Last updated on 19 April 2024
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What are the Best Cards in Singapore for Foreign Currency Spending?
Additional notes:
- Amaze & Citi Rewards: Non-travel spending only. Link your Citi Rewards card to Amaze and use your Amaze card to pay
- HSBC Revolution: Online & Contactless (PayWave) only
- UOB Preferred Platinum: Mobile Contactless (G Pay, Apple Pay etc.) only
1) Earn rates (miles/cashback)
2) Ease of use (spending/income requirements)
3) Miles/Points flexibility (total transfer partners)
4) Miles/Points expiry term
5) Annual fee
6) Other additional benefits
💡Click on the + Card Summary buttons below to instantly view the key details of each card!
Amaze
Turn offline transactions online and minimize foreign transaction fees
🎁 Sign-up bonusGet 225 InstaPoints (worth $2.25) when you sign up as a new cardholder.
More information on the
Amaze is an innovative Debit Card that does not require topping up of an e-wallet to reap great benefits. In fact, this card actually makes some credit cards better!
By linking a credit card to Amaze, cardholders can save about 1.5% in foreign currency fees, after considering the InstaPoints that can be earned (see below).
Key points to note about the card:
- Link up to 5 Mastercards in the Instarem mobile app
- Choose 1 of those cards before your next Amaze transaction
- All Amaze transactions will be charged in SGD, directly to the linked card
- All Amaze transactions will be seen as online transactions by the linked card
- All Amaze transactions will retain the actual Merchant Category Code (MCC) and will be seen by the linked card
- Get 0.5 InstaPoint per SGD (equivalent to 0.5% cashback) on foreign currency spending (min. S$10, max. S$1,000 per transaction)
- DBS/POSB cards do not award miles/points for Amaze transactions
- Avoid Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fees (if any)
- From 1 Apr 2024, when Amaze is linked to a card, all SGD spending in excess of S$1,000 per month will incur a 1% fee.
Pro tip: Link the Citi Rewards card to this card and use it to earn 4 miles per dollar on general spending categories like dining, groceries and online/offline shopping (except flights/hotels). This pairing turns all your offline transactions “online” (to earn 4 mpd) and lowers your foreign currency charges!
🔗 Great cards that can be linked to Amaze
Citi PremierMiles (1.2 mpd)
HSBC TravelOne (1.2 mpd)
Citi Prestige (1.3 mpd)
Citi Rewards (4 mpd)
OCBC Titanium Rewards (4 mpd)
UOB Lady’s (6 mpd)
💸 Annual fee
No annual fee, ever
💼 Income requirement
No income requirement
🤑 Foreign currency fee
No foreign currency fee. However, Amaze’s foreign exchange spread currently stands at around 2% more than spot rates. Cardholders can get 0.5% cashback in the form of InstaPoints when transacting in a foreign currency, for a total FX loss of about 1.5%. This makes the card better than most credit cards that charge over 3% in FX fees.
⏰ Points expiry
1 year from transaction
💯 Conversion ratio
2,000 InstaPoints = $20
❓ How/When points are credited
Get 0.5 InstaPoint per S$1 of foreign currency spending (min. S$10, max S$1,000 per transaction). InstaPoints are credited immediately upon spending.
Citi Rewards
Earn 4 mpd on online spending, except travel-related
More information on the
This card gives you a strong earn rate of 4 miles per dollar on online spending, up to $1,000 per statement month. This covers a wide range of spending categories like online shopping, ride-hailing, food delivery and even phone/internet bills.
Take note that cardholders will only earn 0.4 mpd on travel-related categories (e.g. flights and hotels) and spending above $1,000 per statement month.
Having many transfer partners and up to 5-year expiry term gives you fantastic flexibility. However, take note that your points’ expiry term starts from the date the card is opened (i.e. not from the transaction date).
Pro tip: Link this card to Amaze and use the Amaze card to also earn 4 mpd on general spending categories like online/offline shopping, dining and groceries! This pairing turns all your offline transaction “online” (to earn 4 mpd) and lowers your foreign currency charges!
💸 Annual fee
$196.20
(First year waived)
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
(Avoid this fee by linking this card to Amaze!)
⏰ Points expiry
Every 5 years from card opening date
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
Krisflyer, Asia Miles, Miles&Smiles, Privilege Club and more!
💯 Transfer ratio
2.5 points = 1 mile
🧮 Transfer block
25,000 points (10,000 miles)
💲 Transfer fee
$27 per transfer
🤗 Points pooling
Points from this card cannot be combined with those from other Citi cards and can only be transferred out separately.
❓ How/When points are credited
Earn 1 base point per dollar spent, plus 9 bonus points for online spending (equivalent to 4 mpd in total). Base and bonus points are credited immediately when the transaction is posted.
HSBC Revolution
Earn 4 mpd or 2.5% cashback on selected online/contactless spending
More information on the
This card gives you a strong earn rate of 4 miles per dollar on online and contactless spending (in foreign currency too!) on certain spending categories like retail shopping, flight tickets, ride-hailing and dining (excl. fast food), up to $1,000 per calendar month.
Take note that cardholders will only earn 0.4 mpd on other categories and spending above $1,000 per calendar month.
This is a great fuss-free card that offers a great earn rate on key spending categories for most people, without any annual fee to worry about.
There’s a little quirk though. To transfer HSBC points to Frequent Flyer Programs, cardholders need to enroll in HSBC’s Mileage Programme, which costs $43.20 annually. Upon enrollment, cardholders can make unlimited points transfers, at no additional cost. (FYI: Most other cards charge about $25 fee per transfer)
Not into Miles or travel-hacking? Redeem your points for 2.5% cashback instead, on the aforementioned spending categories!
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
No annual fee, ever
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
⏰ Points expiry
3 years from transaction
(37 to 38 months to be exact)
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer and Asia Miles
💯 Transfer ratio
2.5 points = 1 mile
🧮 Transfer block
25,000 points (10,000 miles)
💲Transfer fee
$43.20 annually
(Unlimited transfers)
🤗 Points pooling
Points from this card cannot be combined with those from other HSBC cards and can only be transferred out separately.
❓How/When points are credited
Earn 1 base point per dollar spent, plus 9 bonus points for eligible online/contactless spending (equivalent to 4 mpd in total). Base points are credited immediately when the transaction is posted, while bonus points are credited by the end of the following calendar month.
UOB Preferred Platinum
Earn 4 mpd on most online and mobile contactless spending
More information on the
This card gives you a strong earn rate of 4 miles per dollar on online and mobile contactless spending (in foreign currency too!) on key spending categories like dining, groceries, flights, hotels, retail shopping, food delivery and ride-hailing, up to $1,110 per statement month.
Take note that cardholders will only earn 0.4 mpd on other categories and spending above $1,110 per statement month. On top of that, cardholders will not earn any miles/points on SimplyGo transactions (i.e. bus or MRT), even when paid through mobile contactless.
“Mobile contactless” refers to Google Pay, Apply Pay, Samsung Pay and Fitbit Pay. Cardholders will not earn 4 mpd by using the physical card.
💸 Annual fee
$196.20
(First year waived)
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
⏰ Points expiry
2 years from transaction
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer and Asia Miles
💯 Transfer ratio
1 UNI$ = 2 miles
🧮 Transfer block
5,000 UNI$ (10,000 miles)
💲Transfer fee
$25 per transfer
🤗 Points pooling
UNI$ from this card can be combined with those from other UOB cards and transferred out together at once.
❓How/When points are credited
Earn 1 base UNI$ per $5 dollar spent, plus 9 bonus UNI$ for eligible online and mobile contactless transactions (equivalent to 4 mpd in total). Base and bonus points are credited immediately when the transaction is posted.
HSBC TravelOne
Earn 1.2 mpd on local spend, 2.4 mpd on foreign currency
More information on the
This card gives you an uncapped earn rate of 1.2 miles per dollar on SGD spending and 2.4 miles per dollar on foreign currency spending.
This is a great backup card, if you have exhausted all your specialized cards with better earn rates.
Having many transfer partners gives you fantastic flexibility. For this reason, I recommend this card more than other general spending cards with slightly higher earn rates.
Cardholders are also entitled to 4 free airport lounge visits (via DragonPass) per calendar year! For example, if you apply for the card in March 2023, you will get 4 free visits for the current year, plus 4 more free visits from 1 January the following year.
Cardholders are automatically enrolled into HSBC’s Mileage Programme, for free till 31 Jan 2025. Upon enrollment, cardholders can make unlimited points transfers, at no cost. (FYI: Most other cards charge about $25 fee per transfer)
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
$196.20
(receive first-year waiver, if you don’t want the sign-up bonus)
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
(Avoid this fee by linking this card to Amaze!)
⏰ Points expiry
3 years from transaction
(37 to 38 months to be exact)
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Infinity MileageLands, Executive Club and more!
💯 Transfer ratio
2.5 points = 1 mile
🧮 Transfer block
25,000 points (10,000 miles)
💲Transfer fee
Free till 31 May 2024
🤗 Points pooling
Points from this card cannot be combined with those from other HSBC cards and can only be transferred out separately.
❓How/When points are credited
Base points are credited immediately when the transaction is posted.
UOB Visa Signature
Earn 4 mpd on foreign currency and/or contactless spending
More information on the
This card gives you a strong earn rate of 4 miles per dollar on foreign currency (online or offline) and/or contactless spending. This covers most spending categories like dining, groceries, flights, hotels, retail shopping, food delivery and ride-hailing.
A minimum spending of $1,000 per statement month is required, with a $2,000 cap during the same period.
Take note that cardholders will only earn 0.4 mpd on other categories and spending below $1,000 and above $2,000 per statement month.
💸 Annual fee
$218
(First year waived)
💼 Income requirement
$50,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
⏰ Points expiry
2 years from transaction
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer and Asia Miles
💯 Transfer ratio
1 UNI$ = 2 miles
🧮 Transfer block
5,000 UNI$ (10,000 miles)
💲Transfer fee
$25 per transfer
🤗 Points pooling
UNI$ from this card can be combined with those from other UOB cards and transferred out together at once.
❓How/When points are credited
Earn 1 base UNI$ per $5 dollar spent, plus 9 bonus UNI$ for eligible online and mobile contactless transactions (equivalent to 4 mpd in total). Base and bonus points are credited immediately when the transaction is posted.
Maybank Horizon
Earn 2.8 mpd on flights and foreign currency spending
More information on the
Cardholders can receive an uncapped earn rate of 2.8 miles per dollar on foreign currency transactions, when spending at least $800 per calendar month.
On top of that, cardholders can also receive 2.8 miles per dollar on flight bookings, when spending at least $800 per calendar month. However, this bonus earn rate is capped at $10,000 per calendar month.
Other transactions, including foreign currency spending under $800 per calendar month, earn just 1.2 mpd (very poor!).
Miles earned on this card expire after just 1 year, and can only be transferred to 3 Frequent Flyer Programs. Because of its poor flexibility and minimum spending requirement, I recommend using this card only for school fees in foreign currency and more-expensive flight bookings in Singapore Dollars.
💸 Annual fee
$180
(First 3 years waived)
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
⏰ Points expiry
1 year from transaction
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
Krisflyer, Asia Miles and Enrich
💯 Transfer ratio
2.5 points = 1 mile
🧮 Transfer blocks
KrisFlyer: 12,500 points (5,000 miles)
Asia Miles: 5,000 (2,000 miles)
Enrich: 2,500 (1,000 miles)
💲Transfer fee
$27 per transfer
🤗 Points pooling
Points from this card can be combined with those from other Maybank cards and transferred out together at once.
❓How points are credited
Earn 5 base point per $5 dollar spent, plus 45 bonus points for eligible online transactions (equivalent to 3.2 mpd in total).
Citi PremierMiles
Earn 1.2 mpd on local spend, 2 mpd on foreign currency
More information on the
This card gives you an uncapped earn rate of 1.2 miles per dollar on SGD spending and 2 miles per dollar on foreign currency spending.
This is a great backup card, if you have exhausted all your specialized cards with better earn rates.
Having many transfer partners and miles that do not expire gives you fantastic flexibility. Because of these 2 key factors, I recommend this card more than other general spending cards with slightly higher earn rates.
Cardholders are also entitled to 2 free airport lounge visits (via Priority Pass) per calendar year! For example, if you apply for the card in March 2023, you will get 2 free visits for the current year, plus 2 more free visits from 1 January the following year.
💸 Annual fee
$196.20
(First year waived, get 10,000 miles with subsequent annual fee payments)
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
(Avoid this fee by linking this card to Amaze!)
🛋️ Airport lounge access
2 free visits per calendar year via Priority Pass
⏰ Points expiry
Miles earned on this card do not expire!
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Miles&Smiles, Privilege Club and more!
💯 Transfer ratio
1 Citi mile = 1 mile
🧮 Transfer block
10,000 miles
💲 Transfer fee
$27 per transfer
🤗 Points/Miles pooling
Miles from this card cannot be combined with those from other Citi cards and can only be transferred out separately.
❓ How/When points are credited
Base miles are credited immediately when the transaction is posted.
Citi Prestige
Unlimited free airport lounge visits for two, 4th night free on hotel bookings
More information on the
This card gives you an uncapped earn rate of 1.3 miles per dollar on SGD spending and 2 miles per dollar on foreign currency spending.
Having many transfer partners and miles that do not expire gives you fantastic flexibility.
Cardholders are also entitled to unlimited free airport lounge visits (via Priority Pass) for the cardholder +1 guest and 4th Night Free on prepaid hotel bookings made through the Citi Prestige Concierge.
💸 Annual fee
$545
(Strictly no waiver. Comes with 62,500 points, equivalent to 25,000 miles)
💼 Income requirement
$120,000/year
(Can’t meet the income requirement? Visit a Citibank branch to apply for a secured card with a $10,000 fixed deposit)
🤑 Foreign currency fee
3.25%
(Avoid this fee by linking this card to Amaze!)
🛋️ Airport lounge access
Unlimited free visits per calendar year for 2 pax via Priority Pass
⏰ Points expiry
Points earned on this card never expires!
🫱🫲 Transfer partners
KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Miles&Smiles, Privilege Club and more!
💯 Transfer ratio
2.5 points = 1 mile
🧮 Transfer block
25,000 points (10,000 miles)
💲 Transfer fee
$27 per transfer
🤗 Points pooling
Points from this card cannot be combined with those from other Citi cards and can only be transferred out separately.
❓ How/When points are credited
Base miles are credited immediately when the transaction is posted.
Trust Link
Get great rates and unlimited free overseas ATM cash withdrawals
🎁 Sign-up bonusGet $35 worth of NTUC FairPrice e-vouchers when you successfully apply as a new credit card customer and spend at least once (any amount). Use code V1WB7T8A during the application.
More information on the
This card gives you great foreign exchange rates and unlimited free overseas ATM cash withdrawals with no cap; and it does not come with an annual fee!
To avoid interest charges on ATM cash withdrawals, follow these easy steps:
- Apply for the Trust card
- Apply for a Trust Savings Account through the Trust app (instant approval). There is no minimum balance, monthly fee or lock-in period to worry about!
- Deposit money into your Savings Account
- Pair your Trust card with your Savings Account before any ATM withdrawals. Withdrawn cash amount will be automatically deducted from your Savings Account
As an added benefit, money in the Trust Savings Account earns 1.5% interest p.a. (up to S$125,000) with no strings attached! Account holders can earn a further 0.5% if they make at least 5 transactions on the card each month.
The Trust card comes with other unappealing benefits like 0.22% cashback on general spending and 0.5% cashback on FairPrice Group spending.
Because of the poor earn rates, I recommend using this card only for overseas ATM withdrawals.
💸 Annual fee
No annual fee, ever
💼 Income requirement
$30,000/year
🤑 Foreign currency fee
No foreign currency fee
YouTrip
Get great foreign exchange rates and free overseas ATM cash withdrawals
🎁 Sign-up bonusGet $5 credited to your wallet, after your first top up.
More information on the
YouTrip is a Debit Card and your spending limit is tied to the amount of money that you have in your YouTrip wallet.
Top-up your YouTrip wallet and withdraw cash from overseas ATMs for free, up to S$400 per calendar month. The exchange rates are usually better than what money changers are offering!
Take note that you will be charged a 2% fee for overseas cash withdrawals, upon exceeding the S$400 monthly limit.
Wallet top-ups made with Visa credit cards will incur a 1.5% fee.
💸 Annual fee
No annual fee, ever
💼 Income requirement
No income requirement
🤑 Foreign currency fee
No foreign currency fee