MileWise Card Rating (1-4)
1️⃣ Core Card to Use 🔥 |
2️⃣ Use Only When There Is a Promotion 🎯 |
3️⃣ Apply Only for Sign-Up Bonus (SUB) 💰 |
4️⃣ Don't Bother Applying 🚫 |
MileWise Commentary: As the go-to option for a “one-card strategy,” the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card stands out with its uncapped 3 mpd across multiple bonus categories—covering what I believe to be a well-rounded range of spending for the average Singaporean. While it doesn’t quite reach 4 mpd, it’s close enough to be part of your "core cards".
The main drawback? A delayed miles payout, with 60% (1.8 mpd) arriving anywhere between 2 to 14 months later. However, for those willing to wait, the rewards are well worth it.
Card Summary
General Spend: Earns 1.2 miles per dollar (mpd) for local and foreign currency (FCY) spending.
Bonus Categories (Uncapped): Earn 3 mpd for Kris+, Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group (including Scoot, KrisShop, award ticket taxes), dining, food delivery, online shopping, online travel, and transport—provided S$800 is spent on SIA Group transactions per membership year.
Bonus miles from dining, shopping, travel, and transport are credited 2-14 months later, posing a potential devaluation risks.
No earning cap: ideal for big-ticket purchases.
Accelerated Miles Bonus: Applies from the start of the membership year.
Membership Year Tracking: Check your card’s expiry date to determine your membership year.
Direct Monthly Miles Transfer: Miles are automatically credited to your KrisFlyer account with no conversion fees.
Miles Calculation: Miles are awarded in S$5 blocks, which can reduce rewards on smaller transactions.
Easy Annual Fee Waiver: No major issues getting the annual fee waived.
What are the bonus categories?
Cardholders who spend at least S$800 on SIA Group transactions within a membership year will earn 15 KrisFlyer miles for every S$5 spent (3 mpd) across select bonus categories. Ironically named the “Accelerated Miles” bonus, it does not accelerate earnings at all, but it does apply from the start of the membership year rather than only after reaching the spending threshold.
Dining & Food Delivery
The KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card takes a stricter approach to dining compared to other cards. Transactions under the following MCCs are excluded:
MCC 5811 (Caterers)
MCC 5441 (Candy, Nut, and Confectionery Stores)
MCC 5462 (Bakeries)
MCC 5499 (Miscellaneous Food Stores)
Online Shopping
This category encompasses a wide selection of e-commerce merchants, including platforms like Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, Qoo10, Ezbuy, and Taobao.
Online Travel
Unlike other spending categories, online travel is not determined by specific MCC codes but rather a designated list of eligible merchants.
Approved travel booking platforms include Agoda, Airbnb, Hotels.com, and Trip.com. While direct bookings with non-SIA airlines do not qualify for bonus miles, you can still earn them by purchasing tickets via Expedia or UOB Travel.
Transport
Eligible transport expenses include ride-hailing services such as Grab, Gojek, and ComfortDelGro taxis, as well as SimplyGo transactions for MRT and bus fares.
🚨 Topping up an EZ-Link balance or making payments at General Ticketing Machines will not earn base or bonus miles. To qualify for the transport bonus, you must tap your physical card or linked mobile wallet at the gantry when commuting.
Card Technical Specifications
🏷️Annual Fee: | $196.20/year |
|---|---|
💰 Income Requirement: | $30,000/year |
🌍 Foreign Currency Fee: | 3.25% |
⏳ Points Expiry: | None as miles are directly credited |
✈️ Transfer Partners: | KrisFlyer (Obviously!) |
🔄 Transfer Ratio: | N.A. |
📦 Transfer Block: | N.A. |
💳 Transfer Fee: | $0 |
🔗 Points Pooling: | N.A. |
📌 How/When Points Are Credited: | Base miles are credited when the month ends. Bonus miles are credited when the membership year ends. |
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