Best Credit Cards for In-Person Shopping (Miles vs Cashback)

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000-S$65,000 ^{Income requirement depends on your Total Relationship Balance (TRB) with HSBC. S$30,000/year if TRB is S$50,000 and above; S$65,000/year if TRB is below S$50,000.}
• Foreigner: S$65,000Annual fee: No annual fee, ever

 Earn 4 mpd on selected contactless and online spending, up to S$1,000 per calendar month ^{Earn 4 mpd on contactless and online transactions, on a wide range of spending categories like retail shopping (online and in-person), dining, flights (direct with airlines only), hotels (excl. online travel agencies like Agoda, Trip.com etc.), food delivery and ride-hailing.}
 Boost bonus earn rate to 8 mpd (up to S$1,200 per calendar month) with a minimum deposit of S$50,000 ^{HSBC customers with a minimum deposit of S$50,000 in the HSBC Everyday Global Account can enjoy an earn rate of 8 mpd (instead of 4 mpd) on selected contactless and online spending.}
 No minimum spending
 3-year points expiry term
 6 useful points transfer partners
 Free points transfers to frequent flyer programs
 Instant points transfers

0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
Poor transfer ratio to KrisFlyer ^{Due to inferior transfer ratio, if/when the points earned on this card are converted to KrisFlyer miles, the bonus earn rate would effectively be 3.3 mpd, instead of 4 mpd.}
Bonus categories are MCC-sensitive
3.25% foreign transaction fee

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$15,000-S$30,000 ^{S$30,000/year if aged 55 and below; S$15,000/year if aged 56 and above.}
• Foreigner: S$40,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first year waived; request waiver every year)

 Earn 4 mpd on two bonus categories, up to S$600 per calendar month each (total S$1,200):1) Mobile Contactless (e.g. Google Pay, Apple Pay)
2) Online Spending (selected MCCs only) No minimum spending

0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
Online Spending category is MCC-sensitive
S$5 earning block ^{Transactions under S$5 earn zero miles.}
2-year points expiry term
Only 2 useful points transfer partners
3.25% foreign transaction fee

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$15,000-S$30,000 ^{S$30,000/year if aged 55 and below; S$15,000/year if aged 56 and above.}
• Foreigner: S$40,000Annual fee: S$218 (first year waived; request waiver every year)

 Earn 4 mpd on two bonus categories, up to S$1,200 per statement month each (total S$2,400):1) Overseas (incl. online in foreign currencies)
2) Local Contactless (e.g. PayWave, Google Pay, Apple Pay), SimplyGo (Public Transport), Fuel

Minimum category spend (not card spend) of S$1,000 per statement month required for bonus earn rate
0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
2-year points expiry term
Only 2 useful points transfer partners
3.25% foreign transaction fee

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Malaysian: S$45,000
• Foreigner: S$60,000Annual fee: S$87.20 (first 2 years waived; request waiver every year)

 Earn 4 mpd on five bonus categories, up to S$1,000 per calendar month:1) Dine (e.g. restaurants, bakeries, food delivery)
2) Shop (e.g. apparel, department stores)
3) Travel (e.g. airlines, hotels, travel agencies)
4) Play (e.g. bars, cinemas)
5) Foreign Spend (e.g. almost anything in foreign currencies)

Only available to those aged 21-39 years
Minimum card spend of S$500 per calendar month required for bonus earn rate
0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
1-year points expiry term (no expiry with Maybank’s Rewards Infinite Programme)
Only 3 useful points transfer partners
3.25% foreign transaction fee

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$15,000-S$30,000 ^{S$30,000/year if aged 55 and below; S$15,000/year if aged 56 and above.}
• Foreigner: S$45,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first 2 years waived; request waiver every year)

 Earn 4 mpd on shopping (online and in-person), up to S$1,110 per calendar month
 No minimum spending

0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
S$5 earning block ^{Transactions under S$5 earn zero miles.}
2-year points expiry term
Only 2 good-value points transfer partners
Bonus category is MCC-sensitive
3.25% foreign transaction fee

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Foreigner: S$42,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first year waived; request waiver every year)

 Earn 4 mpd on online spending, selected in-person shopping and in-person overseas spending (via Amaze ^{For in-person overseas spending, the trick is to link the Citi Rewards Card to Amaze, then use the Amaze Card to spend. Such transactions will be seen as 'online' by Citibank, earning you the bonus earn rate.}), up to S$1,000 per statement month
 No minimum spending
 5-year points expiry cycle ^{Points expire in 5-year cycles (plus 3 months grace period) from your card approval date. As such, points earned near the end of a cycle will have a shorter expiry term.}
 8 useful points transfer partners

0.4 mpd earn rate on non-bonus spending
Travel-related spending (e.g. flights, hotels) excluded from bonus earn rate
In-person shopping bonus earn rate (without Amaze linkage) is MCC-sensitive
3.25% foreign transaction fee (save ~1% via Amaze)
Amaze linkage for SGD spending comes with a 1% fee

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Malaysian: S$45,000
• Foreigner: S$60,000Annual fee: S$87.20 (first 2 years waived; request waiver every year)

 Get 5% cashback on five bonus categories, up to S$1,600 per calendar month:1) Dine (e.g. restaurants, bakeries, food delivery)
2) Shop (e.g. apparel, department stores)
3) Travel (e.g. airlines, hotels, travel agencies)
4) Play (e.g. bars, cinemas)
5) Foreign Spend (e.g. almost anything in foreign currencies)

Only available to those aged 21-39 years
Minimum card spend of S$500 per calendar month required for bonus cashback
0.2% cashback on non-bonus spending
3.25% foreign transaction fee

📄 Quick review

Mini review of the

Maybank XL Cashback Card

Suitesmile rating:

---

This card gives you a strong 5% cashback on selected spending categories like flights, hotels, dining, shopping (in-person & online), food deliveries, entertainment and foreign currencies (overseas & online), when spending at least S$500 and up to S$1,600 per calendar month.

But oldies beware, this card is only available to those aged 21 to 39 years old.

Qualifying transactions:
Only whitelisted Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) for each spending category qualify for the bonus earn rate. Unsure about the MCC? Check before making the payment.

However, if you’re spending in a foreign currency, it doesn’t matter what the MCC is, provided it doesn’t fall under the general exclusions stated in the t&c. What’s great is that typically-excluded spending categories like Medical and Education qualify for 5% cashback, when paying in a foreign currency.

All other transactions earn just 0.2% cashback (uncapped).

Cardholders can reduce the foreign currency fee by about 1% by pairing this card to Amaze. IMPORTANT: Only do this for the non-foreign currency bonus categories (flights, hotels, dining etc.) made in foreign currency (not SGD).

If you’re into the Miles, check out the highly-rated Maybank XL Rewards Card.

---

💸 Annual fee
S$87.20
(First 2 years waived)

👶 Age requirement
21 to 39 years old

💼 Income requirement
S$30,000/year (S’porean/PR),
S$45,000/year (Malaysian),
S$60,000/year (Foreigner)

🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%

❓When cashback is credited
Cashback amount will be credited to the card at the end of the next calendar month.

📜 Terms & conditions

🎁 Sign-up promo

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000-S$65,000 ^{Income requirement depends on your Total Relationship Balance (TRB) with HSBC. S$30,000/year if TRB is S$50,000 and above; S$65,000/year if TRB is below S$50,000.}
• Foreigner: S$65,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first year waived; request waiver every year)

 Get 5% cashback on dining, shopping and entertainment spending, up to S$5,000 per calendar quarter ^{Cashback capped at S$250 per quarter (equivalent to S$83.33 per month).}

Minimum card spend of S$600 per calendar month, for 3 consecutive months in a calendar quarter required for bonus cashback
0.3% cashback on non-bonus spending
Bonus categories are MCC-sensitive
3.25% foreign transaction fee

📄 Quick review

More information on the

HSBC Live+ Card

Suitesmile rating:

---

✍️ Short summary
This card gives you 5% cashback on Dining, Shopping and Entertainment when spending at least S$600 per calendar month, for 3 consecutive months in a calendar quarter.

This cashback amount is capped at S$250 per quarter — equivalent to S$5,000 in spending per quarter, or an average of S$1,667 per month.

New HSBC Live+ cardholders can enjoy +3% cashback (total 8%) on the above bonus categories in the first 2 calendar quarters from card approval date.

Cardholders also get complimentary access to the ENTERTAINER with HSBC app, where there are over a thousand 1-for-1 deals on dining, entertainment and hotels.

---

💸 Annual fee
S$196.20
(First year waived)

💼 Income requirement
S’porean/PR: S$30,000-S$65,000
Foreigner: S$65,000

🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%

❓How/When cashback is credited
Bonus cashback amount is credited into the card within 2 months, after the end of each calendar quarter.

📜 Terms & conditions

🎁 Sign-up promo

Card rating ^{Suitesmile's overall rating of this card (out of 5), all things considered. This includes how it compares against alternative miles/cashback cards, its annual fee, and how easy (or hard) it is to achieve the advertised benefits.}:
Ease of use ^{A rating (out of 5 stars) of how easy it is to achieve the maximum earn rate and other benefits advertised by this card.}:
Age requirement: 21 to 29 years old (at application)
Minimum annual income:• S’porean/PR: S$30,000
• Foreigner: S$45,000Annual fee: S$196.20 (first 5 years waived; request waiver every year after)

 Choose 1 of 2 card rewards on local spending:• 5% cashback on your 2 highest-spending categories, 1% on everything else <sup>The 2 categories with the highest eligible local spend each calendar month are picked automatically from Dining, Travel, Shopping, Transport, Entertainment and Wellness.

5% = 1% base + 4% bonus cashback. Bonus cashback is capped at S$30 per category per calendar month (S$750 spend per category).</sup>
• 1.3 mpd on all spending ^{Switch between cashback and miles once per calendar month in the DBS digibank app. Miles are earned as DBS Points, which do not expire.} No minimum spending (for 1% cashback and 1.3 mpd)
 Uncapped earn rates (for 1% cashback and 1.3 mpd)
 No foreign transaction fees
 Points don’t expire

Only for those aged 21 to 29 at application; bonus cashback ends 3 months after your 30th birthday month ^{From the 4th month after your 30th birthday month, the card earns uncapped 1.7% cashback on local spending with no minimum spending, or 1.3 mpd.}
Minimum card spend of S$500 per calendar month required for bonus cashback
Bonus categories are MCC-sensitive
Low earn rate of 1% cashback on non-bonus spending
Low earn rate of 1.3 mpd (spend with better miles cards instead)
No cashback or miles on foreign currency spending
Only 2 useful points transfer partners

📄 Quick review

More information on the

DBS Chromo Card

Suitesmile rating:

---

✍️ Short summary
This card is only available to those aged 21 to 29 at application. Spend at least S$500 per calendar month to unlock 5% cashback (1% base + 4% bonus) on your 2 highest-spending local categories.

Your 2 categories are picked automatically each calendar month from:

1. Dining
2. Travel
3. Shopping
4. Transport
5. Entertainment
6. Wellness

Bonus cashback is capped at S$30 per category per calendar month (S$750 spend per category). All categories are MCC-sensitive. All other eligible local spend earns 1% cashback with no cap and total cashback is capped at S$150 per calendar month.

Alternatively, switch to miles in the DBS digibank app to earn 1.3 miles per dollar (as DBS Points) on all eligible local spend, with no cap and no minimum spending. Only one switch is allowed per calendar month, and the preference in effect on the 10th of the following month decides that month’s rewards.

Foreign currency transactions come with no foreign transaction fee but earn no cashback or miles. They do count towards the S$500 minimum spend.

From the 4th month after your 30th birthday month, bonus cashback ends and the card earns uncapped 1.7% cashback on local spend with no minimum spending, or the same 1.3 mpd.

---

💸 Annual fee
S$196.20
(First 5 years waived, always request for a waiver after that)

🎂 Age requirement
21 to 29 years old

💼 Income requirement
S$30,000/year (S’porean/PR),
S$45,000/year (Foreigner)

🤑 Foreign currency fee
None
(but no cashback/miles on foreign spend)

⏰ Points expiry
Points earned from this card do not expire

🫱‍🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, AirAsia rewards

💯 Transfer ratio
1 point = 2 miles (KrisFlyer, Asia Miles)
500 points = 1,500 AirAsia Points

🧮 Transfer block
5,000 points (10,000 miles)

💲Transfer fee
S$27.25 per transfer

🤗 Points pooling
Points from this card can be combined with those from other DBS cards and transferred out together at once.

❓How/When cashback and points are credited
Base cashback is credited by the end of the following calendar month, and bonus cashback within 60 days of the month-end. DBS Points are calculated per transaction as the amount divided by S$5, multiplied by 3.25 points and rounded down (equivalent to 1.3 mpd).

📜 Terms & conditions

🎁 Sign-up promo