Ultimate AMEX Credit Card Comparison: Which One Should You Own (+ Hacks To Maximise Your Rewards!)
Xue Miao●
I’ve heard so many good things about American Express (AMEX).
With customer service being a major concern for most cardholders, I often hear how AMEX never disappoints in this aspect.
They would deliver world-class customer service and experience, frequently go above and beyond for customers by fulfilling customer requests very promptly and professionally.
Excited to experience the top-notch service myself, I recently decided to apply for my very first AMEX card.
Why only now?
Because being a kiasu (read: fear of losing) Singaporean, I was waiting for the best sign-up reward that would be worth it.
And honestly… This one is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
If you want to hop on the AMEX train as well, here are some of the best AMEX cards to consider!
TL;DR: Best American Express (AMEX) Credit Cards in Singapore
Speaking of the best credit card sign-up rewards…
We have partnered with SingSaver and American Express to give out S$1 million worth of Bitcoin.
YES. $1 million. 🤯
So if you’re looking to start owning cryptocurrency or hope to add more into your portfolio, this is literally the BEST time to do so.
You will receive up to S$365 worth of Bitcoin when you successfully apply for a credit card.
These rewards will be given out from now until 7 November 2021 OR until S$1 million worth of Bitcoin has been claimed, whichever is earlier.
Also, the first 2,000 eligible applicants will receive an additional S$100 worth of Bitcoin, so fastest fingers first!
These rewards will also be given out to your Gemini account as they are our exclusive cryptocurrency wallet partner for this campaign.
Disclaimer: Seedly and Singsaver will NEVER ask you for your crypto wallet address nor instruct you to transfer any crypto to us throughout any of the campaigns.
| Credit Card | AMEX True Cashback Card | AMEX CapitaCard | AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card | AMEX Singapore Airlines Ascend KrisFlyer Credit Card | AMEX Platinum Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Cashback | Shoppers | Frequent Flyers | Best for Hotel & Dining Privileges | |
| Key Features | - Earn 3% cashback ($150) on first $5,000 spend within first 6 months - 1.5% cashback on subsequent local spend - No cap on cashback | Earn up to: - 3% rebate (awarded in 6X STAR$® or 30 STAR$®) when you spend at participating merchants in CapitaLand Malls in town - 2% rebate (awarded in 4X STAR$® or 20 STAR$®)* when you spend at participating merchants in CapitaLand Malls in the heartlands - An additional 5% rebate (awarded in 10X STAR$® or 50 STAR$®) at participating STAR$® X’tra Partners in CapitaLand Malls | - Bonus 5,000 Krisflyer miles upon first spend on card - 5,000 bonus Krisflyer miles when you spend S$3,000 in first 3 months - Earn up to 3.1 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent on eligible spend | - Bonus 5,000 Krisflyer miles upon first spend on card - Earn up to 3.2 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent on your everyday spend - Enjoy a complimentary night stay each year at participating Hilton Properties in Asia Pacific - Enjoy four complimentary lounge access passes to any participating SATS Premier and Plaza Premium Lounge each year | - Enjoy up to 50% savings at selected popular restaurants - Enjoy year-round privileges and savings of up to 50% on food bills at selected 5-star hotels - Enjoy a complimentary drink with purchase of at least one item from merchant's menu a over a dozen bars in Singapore |
| Min. Spend (Monthly) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Annual Fee | S$171.20 (inclusive of GST) waived for the first year | S$171.20 (inclusive of GST) waived for the first year | S$176.55 (inclusive of GST) waived for the first year | S$337.05 (inclusive of GST) | S$321.00 (inclusive of GST) |
| Minimum Income Requirement | S$30,000 p.a (Singapore Citizens & Residents) S$60,000 p.a. (Expatriates) | S$30,000 p.a (Singapore Citizens & Residents) S$60,000 p.a. (Expatriates) | S$30,000 p.a (Singapore Citizens & Residents) S$60,000 p.a. (Expatriates) | S$50,000 p.a. (Singapore Citizens & Residents) S$60,000 p.a. (Expatriates) | S$80,000 p.a. |
| Sign-Up Reward | New AMEX cardholders: Receive S$265 worth of Bitcoin + additional S$100 worth of Bitcoin for first 2,000 applicants |
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| Existing AMEX cardholders: Receive S$50 worth of Bitcoin + additional S$50 worth of Bitcoin for first 2,000 applicants |
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| Terms & Conditions (To Get Sign-Up Reward) | Minimum spend of S$500 in the first 30 days of card approval | Minimum spend of S$500 in the first 30 days of card approval | Minimum spend of S$500 in the first 30 days of card approval | Receive reward upon annual fee payment | Receive reward upon annual fee payment |
Best for Cashback
Cashback lovers should definitely get a hold of the American Express® True Cashback Card.
It offers 1.5% cashback on ALL spending, with no maximum cashback cap or minimum monthly spending required, making it one of the best cashback credit cards in town.
If you have an upcoming big purchase, its welcome bonus of 3% cashback (on the first S$5000 spend) is one of the best rates in town.
Best for Shoppers
If you’re a shopper who frequents CapitaLand malls, the American Express® CapitaCard allows you to earn great rebates for spending at participating merchants in these malls.
Get to earn up to:
- 3% rebate (awarded in 6X STAR$® or 30 STAR$®) when you spend at participating merchants in CapitaLand Malls in town
- 2% rebate (awarded in 4X STAR$® or 20 STAR$®)* when you spend at participating merchants in CapitaLand Malls in the heartlands
- An additional 5% rebate (awarded in 10X STAR$® or 50 STAR$®) at participating STAR$® X’tra Partners in CapitaLand Malls
Cardholders who drive to these malls can also enjoy 3-hour complimentary parking per mall, per day across participating CapitaLand Malls when there’s spending of S$1,200 in a calendar month.
Best for Frequent Flyers
While it might still be slightly restrictive to fly overseas now, we can still look into accumulating miles to prep for our next flight.
Both the American Express® Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card and Singapore Airlines Ascend KrisFlyer Credit Card offer great benefits that are perfect for mile lovers to consider.
If you’re wondering what’s their key differences, here’s a quick breakdown:
| AMEX Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card | AMEX Singapore Airlines Ascend KrisFlyer Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | 5,000 Krisflyer miles upon first spend on card (for first-time applicants of this card) | 5,000 Krisflyer miles upon first spend on card (for first-time applicants of this card) |
| Spend Bonus | Receive 5,000 bonus Krisflyer miles when you spend S$3,000 in the first 3 months of Card Membership | - |
| Miles | Earn up to 3.1 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent on your eligible spend | Earn up to 3.2 KrisFlyer miles for every S$1 spent on everyday spend |
| Complimentary Benefits | - | A complimentary night stay each year at participating Hilton Properties in Asia Pacific Four complimentary lounge access passes to any participating SATS Premier and Plaza Premium Lounge each year |
| Other Rewards | Receive S$150 cashback for use on your next purchase on singaporeair.com when you spend S$12,000 on your Card from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 KrisFlyer Ascend Upgrade Bonus of 12,000 KrisFlyer miles upon meeting Card membership and spend criteria | Accelerated upgrade to KrisFlyer Elite Gold membership tier with min. spend of S$15,000 on SIA (within 12 months of card approval) Double KrisFlyer Miles Accrual Voucher with min. spend of S$15,000 on SIA from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 |
| Minimum Income Requirement | S$30,000 p.a (Singapore Citizens & Residents) S$60,000 p.a. (Expatriates) | S$50,000 p.a. (Singapore Citizens & Residents) S$60,000 p.a. (Expatriates) |
| Annual Fee | S$176.55 (inclusive of GST) waived for the first year | S$337.05 (inclusive of GST) |
Best for Hotel & Dining Privileges
There are two things that most of us enjoy in life – good food and staycations.
If you’re someone who keeps a lookout for dining and hotel privileges, the American Express® Platinum Credit Card allows cardholders to enjoy these perks.
Get to be part of Singapore’s Ultimate Dining Programme (Love Dining), where cardholders can enjoy up to 50% savings at selected popular restaurants, and also year-round privileges at some of the best 5-star hotels in Singapore, including:
-
Fairmont Singapore
-
Swissôtel The Stamford Singapore
- Swissôtel Merchant Court
Get to also enjoy a complimentary drink with the purchase of at least one item from the merchant’s menu at over a dozen fashionable bars in Singapore.
Bonus: How to Maximise Your AMEX Credit Card Rewards
Some of these cards require a bigger sum of spending to get a higher tier of cashback (e.g. 3% upsized cashback for the first $5,000 in the first six months for the Amex True Cashback Card).
If you wish to maximise your credit card rewards without having to splurge on a new item, here are some ways to do so!
1) Top Up Your GrabPay Wallet
We previously saw how Visa and Mastercard reclassified Grab top-ups to a different Merchant Category Code (MCC), thereby abolishing credit card rewards for such top-ups.
However, there’s a card that remains untouched.
The AMEX True Cashback Card has survived the apocalypse, allowing us to still stack rewards from both the card and GrabPay top-ups!
Here’s how you can utilise this card to maximise your rewards:
- Use the AMEX True Cashback Card to top up GrabPay Wallet (get 1.5% cashback)
- Spend on your necessities using GrabPay wallet or card (earn up to 6 points)
- Redeem your Grab points
For some merchants, you can even link your GrabPay with Fave Pay, allow you to ‘triple-dip’ your cashback and rewards per transaction!
2) Buy Vouchers in Advance
Another way to hit your minimum spend is to buy vouchers in advance.
By vouchers, we refer to vouchers of merchants that you usually frequent and would spend at anyway.
This might include places like CapitaLand Malls (Capitavouchers), food delivery vouchers, or even specific merchants like NTUC Fairprice, Starbucks, or IKEA.
The key is to only get vouchers at places you tend to spend as part of your monthly expenses, to ensure that you wouldn’t end up overspending instead.
Get Your AMEX Card To Enjoy Exclusive Rewards Today
If you’re looking to own an AMEX credit card today, apply for this deal and receive up to S$365 worth of Bitcoin!
How to Apply:
- Apply for your favourite credit card.
- Receive up to S$265 (S$265 for new customers and S$50 for existing customers) worth of Bitcoin after you fulfil the eligibility requirements.)
- Spend S$500 on the card within the first 30 days of card approval.
- Be one of the first 2,000 eligible applicants to receive up to an additional S$100 worth of Bitcoin.
The cards that are mentioned in this article are ALL eligible for this campaign.
More details about the cards can be found on the landing page.
And of course, terms and conditions apply.
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Disclaimer: The information provided by Seedly serves as an educational piece and is not intended to be personalised financial advice. Readers should always do their own due diligence and consider their financial goals before committing to any financial product and consult your financial advisor before making any decisions.
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