Fat Bob's Credit Card Review

[baloo]

We haven't had one of these for a while FB. Get cracking. I've been with the same credit cards for too long now.

[expat yorkshire]

Still with Manhattan $800 cash back or year plus at least 2 gifts
This year got iPod nano and iPhone clock radio.

Amex platinum credit card 50% discount for 2dining at around 30 restaurants

Amex platinum charge card has lots of extras ( free travel insurance/ airport lounge / access to tower club) but fee waiver would be tough

[Fat Bob]

Petrol - use the Citibank Dividend card at Esso: you get station discount plus 5% at the pump, and then a further 5% rebate.Total discount is 14.5% or more at Esso, depending on what the station discount is. Rebate is the same across other companies but you may not get a discount at the forecourt. They also had a great rebate program with restaurants just recently, but failed to tell me until a week before the end date. Gits. Rebate is a cheque every 3 months which is only given if over $50.

General spending - Citibank Premier Miles card still works the best for me, though must stress you have to pay the annual fee to get the best out of it. If you spend more than $50k/year on it, then you get 10k miles (annual fee) + 10k miles (>50k spend) and I think 1.2 miles for every $1 spent. i.e. 50k spend is 80k miles: enough for an economy class seat to a intercontinental destination per year, and also possible to get a business class seat should you want (or build your miles up).

All Citibank cards give you 1-2% rebate at Cold Storage, Giant, Guardian and others of the same group (usable at your next visit with that card), and just doing a 7% discount at Agoda for hotels until the end of the year.

Every time you mention the Manhattan, epy, I look at it, and see the issue. You can get up to 5% cash back, but this is capped at $200/quarter. To get 5% cash back, you have to spend $3k in the month - which I have no issues with. However, 5% of 3x$3k is $450, so after less than 2 months spending, you've maxed out on your cashback, but you HAVE to spend over $3k for 2 out of three months. Too much lost in my view.

If you have Singapore Airlines PPS or Solitaire, I think the Amex Krysflyer PPS/Solitaire cards give good miles, but I ain't PPS/Solitaire and don't have enough knowledge of the cards. The standard Amex Gold Krysflyer gives you double miles with spending at the Singapore Airlines website (note - not at the Silkair website) and if you spend over $5k/year you get extra 50% miles too. You have to work that one if you only buy 2-3 local flights (i.e. work out whether it's worth spending an extra $2-3k on it compared to your other card).

Also, if you shop a lot at Cold Storage, think about getting a PAssion Card. Gives you .66% rebate ($1500 spend gives you $10), which is better than a kick in the teeth. Doubles as an MRT card. Plus other stuff (cheap seat at Cathay cinemas I found out the only time I've not been to Gold Class in umpteen years!)

Wouldn't touch DBS with a barge pole. They are b@st@rds when it comes to who is responsible for unauthorised spending. Or at least were when I left them 8-10 years ago.

[Scrummy Mummy]

Only thing I'd warn against with Amex is it took us 6 months to close our account after we left Singapore as they kept screwing up. After loads of phone calls to the call centre which achieved nothing, I did a company search and wrote to the directors in London and New York. It then got sorted out PDQ!

[Kooky]

Amex (Krisflyer) - also shit re. fraudulent use of card.

[Fat Bob]

Never had a problem with Amex about fraud. Well, aside from fraud actually happening on a card I closed, but they sorted it immediately.

[baloo]

Agree, I've been an Amex Krisflyer cc holder for many years and have never had a problem. The one time I had fraudulent use, I reported it, got a new card couriered out the next day and all charges removed from my bill without any hassle.

[Lichtgestalt]

I had once something like 600 SGD on the Amex card and it took ages for them to acknowledge that it couldn't have been me (was on a mountain on the day the charge was made to the card)

[expat yorkshire]

Fat bob

I normally seek to spend 4k in one month and then not use the card again for 2 months . You don't have to spend 3k in two consequtive months to max the cash payment

Epy

[T2K]

I use the Citibank dividend card since I like getting cash back and I don't need miles (get plenty through regular work travel).

Question: I see that a SGD150 annual fee and then a SGD10 GST on annual fee line item just appeared on my statement. Is it worth trying to call and get it waived? I spend about SGD100,000/yr on the card (lots of work expenses).

Advice appreciated.

[expat yorkshire]

I have never paid a annual credit card fee in Singapore

I have even had fees waived when I have had zero spending on the card

[Fat Bob]

I use the Citibank dividend card since I like getting cash back and I don't need miles (get plenty through regular work travel).

Question: I see that a SGD150 annual fee and then a SGD10 GST on annual fee line item just appeared on my statement. Is it worth trying to call and get it waived? I spend about SGD100,000/yr on the card (lots of work expenses).

Advice appreciated.

Yes, you can ask, they may give you a penalty depending on the card. For instance, on the Premiermiles card, you would lose the 10k annual milage.

[expat yorkshire]

What about this one far bob

hsbc infinite

30,000 air miles
$1 one air mile

http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/personal/car ... redit-card

[Fat Bob]

I hadn't seen that one, and it is by invitation. But I'm sure if you said "I'm interested in being invited" they'd call you! Yr 1 looks good, especially for overseas spend, whilst year 2 depends on year 1 spending:

Citibank Premiermiles card: SGD50k spending plus annual fee gives you 80k miles.
SGD75k spending plus annual fee gives you 110k miles
HSBC Infinite card: SGD50k spending plus annual fee gives you (say 80% is local spend) 90k miles in year one and 72.5k miles in year two
SGD75k (80% local) spending plus annual fee gives you 120k miles in year 1 and 127.5k in year two.

So if you're spending over SGD75k per year, then HSBC Infinitie card is the best.

[T2K]

Will call Citibank and see. The cash dividend is about 150/qtr so it covers the annual fee quite well. But still, the principle of it. Thx

[Kooky]

All you CC watchers might be interested in the BA Amex http://www.britishairways.com/travel/cr ... blic/en_gb

(Check the APR )

[Fat Bob]

What about this one far bob

hsbc infinite

30,000 air miles
$1 one air mile

http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/personal/car ... redit-card

I got invited to join this. The join up fee is $488, plus mileage program fee of $40!

Benefits include:
Infinite Travel and Lifestyle Butlers to take care of your every need
One-way limousine transfer to the airport
Private check-in service at JetQuay Terminal
Access to over 600 VIP airport lounges globally, for supplementary cardholders as well
Expedited immigration clearance in major airports within Asia
Travel accident coverage of up to US$2 million

Plus their miles. Nah!

[expat yorkshire]

Dbsb has a new card .

Not to be used for any spending but just take the free gifts

Free feed at Raffles card 50% discount For 2

And the VIP lounge card only valid for 2 visits

[expat yorkshire]

Is that unlimited louge visits bob

P

What about this one far bob

hsbc infinite

30,000 air miles
$1 one air mile

http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/personal/car ... redit-card

I got invited to join this. The join up fee is $488, plus mileage program fee of $40!

Benefits include:
Infinite Travel and Lifestyle Butlers to take care of your every need
One-way limousine transfer to the airport
Private check-in service at JetQuay Terminal
Access to over 600 VIP airport lounges globally, for supplementary cardholders as well
Expedited immigration clearance in major airports within Asia
Travel accident coverage of up to US$2 million

Plus their miles. Nah!

[Fat Bob]

At $488 per year, then I reckon PriortyPass will let me in for free in comparison.

Overall, It's like a lot of bank products at the mo: they want to charge you a lot for the things you don't actually use.

[Fat Bob]

Just seen a UOB branded Amex card that looks good for miles:

UOB PRVI Miles Platinum Card

I'm currently midway through the year with my Citibank Premiermiles card, so will miss out on the 10k bonus if I swap over now.

This could be my leap back to local banks!:o

[expat yorkshire]

Bloody HSBC Infinity

I broke my golden rule and paid an annual fee of $460 for this card which included priority pass ,free airport transfer , jet quay and fast track at passport control.

Now they have changed the T&C so that these privileges are only available if you spend $5k per quarter

[Kooky]

Guess there were too many like-minded people then.

Very easy to spend $5k a quarter, I'd have thought. We use one main card for everything (non-biz) and ours is easily that a month.

[Fat Bob]

SGD5k/quarter? Easy peasy lemon squreezy.

[JJ]

OK. So after going through a load of shite with HSBC of late, I have now decided that I cannot centralise my finances with one institution. So, I have decided to a) open a local bank account and b) get a new additional CC

so questions on local banks: which one? I have heard good things about both DBS and OCBC. Ummmm... any difference one way or the other?

and question on CC: Amex or Citibank? Recently my HSBC CC got blocked because someone was using it in Philippines... I heard (from friends in AUS) that Amex are brilliant about that kind of thing (as opposed to HSBC who told me I had to check my statement and then make a report to get any monies back despite having paid for card insurance) but from above it doesn't seem so here in Asia. Recommendations?

I know that there are alot of recos on this thread but seem to be a bit out of date, so was wondering if there were any more recent recommendations? I am rubbish at this kind of thing. Thanks!