Best Cashback Credit Card Singapore (2023): Here Are The Credit Cards You MUST Own!

When deciding what’s the best credit card in Singapore to get.

You usually have to decide between earning credit card points, miles or cashback.

With points, you’ll often find that you need to accumulate something to the tune of 40,000 points (or $4,000 spent) just to get some eco-friendly reusable coffee cup.

And with miles, if you aren’t a frequent traveller or big spender, it’ll be hard to obtain that elusive first-class ticket.

Credit Cards With Cashback: Is Getting a Cashback Credit Card Worth It?

This… brings us to cashback credit cards which basically give you ‘free’ money.

Let’s find out which is the best cashback credit card, shall we?

Disclaimer: The various credit cards all have their respective terms and conditions. So please read through them before deciding which credit card to get! Note that information is accurate as of 18 September 2023 and that promotions are subject to change without prior notice.

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TL;DR: Best Cashback Credit Card in Singapore (2023): Which Credit Cards Give You Actual Cash Back?

These are the best cashback credit cards that you should be using:

If you’re wondering how I put together this list…

I basically took advantage of countless work hours on research.

So the next time you walk into a bank or any credit card roadshow, this will be you:

You’re welcome.

Click to Teleport

• No-frills credit card with no minimum spend and wide coverage of spending categories
• Daily expenses (min. monthly spend of $600)
• Unlimited cashback cards
• Big-ticket items
• Groceries, Petrol, Food Delivery & more.

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What is Cashback? Why Would The Banks Give Us Free Money? 

The answer is in the fine print.

Most cash rewards programmes have a minimum spend requirement and a cashback cap.

So while a card might offer you a generous 20% cashback.

You’ll probably need to spend around $10,000 a month to qualify.

And the maximum amount of cashback you can probably get is $50 a month.

Also. if you were wondering what cashback is, it often comes in the form of an offset of your credit card bill.

FOR EXAMPLE ONLY, PLEASE.

No such card exists.

However, most consumers do not take the time to read the fine print.

How Does Cashback Work? Which Bank Is Best for Cashback?

So there is a chance that they might use a credit card under the impression that the cash rewards programme is more generous or applicable to a broader range of expenditure than they actually are.

And how many of us really track how much we spend to truly maximise our cashback rewards?

There are also plenty of consumers who might be under the impression that they can ‘afford to’ spend more because they’re getting cashback.

WRONG!

That’s awful news if you can’t make the payment on time.

The banks will charge high-interest rates (~26% p.a. that compounds daily) on credit, and the late fees for balances that are carried over are usually damn siao.

The lesson to take away here?

Only get a credit card if you are conscientious about your spending habits and can pay your credit card bills on time.

Please don’t chase credit card bonuses if you don’t need to spend on anything.

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Which Is The Best Cashback Card in Singapore? How Do I Choose the Best Cash Back Credit Card?

To make your life easier, I decided to sort the various cashback credit cards into different categories that I think people would care about:

• No-frills credit card with no minimum spend, next to no exclusions and virtually no cashback cap.
• Daily expenses (Min. monthly spend of $600)
• Big-ticket items
• Groceries, Petrol, Food Delivery & more.

I’ve also listed the following:

• Cashback rate
• Monthly minimum spend
• Maximum cashback cap.

That’s not all.

As a value-added service, I’ve also included links to real user reviews left by our SeedlyCommunity to help you better decide which cashback credit card you should apply for.

Another essential thing to note is that there is no objectively best credit card.

The best credit card is the one that compliments your spending habits and allows you to maximise the cashback you can earn.

So if you’re a cashback credit card fanatic, you might wanna save this article for future reference.

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Best Credit Cards With No Minimum Spend: UOB Absolute Cashback Card and AMEX True Cashback?

If you are looking for a straightforward credit card with no minimum spend requirement and almost no exclusions.

The choice is clear as, unfortunately, last year’s pick, a combination of the AMEX True Cashback Card (1.5% cashback) or the UOB Absolute Cashback Card (1.7% cashback) with the GrabPay Mastercard has been nerfed to oblivion.

But all is not lost, as you can still get a cashback card with more than 2% cashback which is not too bad.

HSBC Revolution Credit Card Review (2023)

Enter the HSBC Revolution Credit Card:

Apply Now

HSBC Revolution Card Basics:

• Cashback:
  • 10x points (2.5% cashback) for online payments (including food deliveries, online shopping and travel)
  • 10x points (2.5% cashback) for contactless payments through Visa PayWave, Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • 1x points (0.25% cashback) for all other spend
• Min. Monthly Spend: N.A.
• Cashback Cap: Bonus 10X points are capped at $25 or $1,000 spend per calendar month
• Annual Fee: No annual credit card fee
• Effective Interest Rate: 26.90% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans and PRs
  • $40,000 for Foreigners
  • Able to provide a fixed deposit collateral of at least $10,000 if you don’t meet the above income requirement
• Minimum Age: 21

Now hear me out.

Although the HSBC Revolution is a rewards credit card, it actually gives 10 HSBC points per dollar for online and contactless payments that can be redeemed for four miles per dollar or 2.5% cashback.

More specifically, you can only earn 10X HSBC points per dollar on Selected Online Transactions and Selected Contactless Payments that fall within any one of the following Merchant Category Codes (MCC):

Basically, any transactions that do not fall under these MCCs will not be awarded bonus points.

On balance, these MCCs cover a broad range of everyday spending which means that you’ll probably get points for most transactions.

HSBC Revolution Exclusions

One more thing,

The 10x points do not apply to AXS and ATM transactions, top-ups to e-wallets and stored value cards, payments to insurance, educational institutions and payments, among others.

How to Redeem HSBC Points for Cashback

How this works is that your HSBC points can be used to offset your credit card bill:

An important point to note is that HSBC points expire after 37 months, and you need to accumulate at least 4,000 points (i.e. spend $400) before you can redeem your points and offset your bill.

Also, you would not get all 10X points at once as HSBC breaks it down into 1X base points and 9X bonus points per dollar spent.

The 1X base points will be awarded within the same calendar month, while the 9X bonus points will only be awarded on the next calendar month. This means that if you make an eligible transaction in January, you will only receive the bonus points in February.

HSBC Revolution Bonus Cashback

That’s not all.

HSBC states that you can get an additional 1% cashback* on your credit card spending with the HSBC Everyday+ Rewards Programme when you:

From 1 May to 31 October 2023, HSBC will run the Sure-Win Promotion as part of the Everyday+ Rewards programme.

There are 18,000 prizes to be won, with 10,000 Grand Lucky prizes including Oscar’s Buffet Lunch for 2 at Conrad Hotel, NTUC and Takashimaya vouchers, and one night stay at Centennial Suite with Executive Floor benefits and breakfast for 2.

On top of a 1% cashback on qualifying credit card transactions, HSBC EGA holders will earn 1% bonus interest on incremental SGD balances.

To qualify for the Sure-Win Promotion, HSBC customers will need to maintain the respective minimum balances and make 5 eligible transactions on the account.

HSBC EGA Welcome Gift: Deposit incremental SGD Average Balances with your EGA account to earn up to 5.7% Max. Bonus Interest Rate when you qualify for HSBC Everyday+ Rewards Program. T&Cs apply.

Highest Cashback Credit Cards for Daily Expenses

However, if you spend more than $600 a month on your credit card, you can earn a bit more cashback with either the DBS Live Fresh Card or the UOB EVOL Card:

DBS Live Fresh (2023) vs UOB EVOL (2023) vs OCBC Frank (2023)

You might be wondering about the OCBC Frank card, which was included last year.

Unfortunately, it was nerfed pretty heavily as well as before November 2022, online spend and contactless spend had separate cashback caps of $25 each.

Now, online spending and contactless spending share the same $25 cap, which, frankly speaking, is a bit mediocre.

This is why I am considering only the DBS LiveFresh and UOB Evol Card for this article:

Realistically, we would start with the assumption that you make an effort to split your credit spend between contactless and online spending equally and ignore the ‘any other spend’ category as it is hard to hit.

The UOB EVOL card is the winner with its high 8% cashback rate.

But upon close examination, you will not be able to hit an effective cashback rate of 8% as you are limited by the monthly cashback caps for online and contactless spend categories, which add up to $40 per month ($20 per category). This means you only get cashback for $500 spent each month.

Let’s say you look at your monthly statement and realise you spend only about $600 per month. Your effective cashback rate is still 6.67% ($40/$600), which is pretty decent but not 8% as advertised.

If you spend more than ~$667 per month, your effective cashback rate drops to 5.99% ($40/$667).

But another essential thing to note is that you do not get cashback with UOB EVOL for any transactions at UOB$ merchants where UOB$ are issued (previously known as SMART$).

Instead, you will get UOB$ cashback:

• Up to 10% cashback: Get UOB$ cashback on all in-store purchases at participating outlets
• Automatically offset your spending: Use your earned UOB$ on your next bill at the same merchant.

UOB$ Merchants

Speaking of merchants, here is a list of UOB$ merchants:

Source: UOB via The MileLion)

This situation is not ideal as although some merchants do offer 10% cashback, you are stuck with 1% cashback at Cold Storage and Giant, which is way lower than UOB EVOL’s cashback rate of 6.67%.

Not to mention that you will have to use it back at the same merchant.

Alternatively, you can look at the DBS Live Fresh card, where you will not exceed the cashback cap by hitting the minimum spend if you split your credit spend between contactless and online spending equally.

DBS Green Merchants Additional 5% Cashback

There’s also a bonus Green Merchants category with an additional 5% cashback on top of the mobile and online spend categories:

For more information about this card (e.g. eligibility requirements, exclusions, annual fees and real user reviews), you can click on the links below:

• DBS Live Fresh Card
• UOB EVOL Card.

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Best Unlimited Cashback Credit Card

CIMB Credit Cards: CIMB World Mastercard

But if you spend more and want a no-frills card, check out the CIMB World Mastercard:

For a limited time only, you can earn up to 3% unlimited cashback with a minimum spend of $500 (it will be $1,000 after 31 Oct 2023).

Apply Now

CIMB World Mastercard Promotion

From now till 31 Oct 2023, cardholders can earn up to 2% unlimited cashback with min. spend $500 and above on Wine & Dine, Online Food Delivery, Movies and Digital Entertainment, Taxi and Automobile Luxury Goods.

This was lowered from a minimum spend of $1,000 posted in the same statement month on eligible categories above.

Additionally, you can earn 1% unlimited cashback on all other spends with the same minimum spend of $500 posted in the same statement month.

For new CIMB World Mastercard sign-ups, you can also get a cash reward of $168 when you spend $528!

Specifically, these are the promotional details:

• 2% unlimited cashback on eligible categories with min. spend of $500 and above
• 1% unlimited cashback will be awarded for spending below $500 posted in the statement month
• Extra 1% unlimited cashback on all spend with min. spend of $2,500 posted in the same statement month

For those curious about the eligible categories, they are:

CIMB World Mastercard Basics

• Cashback:
  • 2% unlimited cashback on eligible categories with min. spend of $1,000 and above
  • 1% unlimited cashback on all other spend with min. spend of $500 posted in the same statement month
• Min. Monthly Spend: $500
• Cashback Cap: N.A.
• Annual Fee: NIL
• Effective Interest Rate: 27.80% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans and PRs
  • Able to provide a fixed deposit collateral of at least $10,000 if you don’t meet the above income requirement
• Minimum Age: 21

Standard Chartered Credit Cards: Simply Cash Credit Card

Another no-frills card is the Standard Chartered Simply Cash Credit Card:

Standard Chartered Simply Cash Credit Card Basics

• Cashback:
  • 1.5% on virtually ALL spend (Except the usual credit card exclusions such as insurance payments and top-ups to wallets)
• Min. Monthly Spend: N.A.
• Cashback Cap: N.A.
• Annual Fee: $194.40 (first year waived)
• Effective Interest Rate: 27.90% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans and PRs
  • $60,000 for Foreigners
• Minimum Age: 21

This card is an unlimited cashback credit card, which means that you can get 1.5% cashback on virtually ALL your spending with no minimum spending or caps! 

But wait a minute, other cards give higher cashback, right? Like the UOB Absolute Cashback (1.7%), American Express True Cashback (3% for the first 6 months, 1.5% thereafter) or the Citi Cash Back Plus (1.6%).

Let me explain! For any American Express card, which the UOB Absolute is too, you might find it hard to find merchants where you can use the card due to the lack of acceptance. Otherwise, AMEX cards would easily be number one.

As for the Citi Cash Back Plus, cashback can only be redeemed via SMS, which is an extra hurdle for just 0.1% cashback.

The Standard Chartered Simply Cash Credit Card, on the other hand, is a MasterCard that is widely accepted and automatically offsets your next credit card bill with the cashback you’ve earned, hence making it the number one fuss-free credit card for all your spending needs.

The cashback rate is a little low, but then again, you really can’t put a price tag on simplicity!

Even so, here are some other unlimited cashback credit cards that you may consider:

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Best Credit Cards for Big Purchases

Planning a wedding?

Need to renovate your brand-new BTO?

Planning to get a laptop?

Check out these cards to save BIG.

Citibank Credit Cards: Citi SMRT Card

For any big-ticket online purchases, you’ll want to get the Citi SMRT Credit Card.

Citi SMRT Card Basics

• Cashback:
  • 5% savings on online and grocery purchases, taxis and private hire rides and SimplyGo transactions for public transport
  • 0.3% savings on all other qualifying retail spend
  • No monthly cap on how much SMRT$ you can earn
• Min. Monthly Spend: $500
• Cashback Cap: No monthly cap on how much SMRT$ you can earn but an annual cap of 600 SMRT$ earned, i.e. $12,000 spent in 12 months (Every 1 SMRT$ shall unless otherwise specified, represent $1 in cash value)
• Annual Fee: $194.40 (Waived for the first two years)
• Effective Interest Rate: 27.90% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans / PRs
  • $42,000 for foreigners
• Minimum Age: 21

Citi SMRT Card Cashback

With this card, you’ll get a pretty decent 5% cashback rate on the following spend categories:

• All supermarkets and grocery stores
• Taxi and public transport rides (including private-hire rides)
• Online purchases (excludes mobile wallet and travel-related transactions*).
• Travel-related transactions include but are not limited to transactions that bear the following MCCs:
  • MCC 3000 to 3350 Airlines, Air Carriers
  • MCC 3351 to 3500 Car Rental Agencies
  • MCC 3501 to 3999 Lodging – Hotels, Motels, Resorts
  • MCC 4112 Passenger Railways
  • MCC 4411 Cruise Lines
  • MCC 4511 Airlines, Air Carriers (Not Elsewhere Classified)
  • MCC 4722 Travel Agencies and Tour Operators
  • MCC 5962 Direct Marketing – Travel-Related Arrangement Services
  • MCC 7011 Lodging – Hotels, Motels, Resorts (Not Elsewhere Classified)
  • MCC 7512 Car Rental Agencies (Not Elsewhere Classified).

Citi SMRT Card Monthly Minimum Spend and Cashback Cap

But note that you must spend at least $500 monthly to unlock this 5% cashback rate (SMRT$).

If your total monthly statement of retail purchases falls below $500, the eligible rebate rates will be reduced to 0.3%.

The beauty of this card for big-ticket online purchases lies in how Citi arranges the cashback cap. Remember to use the card directly to pay for your stuff, as the card does not support mobile wallets. This card should not be used for travel transactions.

Unlike most cards with a monthly cashback cap, the Citi SMRT card has an annual cashback cap of $600.

This means that at any point within 12 months, you can spend up to $12,000 and get 5% or up to $600 cashback on eligible spending.

Note that the annual cashback cap resets every 12 months. So you might want to apply for the card now, as the earlier you apply, the faster it refreshes the cap.

For example, if you only need to buy your big ticket nine months later, you can fully utilise the $12,000 cap within 3 months till the cap is refreshed. 

UOB Credit Cards: UOB One Card

The Citi SMRT card may be suitable for online transactions, but there’s a gap for in-store transactions.

That’s where the UOB One Card comes in.

Apply Now

UOB One Basics

• Cashback:
  • Base 3.33% cashback on all retail spend [$500, $1,000 or $2,000 per month (min. five purchases a month) consecutively for three months]
  • Up to 15% cashback for spending on bonus categories
• Min. Monthly Spend for one Quarter: $500 | $1,000 | $2,000
• Cashback Cap: $50, $100 or $200, respectively, per quarter for base cashback
• Annual Fee: $194.40
• Effective Interest Rate: 26.90% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans
  • $40,000 for Foreigners
  • Able to provide a fixed deposit collateral of at least $10,000 if you don’t meet the above income requirement
• Minimum Age: 21

If you are planning to make big purchases in the coming months and are willing to do a bit of planning, you can consider the UOB One Card.

P.S. It is possible to split bill payments between credit cards at some physical stores.

This is because the card offers a relatively high cashback rate of up to 3.33% on almost all purchases with a minimum spend of $500 / $1,000 / $2,000 per month and a minimum of five transactions per statement month for a qualifying quarter.

To qualify for this cashback, you must also spend $500 / $1,000 / $2,000 per month for three consecutive months.

But keep in mind that this is a flat rate and that the minimum spending requirements are relatively high.

Here is an infographic that explains how this works:

Bonus UOB One Cashback: Shopee Cashback Singapore, Dairy Farm Cashback and More

In addition, to the quarterly rebate, you will stand to receive additional cashback from these categories:

• Shopee: Up to 6.67% additional cashback on online shopping when you qualify for your quarterly cashback, and exclusive Shopee privileges
• Dairy Farm: Up to 6.67% additional cashback on groceries, health and beauty, and convenience store spend at Dairy Farm International transactions (Cold Storage, CS Fresh, Giant, Guardian, 7-Eleven, Marketplace, Jasons, Jasons Deli) when you qualify for your quarterly cashback
• Grab (Excludes mobile wallet top-ups): Up to 6.67% additional cashback1 on Grab (excludes mobile wallet top-ups) when you qualify for your quarterly cashback
• Singapore Power Utility Bills: Get an additional 1% cashback on your Singapore Power Utilities bills when you qualify for your quarterly cashback
• UOB Travel: Enjoy up to 6.67% additional cashback on your UOB Travel spend (excludes online, flight-only bookings and relevant taxes) when you qualify for your quarterly cashback.

Here’s an example of how this works:

For the example above, the person qualified for the quarterly tier rebate as they spent precisely $2,000 each month for the whole quarter (three months) and got $200 cashback.

In addition, the person also spent on these additional categories and got $103.05 more.

But if you find it hard to meet the high spending requirements and have a mortgage loan, you might want to consider using the UOB One Card with these payment services

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What Is the Best Cashback Credit Card For Families

Everybody must visit the supermarket to get stuff like milk, diapers, bananas, soy sauce, and bread… You get the picture.

Even driving out will command petrol which costs money. And for days that you are too tired to cook, you might order food delivery from time to time.

Why not save a bit while making these necessary purchases with the Maybank Family and Friends Card.

Maybank Family and Friends Card Review

Apply Now

Maybank Family and Friends Card Basics

• Cashback:
  • 8% on five out of 10 selected categories
• Minimum Monthly Spend: $800
• Cashback Cap: $125 ($25 for each bonus category)
• Annual Fee: $180 (first three years waived)
• Effective Interest Rate: 26.90% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans or SPR
  • $45,000 for Malaysians in employment for at least 1 year
  • $60,000 for Foreigners in employment for at least 1 year
• Minimum Age: 21

Maybank Credit Cards: Maybank Family and Friends Card

With this card, you can earn 8% cashback globally on five out of these 10 cashback categories:

FYI: Selected Categories will take effect on the first day of the following calendar month. The Selected Categories will apply to the Cardmember for three months from the effective date (“Lock-In Period”). Maybank reserves the right to amend the length of the Lock-In Period from time to time without prior notice or liability to any person.

To get the 8% cash rebates, cardholders must spend a minimum of $800 per calendar month.

Any spending from $0 – $799 each month will only receive 0.3% in cashback.

Also, after reaching the monthly cashback cap for a selected category, the 0.3% cashback will be applied to further spending that month and the 0.3% cashback applies to all other spend on non-selected categories.

There is also a total cashback cap of $125 ($25 for each category).

Additional 8% cashback on Malaysian Ringgit Spend

For those who love going to Johor Bahru for a weekend getaway, you can now earn an additional 8% cashback on top of your five preferred categories!

After reaching your monthly cashback cap, the 8% cashback will be applied to the Malaysian Ringgit for the selected category spending that month and all other Malaysian Ringgit spent on non-selected categories in the month.

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OCBC 365 Credit Card Review (2023)

Alternatively, you might want to consider the OCBC 365, which has a higher cashback cap than the Maybank Family and Friends Card:

 

OCBC 365 Credit Card Basics

• Cashback:
  • Up to 6%
• Minimum Monthly Spend: $800
• Cashback Cap: $160
• Annual Fee: $194.40 (First  years waived)
• Effective Interest Rate: 27.78% p.a.
• Income Requirement:
  • $30,000 per year for Singaporeans or SPR
  • $45,000 for Foreigners
• Minimum Age: 21

From 1 July 2023, OCBC will introduce new categories for you to earn. You can now earn 3% cashback on drugstore, streaming, and even Electric Vehicle (EV) charging.

Also, the maximum cashback cap has been raised to $160, a significant increase from the previous limit of $80.

The OCBC 365 credit card packs a punch with attractive cashback rates for multiple different categories, including:

• 5% cashback on local and overseas dining, including online food delivery
• (Upsized!) 6% cashback on fuel spend at all petrol service stations
  • Up to 22.92% in fuel savings at Caltex  (inclusive of an 18% discount for all fuel)
  • Up to 21.04% cashback at Esso
• 3% cashback on local and overseas groceries, including online grocery delivery
• 3% cashback on local and overseas ride-sharing services, including both private-hire vehicles and taxis (e.g. Grab, Gojek, TADA and ComfortDelGro)
• 3% on telco bills and electricity bills
• [New] 3% cashback on streaming spend
• [New] 3% cashback on pharmacy spend
• [New] 3% cashback on electric vehicle charging.

Overall, the OCBC 365 Card stands as a preferred choice for individuals seeking a dependable cashback credit card suitable for everyday transactions. This card is suitable for a wide range of individuals, whether you’re a working professional or a stay-at-home spouse.

From dining and online food delivery to groceries, public transportation, utility bills, fuel, streaming, drugstore purchases, and even electric vehicle charging, it is one of the most comprehensive and versatile cashback cards available.

OCBC 365 Credit Card Sign-Up Promo

That’s not all.

If you are a new to OCBC card customer (i.e. have not held an OCBC Credit Card within the last six (6) months prior to the commencement of the promotion), you are eligible to receive an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.2 Wifi 64GB (worth $503.65), an Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 + MagSafe Charger Bundle (worth $421.90) or a $350 eCapitaVoucher or $200 cash via PayNow.

But, you will need to charge a minimum of $500 in Qualifying Spend on the Eligible Card within a 30-day period after the application for the Eligible Card is approved. Do note that this promotion is valid till 1 October 2023, and terms & conditions apply.

Apply Now

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So… Which Credit Card is the Best Benefit for You?

Have a favourite cashback credit card?

Believe that you’ve found a way to game the cashback credit card system to get the most amount of cashback?

Share with the community on Seedly lah…

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