KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card: Unlimited miles for big home purchases
This card is suitable for you if you are going to make large (>$2,000) online purchases for your home.
By Home & Decor Team -
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The KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card was officially launched on April 23, 2019 through a major partnership between United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Before its release, American Express had been the primary issuer of co-branded Singapore Airlines credit cards. UOB had previously introduced a KrisFlyer UOB Debit Card in 2017, but the 2019 launch of the credit card was designed as a much more powerful card aimed at everyday spenders and frequent flyers.
Came with a savings account
The card was introduced alongside the KrisFlyer UOB Savings Account. It allowed cardholders to earn bonus miles on their bank account savings balance in addition to their credit card spend.
Unlike standard bank credit cards that earn reward points (like UOB UNI$) requiring manual transfer requests and conversion fees, all miles earned on the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card are automatically deposited into the user’s KrisFlyer account without transfer fees.
Yes, your miles are automatically saved in your KrisFlyer account. You do not earn reward points like all the other reward credit cards mentioned above. You ‘earn’ actual KrisFlyer miles directly to your linked KrisFlyer membership.
You will bypass the bank’s rewards website, saving on conversion fees (usually ~$27 per transfer).
However, because the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card credits miles directly to your Singapore Airlines account, your miles will expire in 36 months (of that month it was deposited into your KF account).
3 Miles per dollar
This card is famous for its 3 miles per dollar (mpd) earn rate across SIA Group-related spend.
| Category | Miles Earned | Maximum Cap |
|---|---|---|
| General spend | 6 miles per $5 spent | Unlimited |
| Dining, Transport, Online | 12 miles per $5 spent | Unlimited. Unlock this category by spending $1,000 per year with SIA |
| SIA Group (Singapore Airlines, Scoot, KrisShop, Kris+, and Pelago) | 15 miles per $5 spent | Unlimited |
SIA Group transactions - meaning direct purchases with Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and KrisShop - will earn you the most miles per $1 you spend.
That’s followed by selected categories such as dining, food delivery, online shopping, travel, and public transport (unlocked by meeting a modest annual spend threshold on Singapore Airlines Group services).
Finally, for most other expenditure, you will get a base rate of 6 miles per $5 spent. As with most credit cards, the regular exclusions apply - bills, insurance, financial services, education, healthcare, real estate, e-wallets, etc. See the full list of exclusions here (opens in new tab).
Furniture & home appliance shopping
The KrisFlyer UOB credit card rewards you for expenditure with the SIA Group, dining, food delivery, online travel, transport, and online shopping.
If you have this card and are looking to maximise furniture, electronics, and home appliance shopping, here are the shops you can shop online with:
| Merchant Category Code | Shop examples |
|---|---|
| MCC 5732 – Electronics Sales | Courts, Best Denki, Harvey Norman, Gain City, Challenger etc. |
| MCC 5949 – Sewing, Needlework, Fabric, and Piece Goods Stores | Fabric stores, upholstery suppliers, drapery shops |
| MCC 5262 – Marketplaces | Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, Taobao etc. |
| MCC 5311 – Department Stores | Takashimaya, Tangs, Isetan, BHG, Metro etc. |
| MCC 5310 / 5331 / 5399 – Discount / Variety / Miscellaneous General Merchandise Stores | Don Don Donki, Muji, Daiso etc. |
| MCC 5999 – Miscellaneous and Specialty Retail Shops | Independent home decor boutiques, specialty home fragrance stores, and niche furniture pop-ups |
| MCC 7278 – Buying/Shopping Services | Transactions processed via Shopee, Lazada, Qoo10 platforms etc. |
Once you’ve spent $1,000 with SIA Group for the year and unlocked this online spending category, the miles you can earn here is unlimited.
So, this card is suitable for you if you are going to make huge $2,000 and above purchases for your home in the next few months (higher than $1,000 or $1,200 per month like the other credit cards are limited to).
If you have the Kris+ mobile app, you can search for home appliances and furniture directly from the app, and pay with the KrisFlyer UOB credit card to get extra miles per purchase. Finally, transfer your Kris+ miles to your KrisFlyer account.