Summary of Apple Pay Promotions in Singapore

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In conjunction with Apple Pay launching in Singapore, the five participating banks have revealed their promotions. Even though I thought UOB had the best deal of a S$10 Cash Rebate initially, it is pretty disappointing to see that it is only valid for 25 May 2016 (today) only. All the information below are accurate at the time of writing and it seems like Standard Chartered cardholders will have the most benefit - up to S$50 rebate! Check out the summary below for all the Apple Pay Promotions in Singapore: 

Summary of Apple Pay Promotions in Singapore
Bank Benefit Information Period
OCBC 3% Rebate Capped at S$15 per Principal Cardholder 25 May 2016 to 25 June 2016
UOB S$10 Cash Rebate Minimum Spend of S$10 Required
First 10,000 Qualifying Transactions Only		 25 May 2016 Only
DBS 20% Rebate Capped at S$10 per Principal Cardholder
First 50,000 Customers Only		 25 May 2016 to 24 August 2016
POSB 20% Rebate Capped at S$10 per Principal Cardholder
First 50,000 Customers Only		 25 May 2016 to 24 August 2016
Standard Chartered 20% Rebate Capped at S$50 per Principal Cardholder
First 10,000 Cardholders Only		 25 May 2016 to 31 July 2016
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How to Save Money on Grab Rides in Singapore - Triple-dipping on Promotions with Credit Cards, Memberships and Apps
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With the upcoming Grab-Uber merger on the horizon, there is no better time than now to revisit the best credit cards and platforms to use for Grab rides (especially with the recent introduction of new membership programs). This article aims to highlight a combination of promotions and offers that you can use to get most value out of your Grab rides in Singapore (even though some of them apply to rides taken overseas as well) and while it may not be exhaustive, it will definitely help you save more money on your Grab rides on the whole.

Earn 6 Miles per Dollar with OCBC Titanium Rewards Card on Mileslife + Bonus Miles on App
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The OCBC Titanium Rewards Card is on my list of credit cards to hold in 2018 and there is currently the opportunity to earn up to 6 miles per dollar by using this credit card on the Mileslife app from now until 30 June 2018. If you are not familiar with the Mileslife app, it basically rewards you with additional miles (on top of what you would typically earn on your credit card) for making payment via the app - this means to say that you can earn up to 11 miles per dollar on specific spends on the app.

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Get S$50 Cash or Coupon after spending S$500 with DBS (Online and In-App Purchases Only)

Spend at least S$500 on eligible in-app as well as online purchases from 29 March 2018 to 30 June 2018 with your DBS/POSB cards to win either S$50 worth of coupon or cash! Registration is absolutely necessary and you will have to do it via the new DBS Lifestyle App - limited to the first 10,000 registrations only (but at the time of writing there is still plenty).

UOB to downgrade UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card from Visa Infinite to Visa Signature
UOB to downgrade UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card from Visa Infinite to Visa Signature

As some of you may know, the UOB PVRI Miles Visa Card is a Visa Infinite credit card even though it is not marketed as one - the card face simply shows Visa (without Platinum, Signature or Visa Infinite branding under it). It seems that from 01 April 2018 however, UOB will be making it a Visa Signature card officially. There will be no changes to the earn rates and you will continue to earn miles (in the form of UNI$s) on local and overseas spend at 1.4 and 2.4 miles per dollar respectively.

8 Miles per Dollar on DFS, Takashimaya and TANGS with Citi Rewards Card
8 Miles per Dollar on DFS, Takashimaya and TANGS with Citi Rewards Card

The Citi Rewards Card runs a 20X Rewards promotion from time to time with selected partners and this time round, cardholders will be able to earn 20 points per S$1 (equivalent to 8 miles per dollar) on all eligible transactions made at Duty Free Singapore (DFS), Takashimaya and TANGS between 23 March and 03 May 2018.

Why I moved away from UOB's Suite of Credit Cards - from Five Cards down to One
Why I moved away from UOB's Suite of Credit Cards - from Five Cards down to One

UOB used to be one of the banks to go to for credit cards (especially for us mile-chasers) and at one point in my life, I have held over five credit cards from this bank alone. I loved that the fact that the UNI$s (the name for UOB's point currency) accrued from all cards were pooled into a singular account (which means you only paid the FFP transfer fee once) and how they seem to have a card for every significant purpose. However, in my opinion, the bank has gone downhill from where it was, at least where credit cards are concerned.

2X More Miles on Dining Transactions made on Mileslife from 24-28 February 2018
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Now it has been almost six months since I have last written about Mileslife and in case you have forgotten what it is (or you are new to this platform), it is basically a way for you to make payment to a selection of merchants which in-turn earns you more miles - there are no fees involved in using this so it is a win-win situation for both parties! If you do not already have an account, you will have to download the app on your mobile phone (using my referral link gets you 1,000 bonus miles extra!). From 24-28 February 2018, enjoy double miles on all dining transactions made on Mileslife!

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Fast Track to Hilton Honors Gold with 2 Stays or 4 Nights by 30 June 2018 - Visa Signature Cardholders too?!
Fast Track to Hilton Honors Gold with 2 Stays or 4 Nights by 30 June 2018 - Visa Signature Cardholders too?!

Last year there was the opportunity to fast track into Hilton Honors Gold status with just 2 stays or 4 nights for all eligible Visa Infinite Cardholders. It appears that Visa has officially extended this offer to 30 June 2018 and eligible cards now include not only the top-tier Visa Infinite cards but also Visa Signature cards (which is shocking, considering how easy it is to get!). Similar to the previous offer, a Hilton Honors member must complete 2 eligible stays or 4 eligible nights in 90 days upon successful registration - status earned should be valid until March 2020

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Complete List of Credit Card Promo Codes (up to 15% off Hotels) for Expedia Discount

While most of us elite status-chasers do not use Expedia much (since it does not earn you elite-qualifying nights which contribute towards elite status each year), it can sometimes make sense to consider using Expedia when you are planning to stay in a property that does not belong to a greater loyalty program or one that you have no interest in. What a lot of people do not realise is that most banks in Singapore offer a discount code for hotel reservations made via a specific landing page. At the time of writing, Citibank offers the most generous discount of 15% off all participating properties where the 'Expedia Rate' is available - there is also only a one-night minimum stay for this promo code.