Online Tour Packages is under MCC 4722, which covers businesses focused on travel services, including:
- Travel Bookings: Traditional and online booking of flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel needs.
- Tour Packages: Companies that organise tours with bundled transport, stays, sightseeing, and guides.
- Charters & Excursions: Agencies offering chartered transport or day trips.
Paying in Local Currency vs Foreign Currency (DCC Charges)
When booking online tour packages, you’ll often be given the option to pay in local currency (SGD) or the foreign currency set by the travel platform. In most cases, it’s better to pay in the foreign currency to avoid Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), where merchants offer to charge you in SGD at exchange rates that include hidden markups of 3–8%. Choosing SGD through DCC can increase your costs, reduce or nullify your miles or cashback rewards, and sometimes still incur foreign transaction fees. Paying in SGD is generally only advisable when the merchant is truly Singapore-based and charges in SGD by default, and you are using a card that rewards SGD online spend. For overseas-processed transactions, selecting the original foreign currency ensures you get the official Visa/Mastercard exchange rates, maximize rewards, and avoid unnecessary fees.
These cards typically have a minimum spend criterion and/or spending cap. Therefore, please read the card summary for the finer details.
Miles Cards For Payments in Local Currency
Cards | Earn Rate | Notes |
DBS Woman’s World Card | 4 miles per dollar; capped at S$1,000 per calendar month | must be an online transaction |
UOB Lady | 4 miles per dollar; capped at S$1,000 (Classic); S$1,500 (Solitaire) | must choose travel category |
UOB Visa Signature | 4 miles per dollar; S$1,000 minimum spend; capped at S$1,200 per statement month | for SGD transactions, must pay in person via contactless payment |
UOB Krisflyer | 2.4 miles per dollar | must spend S$1,000 on SIA-related spends in a card membership year |
Maybank XL | 4 miles per dollar; S$500 minimum spend; capped at S$1,000 per calendar month | Able to use with amaze to pay a lowered foreign exchange conversion fee from 3.25% to 2% |
UOB Lady's Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on 1 or 2 chosen categories
UOB Visa Signature Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on Overseas, Petrol, and Contactless Transactions (including SimplyGo)
UOB Krisflyer Card
Earn uncapped 3 miles per dollar on SIA group spend and 2.4 miles per dollar on dining, online shopping, transport & select travel with min. S$1,000 SIA spend/year.
Maybank XL Rewards/Cashback Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar (Rewards Card) or 5% cashback (Cashback Card) on bonus categories
Miles Cards For Payments in Foreign Currency
There will be a 3.25% foreign exchange fee that you will incur.
Cards | Earn Rate | Notes |
Maybank World Mastercard | up to 3.2 miles per dollar | – 3.2 miles per dollar with min spend of S$4,000 – 2.8 miles per dollar with min spend of S$800 – 0.4 miles per dollar below S$800 spend |
UOB Visa Signature | 4 miles per dollar; S$1,000 minimum spend; capped at S$1,200 per statement month | can be online payment or in-person contactless |
Maybank World Mastercard
Earn 4 miles per dollar on selected petrol stations islandwide and up to 3.2 miles per dollar on foreign currency spend
UOB Visa Signature Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on Overseas, Petrol, and Contactless Transactions (including SimplyGo)
Cashback Cards (In Local Or Foreign Currency)
If payment is in foreign currency, please check if the card has 0% fx fee.
Cards | Earn Rate | Notes |
UOB Evol | 6.36% effective cashback on local online/mobile contactless spend; minimum spend of S$800; capped at S$30 – limited 3% cashback on all foreign currency, capped at S$40 ; 7% cashback on overseas currency spend processed in Malaysia via mobile contactless, capped at S$20 (until 31 January 2026) | |
DCS Flex | 6% cash rebates; minimum spend of S$600, capped at S$25 per category (total of S$100 for 4 categories) | must be local online/contactless spend |
UOB One | 3.33% cashback minimum spend of S$600, S$1,000, or S$2,000 depending on the tier; capped at S$60, S$100, or S$200 | must spend on 10 eligible transactions |
HSBC Advance | 1.5% cashback (no min spend) 2.5% cashback; minimum spend of S$2,000 per calendar month; capped at S$70 | |
OCBC Frank | 8% cashback; minimum spend of S$800; capped at S$25 per month |
UOB Evol Card
Earn max possible 6.36% cashback on all online and mobile contactless spend and gym, telco, and streaming services
DCS Flex Card
Earn up to 8% cash rebates (best value), 2.4 miles per dollar, or 8% investment credits
UOB One Card
Earn at least up to 10% cashback on most local spend
HSBC Advance Card
Earn 1.5% cashback with no minimum spend and 2.5% cashback on all local & overseas purchases with a minimum spend of S$2,000
For Agoda/Trip.com through Atome
Booking online tour packages on Agoda or Trip.com through Atome is an easy way to earn rewards indirectly and split the transactions into small chunks. Atome changes the MCC to 5999, allowing us to earn miles or cashback with some cards like HSBC Revolution. This makes it a smart, hassle-free way to maximise miles when booking your next trip.
HSBC Revolution Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on selected online and contactless spend (until 28 February 2026)
For more in-depth explanation, watch Youtube video below:
Conclusion:
When booking online tour packages under MCC 4722, choosing the right payment method—and the right card—makes a significant difference in both cost and rewards. Always aim to pay in the original foreign currency to avoid DCC markups of 3–8% and to ensure you receive the best Visa/Mastercard exchange rates. From there, match your payment mode with the correct card: use local-currency miles and cashback cards when the transaction is processed in SGD, and switch to foreign-currency-optimized cards when paying in overseas currency despite the unavoidable 3.25% FX fee.
Alternatively, platforms like Atome offer an additional angle to maximise miles or cashback by changing the MCC to 5999—unlocking high earn rates on cards like the HSBC Revolution. With the right setup, even big-ticket tour packages can earn strong rewards while keeping fees low. The key is simple: know the MCC, choose the right currency, and pair it with the optimal card for maximum value on every travel booking.
