What Cards did I Use For My New Zealand Trip?

Overview:

The cards listed below are purely my personal favorite cards! I’ve listed my top cards chronologically based on my preference and their use for different spendings + I added in some tips— but of course, it may still differ depending on your travel needs, therefore you still have the liberty to just use one, or all of them based on your preferences and liking— just choose what you need! I hope this helps!

For Online Spending in Local Currency – eg. Airtickets, Hotel Booking:

DBS Woman's World Card

Earn 4 miles per dollar on online spend

I used DBS Women’s World Mastercard for the 4 miles per dollar. At time of booking, the maximum spending cap per calendar month on that earn rate was S$2000. However, with effect from 1st March, it will be reduced to S$1500.

As I do not spend that much on online purchases every month, and the miles on this card expires every year, I am considering to cancel this card once I transfer the points out.

For Online and Offline Spending In Foreign Currency, I have a few cards below:

1. Hotel Bookings and Travel Related Expenses

The one that I used most in this trip is actually iChange, which is a travel spending card similar to Youtrip and Revolut as I found the rates for digital currency exchange to be really good. You can check with xe.com to see if the rates are worth the exchange.

Here’s how I went about getting the best rates:

Choose Exchange > Digital Currency > Pick Your Desired Currency

iChange Sign Up Promotion:

Download iChange app for Apple App Store or Google Play Store

Use code “AUDREY36” and receive $5 when you spend a minimum S$10 in a single transaction using your iChange card.

2. Groceries 


I used Amaze with UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card as my TWO chosen categories for this quarter was Family and Fashion. (As of writing, Amaze is now on the Exclusion List of UOB Cards). Groceries is parked under Family category. It gives me 6 miles per dollar (till 31st March 2024) while I pay a lower fx fee of 1.8%-2% instead of the usual 3.25% fee if I were to swipe the card directly overseas.

UOB Lady's Card

Earn 4 miles per dollar on 1 or 2 chosen categories


3. Hospital Visit –

My mom felt giddy one of the days so we visited a clinic. Since I had some New Zealand Dollars in cash, I paid with cash, if not, I would pay using iChange. I would not use Amaze + Citi Rewards would incur a 1% transaction fee for medical clinics.

4. All other spending –

I would use Amaze with Citi Rewards. It gives me 4 miles per dollar on almost everything except travel related transactions while I pay a lower fx fee of 1.8%-2% instead of the usual 3.25% fee if I were to swipe the card directly overseas

Citi Rewards Card

Earn 4 miles per dollar on online spend and selected retail

Amaze Card Sign Up Promotion:

use my referral code IJUSTTRYLAH or use my link below for extra sign up bonus instarem points

💳 Credit cards change their T&Cs every so often and it is 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.

💡 We believe in always paying our credit card bills on time and in full. It is only by doing that, can we fully maximise our credit card benefits.

Purchases made through links in this article may generate an affiliate commission that helps keep this site running. Found this post useful? Subscribe to our Telegram Channel for more updates!

lobangsis

Audz, your lobang sis shares personal finance to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for us all.

You may have missed…

best travel insurance for golf
tibet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Citi Rewards

Get 2X Hinomi Q1 Ergonomic Office Chair or Dyson Supersonic or Apple iPad (A16) 128GB or Sony Camera (ZV-1F) or S$420 Shopee Vouchers or S$370 Cash via PayNow when you spend S$500 within 30 days of card approval

Valid till: April 6, 2025

HSBC Live+

Get Dyson Supersonic™ or Sony Camera (ZV-1F) or Apple iPad (A16) 128GB or 2x Treasures Poh Heng Gold Bar or S$450 Cash via PayNow when you spend S$800 by the end of the following calendar month + provide marketing consent

Valid till: April 6, 2025

Maybank Family & Friends

Get Samsonite ENOW SPINNER 69/25 EXP or S$200 cashback when spend S$1,300 within the first two months of card approval. Or, apply for CreditAble and spend S$1,200 within first two months of card approval.

Valid till: May 1, 2025

SC Simply Cash

Get Apple iPad 9th 10.2" WiFi 64GB or Apple Watch SE (GEN 2) GPS + Cellular 44mm or S$450 Shopee Voucher or S$400 Cash via PayNow when you spend a minimum of S$500 within 30 days of card approval

Valid till: April 6, 2025

Citi Rewards

Get 2X Hinomi Q1 Ergonomic Office Chair or Dyson Supersonic or Apple iPad (A16) 128GB or Sony Camera (ZV-1F) or S$420 Shopee Vouchers or S$370 Cash via PayNow when you spend S$500 within 30 days of card approval

Valid till: April 6, 2025

HSBC Live+

Get Dyson Supersonic™ or Sony Camera (ZV-1F) or Apple iPad (A16) 128GB or 2x Treasures Poh Heng Gold Bar or S$450 Cash via PayNow when you spend S$800 by the end of the following calendar month + provide marketing consent

Valid till: April 6, 2025

Maybank Family & Friends

Get Samsonite ENOW SPINNER 69/25 EXP or S$200 cashback when spend S$1,300 within the first two months of card approval. Or, apply for CreditAble and spend S$1,200 within first two months of card approval.

Valid till: May 1, 2025

SC Simply Cash

Get Apple iPad 9th 10.2" WiFi 64GB or Apple Watch SE (GEN 2) GPS + Cellular 44mm or S$450 Shopee Voucher or S$400 Cash via PayNow when you spend a minimum of S$500 within 30 days of card approval

Valid till: April 6, 2025

Valid for new-to-bank credit cardholders or does not own any of the bank’s credit cards in the last 12 months, unless otherwise stated.

Gift confirmation are usually sent after you have completed rewards redemption form (sent to your email) & fulfilled qualifying spend within stipulated period.

DBS Woman’s World Card

This card doesn’t offer any sign-up promotions. To make the most of your sign-up rewards, consider applying for the DBS Altitude card first. This is because you can combine points from both DBS cards, and the DBS Altitude card also includes two complimentary airport lounge passes.

DBS Altitude Card

Earn 1.3 miles per dollar on local spend and 2.2 miles per dollar on foreign currency spend

2 Priority Pass visits per membership year (Visa version only)

DBS Woman’s World Card

  • Earn 4 miles per dollar (10X DBS points per S$5) spent online, regardless of local or foreign currency. Capped at S$1,500 spending per calendar month
  • Earn 1.2 miles per dollar (3X DBS Points per S$5) spent abroad in-store 
  • No minimum monthly spending required
  • Best used for online or in-app spend (e.g Kris+) locally

 

Annual Fee

S$196.20, (First year waived)

 

Income Requirement

S$80,000/year (The income requirement is arbitrary – I was approved for the card even though I didn’t meet that income threshold.)

 

Points Expiry

1 year from transaction (therefore you need to be able to earn miles fast or have multiple DBS points earning credit cards). Minimum redemption is 5,000 points (10,000 miles), leaving smaller amounts unusable (you can redeem mall vouchers, if you really need to.)

 

Transfer Partners

KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Qantas Frequent Flyer

 

Know what this card is best for:

 

Terms and Conditions

Read Full Review

UOB Lady’s Card

UOB Lady’s Card

    • Earn 4 miles per dollar (10x UNI$ for every S$5 spent) on your preferred category
    • Earn 0.4 miles per dollar (1x UNI$ per S$5 spent) base earn rate
    • No minimum monthly spending required
    • Spending Cap:
      • Classic Card: S$1,000
      • Solitaire & Above Card: S$2,000

    Depending on what your planned usage is, you can change the categories every quarter. 

     

    Annual Fee

    S$196.20 (incl. GST), waived for first year

     

    Income Requirement

    S$30,000 (locals/PRs); S$40,000 (foreigners)

     

    Points Expiry

    They expire 2 years after the final day of each periodic quarter in which they were earned

     
    Know what this cards is best for

     

    Terms and Conditions

    Read Full Review

    Citi Rewards Card

    Option 1: Direct Bank Promotion

    • Receive 40,000 bonus Points Welcome Offer when you spend S$800 in the first 2 months of account opening.
    • Valid til 31 July 2025
    • Read Terms and Conditions here
    •  

    Option 2: Singsaver Promotion

    • Get 2X Hinomi Q1 Ergonomic Office Chair (worth S$998) or Dyson Supersonic (worth S$649) or Apple iPad (A16) 11″ Wi-Fi 128GB (worth S$499) or Sony Camera (ZV-1F) (worth S$769) or S$420 Shopee Vouchers or S$370 Cash via PayNow upon activating and spending a min. S$500 within 30 days of card approval.
    • Valid from 14 March to 6 April 2025
    • Promotion is valid for new to bank credit card holders
    • Read Terms and Conditions here
    • Must fulfill spending requirement to receive gift confirmation
    • Remember to check for SingSaver email and complete the registration to secure your reward!

    Citi Rewards Card

    • Earn 4 miles per dollar on online spending, with no minimum spend and a spending cap of S$1,000 per statement month.
    • You can use this card for any online spending inclusive of ride-hailing apps or taxis.
    • Pro tip: Pair this card to Amaze for Overseas Offline Spending
    • Do not use on travel-related spending: Car Rentals, Hotels, Flights, Train Tickets or Public Transport (eg. SimplyGo)
    • Get 17% instant fuel discount on Techron® fuels with all Citi Credit/Debit cards when you pay with the CaltexGO app. Get 16% instant fuel discount on Platinum 98 or 14% instant fuel discount on other grades of petrol and diesel with all Citi Credit/Debit Cards.
      This is on top of 4 miles per dollar on Citi Rewards + Amaze.

     

    Annual Fee

    S$194.40 (First year waived)

     

    Income Requirement

    S$30,000 (locals/PRs); S$42,000 (foreigners)

     

    Points Expiry

    After 60 months (5 years) from the date the card is opened (i.e. not from the transaction date)., reward points will expire.

     

    Transfer Partners
     

    Krisflyer, Flying Blue, British Airways, Thai Royal Orchid, Etihad, Asia Miles, EVA Air, IHG, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Qantas

     

    Know what this card is best for:

     

    Terms and Conditions

    Read Full Review

    DBS Altitude Card

    • Get one of the following gifts when you apply for this card, enter the promo code, and spend a minimum of S$500 within the first 30 days from card approval date
      • Nintendo Switch OLED (worth S$549) – Code: SSMAR1
      • Apple iPad 9th Gen (worth S$749) – Code: SSMAR2
      • Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 with MagSafe Charging Case + MagSafe Charger (worth S$408) – Code: SSMAR3
      • S$350 eCapitaVoucher – Code: SSMAR4
    • Promo valid until 30 April 2025
    • Promotion is valid for new DBS/POSB credit cardmembers only
    • Not stackable with other welcome offers from DBS/POSB
    • Must fulfill spending requirement to receive gift confirmation
    • Read Terms and Conditions here

    DBS Altitude Card

    • Earn 1.3 miles per dollar (3.25 DBS Points per S$5) spent locally, including bus and train rides and 2.2 miles per dollar (5.5 DBS Points per S$5) spent on overseas purchases in foreign currency with no minimum monthly spending required and no maximum spending cap
    • This comes with two complimentary lounge passes per 12-month membership period

     

    Annual Fee
    S$196.20 (inclusive of GST), first year waived

     

    Income Requirement

    S$30,000 (locals/PRs); S$45,000 (foreigners)

     

     

    Terms and Conditions

    Read Full Review