American Express has launched a new welcome bonus for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, which offers up to 45,000 bonus miles for cards approved by 31 January 2027.
On paper, this looks like a significant improvement, given that it’s 50% higher than the previous offer of 29,800 bonus miles.
However, that’s where the good news ends. American Express has octupled the minimum spend to S$8,000, while also doubling the waiting period required to count as a new-to-AMEX customer. Furthermore, 20,000 of the 45,000 bonus miles will only be awarded 15 months later — after you pay the second year’s annual fee!
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend welcome offer
 AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend |
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| Apply |
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| New-to-AMEX | Existing | |
| First Spend | 5,000 miles | 5,000 miles |
| Spend S$8,000 (First 180 days) |
20,000 miles | 10,000 miles |
| Base Miles from S$8,000 (@ 1.2 mpd) |
9,600 miles | 9,600 miles |
| Pay Second Year Annual Fee | 20,000 miles | 10,000 miles |
| Total Spend | S$8,000 | S$8,000 |
| Total Miles | 54,600 miles | 34,600 miles |
American Express is offering two different sign-up offers for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend, depending on whether you count as a new-to-AMEX or existing AMEX customer.
New-to-AMEX
| ❓ Definition |
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New-to-AMEX customers are defined as those who:
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All first-time American Express KrisFlyer cardholders will enjoy 5,000 bonus miles on their first spend of any amount. This is a once per lifetime bonus, so if you’ve held an American Express KrisFlyer card before, you won’t receive it a second time.
New-to-AMEX customers who pay the first year’s S$397.85 fee and spend at least S$8,000 within the first 180 days of approval will receive 20,000 bonus miles.
They will receive a further 20,000 bonus miles for paying the second year’s S$397.85 fee and making a spend of any amount in the 15th month of card membership.
Existing customers
| ❓ Definition |
| Existing customers are defined as those who have not cancelled a principal AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend in the past 24 months. |
All first-time American Express KrisFlyer cobrand cardholders will enjoy 5,000 miles on their first spend of any amount. This is a once per lifetime bonus, so if you’ve held an American Express KrisFlyer cobrand card before, you won’t receive it a second time.
Existing customers who pay the first year’s S$397.85 fee and spend at least S$8,000 within the first 180 days of approval will receive 10,000 bonus miles.
They will receive a further 10,000 bonus miles for paying the second year’s S$397.85 fee and making a spend of any amount in the 15th month of card membership.
When will the bonuses be credited?
If you’re eligible for the 5,000 bonus miles for first-time AMEX Singapore Airlines cobrand cardholders, these will be credited to your KrisFlyer account after the month of approval and first spend.
The first half of the welcome bonus (20,000 bonus miles for new-to-AMEX, 10,000 bonus miles for existing) will be credited 12 weeks after meeting the minimum spend.
The second half of the welcome bonus (20,000 bonus miles for new-to-AMEX, 10,000 bonus miles for existing) will be credited 12 weeks after making the first spend of any amount in the 15th month of card membership.
All questions about fulfilment should be directed to American Express.
What spending is eligible?
American Express provides a list of excluded spending categories here, but the key ones to take note of are:
- Bus/MRT rides
- Donations
- Education
- GrabPay top-ups
- Insurance
- Public hospitals and polyclinics
- SPC transactions
- Utilities
CardUp and private hospitals, and anything else not explicitly stated in the exclusion list will count as eligible spend. Do note there are certain restrictions on AMEX payments with CardUp, as summarised in the article below.
All spending on supplementary cards will pool with principal cards when determining whether the minimum spend has been met.
Is it worth it?
Good heavens, no. This could very well be one of the worst welcome offers in recent memory.
Minimum spend of S$8,000
First, the minimum spend has been increased eightfold to S$8,000. This is the highest minimum spend I’ve ever seen for an AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend welcome offer. In fact, S$8,000 was the minimum spend for the AMEX Platinum Charge during the previous welcome offer cycle — and that’s a much more premium card!
Welcome bonus split into two tranches
Second, the welcome bonus has been split into two tranches, with 20,000 miles upfront, and an additional 20,000 miles that will only arrive — at best — 15 months later. You will also have to pay the second year’s annual fee to receive the remaining bonus, which means a total outlay of S$796 over two years.
New-to-AMEX criteria tightened
Third, American Express has tightened its new-to-AMEX criteria such that holding any principal or supplementary AMEX card in the past 24 months (previously: 12 months) will render you ineligible.
But given how bad this offer is, maybe it’s best you don’t qualify!
Terms & Conditions
- 5,000 bonus miles (first spend offer)
- 40,000 bonus miles (new-to-AMEX)
- 20,000 bonus miles (existing AMEX)
Overview: AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend
| AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend |
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| Apply |
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| Income Req. | N/A* | Points Validity | 3 years |
| Annual Fee | S$397.85 |
Min. Transfer |
N/A |
| FCY Fee | 3.25% | Transfer Fee | None |
| Local Earn | 1.2 mpd | Points Pool? | N/A |
| FCY Earn | 1.2 mpd | Lounge Access? | No |
| Special Earn | 2 mpd on SIA, Scoot, KrisShop, Pelago, Grab | Airport Limo? | No |
| *AMEX no longer publishes income requirements for the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend. The last published income requirement was S$50,000 p.a. | |||
| Cardholder Terms and Conditions | |||
The AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend is the more premium counterpart to the AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card, and carries an annual fee of S$397.85.
Cardholders earn 1.2 mpd on local and FCY spend, as well as 2 mpd on Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop and Pelago. Up to S$200 of Grab spend per calendar month is also rewarded at the 2 mpd rate.
Frankly speaking, these are far from the best earn rates on the market, and can be easily bested by other alternatives.
Key card benefits include:
- One-night stay at participating Hilton Hotels across Asia Pacific
- Hilton Silver status (which allows you to enjoy the 5th night free on award redemptions— valuable if you’re buying Hilton points)
From now till 16 December 2026, AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend Cardholders who spend at least S$15,000 on their card — of which at least S$5,000 is with Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop and Pelago — will be fast-tracked to KrisFlyer Elite Gold, bypassing the usual qualifying requirements.
Don’t forget to check out my full review of the AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend below.
Conclusion
| AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend |
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| Apply |
The latest AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend welcome offer increases the minimum spend eightfold to S$8,000, while deferring half the bonus until the next year — upon the payment of another annual fee!
This makes for a highly unattractive offer, though you may very well not qualify anyway, given the doubling of the waiting period required to be considered new-to-AMEX again.
American Express has really taken a turn for the worse when it comes to welcome offers, so now’s the time to hunker down and wait for something better to come along.
