Utilities are unavoidable monthly spend — but most credit cards quietly exclude bill payments from earning rewards. Over the past few years, Citi, DBS, Maybank, Standard Chartered, HSBC Revolution, and most UOB cards have all added utilities to their exclusion lists. The result: a very short list of cards that still genuinely reward you for paying SP Group or your Open Electricity Market (OEM) retailer.
This guide covers only the cards that actually earn on SP / OEM utility bills. For each card, I’ve listed the earn rate, the cap, any minimum spend you need to hit, and — critically — the payment method that triggers the earn. All AXS payments are EXCLUDED here.
Telco bills are coded differently from utility bills and they will be updated in a separate post.
Quick Glossary
- MCC 4900: the merchant category code for Utilities (SP Group, OEM retailers like Geneco, Keppel Electric, Sembcorp Power, Senoko, iSwitch, Tuas Power). This is what your card issuer “sees” when you pay.
- mpd: miles per dollar spent.
- SP app: the SP Group mobile app — lets you charge your bill to a credit card directly.
- OEM: Open Electricity Market — the alternative retailers competing with SP Group’s regulated tariff.
- GIRO from card: automatic billing arrangement where the merchant charges your credit card monthly (different from GIRO from bank account, which earns nothing).
- Recurring billing: the merchant (not AXS, not a third party) bills your card on a repeating schedule. Most cards that “earn on bills” require this setup, not one-off payments.
Best Cashback Cards For Utilities
| Card | Earn Rate | Cap | Min Spend | Sweet Spot | Payment Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UOB One CardApply | Up to 4.33% on SP Group (3.33% base quarterly cashback + 1% SP bonus) | +1% SP bonus capped at S$100/mo; quarterly base cashback caps at S$200/S$400/S$600 | S$600 / S$1,000 / S$2,000 per month, 3 months in a row, plus 5 txns/mo | Best overall if you already use One as your daily-spend card | SP app, GIRO from card |
 OCBC 365 CardApply | 3% on recurring electricity bills (covers SP + OEM retailers) | S$80/mo total cashback (S$160/mo if you spend ≥ S$1,600) | S$800/mo total card spend (else 0.25% flat) | Best for OEM payers (Geneco, Keppel, Sembcorp, Senoko) who can set up recurring billing | Must be set up as recurring billing with the retailer directly |
 AMEX True Cashback CardApply | 1.5% flat (no exclusions on utility bills) | Uncapped | None | OEM payers whose retailer accepts AMEX | Any — one-off or recurring |
 UOB Absolute Cashback CardApply | 0.3% flat on utilities (was 1.7% — nerfed May 2024) | Uncapped | None | last resort | Any |
My Take
If your only goal is SP Group cashback and you’re a heavy spender, UOB One is the clear winner — but only if you can reliably hit the quarterly spend tier for three consecutive months. For OEM retailers or households who’d rather not chase a spend tier and can comfortably hit S$800 in monthly card spend, OCBC 365 at 3% with the S$80/mo cap is the lower-stress pick. AMEX True Cashback offers a flat 1.5% with no exclusions and no minimum spend — but SP Group doesn’t accept AMEX at all, so it’s only useful if the OEM retailers do.
Requirements (tap to expand)
- You qualify if: you have no UOB credit card right now, AND haven't cancelled any UOB credit card in the last 12 months
- This is a timed flash deal. Only the FIRST 3 persons to submit a valid application at 2PM or 10PM SGT wins the top reward. Everyone else who applies gets the standard gift (S$90 Cash via PayNow).
- Spend min. S$500 within the first 30 days from card approval
- SingSaver will email you a Rewards Redemption Form — check inbox (and spam folder) after applying. Fill it in within 14 days to claim your gift, or you'll lose it.
Requirements (tap to expand)
- You qualify if: you have no OCBC credit card right now
- Spend min. S$400 within 30 days of card approval
- SingSaver will email you a Rewards Redemption Form — check inbox (and spam folder) after applying. Fill it in within 14 days to claim your gift, or you'll lose it.
Bonus: UOB Bill & Tax Super Saver (Deposit Account Play)
If you keep a high balance with UOB, there’s a non-credit-card option worth knowing about. The UOB Bill & Tax Super Saver gives you 6% rebate via GIRO on SP Services, Keppel Electric, Geneco, and PacificLight — capped at S$10–S$50/month depending on your Monthly Average Balance.
It’s not a credit card play, but if you already park money with UOB, 6% beats every credit card option on this page. The full mechanics — eligibility, MAB tiers, GIRO setup steps — are covered in this separate guide: UOB is giving 6% rebate on your bills (Income Tax, Insurance & More) — here’s what you need to know ↗.
Best Miles Cards For Utilities
The miles game for utilities is essentially over. The Chocolate Visa Debit Card is the last card standing — and even that was nerfed in July 2025 from 2 mpd to 1 mpd, with a hard 100 miles/month cap across all bill payments.
| Card | Earn Rate | Cap | Min Spend | Sweet Spot | Payment Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chocolate Visa Debit CardApply | 1 mile per S$1 on utility bills (was 2 mpd until 30 June 2025) | 100 miles/mo across all bill payment MCCs combined | None | The only card still earning real miles on SP — but the cap means it’s useful only for the first ~S$100 of bills | Any payment method that codes as MCC 4900 (SP app, GIRO from card, direct on SP / OEM site) |
New to Chocolate? Here's How It Works
The Chocolate Visa Debit Card is issued by Chocolate Finance — it’s a debit card, not a credit card, so you fund it from your linked bank account and there’s no credit-check application.
The “miles” you earn aren’t airline miles directly — they’re Max Miles, the redemption currency from HeyMax. Max Miles can be converted at a 1:1 ratio with no fees to 28 different airline and hotel loyalty programmes — including KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Qatar Avios, and more. Alternatively, you can redeem Max Miles directly against commercial airfares at roughly 2 cents per mile.
To get set up:
- Sign up for a HeyMax account first via the link and code below. Important: the email on your HeyMax account must match the email on your Chocolate Finance account, otherwise miles won’t be credited.
- Sign up for Chocolate Finance via link below, complete KYC, and order the Visa Debit Card. Within the app, it will ask you to link to your HeyMax account.
- Once linked, every dollar you spend on Chocolate earns Max Miles in your HeyMax account, ready to convert when you have enough for a flight.
The catch for utilities: bill payments (MCC 4900) earn only 1 Max Mile per S$1, capped at 100 Max Miles/month across all your bill payments combined. So treat Chocolate as a “free 100 miles/month if your bill is under S$100” play — not a primary miles strategy. Above that, you’re better off chasing cashback.
43774BFE
How to claim (tap to expand)
- Download the HeyMax app from the App Store or Google Play
- Enter the referral code 43774BFE when prompted during sign-up
- Complete phone verification
- Make 1 confirmed transaction via HeyMax within 180 days of account creation
- Get 200 Max Miles as your sign-up reward
How to claim (tap to expand)
- Download the app from the App Store or Google Play
- Copy the referral code above and enter into the app when prompted
- Sign up with your details
Conclusion
The right credit card for utilities depends on whether you pay SP Group or an OEM retailer, how much you spend each month, and whether you’re chasing cashback or miles.
For SP Group bills with regular spend across daily life, UOB One unlocks up to 4.33% if you can sustain the quarterly minimum, and OCBC 365 delivers a friction-light 3% if you spend S$800+/month. For OEM retailers, AMEX True Cashback gives a flat 1.5% with no minimum, and OCBC 365 still applies if your retailer supports recurring billing. Miles collectors with smaller bills under S$100/month should use Chocolate Visa Debit for an easy 100 Max Miles/mo. And if you already park ≥ S$30K with UOB, the non-credit-card UOB Bill & Tax Super Saver at 6% via GIRO beats every option above.
💳 Credit cards change their T&Cs every so often and it’s difficult to stay updated. That’s why I created a Telegram Broadcast where you can receive timely bite-sized updates to get the most out of your spending.
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