How to Crush the Credit Card Miles Game in 2024 | Seedly PFF 2024

Summary

In a panel discussion, experts delve into the world of credit card 'miles games', sharing personal experiences and strategies for maximizing rewards. They discuss the impact of recent credit card 'nerfs', the importance of adapting card strategies, and offer insights into the best practices for earning and redeeming miles. The conversation covers the benefits of various credit cards, the value of transfer partners, and the potential for accelerated mile accumulation through sign-up bonuses and stacking rewards.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker initially got the U preferred platinum credit card without fully understanding credit card strategies, leading to overspending to earn bonus miles.
• 📈 The panel discussion focuses on navigating credit card rewards, known as 'mouse games,' to maximize travel rewards like free flights.
• ✂️ There have been significant 'nerfs' or reductions in credit card rewards in 2024, impacting popular cards and making it harder to accumulate miles.
• 👉 Despite nerfs, the speaker suggests that strategic card usage and adapting to changes in terms and conditions can still yield substantial rewards.
• 🔑 The importance of knowing one's spending habits and selecting the right credit cards to match is emphasized for effective rewards accumulation.
• 🌐 The discussion highlights the value of diversifying credit card rewards across different frequent flyer programs to maximize redemption options.
• 💡 The panelists recommend redeeming miles for premium travel experiences, such as first or business class, to get the most value.
• 🚫 The script advises against using miles for economy class tickets with the hope of upgrading, due to the cost and uncertainty of upgrades.
• 🔄 The concept of 'stacking' rewards by combining credit card bonuses with additional loyalty programs or platforms is introduced as a strategy to accelerate mile earning.
• 🎯 The panelists suggest focusing on cards that offer 4 miles per dollar or more, aligning with spending habits, to fast-track rewards accumulation.
• ⏰ The time required to earn enough miles for a business class flight can be significantly reduced by leveraging sign-up bonuses and stacking opportunities.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the panel discussion?

The main theme of the panel discussion is about credit card strategies for accumulating miles, also known as 'Mouse', for free flights and the major changes to these strategies in the current year.

Why did the speaker initially get the U preferred platinum credit card?

The speaker got the U preferred platinum credit card because it was recommended as a staple for those who want to join the 'mouse game', despite not knowing much about credit cards initially.

What is the term 'mouse game' referring to in this context?

In this context, 'mouse game' refers to the strategies and tactics used to earn and accumulate airline miles or points, which can be redeemed for free flights.

What is the significance of 'Nerfs' in the context of credit card rewards?

'Nerfs' in this context refers to the reduction or limitation of rewards or benefits on credit cards, such as cutting bonus caps or reducing earn rates.

What changes have been made to the DBS Women's World card in 2024?

In 2024, the bonus cap for the DBS Women's World card for online spending has been reduced from 2,000 per month to 1,500.

How has the UOB lady Solitaire card been affected by nerfs?

The UOB lady Solitaire card used to earn six miles per dollar on $3,000 of spending every month, but now it earns four miles per dollar on 2,000 every month.

What is the impact of the changes on the HSBC Revolution card from May?

From May, the HSBC Revolution card will no longer offer 1% extra cash back on the everyday Global account, and it will tighten its bonus categories by excluding supermarkets, fast food, and food delivery.

What is the panel's advice on adapting to the changes in credit card rewards programs?

The panel advises that while nerfs are part of the game, it's important to adapt strategies by reshuffling card usage, focusing on maximizing opportunities with different cards, and performing additional actions to restore previous rewards.

What are some best practices to avoid pitfalls in the 'mouse game'?

Best practices include being clear about which cards are suitable for one's spending habits, ensuring points can be effectively redeemed, and understanding the purpose of accumulating miles to avoid devaluation over time.

How can working adults effectively redeem their miles according to the panel?

The panel suggests redeeming miles for first or business class travel to maximize the value of the experience, avoiding economy class upgrades, and considering different transfer partners for better redemption options.

What are some of the top credit cards for earning miles according to the panelists?

The panelists mention cards like U preferred Platinum Visa for contactless payments, UOB Visa Signature for contactless transactions, DBS Women's World card for online spending, HSBC Revolution for various categories, and UOB Lady's card for specific bonus categories.

How long would it take for someone spending 1.5k a month to redeem a round trip to the US on a SQ business class?

Without considering welcome offers or stacking, it would take approximately 3 years of spending 1.5k a month to accumulate enough miles for a round trip to the US on a SQ business class.

What is the importance of leveraging sign-up bonuses in the 'mouse game'?

Leveraging sign-up bonuses is crucial as they provide a significant amount of miles for a relatively small amount of spending, accelerating the accumulation of miles towards a goal.

What is the concept of 'stacking' in the context of credit card rewards?

Stacking refers to the practice of earning miles from multiple programs or platforms in addition to credit card rewards, such as using a payment platform like Kris Plus to earn extra miles on top of credit card miles.

Why might a person choose to redeem for a one-way business class flight first?

A person might choose to redeem for a one-way business class flight first to try the experience without committing to a large accumulation of miles, and then decide if it's worth continuing the journey based on their satisfaction.

Outlines

00:00

💳 Introduction to Credit Card Strategies and Mileage Collection

The speaker begins with a personal anecdote about their initial experience with credit cards and how they learned to optimize their spending to earn more rewards. The session is aimed at those interested in maximizing credit card rewards for travel, specifically discussing 'Mouse games', which is a colloquial term for credit card reward strategies. The panel includes experts who will discuss changes in credit card reward programs, how to convert spending into miles, and which credit cards offer the fastest way to earn free flights. The conversation also touches on the trend of credit card 'nerfs', or reductions in rewards, and how to adapt strategies accordingly.

05:00

📉 Impact of Credit Card Reward Reductions and Adaptation Strategies

This paragraph delves into the specifics of credit card reward reductions in 2024, highlighting how popular cards like the DBS Women's World and UOB Lady's Solitaire have seen their bonus caps and earning rates reduced. The speaker also mentions 'soft nerfs', which make it harder to accumulate miles without directly cutting rates. Despite these changes, the speaker advises maintaining perspective, as some banks have introduced promotions that offer high rewards for certain spending behaviors. The summary emphasizes the need for cardholders to adapt their strategies in response to these changes.

10:02

🧐 Best Practices for Avoiding Declines in Mileage Earning

The discussion shifts to best practices for maintaining mileage earnings despite the challenges. The first expert suggests clarity on which credit cards are most suitable for an individual's needs to avoid having leftover points in multiple accounts. The second expert emphasizes the importance of knowing one's purpose for chasing miles, whether it's for lifestyle upgrades or financial capacity for luxury travel. The advice is to understand the purpose before engaging in mileage games to avoid mismanaging rewards that may expire unused.

15:03

🎫 Effective Redemption of Miles for Travel

The conversation continues with strategies on how working adults can effectively redeem their miles. One panelist advocates for redeeming miles for first or business class travel to gain experiences that would otherwise be unaffordable. The advice includes avoiding buying economy class tickets with the hope of upgrading, due to the high cost and uncertainty of upgrades. Another panelist suggests looking beyond a single frequent flyer program and considering different transfer partners to maximize the value of miles spent.

20:05

🏦 Assessing the Value Proposition of Credit Cards for Miles

This section focuses on how to assess the overall value of a credit card in terms of mile earning potential. The panelists discuss the importance of ease of use and transfer partners, which can significantly impact the effectiveness of earning and redeeming miles. They also mention the value of having a diverse set of credit cards to adapt to changes in reward programs and to maximize the benefits from different spending categories.

🛫 Top Credit Cards for Miles Accumulation

The panelists share their top picks for credit cards that offer the best miles accumulation. They discuss cards that provide high miles per dollar spent, especially those that reward specific methods of payment or spending categories. The importance of taking advantage of welcome offers for new cardholders is highlighted, as these offers can significantly boost mile earnings. The discussion includes a variety of cards that cater to different spending habits and preferences.

⏱ Timeframe to Redeem for a Business Class Flight

The final paragraph addresses the question of how long it might take for someone with a monthly spend of 1.5k to save enough miles for a round trip business class flight to the US. The panelists calculate that without taking advantage of welcome offers or stacking miles from different programs, it could take approximately 3 years. However, they emphasize the importance of leveraging sign-up bonuses and stacking opportunities to accelerate the miles accumulation process, potentially reducing the time needed to achieve this goal.

Keywords

💡Credit Cards

Credit cards are financial tools that allow users to borrow money to pay for goods and services. In the context of the video, they are essential for earning 'miles' or rewards points, which are part of the 'miles game' discussed. The script mentions various credit cards like the 'U preferred platinum credit card' and strategies for maximizing rewards.

💡Miles Game

The 'miles game' refers to the strategy of using credit card rewards to accumulate 'miles' or points that can be redeemed for travel benefits, such as flights or upgrades. The video's theme revolves around optimizing this game for better travel rewards, as illustrated by the discussion on credit card choices and spending habits.

💡Bonus Cap

A 'bonus cap' is the maximum amount of spending that qualifies for bonus rewards points within a certain period, often a month. The script discusses changes to bonus caps on certain credit cards, such as the DBS Women's World card, which affects the 'miles game' by limiting the potential rewards earned.

💡Miles Per Dollar

This term refers to the rate at which rewards points or 'miles' are earned for each dollar spent using a credit card. It is a key concept in the video, as different cards offer different rates, and the goal is to maximize this rate to earn more rewards, as mentioned with cards like the UOB lady Solitaire.

💡Nerfs

In the context of the video, 'nerfs' refer to reductions or limitations imposed on credit card rewards programs, making them less rewarding. The script mentions 'nerfs' to popular credit cards, which is a significant trend impacting the 'miles game' and the strategies players must adopt.

💡Redemption

Redemption in the video refers to the process of exchanging accumulated 'miles' for travel benefits, such as free flights or upgrades. The discussion on the best practices for the 'miles game' includes how to effectively redeem miles, as emphasized by the advice on avoiding economy class tickets for upgrades.

💡Transfer Partners

Transfer partners are programs or airlines with which a bank or credit card company has an agreement to transfer points or 'miles' earned on credit cards to their frequent flyer programs. The script highlights the importance of considering transfer partners to maximize the value of miles, as with the HSBC travel one card.

💡Welcome Offers

Welcome offers are promotional rewards given to new credit card members for meeting certain spending requirements within a specified period. The script suggests that maximizing welcome offers is crucial for earning a significant number of miles quickly, which can accelerate the 'miles game'.

💡Stacking

Stacking, in the context of the video, means combining multiple rewards-earning methods to maximize the number of miles earned from a single transaction. The script mentions stacking as a strategy to increase the average earn rate beyond the standard miles per dollar, such as using both a credit card and a payment platform like Kris Plus.

💡Frequent Flyer Programs

Frequent flyer programs are loyalty programs offered by airlines that allow members to earn and redeem miles for flights or other travel-related rewards. The video discusses the importance of choosing the right program for maximizing the value of miles, with examples given for programs like Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

💡Business Class

Business class is a higher class of air travel service that offers more comfort and amenities than economy class. The video emphasizes the value of redeeming miles for business class travel as a way to enhance the travel experience, which is a central theme in the pursuit of the 'miles game'.

Highlights

Introduction to personal story about learning the ropes of the miles game through trial and error.

Discussion on major changes to miles game in 2024, highlighting nerfs to popular credit cards like DBS Women's World and UOB Lady Solitaire.

Insight into how banks are tightening their belts and introducing 'soft nerfs' to miles accumulation.

Example of recent promotions, such as the Bank of China's uncap 7-8 miles per dollar on the BC Elite Miles Card.

Explanation of the necessity to adapt card strategy in response to changing terms and conditions.

Best practices for avoiding pitfalls in the miles game, including choosing suitable bank cards and managing points effectively.

Advice on the purpose behind chasing miles, emphasizing understanding personal goals like luxury travel or upgrading lifestyle.

Tips on effective miles redemption, advocating for first or business class travel over economy.

Importance of diversifying miles accumulation through different frequent flyer programs and transfer partners.

Assessment of the overall value proposition of a miles card, considering ease of use and transfer partners.

Suggestions for top five miles credit cards, emphasizing cards that offer four miles per dollar and specialized spending categories.

Additional card recommendations like Citi Prestige for paying bills and DBS Vantage for its benefits despite high annual fees.

Explanation of stacking strategies, such as using the Kris+ app for additional miles on top of credit card miles.

Calculation of time needed to redeem a round trip to the US on SQ business class, emphasizing the impact of leveraging sign-up bonuses and stacking.

Final advice on planning miles accumulation journey and considering single-way business class redemptions initially.

Transcripts

hi good afternoon everyone so before I

begin I have a very short personal story

to share when I first started working I

didn't know much about credit cards and

upon recommendations by many people I

got the U preferred platinum credit card

because it's said to be a staple if you

want to join a mouse game but L I know I

actually spend more than I needed to and

I hit the spending um cap that I need to

earn my earn to earn my bonus Mouse and

then from there I started to feel really

silly so I started reading more blogs

and I learned more from there so if you

have been like me before and you want to

chase your mouse games you want to go

for your dream vacations and redeem for

free flights this is the panel for you

today we'll be covering about what are

the major changes to Mouse games this

year how do you convert major Live

Events and daily expenses to large stash

of mouses and also which collection of

Mouse cards will get you flying for free

the fastest so today I have a panel of

experts with me I have Aron Wong founder

of the Mal lion SEF we founder of

satisfi and also chis Chong here founder

of honey honey money SG so today let me

kick off um sharing a little bit more

asking a little bit more about what are

the upcoming Trends so Ain

um for this year year we have been

seeing quite a lot of credit card Nerfs

more than Buffs so what can we expect um

for the upcoming rest of the year

because we are seeing so much nerves in

credit card's mouth yeah yeah look uh I

think 2024 has gotten off to a rough

start for the mes game there's there

there's no hiding the fact right it it's

only April and already we've seen some

some big Nerfs to some of the most

popular Mouse cards in Singapore so for

example the DBS Women's World card which

is a very popular option for online

spending uh the bonus cap has been cut

from 2,000 per month to 1,5 uh your UOB

lady Solitaire used to earn six miles

per dollar on $3,000 of spending every

month now that's four miles per dollar

on 2,000 every month um HSBC Revolution

uh from May there's going to be no more

1% extra cash back on the everyday

Global account so I could really go on

and on and that that's not even talking

about uh what I call the so-called soft

nerves uh which don't involve an

outright cut to the earn rates or the

bonus caps uh but still make it harder

to accumulate miles um so case in point

from uh may this year uh HSBC Revolution

is going to be tightening its bonus

categories by excluding things like

supermarkets uh fast food and food

delivery and keep in mind that this is

actually their second Nerf this year

because in January they are excluded

hotels uh Airbnb and uh travel agencies

like CL and trip.com so yeah I I do

think that to an extent uh the writing

is on the wall and the banks are

starting to tighten their belts uh but

at the same time I know it's it's

tempting to shout that the sky is

falling uh but some perspective is

necessary right because Nerfs are as

unpleasant as they are are still a

natural part of the miles game right A

Bank realizes that a particular

incentive or promotion has fulfilled its

purpose so they kill it and we moove on

right it's happened before it'll happen

again and besides it's not all gloom and

doom because we have seen some very good

promotions of late so uh just last month

Bank of China of all people offered an

uncap 7 to8 miles per dollar on the BC

Elite Miles Card which is pretty insane

if you think about it uh and just

yesterday um American Express announced

that it's going to be offering uh its

existing customers the new customer

welcome bonus uh which again is very

surprising because this group of people

uh normally gets very very little so I

think in terms of Trends uh this year

what we might see uh maybe not so much

outright nervs but perhaps Banks making

it uh making people work harder for the

same reward so I think a great example

which I mentioned earlier is the UOB

ladies card uh for a whole year people

could earn six miles per dollar on their

spending which is almost too good to be

true uh now the earn rate has reverted

to the regular four miles per dollar but

those who open a UOB lady savings

account and put in $10,000 can earn an

additional two miles per dollar uh which

more or less restores the previous six m

per dollar rate um so yeah I I think

that's an example of the bank saying

okay you know we might call time on this

promotion uh but we're going to still

let you enjoy it if you perform these

additional actions as well yeah so if I

interpret what you have sh correctly can

I say that it will be a lot harder to

earn Mouse this year I wouldn't

necessarily say harder as such because

like they said opportunities come and go

I do think that there will be some

necessary reshuffling of your card

strategy so for example with reduce caps

on the DBS Woman's World card and the

UOB ladies card you're going to have to

shift some of your spending over to

other cards like say HSBC Revolution

ocbc rewards uh so on so Chris Li UOB

for example um so it's not so much that

it's harder it's just that um the

opportunities are still there uh but you

know obviously your strategy has to

adapt as tncs change because that's just

part and parcel of what of what we do

okay then in that case right maybe I

post my next question to se and inas so

what are some of the best practices that

you have adopted to avoid any Peak Falls

for um the mouse games maybe you start

with s first yeah I think you first need

to be very clear what kind of cards are

suitable for you right because if you

look at different bank cards and you see

something that's four miles and you go

for that and then you see something

that's six miles and you go for that

right you may end up with multiple

accounts with left over points in both

accounts and you don't have enough to

redeem your your mouth yeah so I think

you need to be very clear which bank

cards are the most suitable for you and

then you go for that bank card right you

you need to make sure you are able to

redeem your points effectively otherwise

four mes per dollar may be zero mes of

dollar if you don't hit the minimum

required yeah how about Chris yeah I

guess um from a financial independent

standpoint right A lot of people maybe

when you start with credit cards you

start with cash back then maybe this is

the first time you are hearing about

Mouse I think the fundamental reason is

that why do you want to chase Mouse I

think people chase Mouse for a variety

of different reasons they may want to

upgrade their lifestyle they may want to

finally have the financial capacity to

um take on luxury travel so before you

even embark on the mouse game I think

you need to know your purpose otherwise

um you may not even know why you are

changing Mouse and sometimes it may just

expire since your mouse and points are

all over the place so it's a lot of

management it is SL slightly more um

work required And Delay gratification

from cashback so know your purpose in

why you're accumulating Mouse I think

that's a very good sharing on U knowing

what you need versus um what you

actually want so um my next question

would actually for be for Arin so since

you have been on multiple frequent flyer

programs how do you think working adults

can effectively redeem

mouss yeah I think you were talking

about best bank for your buck and I

realize that people are going to feel

very differently on this topic I've

always been an advocate of redeeming

your moues for first or business class

travel uh with the main reason being

that most of us if we really had to

could probably afford to pay for an

economy class ticket but you know most

people would probably not be willing or

able to pay for first or business class

so that's kind of like what I see as the

sorry it sounds wishy-washy the magic of

the mouse game right is that it allows

you to have experiences you wouldn't

otherwise have been able to have and so

I always tend to Advocate redemptions

for first and business class over

economy uh I also recommend people uh

not to buy economy class tickets with

the hope of upgrading using their miles

uh two main reasons number one uh the

type of economy class tickets you can

typically upgrade are the more expensive

ones right so it could cost you in some

worst case scenarios almost as much as a

premium economy ticket even uh secondly

that buying an upgradable ticket is no

guarantee you can actually upgrade

because you're still subject to the same

sort of inventory controls that are

available for say business class suits

as well um I also think that it's

helpful to look Beyond just Chris flyer

uh one good Trend we've seen of late is

that more banks are starting to add

different Transfer Partners uh HSBC

travel one is a great example of this um

they have more than 20 Partners now

which is quite unprecedented for

Singapore because For the Longest Time

most of the banks would just have Chris

flyer and nabe Asia Mouse and all of a

sudden we have 20 plus programs each of

those programs has their own sweet spots

some may be more useful for Long Haul

travel some better for short Hall travel

right and by being able to identify

where that value lies

the same amount of spending can get you

a bigger reward with certain programs

than others so that's what we really

talk about when we say about maximizing

sweet spots yeah then in that case do

you have a recommended frequent flyer

program at least for yourself just for

the audience understanding yeah I think

look there's nothing wrong with Chris f

as such I think it's it's a very good

startup program it's very easy to earn

mes with it partners with all the banks

in Singapore and you're going to find

many opportunities to earn Chris Li m

even outside of your credit card right

whether it's with a platform like chis

plus whether you're pumping trro with

ESO whether you're shopping at ncuc and

earning link points uh but beyond PR

flyer there are also other programs that

can offer potentially even better value

so for example uh maybe some of you

might want to earn points to say Qatar

Airways privileg privilege club uh

because their Redemption rates from

Singapore to Europe in business class

actually require fewer miles than

Singapore Airlines and you know when you

think about a car like the city rewards

for example that earns four miles per

dollar and all of your spending that

could be four Chris fer miles it could

be four it could be four qu uh cut Qatar

miles so to the extent that Singapore

airline that Qatar Airways charges fewer

miles and Singapore Airlines for the

same route is basically same uh is

basically a smaller amount of spending

to get the same kind of reward um and I

I think that there's also value in

looking um at other programs as well

Singapore airlin is part of Star

Alliance right but you may also want to

look at programs that are part of one

world that part of Sky Team the whole

reason being that if everyone is chasing

the Chris Li award seeds it's obviously

a lot harder to redeem on the dates you

want but if you have currencies of other

programs like one world or Sky Team well

you're kind of like spreading out your

your mouth you have more opportunities

maybe a better chance of snagging

especially around pck periods so the key

here is actually kind of like

diversifying it diversifying amounts

absolutely yeah okay then maybe I bring

this uh question back to SEF so how do

you assess the overall um proposition

overall value POS proposition of a mouse

cut because you were sharing that um you

need to know you can't just go for four

or six yeah how do you do that I think

Beyond just the earn rate right I think

the ease of use is very important right

if you have a card that is very

difficult to use but give you a lot of

mouse you may not be able to earn

effectively right so for example U

preferred Platinum that's a very easy

card to use you get four Mouse

practically anywhere you can pay with

yeah so that is actually another

consideration when you pick a card and

like Aaron mentioned Transfer Partners

are very important because if you want

to fly to Taiwan for example right SQ is

like maybe 33,000 miles for Taiwan don't

look at me yeah uh ever air ever air is

25,000 yeah so it's like 20 30% off

already and also you can use ever a

mouse to book SQ flights for cheaper

right to Osaka I think I was searching

up last night it's 104,000 on SQ it's

880,000 on EV a it's a SQ business class

flight so you're using EV a mouse to

redeem for SQ so Transfer Partners are

also important ah okay that's a new

insight for me as well then how about

Chris what uh what other Alternatives or

perspectives do you have for this yeah I

guess um let's come from the perspective

of if you are from a cashback cam you're

switching from a to a mouse cam right

some of you maybe you are enchanted on

this unlimited Mouse credit cards right

like DBS altitude CT premium Mouse

because you think that you are unable to

accumul ulate such a big number of miles

in a short period of time and you are

afraid of the expiry and the truth is

that the longer time you take aous may

actually devalue over time right they

are just as susceptible to inflation

just as your cash so the thing is that

when we are embarking on the mouse game

we should not only look at this 1.2 mes

per dollar and no no expiry dates kind

of cut I know that they are easy to use

they have less conditions But ultimately

if you really want to Fast Track Your

Mouse game you should only look at cards

that are four mile per dollar and above

provided that they meet your spending

habits so this is something that you

have to take note if you are a beginner

embarking on the mouse game don't just

look at unlimited Mouse credit

cards okay thanks for the sharing so I

think our audience here will have this

question in mind it's actually something

that I personally feel very curious

about what are the top five Mouse credit

cards are you guys holding

now yeah um first first I just want to

caveat that I'm coming from the position

of someone who is no longer eligible for

any welcome offers uh because if you are

I think you should actually look at

maximizing your welcome offers first

your sign up bonuses uh because these

are opportunities for you to earn a big

chunk of miles for a relatively low

amount of spending uh but assuming the

welcome bonuses aren't in the picture

assuming you've already used that then

I'd say um I think Chris hit the nail on

the head when you're saying that as far

as possible the goal is to earn 4 miles

per dollar on as much as you can

right because um if you just put

everything on on a general spending card

like say your city Premier M card or

your DBS altitude nothing wrong with

that as such but obviously

mathematically speaking someone who

earns 1.2 1.3 miles per dollar on on all

their spend is going to be earning their

free vacation three times slower than

someone who's earning an average of four

miles per dollar everywhere so when I

think about uh specialized spending

cards I I split them into two categories

I think about those that reward certain

methods of payment uh for example uh s

mentioned that you will be preferred

Platinum Visa that's a great option uh

add it to your phone every time there's

contactless payments you earn four miles

per dollar uh kep at about 1,100 a month

uh if you're bigger spender than that

you can also consider the UOB Visa

signature uh U Visa signature provided

you spend a minimum of a th000 a month

you earn four miles per dollar on all

your contactless transactions up to

2,000 a month and that's a very wide

range because it it could be

supermarkets it could be hairdresser it

could be a department store uh beyond

that I think it's good to have a DBS

Women's World card which despite the

name men can also apply for uh even

though the bonus cap has been lowered uh

think about it most of us do so many

online transactions on a given day we

don't even think about it right your go

jet your grab rights deliver room

ordering groceries online shopping

Lazada you need to have a specialized

spending card for online spend the DBS

wom's World card does that for four

miles per dollar uh and then I think

about cards that can help meet certain

categor of spending so for example

things like dining shopping Etc uh I

know the HSBC Revolution is losing a bit

of its shine but it will still be useful

for things like restaurants department

stores uh online shopping uh I'm also a

big advocate of the UOB ladies card

which again is not gender specific not

anymore uh I use the U lady solitary

with uh family and travel as my bonus

categories so that allows me to earn uh

4 miles per dollar on my grocery

shopping uh as well as my old overseas

hotels Airlines so on so forth so yeah I

think among these cards here oh sorry

we're supposed to do five right I need

one more okay City rewards at plus a

maze right uh City rewards card gives

you four miles per dollar for all of

your online spending uh and the great

thing about a maze if you not heard

about a maze you should go go go and

Google ma and am me written a lot about

it um it turns all your transactions

online so whether you're using it uh in

a restaurant physically in a restaurant

or physically in a store it doesn't

matter you pair your city rewards with

the amze and that's 4 miles per

on the first $1,000 of spending uh every

month so those are probably the five

cards that see the most rotation with

beIN my wallet how about you SE yeah I

think it's pretty much covers it uh but

I would like to add maybe um City

Prestige or you know one of the City

bank cards because you can use City pay

all to pay your bills like Insurance

income tax or unofficially you can pay a

family member and then you are

essentially buying Mouse by paying the

service fee yeah and I think that's a

very good way to clock up a lot of Mouse

without actually making spend of course

you're paying for the mouse itself but

that still gets you discounted business

class seats I see so everyone heard

right City Prestige we have a boo

outside so if you have any questions you

can go there how about you Chris yeah I

think Aaron covered pretty much the most

um popular credit cards and then have

touch on City Prestige maybe I cover two

more that um not be cover it number one

is DBS Vantage this is a fairly new cut

just launched last year by DBS um and

yeah the the thing about DBS Vantage is

that I know they have very high Annual

fees close to $600 per year yes I know

it's very expensive but what it comes

with is the complimentary Accord Plus

Membership that allows you to maybe stay

in some of these very nice hotels by a

call and also the fact that they give

you 10 10 priority pass membership

launch per per year and also the fact

they give you 1.5 mes per dollar on thir

payment processes like cab I think if

you if you can hit the income range and

you apply for this card definitely

you'll get very good value the other

card that I want to talk about is the ax

high flyer card and I know that not many

people may have heard of this card

basically it gives you um 1.8 mes per

dollar on generous spend that accepts

American Express but the other benefit

is that they give you up to 8.5 mes per

dollar if you buy if you use it to buy

on your corporate portal Singapore

Airlines flights so it's really suitable

for those people who have a business you

n um whether you are a s proprietor or

you run a private limited company as a

director then maybe you can take a look

at this high flyer card um 8.5 mil per

dollar I I think is a very very good

deal for Singapore Airlines flights

thank you gentlemen for saving for

sharing the seven cards um if all of you

haven't really captured all the seven

cards right I think you all can approach

the three of them after this session

maybe just one last bonus question um I

think ke and self are not aware but ER

is aware maybe we make a guess first so

how long do you think it will take a

person who spends 1.5k a month to redeem

a round treat to us on a SQ business

treat business class sorry yeah so let's

look at it uh mathematically right let's

let's do the math uh Singapore the USA

roundtrip business class is

214,000 Miles uh let's take the best

case scenario where you earn four miles

per dollar on everything which I think

you should be I don't think it's too

unrealistic uh that's $54,000 of

spending so if you spend 1.5k a month

it's 36 months or 3 years now I know

that sounds like a very long period of

time but two more assumptions we've had

here number one is that there's no

welcome offers and number two there's no

stacking right because welcome offers as

I mentioned are so crucial for you

achieving whatever Milestone you have a

whole lot faster so for example right

now there's an offer for the ax Chris

flyer credit card right that is Ed

30,000 miles with $500 of spending uh to

that you could stack like say the city

premium Miles Card uh $30,000 Mi for

$800 of spend or maybe the HSBC travel

one which is 20,000 miles for $500 of

spending so now what do we have right we

spent 1,800 but we already have 80,000

miles which is almost halfway towards

your goal ER pause I want them to guess

how it's a bit more okay you finish

sharing first oh sorry no uh yeah so I

was just saying that the whole idea is

that it doesn't have to be 36 months

right if you're able to use the welcome

bonuses which are very big payoffs for

relatively small amount of spend you're

really going to be uh reaching that goal

a whole lot faster I'm so sorry got

carried away no it's okay um maybe

before you review the answer Seth you

want to guess how long or just Googling

which airline gives the best Mouse

Redemption because I think yeah

Singapore a is

214,000 but I'm sure there's another

airline which will offer maybe less but

that's if you're okay with the airline

how about you yeah yeah so I I just

check the Chris Li Award chart like from

Singapore Singapore Airlines to maybe

the US I think it's around 100,000 over

miles per way so if you're looking at a

return trip that's 200,000 over miles

200,000 over miles I think you need to

really leverage on sign up bonuses right

sign up bonuses are those that they

require you to spend a certain amount

once you hit that amount they give you

um this um huge Chun of moue right like

for example the DBS vage right new to

DBS hit the minimum span of $4,000 you

get 80,000 miles as a new customer

that's almost half the better one really

80,000 miles then maybe you can look at

other sign up offers like the D DBS

altitude or the Standard Charter Journey

card all these will give you another

100,000 over mouss then the rest are

from your normal spending I think if you

have a significant Big Ticket item like

weddings or you're doing up your house

renovation and even third party payment

processes um all this can really help to

accelerate your mouse accumulation

Journey so it may be even faster than

you

think okay so aan you want to review the

answer now sorry what was I say yeah I

was so yeah I think like it's been

mentioned right the whole idea is that

you leverage the sign up bonuses uh

because those are big chance of miles

that you can earn uh when you're new to

bank uh but I also mentioned about uh um

the second way I I talked about is in

addition to sign up bonuses you should

talk about stacking right so what

stacking basically means is that in

addition to your credit card Mouse you

also earn miles from a different uh

program or platform when you spend so a

great example is Chris plus I think I

mentioned it before right uh Chris plus

is Singapore Airlines uh payment

platform that partners with different

restaurants and uh retail Merchants

lifestyle Merchants stuff like that uh

every time you you use the Chris Plus

app you earn anywhere between 1 to nine

extra miles per dollar uh on top of your

credit card miles so best a scenario

boom that's 13 miles right there yeah so

uh these are just ways that you can look

out for aition opportunities to increase

your average earn rate Beyond Just 4

miles per dollar to something even

higher 5 six even 7 miles per dollar um

always be on the lookout for these

opportunities don't leave miles on the

table and I think that you know if you

do that your roundt trip business class

ticket to the US is definitely not three

years it could even be as little as

maybe one and a half years without

having to spend an insane amount of

money every

month although sa rate I think you also

need to book One Year in advance correct

,000 so yeah whatever how much time you

need to earn those Mouse and then maybe

one more year because yeah you you need

to book in advance yeah the space opens

355 days in advance so always uh camp

out and try and grab it I see I see so

about whatever you have planned plus one

more year that would be that would be

yeah maybe I add one last point maybe

your first Redemption you don't need to

do two-way business class maybe you just

want to try one time then maybe you see

hey like not not what I expected then

okay then next time you don't need to

change mouth so hard anymore but if you

really like it then you continue the

journey because M's accumulation is

really um quite a long long journey for

people I don't think I heard anyone take

Business Club and say they don't

[Laughter]

like maybe maybe the thing the journey

today is not worth it though okay I

realize we don't have much time now so

um with that we have reached the end on

our panel if you have any questions you

can reach us at the Sil boo outside or

you can approach the tree gentleman down

the stage as well thank you so much

everyone thank you

[Music]