn Rate	4-8 mpd
Eligible Spending	Dining, shopping, transport, travel
Min. Spend	None
Cap	S$1,000-S$1,200

I’m on the 8 mpd track with the HSBC Revolution, so I’m doing what I can to max out its bonus cap every month, in order to justify the S$50,000 EGA deposit. 

Bonuses apply to both SGD and FCY spending, and cover dining, shopping, transport and travel. You do need to exercise some caution with the dining category, however, because of the exclusion of MCC 5814 (Fast Food) and MCC 5499 (Misc. Food Stores).

In addition to dining, I use it to settle hotel bills and pay for taxi rides or car rentals (again, exercise caution because MCC 7512, used by the smaller agencies, is not covered).

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Apply
Earn Rate	3.2 mpd (RMB, HKD, IDR, JPY, MYR, TWD, KRW, THB) 2.8 mpd (All others)
Eligible Spending	All FCY spend
Min. Spend	S$800 per c. month
Cap	No cap

The Maybank Horizon Visa Signature would usually be passed over in favour of the Maybank World Mastercard (see below), but from 1 April to 30 June 2026, it’s offering an uncapped 3.2 mpd on transactions made in the following currencies:

This requires a minimum spend of S$800, which makes it a superior option to the Maybank World Mastercard (which requires a minimum spend of S$4,000 to unlock its 3.2 mpd rate).

Maybank World Mastercard

Maybank World Mastercard Apply
Earn Rate	3.2 mpd
Eligible Spending	All FCY spend
Min. Spend	S$4,000 per c. month
Cap	No cap

The Maybank World Mastercard offers an uncapped 3.2 mpd on FCY spending, but only if you spend at least S$4,000 per calendar month.

Therefore, I reserve this card for situations where I know I’ll be making a big purchase, such as a new laptop or an expensive hotel stay — which is not in one of the eight currencies that earns 3.2 mpd with the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature.

For lounge access

HSBC Premier Mastercard

Apply

I rely on my HSBC Premier Mastercard for lounge access, ever since I dumped the AMEX Platinum Charge. This uses Priority Pass AoPC (Access on Payment Card), so I need to present the physical credit card for swiping at airport lounges, restaurants or spas.

It also pulls double duty as a backup spending card, because at 2.76 mpd, it’s a high-earning general spending card with no minimum spend requirement. 

For ATMs

Trust Card

I don’t think much of Trust Bank when it comes to credit cards, but I happily bring my Trust Link Card along for ATM withdrawals.

Trust has all the multi-currency debit cards like YouTrip and Revolut beat when it comes to this, because it offers unlimited fee-free withdrawals. YouTrip and Revolut only offer S$400 and S$350 respectively, after which a 2% fee applies. 

The important thing to remember is to switch your Trust card into debit card mode (on the app, switch the source to “pair with savings account”). You want to be making a withdrawal from your Trust savings account (free), not taking a cash advance from Visa ($$$).

YouTrip

While Trust handles the bulk of ATM withdrawals, I still bring my YouTrip along because sometimes, the Visa/Mastercard distinction matters. In Japan, for example, 7Bank ATMs charge withdrawal fees for Visa (Trust), but will waive them for Mastercard (YouTrip).

Conclusion

Like I said at the start, this isn’t meant to be the final word on what cards you should be taking along on your travels. I could certainly see people using alternatives like:

• Chocolate Visa Debit Card or Mari Credit Card for better FX rates in exchange for smaller rewards
• StanChart Beyond Card, especially if they’re Priority Private customers who earn 8 mpd on overseas dining
• AMEX Platinum Charge, for those visiting an airport with a Centurion Lounge (hopefully your regular guest allowance still applies!)

The destination you’re travelling to also matters, because if you’re not visiting any of the eight countries covered by the Maybank Horizon promotion, then you’re better off leaving it at home and bringing the Maybank World Mastercard instead.

What other cards are you packing for your travels?