In the world of credit cards, we tend to be bombarded with choice. That’s no more true than in the air miles credit card space in Singapore, where there are endless choices in terms of which card to apply for.
In that sense, deciding which Singapore air miles credit card to get next is kind of similar to endlessly scrolling on Netflix, trying to decide what to watch next–there’s so much choice, but on the surface, nothing appeals because we don’t really know anything about the show (or card).
Fortunately for you, I’m going to break down a specific segment of the air miles credit card rewards segment in Singapore, earning miles for online shopping, or just broader online spend, such as linking our credit card to Grab or FoodPanda.
So, here’s a comprehensive rundown of the best Singapore air miles credit cards for those of us who do a lot of our monthly spending in the digital world.
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DBS Woman’s World Mastercard
No top online spending credit card list would be complete without the “go-to” online spending card for a lot of miles chasers in Singapore–the DBS Woman’s World Mastercard. And for all the men out there, no, you do not need to be a woman to have this card, so equality reigns in the Singapore air miles game!
Now this card basically gives you 10x DBS points (equivalent to 4 miles) per dollar of online spending. There is one caveat, though, and that’s the fact that this accelerated rate is capped at $1,000 of online spending per calendar month.
In other words, the maximum 4mpd rate you can earn on the card each month for online spending is 4,000 miles (or 2,000 DBS points since 1 DBS point = 2 miles).
This is a “catch-all” online spending card, so there are no exclusions on earning beyond the usual credit card mile-less spending categories, like hospitals, utilities and education, etc.
Do note that you earn just 1x DBS points (or 0.4mpd) when the transaction initially posts, and the remaining 9x bonus DBS points (3.6mpd) will be credited to your DBS points account by the 16th of the following calendar month.
- on Online Purchases
- S$5 = 10 DBS Points (equivalent to 4 Miles per S$1)
- on Overseas Purchases
- S$5 = 3 DBS Points (equivalent to 1.2 Miles per S$1)
- on all Other Purchases
- S$5 = 1 DBS Point (equivalent to 0.4 Miles per S$1)
Citi Rewards Mastercard
Another great online spending card to have if you want more air miles is the Citi Rewards Card. This is a staple for those who like to shop or spend online.
This card is similar to the DBS Woman’s World in that it also offers the same mileage earn rate and cap–that is, there’s a 4mpd earn rate (or 10x Citi ThankYou points), but that’s capped at $1,000 per statement month of online spending.
There are a couple of key differences as well, though. First off, you get 10x ThankYou points (i.e. 4mpd) upfront when your transaction posts to the card, so you don’t need to wait for any bonus points/miles to be credited.
However, there are also some downsides to the online spending category here. The big omission for the Citi Rewards card is “travel-related” online spending, so that means spending at merchants such as Klook, Agoda, Airbnb, or any flight booking or online accommodation/hotel booking.
Instead of earning 4mpd for spending on travel merchants like these, you’d earn just 0.4mpd instead, so it’s something to watch out for.
Second, you also don’t earn the 4mpd rate on any “in-app” spending, so this means paying for things using, for example, Apple Pay–linked to your Citi Rewards card–within apps like FoodPanda or Deliveroo. Again, you’d earn just 0.4mpd if you utilised the in-app wallet on your phone when spending at online merchants.
Besides those two key exclusions, though, the Citi Rewards can be used to spend at all your usual suspects for online shopping, such as Lazada, Shopee, Amazon, Grab, FoodPanda, boutique online shopping merchants, and many more.
- on Online Grocery, Food Delivery, Ride-Hailing
- S$1= 10X Points
- for in-store shopping purchases at Department Store, Clothing Stores
- S$1= 10X Points
- for all other purchases
- S$1= 1X Point
Get S$380 Cash Reward or 6,140 SmartPoints (worth up to S$499 of Gifts) when you charge a min. of S$500 within 30 days!
PLUS, win a S$15,000 Dream Holiday to your preferred destination! T&Cs apply.
OCBC Rewards Card
Finally, we have the OCBC Rewards Card. OCBC doesn’t tend to have a huge stable of air miles cards in Singapore, but this is certainly 1 of its leading miles cards for those who shop online.
Cardholders can get 4mpd for online shopping spend up to $1,110 per calendar month. This shopping-specific spend also extends to offline (i.e. in-person) spending at merchants, so it is slightly more flexible versus the DBS Woman’s World and Citi Rewards cards.
But offsetting this is the fact that you can only spend at a select number of shopping merchants to earn the 4mpd rate. Granted, it does cover a wide range of Merchant Category Codes (MCCs), such as Duty Free Shops, Department Stores, Women’s Ready to Wear Stores, Family Clothing Stores, Shoe Stores, and more.
Yet you can’t use the OCBC Rewards card to spend at merchants like Grab, GoJek, FoodPanda, or other “non-shopping” merchants, as you’ll earn just 0.4mpd on that spend.
One big benefit of this card is that HeyMax, which sells online vouchers for everything from FairPrice to FoodPanda and Grab, codes as “Department Stores” so you can use the OCBC Rewards card there to buy vouchers at other “non-shopping” merchants–all while still earning 4mpd.
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- for every S$1 spent at Watsons and certain online shopping platforms
- Earn 15 OCBC$ (equivalent to 6 air miles)
- on All Other Spend
- S$1 = 1 OCBC$
- Rewards to Miles Conversion
- 10 OCBC$ = 4 Miles
Get $250 Cash or 3,900 SmartPoints (enough to redeem an Apple AirPods Pro 3 worth S$349) when you apply and spend a min. of S$400 within 30 days! T&Cs apply.
PSA: Remember not to blow through spending caps
So, there are 3 of the top online spending cards for those of us who love to earn air miles in Singapore for their credit card spend.
Personally, I use both the DBS Woman’s World Mastercard and the Citi Rewards Mastercard for my online spending as these are the more wide-ranging than the shopping-focused OCBC Rewards card.
The 1 thing I would say every online spending fiend needs to watch with these cards is to ensure you’re (first off) not just spending for the sake of earning miles, and you’re actually spending on what you’d purchase anyway.
Remember, it’s more about being able to “optimise” the way you earn miles, and that also means being responsible when spending.
Second, and this is crucial, don’t exceed those monthly 4mpd caps by too much because any spend over the $1,000 to $1,110 per calendar/statement month will earn you a measly 0.4mpd!
Beyond that, I wish all of you a happy online spending experience and many air miles earned.
About the author
Tim Phillips has spent over 15 years in the finance industry as an investment communications specialist with the likes of Schroders, The Motley Fool, and CGS International. He’s passionate about helping people take control of their finances by building wealth through long-term investing and thinking more coherently on all things “money”. He loves breaking down complex financial topics into content that’s informative and, most importantly, engaging.
