COURTS DCS Mastercard Review: 7 Pros & cons of this new cashback credit card

Those familiar with credit cards would know the ongoing struggle between cashback, miles, and rewards. While miles and rewards are great for playing the long game, to some, cash is still king; and so, that same principle (and favour) applies when it comes to cashback cards like COURTS DCS Mastercard.

With its main selling points being the 2X HomeClub Points earn rate and 2% cashback on all purchases with no minimum spend, this cashback card is starting to sound quite promising already. Of course, that’s notwithstanding their other exclusive HomeClub and Mastercard membership perks.

Now this all sounds fine and dandy at first glance, but is this cashback card all the hype it chalks up to be? Well, let’s see if it’s truly worth your little gold coins.

Table of contents

1. Overview: COURTS DCS Mastercard
2. Benefits of COURTS DCS Mastercard
3. Drawbacks of COURTS DCS Mastercard
4. Sign-up promotions
5. Eligibility, fees & charges
6. Should you get the COURTS DCS Mastercard?

COURTS DCS Mastercard (Summary)

• 2X HomeClub Points on all eligible COURTS spend
• Up to 2% cashback on all local and overseas purchases with no minimum spend
• Exclusive HomeClub Member benefits and Mastercard Priceless Specials offers & discounts
• Up to S$1 million complimentary travel insurance coverage
• Cashback earned is automatically credited to card account and reflected in next eStatement
• First-year annual fee waiver; subsequent annual fees waived with minimum S$15,000 annual spend

Who do we recommend signing up for a COURTS DCS Mastercard? Soon-to-be homeowners will most likely benefit from this cashback card. Not only will you enjoy free delivery, installation, and even discounted warranties, cleaning, and maintenance services on your COURTS purchases, but you’ll also be eligible for COURTS’ monthly lucky draws .Not to mention, you’ll get first dips to their members-only sales and discounts exclusive to cardholders. 

If your home is urgently due for a major renovation, the COURTS DCS Mastercard will come in handy.

For the same aforementioned reasons, nothing spells a successful DIY home renovation project like curating your dream furniture and appliances. And what better place to do so than procuring it all at a one-stop homegoods and electronic store like COURTS?

Essentially, the COURTS DCS Mastercard still functions very similarly to an unlimited cashback card — minus the “unlimited” part. Promising up to 2% cashback on almost all spend with no minimum spend whatsoever, the sky’s the limit! You can rack up your monthly statement to up to S$10,000 before your cashback gets capped at S$200 anyway, which is a modestly high threshold to hit for most.

Hence, if you’re planning a big-ticket purchase, this card can help maximise your cashback potential to get the most bang for your buck.

7 Pros & Cons of the COURTS DCS Mastercard

1. Attractive 2X HomeClub Points earn rate

Consider yourself a loyal and frequent COURTS visitor, preferring it over IKEA? You should definitely put your COURTS membership to good use.

With the COURTS DCS Mastercard, get ready to earn 2X HomeClub Points on all your COURTS purchases. From home appliances, electronics, furniture, and IT products, your purchases will effortlessly net you twice as many HomeClub Points as regular members do.

In turn, these HomeClub Points can be used to redeem an assortment of rewards such as:

For reference, 100 HomeClub Points are equivalent to S$1 and will expire after one year from the date of last purchase. Your HomeClub Points cannot be exchanged for cash or credit in part or full.

That said, when you feel like you’ve accumulated enough points and are ready to treat yourself, simply show your COURTS HomeClub e-Card via the COURTS app to start claiming these rewards from your favourite brands at your fingertips!

2. Flexible 2% cashback wherever you are (in the world)

Another incredibly enticing perk of the COURTS DCS Mastercard has got to be its convenient cashback. What do we mean by convenient?

Well, cardholders can enjoy up to 2% cashback on all local and overseas purchases with no minimum spend. While most traditional cashback credit cards typically offer higher cash rebates (6% - 10%), they often come with minimum spend requirements.

Conversely, the COURTS DCS Mastercard counters this hurdle by offering a straightforward 2% cashback on almost everything* you buy.

Moreover, regardless of whether you’re in Singapore or abroad, you can rest assured your 2% cashback will qualify no matter where you are — just like how a travel credit card functions.

For a better illustration, you can imagine the COURTS DCS Mastercard as a cross between an unlimited cashback card (effortless cashback on almost all spend) and a travel credit card (earn rebates locally and internationally).

However, there is a small catch: the 2% cashback applies only to S$10,000 eligible spend per calendar month — capping your maximum earned cashback at S$200 per month which is still a hefty rebate amount nevertheless.

*Payments like instalment transactions, insurance payments, and mobile wallet top-ups are not eligible for 2% cashback. Refer to COURTS DCS Mastercard T&Cs for the full list of exclusions.

3. Complimentary travel insurance coverage

If you’re not yet sold on the COURTS DCS Mastercard doubling up as your next travel credit card, perhaps its complimentary travel insurance coverage of up to S$1 million could convince you otherwise. However, note that this complimentary insurance coverage only covers cardholders up to 70 years old with a valid card account.

Exclusively available for all DCS cardholders who charge full travel fares to an eligible DCS card, this coverage offers protections in the event of:

• Accidental death and permanent disablement
• Flight delay due to flight misconnection
• Baggage delays
• Trip cancellations
• Loss of travel documents and more

4. International cash withdrawal

If you’re still not convinced, your COURTS DCS Mastercard can function as an ATM card worldwide too! All you have to do is set up an ATM PIN via your DCS Cards app, and you can start withdrawing cash from any eligible ATM anywhere.

5. Exclusive HomeClub and Mastercard perks & privileges

Last but not least, who doesn’t love exclusive members-only rewards and offers? Because the COURTS DCS Mastercard is a co-branded card, cardholders get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

As a COURTS HomeClub member*, gain access to quarterly events with special sales and exclusive discounts to enjoy greater savings and earn more points as you spend. Members also get free COURTS delivery, free installations on select COURTS purchases, and even discounts on extended warranties, cleaning, and maintenance services. And as the cherry on top, new COURTS DCS Card sign-ups are eligible for monthly lucky draws!

Meanwhile, as a Mastercard holder, relish in the privileges of Mastercard Priceless™️ Specials* such as:

• Under One Dines Free, enjoy one complimentary main course at partner restaurants in Singapore and major cities across Asia Pacific
• Pay with your Mastercard to redeem One Night Free at participating hotels
• Enjoy up to US$200 annual e-Commerce protection when shopping only with the COURTS DCS Mastercard

Again, availability and details are subject to their respective T&Cs.

6. Relatively low cashback rate

Although the 2% cashback rate outperforms that of unlimited cashback cards (1.5% to 1.7%), it doesn’t hold a candle to other conventional cashback cards.

For instance, compare it to the UOB One Card — one of the most “lucrative” cashback credit cards on the market. Currently, all new UOB One Card sign-ups can enjoy up to 20% cashback on everyday merchants like DFI Retail Group, Grab, McDonald’s, SimplyGo (bus and train rides) and Shopee transactions from now till 31 December 2024. Additionally, if you pay your first year’s annual fee instead of waiving it off, you’ll receive 2nd Gen AirPods Pro alongside two AirTags.

Notwithstanding that, regular cardholders already net up to 10% cashback on these daily spend merchants plus up to 24% fuel savings at Shell and SPC anyway.

Editor’s note: To the COURTS DCS Card’s merit, the maximum possible cashback is capped at S$200 per month on up to S$10,000 eligible spend. Whereas, the UOB One Card is capped at S$50, S$100, or S$200 per quarter on S$500, S$1,000, or S$2,000 monthly spend respectively over three consecutive months.

To that we say, weigh your cashback pros and cons before picking your poison.

7. Niche merchant credit card

Another caveat to consider is that the COURTS DCS Mastercard is still a co-branded card.

Similar to its DCS counterparts like DCS DON DON DONKI Credit Card, DCS Mustafa Credit Card, and DCS POPULAR Credit Card, these rebate cards cater towards a specific demographic.

Thus, if you only visit COURTS stores once in a blue moon, the answer to whether it’s worth signing up for the card is clear.

COURTS Promotions

Besides the COURTS HomeClub member benefits and Mastercard privileges, here are some other COURTS promos to check out: