This is the only guide you’ll need to get started on chasing miles with credit cards in Singapore

As a frequent traveller (who dreams of scoring Singapore Airlines’ first class suites one day), I'm constantly on the lookout for the best credit cards to maximise my travel rewards. 

After years of accumulating miles and navigating the ever-changing landscape of credit card offerings in Singapore, I've compiled a list of my favourite miles credit cards for beginners — and they’re (mostly) all you need to get started on chasing miles. 

But first there’s something you need to be sure about. Chasing miles is not easy. You’ll need to memorise which card you can use for each category (don’t worry you’ll get it over time), come up with an excel spreadsheet to track your cards, points expiry dates, spending and make sure the banks are giving you the full miles you deserve. 

Most importantly, you MUST be able to pay your entire bill in full each month. 

In order to efficiently collect miles, you’ll need more than one credit card. And you’ll have to be real organised. I mean, chasing miles is possible with a single 1.2mpd (miles per dollar) general spending card, but trust me, it’s gonna be a really painful and long journey. 

Disclaimer: 

This is an opinion piece based on personal experience and should not be considered financial advice. Please conduct your own research and consider your individual financial circumstances before making any decisions.

This list offers a starting point, and thorough research is crucial before choosing a credit card. 

Consider your spending habits, travel frequency, and desired rewards program when making your decision.

Be mindful of annual fees, eligibility criteria, miles expiry and other policies associated with each card. This article only provides a very brief description of each card. 

Always pay your credit card bills in full and on time to avoid interest charges and maximise your rewards potential.

Okay, now that we’ve sorted these out, here are my favourite miles cards that I religiously use. 

Citi Rewards (paired with Instarem Amaze)

Gets you: 4mpd 
Best for: Online spending
Miles expiry: Miles expire after 5 years
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of $30,000

I almost always use this card paired with Instarem Amaze, as it converts all offline transactions into online spending. 

This is the best card combo you can use for everyday local, overseas spending, and other stuff that you don’t really know which category it falls under. It’s a catch-all card. As long as you don’t run afoul with Citi’s blacklist MCCs, you should be fine. 

Important thing to note: Do not use Citi Rewards for travel-related expenses such as OTAs (online travel agents), hotels and plane tickets as they do not count towards the 4mpd. 

Overseas Amaze transactions also give you points where you can exchange for cash in your instarem wallet. While it is not a lot, consider it as a bonus where you can get $20 here and there to offset stuff. 

I like to use my instarem wallet to pay for things that don’t usually award miles such as public transport, because you’ll be hard pressed to find a credit card that gives you 4mpd for MRT/BUS transactions. 

UOB Lady's Card and Lady's Solitaire Card

Gets you: 4mpd
Best for: 

• Beauty & Wellness
• Fashion
• Dining
• Family
• Travel
• Transport 
• Entertainment

Miles expiry: Miles expire after 2 years
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of $30,000 for Lady’s, and $120,000 for Lady’s Solitaire

My personal favourite categories to choose are dining and travel, because that’s what I spend the most on. You can also change your preferred category every quarter. 

Pair it with Amaze, and you can have an additional budget for expenditures overseas in addition to Citi Rewards. 

Additionally, spending $500 every month on these cards earn you up to $5,203 in interest per year if you have a UOB One savings account. 

HSBC Revolution

Gets you: 4mpd 
Best for: Online spend and contactless payments (including mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay) and flight bookings
Miles expiry: Miles expire after 3 years
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of $30,000

I travel a lot and often bust the maximum miles allowed for travel spend. To extend that cap, I would book hotels/flights with agoda and then pay them with Atome. 

Atome transactions (no matter what merchant you use to pay) is a whole other MCC by itself. It is eligible for 4mpd on HSBC revolution. 

UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card

Gets you: 4mpd 
Best for: Mobile contactless transactions
Miles expiry: Miles expire after 2 years
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of $30,000

Add this card to your mobile wallet and toss it in your drawer. As long as it’s contactless, you’ll get your points almost everywhere — doesn’t matter if it’s a hair salon, or a car repair workshop. 

HSBC Travel One 

Gets you: 1.2mpd for local spend
Best for: General spending when you’ve busted all cards 
Miles expiry: Miles never expire
Eligibility: Minimum annual income of $30,000

Try not to use this card for your spending unless you’ve reached the cap for the rest of your cards. Why I prefer this card over the rest of the general spending cards is due to the added benefit of four complimentary airport lounge access passes per year (perfect for layovers or long journeys).

BONUS card: UOB Krisflyer

Another popular miles card you can opt for is the unlimited 3mpd UOB Krisflyer card. 

As I can't fulfil the requirement of spending $800 on Singapore Airlines and Kris Shop yearly, I didn't sign up for this card. 

But if you spend on those merchants, I highly recommend you to add this card to your credit card arsenal. 

And there you have it — these are my favourite miles cards. There are tons of ways you can accelerate your miles, especially through KrisPay+, but that’s another story for another day.