Every few months, we will write about credit cards promotion that we think ALL Singaporeans should be applying for.
Our view of credit cards has always been consistent since day one. When used wisely, credit cards have the ability to save you tons of money through discounts, cash rebate, air miles and of course, sign-up perks. Responsible credit card users should always have different credit cards on standby so as to maximise their cash savings on things that they already need to buy.
Read Also: Why You Should Always Choose Credit Cards Over Debit Cards
In order to compete for limited space in your wallet, credit card companies will always offer great deals for people to sign up with them. You can see credit card salesmen loitering around at the exits of MRT stations, offering free gifts or sometimes, even ice cream for people who sign up for a credit card from them.
While we are not going to judge you for signing up for a credit card just to get a free ice cream, we think you deserve much more to be applying for credit cards. You should also be able to do so in the comfort of your own home, without having to apply on the streets.
Here are four awesome credit card deals in July 2017 for those of you who are already thinking about applying for a credit card.
#1 American Express KrisFlyer Ascend Card –
If you don’t have an air miles card, you can consider signing up for the American Express KrisFlyer Ascend Card.
Being able to earn air miles for payment of big-ticket items such as your wedding related expenses can potentially earns you tens of thousands of air miles, and saves you thousands of dollars on your holiday. This is an opportunity that you shouldn’t just be passing up ignorantly.
The American Express KrisFlyer Ascend Card earns you 1.2 miles for every $1 spent. If you spend a total of $30,000, you would earn 36,000 miles in total.
In addition to that, American Express give 5,000 free KrisFlyer miles for the first time you charge to the card, and an additional 15,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles if you spend $6,000 within the first 3 months upon card approval.
In total, you could earn up to 56,000 miles (36,000 miles for big-ticket expenditure and 20,000 bonus miles) if you already have a big-ticket item to pay for. That’s enough miles to get you an economy class return ticket to New Zealand or two pairs of return economy class tickets to Bangkok.
The American Express KrisFlyer Ascend Card also gives four complimentary lounge access vouchers to any participating SATS Premier and Plaza Premium. So that means starting your holiday/honeymoon in comfort.
Who should apply: Those about to get married. Those who do not have an air miles card yet
| Eligibility: minimum $50,000 per annum |
| Bonus: Free 5,000 Miles upon first transaction |
| Extra Bonus: Please note that signing up directly, or through other links, will mean you don’t qualify for the additional free $80 NTUC voucher |
#2 American Express KrisFlyer Card –
If you don’t qualify for the American Express Ascend Card due to the minimum $50,000 per annum income requirement, the American Express KrisFlyer card would be the alternative choice for you.
Basic requirement for the card is $30,000 per annum, which is the minimum income required for all credit cards in Singapore.
Similar to the American Express Ascend Card, you get 5,000 bonus miles when you make your first transaction, and a further 5,000 bonus miles if you spend $2,500 within your first three months. You earn 1.1 miles per $1 spent on the card.
Who should apply: Those who can’t qualify for the .
| Eligibility: minimum $30,000 per annum |
| Bonus: Free 5,000 Miles upon first transaction. Additional 5,000 miles if you spend $2,500 within the first 3 months. |
| Extra Bonus: Please note that signing up directly, or through other links, will mean you don’t qualify for the additional free $80 NTUC Voucher |
#3 Citi Cash Back Card – Free $100 NTUC Voucher (New Citi Customer Only)
If what you desire is Cashback, the Citi Cash Back card offers pretty good deals across various key areas of spending. These include up to 8% cash back on Dining, Grab rides, Groceries and Petrol. However, do note that the 8% Cashback is only applicable if you accumulate a total retail spend of $888 or more in a statement month.
If you use the Citi Cash Back card as your family primary card, and are able to spend the minimum of $888, the cash rebate you get can be potentially be quite lucrative. Here’s an example.
| Item | Average Spending/Month | Cashback/Month |
| Petrol | $250 | $20 (8%) |
| Groceries | $300 | $24 (8%) |
| Dining | $300 | $24 (8%) |
| Others | $150 | $0.38 (0.25%) |
| Total | $1,000 | $68.38 |
Note: Average cash back based on our example calculated above is $6.8%
Who should apply: Those who prefer having Cashback and are able to easily fulfil the minimum of $888 spending per month through areas like petrol, grocery shipping and dining.
| Eligibility: minimum $30,000 per annum |
| Bonus: If you spend a minimum of $200 per month for 6 months, you get an extra $120 Cashback |
| Extra Bonus: Free $100 NTUC Voucher ONLY when you sign up through this Singsaver Link. This is for new Citi card members only Please note that signing up directly, or through other links, will mean you don’t qualify for the additional free $100 NTUC Voucher |
#4 Standard Chartered Unlimited (New Card) –
The newest card in the market, the Standard Chartered Unlimited card provides an unlimited Cashback of 1.5%, regardless of how much (or how little) you spend.
This card would appeal to individuals who want to enjoy Cashback on their spending, but are not interested to meet minimum monthly spending or spending in specific categories. Simply put, whatever you spend on the Standard Chartered Unlimited Card, the bank will give you back 1.5% on the amount spent.
Whether you find the Cashback rebate useful or not depends on how you use credit cards. For some, 1.5% may seem a small amount, as there are other cards that give higher cash rebate. On the other hand, most of these other credit cards do tied it to some other criteria that card users have to fulfil in order to enjoy the rebate. Such conditions do not exist for the Standard Chartered Unlimited Card
Who should apply: Those who prefer having Cashback on their credit card spend but who do not want to be concerned about conditions tied to how to achieve the Cashback. It can also act as your Ezlink card.
| Eligibility: minimum $30,000 per annum |
| Extra Bonus: This is for new Standard Chartered card members only Please note that signing up directly, or through other links, will mean you don’t qualify for the additional free $150 Takashimaya Voucher |
Read Also: Cashback Or Miles? Which Type Of Credit Cards Should You Go For In Singapore
If you apply for any of the credit cards above in our list , you not only enjoy the sign up perks that the credit cards offer, but also the gift of either free NTUC or Takashimaya vouchers, depending on the card(s) that you apply for. There are a total of six credit cards that you can select from, including the .
Unlike other promotions out there that only give you a possibility of winning the additional vouchers if you are fortunate enough to be one of the selected few, the NTUC and Takashimaya vouchers to be given here are guaranteed.
To qualify for them, remember to follow carefully the instructions given in the link in order to successfully claim your vouchers. They may seem a little tedious but it’s just a little extra work to get a free $100 worth of vouchers.
For more information, you can check out the . This promotion ends on 31 July 2017.
For any further questions or clarification, you can email Singsaver at [email protected]
This promotion is done in collaboration with Singsaver. All views expressed in the article is the independent opinion of DollarsAndSense.sg
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