# Best Singapore Credit Cards 2026: Cashback vs Miles - Complete Guide
You spend money every day in Singapore - on groceries, transport, dining, utilities. But are you getting rewards for it? A good credit card can turn routine spending into real cash back or free flights. But which card is right for you?
This guide breaks down the best credit cards in Singapore for 2026, compares cashback vs miles, and shows exactly how much you can earn based on your spending pattern.
The Cashback vs Miles Question
Before choosing a card, understand the trade-off:
Cashback Cards = Money back in your account (liquid, usable immediately)- Best for: People who want simplicity and immediate value
- Example: Spend S$3,000/month = S$48-50 cashback/month
- Ideal if: You don't travel much or value flexibility
- Best for: Frequent travelers who fly 2+ times per year
- Example: Spend S$3,000/month = 50,000 miles/year (worth S$1,000-1,500 value)
- Ideal if: You travel regularly or fly premium cabins
Most people in Singapore earn 2-3x more value from miles if they travel. But cashback is simpler.
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The Best Cashback Cards 2026
1. OCBC INFINITY Cashback Card - The Simplest
Cashback Rate: 1.6% flat on ALL spending (no exceptions, no minimums) Annual Fee: S$190 (waived if annual spending > S$100K) Best For: People who hate complexity and want consistent rewards The Math:- Spend S$2,000/month = S$32/month cashback
- Spend S$5,000/month = S$80/month cashback
- Spend S$10,000/month = S$160/month cashback
- Annual on S$5,000/month = S$960 cashback
- No spend minimums or maximums (truly unlimited)
- No categories to track or rotating bonuses
- Cashback posts directly to your account (not vouchers)
- Waived fee if you spend S$100K+ annually
- Simple to recommend to friends
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2. UOB One Card - The Category Champion
Cashback Rate: Up to 10% on specific categories (but requires minimums)- 10% on dining out and ride-hailing (Grab, Uber)
- 8% on supermarkets, petrol, insurance
- 1% on everything else
- Low spender (S$2,000/month): Only 1% on most purchases = S$20/month
- High spender (S$5,000/month split across categories):
- S$600 dining (10% = S$60)
- S$500 transport (10% = S$50)
- S$2,000 supermarket (8% = S$160)
- S$1,900 other (1% = S$19)
- Total: S$289/month = S$3,468/year
Why It Wins:- Highest category rates in Singapore (10% is exceptional)
- Free annual fee
- No cap on earnings
- Covers everyday essentials
- Requires S$2,000/month minimum spend
- Only 1% outside bonus categories (low)
- Complexity: Need to track categories
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3. HSBC Live+ Card - The Urban Player
Cashback Rate: Up to 8% on dining/shopping/entertainment (capped at S$25/month) Annual Fee: S$0 (free) Best For: Urban professionals who dine and shop frequently The Math:- 8% on dining, shopping, entertainment (S$25/month cap = S$300/year max)
- 2% on other spending
- Example S$5,000/month spend:
- S$1,000 dining (8% but capped) = S$25/month cap hit
- S$4,000 other (2%) = S$80
- Total capped at: S$105/month
Why Consider It:- No annual fee
- High rates in lifestyle categories (8%)
- Simple to use
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The Best Miles Cards 2026
1. Citi PremierMiles Card - The Gold Standard
Miles Earn Rate: 1.2 miles per S$1 spent (flat rate) Annual Fee: S$395 (but free first year + waived on S$150K annual spend) Transfer Partners: 11 airlines (Singapore Airlines, ANA, Cathay Pacific, etc) Key Perk: Miles never expire The Math:- Spend S$3,000/month = 3,600 miles/month = 43,200 miles/year
- Value: 43,200 miles = 2-3 return flights to regional Asia (typically 40K-50K miles)
- Or 1 economy international flight to Europe (80K-100K miles)
- No expiry on miles (keep building for dream trip)
- Instant 10,000 bonus miles on signup
- Transfer partners cover all major airlines
- Unlimited earning potential
- S$2,000/month spender: 2 regional return flights/year
- S$5,000/month spender: 1 long-haul international flight + 1 regional trip/year
- S$10,000/month spender: 2 long-haul flights/year
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2. UOB PRVI Miles Card - The Overseas Warrior
Miles Earn Rate:- 3 miles per S$1 on overseas spending (dining + shopping)
- 2 miles per S$1 on overseas spending (other)
- 1.4 miles per S$1 on local Singapore spending
- Local spending S$2,000/month = 2,800 miles/month
- Overseas spending S$2,000/month (frequent traveler) = 6,000 miles/month
- Total: 8,800 miles/month = 105,600 miles/year
- Value: 2-3 long-haul international flights per year
- Best overseas earn rate in Singapore (3 mpd on dining/shopping)
- Airport lounge access included
- Designed for frequent flyers with foreign currency spend
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3. HSBC TravelOne Card - The Lounge Lover
Miles Earn Rate: 1.2 miles per S$1 (same as Citi) Annual Fee: S$388 Airport Lounge Access: Unlimited access (24+ worldwide lounges) Best For: Premium travelers who value lounge access over miles rate The Math:- Earn rate identical to Citi (1.2 mpd)
- But unlimited lounge access worth S$500-1,000/year if you fly monthly
- S$5,000/month spend = 60,000 miles/year + unlimited lounge access
- Unlimited lounge access (not just 4x/year like UOB)
- Faster point redemption
- Si-chuan Dou Hua dining benefits
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Comparison Table: Cashback Cards
| Card | Rate | Fee | Minimum Spend | Max Value/Month | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCBC INFINITY | 1.6% flat | S$190 (waived >S$100K) | None | S$160+ | Simplicity lovers |
| UOB One | 10% categories | Free | S$2,000 | S$289+ | High spenders in dining/transport |
| HSBC Live+ | 8% (capped) | Free | None | S$105 | Light users, dining focused |
| Citi Cash Back+ | 1.5% flat | S$188 | None | S$150+ | Simple cashback |
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Comparison Table: Miles Cards
| Card | Earn Rate | Fee | Lounge | Expiry | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi PremierMiles | 1.2 mpd | S$395 | No | Never | Simple frequent travelers |
| UOB PRVI | 3 mpd overseas | S$395 | 4x/year | 5 years | High overseas spenders |
| HSBC TravelOne | 1.2 mpd | S$388 | Unlimited | Never | Lounge access seekers |
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The $1,000 Scenario: Which Card Saves You the Most?
Scenario A: Local Singapore Spender (S$4,000/month, minimal dining out)OCBC INFINITY:
- S$4,000 × 1.6% = S$64/month = S$768/year
- Net after fee: S$768 - S$190 = S$578/year
UOB One:
- S$2,000 supermarket (8%) = S$160
- S$2,000 other (1%) = S$20
- S$4,000 × 1% = S$180/month = S$2,160/year (no fee)
- Winner: UOB One wins by S$1,582/year
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Scenario B: Urban Diner (S$5,000/month, S$800 on dining/transport)OCBC INFINITY:
- S$5,000 × 1.6% = S$80/month = S$960/year
- Net: S$960 - S$190 = S$770/year
UOB One:
- S$800 dining/transport (10%) = S$80
- S$4,200 other (1%) = S$42
- S$122/month = S$1,464/year (no fee)
- Winner: UOB One wins by S$694/year
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Scenario C: Frequent Traveler (S$6,000/month local + S$3,000/month overseas)Citi PremierMiles:
- S$9,000 × 1.2 mpd = 10,800 miles/month = 129,600 miles/year
- Value: ~S$2,600-3,000 (2-3 flights)
- Net: S$2,800 - S$395 = S$2,405/year value
UOB PRVI Miles:
- S$6,000 local (1.4 mpd) = 8,400 miles
- S$3,000 overseas dining (3 mpd) = 9,000 miles
- Total: 17,400 miles/month = 208,800 miles/year
- Value: ~S$4,200-4,800 (3-4 flights)
- Net: S$4,500 - S$395 = S$4,105/year value
- Winner: UOB PRVI wins by S$1,700/year
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The Decision Tree
You should get OCBC INFINITY if:
- You spend S$2,000-5,000/month
- You value simplicity over maximizing rewards
- Your spending is scattered across categories
- You don't travel internationally
You should get UOB One if:
- You spend S$3,000+/month
- You dine out S$500+/month OR use Grab/Uber S$300+/month
- You shop at supermarkets regularly
- You want to maximize cashback
- You don't travel much
You should get Citi PremierMiles if:
- You spend S$5,000+/month
- You travel internationally 1-2 times/year
- You value simplicity in miles earning
- You want miles that never expire
You should get UOB PRVI Miles if:
- You spend S$8,000+/month (to justify fee)
- You travel internationally 3+ times/year
- You have significant foreign currency spend
- You value airport lounge access
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Red Flags to Avoid
Annual Fee Without Benefit: Cards charging S$200+ with minimal rewards = waste Rotating Categories: Bonuses that change each quarter = complexity and forgotten deadlines Expiring Miles: 3-5 year expiry = stress about using them by deadline Capped Cashback: HSBC Live+ S$25/month cap = you hit it fast High Minimum Spend: Some cards require S$5,000/month minimum = penalty if you don't spend---
Pro Tips: Maximize Your Card
1. Stack Cards (Smart Strategy)- OCBC INFINITY for everyday basics (1.6% flat)
- UOB One for dining/transport (10% categories)
- Only use the card that earns the most in each category
- Some people use miles card for travel (high value)
- Cashback card for daily spending (simplicity)
- Both running simultaneously
- OCBC INFINITY: Hit S$100K = waive S$190 fee
- Citi PremierMiles: Hit S$150K = waive S$395 fee
- If you spend S$10K+/month, the fee is irrelevant
- New phone? Restaurant weekend? Use your miles card first
- High-value spend = highest bonus potential
- Miles: Redeem for long-haul flights (best value, 100K+ points = S$3,000+ flights)
- Cashback: Redeem immediately (no bonuses for holding)
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The Bottom Line: Cashback or Miles?
Choose Cashback IF:- You're lazy (set it and forget it)
- You don't travel internationally
- You want to see money back quickly
- Your spending is S$2,000-5,000/month
- You travel 2+ times per year
- Your international flights would otherwise cost S$2,000+/year
- You can commit to S$5,000+/month spending
- You want premium cabin upgrades (possible with enough miles)
At S$3,000/month spending on Citi PremierMiles = 43,200 miles/year. That's ONE economy flight to Bangkok. The S$395 fee kills the value.
At S$3,000/month on OCBC INFINITY = S$480/year cashback. Useful. Simple. No regrets.
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Want to Compare Singapore Credit Cards Deeper?
Analyze cashback efficiency, miles value, and spending scenarios for your specific profile at Stock Market ROI. Track your monthly spending and optimize card selection to maximize financial returns.
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