We have written so many articles on the best credit cards for working adults or young adults. However, with more cards coming into the market, we need to find out which are the best cards. Previously, we compared the best cashback cards. Now, we will look at the best miles cards!
The scenarios we will focus on:
- Regular monthly card spending from $500 to $6,700
- Less emphasis on promotional discounts
- Leaning towards overseas, Grab/Uber and online spending
Disclaimer!
Many of these cards come with extremely attractive rewards at the beginning of the month or for the first year. However, in order to be as accurate as possible, we would not include promotions as part of the comparison but will be using monthly spending scenarios in order to make it as unbiased as possible.
To prevent creating an exhaustive list that would be an overload of information, we will be focusing on the top 5 most commonly used mileage cards used by Singaporeans. As mentioned, we will not be comparing promotional deals as those will vary!
| Monthly Spend | Winner | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| $500-$900 | American Express Singapore Airlines Krisflyer | 1.1 MPD per $1 on local spend 2 MPD on overseas spend |
| More than $6,700 | UOB Privi Miles | 1.4 miles per $1 on local spend 2.4 per $1 on overseas spend |
Scenario 1: Monthly Spend $500 (American Express Singapore Airline Krisflyer)
For many young adults starting out with a credit card, this would be the best option. American Express Krisflyer provides a great reward of 1.1 Miles per $1 spent locally and 2 miles per $1 spent overseas. Apart from that, it makes redemption of rewards really easy because there’s no need to go through the redemption system as all your miles are automatically credited to your Krisflyer account. For those of you who are avid Grab/UBER users, this card will also give you 3.1 miles per $1 spent on either company!
Scenario 2: Monthly Spend $600 (American Express Singapore Airline Krisflyer)
Once again, Amex Singapore Airline Krisflyer is the winner, the main reason for this is because of the cards 3.1 miles per $1 spent on Uber/Grab. Therefore, as mentioned, if you are someone that frequents such services, this card is for you. Other than that, their rewards are similar to other cards.
The second runner-up would UOB Priv Miles with a total mileage of 990 on a $600 monthly spend!
Scenario 3: Monthly Spend $900 (American Express Singapore Krisflyer)
For the third round, Amex comes out the victor again! (No, it’s not a sponsored post, it just shows how easy it is to earn miles with this card.) Amex Singapore Airlines is great for smaller monthly purchases. However, one con is that miles redemption is limited to Singapore Airlines, Silk Air and Star Alliance partners.
The runners-ups would be UOB Priv Miles which is a close second at 1460 miles while Amex Singapore Airlines Krisflyer is at 1470.
Scenario 4: Monthly Spend $6,700 (UOB Priv Miles)
If you are looking for a card to pay for your big-ticket items such as weddings, look no further! UOB Priv Miles has a 1.4 mile per $1 spent locally and a 2.4 mile per $1 spent on overseas spending which gives you the opportunity to earn huge rewards as seen in the table below.
If you’re going to be spending solely on local expenses, this card would still be the best option. You can also consider the HSBC Revolution card which provides 2 miles per $1 reward on online shopping, dining, and entertainment only.
Honourable Mentions
Wait, that’s not all! Just because, the other 3 cards were not mentioned as much it does not mean they are all bad!
CitipremierMiles and DBS Altitude Card
CitipremierMiles and DBS Altitude card both have 1.2 miles per $1 spent on local spending and 2 miles spent on $1 overseas. What’s great about them is that their miles never expire which allows you to save up those miles over a few years. These two cards are the best option for daily, lower monthly spending but would not be the best option for big-ticket items.
HSBC Revolution Card
HSBC Revolution Card is the opposite of CitipremierMiles and DBS Altitude in terms of monthly spending. Local spending gives you 2 miles per $1 spent on online shopping, dining, and entertainment. However, you only received 0.4 miles per $1 spent on anything else including overseas spending.
| Cards | Rewards | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| CitiPremierMiles | 1.2 miles per $1 spent locally 2 miles per $1 spent overseas | $192.6 |
| DBS Altitude | 1.2 miles per $1 spent locally 2 miles per $1 spent overseas | $192.6 |
| UOB Priv Miles | 1.4 miles per $1 spent locally 2.4 miles per $1 spent overseas | $256.8 |
| Amex Singapore Airlines Krisflyer | 1.1 miles per $1 spent locally 2 miles per $1 spent overseas 3.1 miles per $1 spent on Grab/UBER | $176.55 |
| HSBC Revolution | 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, entertainment and online 0.4 miles per $1 spent on anything else | $160.5 |
With so many new attractive promotions coming out the main thing to consider would be your expenses. How much would you be spending in a month and what type of expenses are they? Be sure to know your financial capabilities in terms of paying off your monthly credit in full to improve your credit score.
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