Instarem launched the innovative Amaze card a few months ago with some amazing benefits!
tl;dr: Amaze card turns all transactions “online” and removes foreign currency fees (usually ~3%), while maintaining an earn rate of 4 MPD on specialized online spending credit cards like Citibank Rewards and DBS Woman’s World. UPDATE: DBS will stop awarding points for Amaze transactions from 1 June 2022
Key points to note
- Amaze card is a debit card that is free to apply and available to Singapore residents only.
- Only apply and download the app when you are physically in Singapore (I learnt it the hard way, see footnote).
- To use the Amaze card, just link your credit cards via the Instarem app; no e-wallet top-up required!
- Only Mastercards (up to five) can be linked to your Amaze card.
- Your linked credit cards will be charged immediately after each transaction with your Amaze card. These transactions will keep the MCC code of each merchant.
- All transactions will be in Singapore dollar and are seen as online transactions by your credit cards, even if you spend with the physical Amaze card.
- Spending with your Amaze card will get you the usual earn rate on your credit cards. This is fantastic for specialized online spending cards like Citi Rewards
and DBS Woman’s World. - Foreign currency transactions with the Amaze card will not incur foreign currency fees (similar to YouTrip and Revolut). Credit cards from banks usually charge a hefty fee of about 3%!
Earn 1% cashback if you spend at least $500 in a calendar quarter. Cashback is capped at $100 per quarter ($10,000 spend). Because of this additional cashback, you should use the Amaze card even for local transactions in SGD!UPDATE: Read about the cashback changes from 1 April 2022
This is only the second time that we have given a 5-star rating to a card!
Amaze Card
Suitesmile card rating:
SIGN-UP BONUS
Get 225 InstaPoints
(worth $2.25)
Key benefit
Earn 4 miles per dollar
and 1% cashback
without FX fees
Annual fee
No annual fee
Min. Income
requirement
–
We recommend linking the following
credit cards to your Amaze card:
Citi Rewards
Citi PremierMiles
Suggested credit cards to link to Amaze
DBS Woman’s World Mastercard – 4 MPD on online transactions- Citi Rewards Mastercard – 4 MPD on online transactions excluding travel and transport
- Citi PremierMiles Mastercard – 1.2 MPD unlimited on all spending
- UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard – 1.4 MPD unlimited on all spending
- Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard – 1.6% unlimited cashback on all spending
As a reminder, all Amaze card spendings are being seen as “online transactions” by credit cards.
As these transactions are seen as local transactions in SGD by your credit cards, you will not receive higher earn rates for foreign currency spending with cards like Citi PremierMiles, which usually awards 2 MPD on foreign currency spending.
Usually-excluded transactions by each credit card applies. Some examples are insurance, education and hospital spending where you will not get any miles/points/cashback. There are special cards for those transactions.
Bottom line
While it lasts, this is huge. This new card simplified our list of the best credit cards in Singapore.
All you have to do is link 2 or 3 credit cards to your Amaze card (as described above) and use it for most of your spending.
If you have not applied for the Amaze card, you shouldn’t wait any longer!
Do not apply for this card if you are not physically in Singapore
Because of Instarem’s insanely aggressive geo-locking, I do not recommend for this card while you are overseas.
Downloading the mobile app from overseas will get you the non-Singapore version of the app where you can’t do anything useful like linking credit cards. And yes, I have tried using all sorts of VPNs and mock GPS.
I have been going back-and-forth with customer support who have not found a real solution to this problem. That’s even after I have my account approved after applying through MyInfo!
Instarem customer support’s only “solution” for me was to “download the app when I return to Singapore”. I mean, come on! 😒
I ended up getting a family member to install the app on her phone and log in using my credentials. She also helped me to link a few credit cards to my account and shared the virtual Amaze card number with me. The disadvantage here is that I will not be able to track my Amaze transactions and switch my default card whenever I want, without her help.
I managed to do it while I was overseas though. Took a very long while interacting with the CSA. If you are using iOS, need to change your location to SG under the iOS general, settings and it should work.
On a side note, do you know if DBSWW gives 4x with cardup?
Interesting that you managed to do it while overseas! Did you have to use a VPN and/or mock GPS? I am on Android with a Singapore app store account.
I don’t have any data point on DBS WWMC and Cardup. Sorry!
DBSWW does not include CardUp, stated in black and white in their product summary. You’re better off using another card instead for CardUp 🙂