Citi expands PayAll categories

If you have a Citi credit card in Singapore you’ll probably recall that the bank recently added the Citi PayAll function, allowing you to settle rent payments to your private landlord or education bills using your card to earn Citi Miles or Citi ThankYou Points, for a nominal transaction fee.

Exclusively available on the Citi app, PayAll was initially rolled out to a select few in November last year, but following the trial all Citi credit card customers have been able to use the PayAll option since February 2019.

Tax, condo management fees and electricity payments have been added

Around two weeks ago Citi customers using PayAll on their Android devices noticed a few extra categories added to their PayAll function. This week the iOS app was also updated to allow these, so all users should now be able to make these additional payment types using PayAll.

Remember the app is the only way to set up and manage your PayAll transactions, it can’t be done over the phone or via the online site. If you are a Citi credit card customer but don’t have the mobile app yet, you can download it via the links below.

Cost per mile

Here’s the cost per mile analysis for Citi PayAll, depending on whether you can use the facility at the 1.5% fee or 2.0% fee levels, based on the Citi credit card used.

Tip: To know whether you have access to the 1.5% transaction fee or the ‘regular’ 2.0% rate, simply set up a dummy payment using Citi PayAll via the app.

In the above example I’ve set up a $1,000 payment using my Citi PremierMiles card (1.2 mpd, therefore earning 1,200 Citi Miles). The $20 fee shows that I’m paying 2.0% for the $1,000 transaction. It would say $15 if I was eligible for the 1.5% fee.

Card	Earn rate (mpd)	Cost per mile
		1.5% fee	2.0% fee
Citi ULTIMA	1.6	0.94¢	1.25¢
Citi Prestige	1.3	1.15¢	1.53¢
Citi PM Amex	1.3	1.15¢	1.53¢
Citi PM Visa	1.2	1.25¢	1.67¢
Citi Rewards	0.4	3.75¢	5.00¢

As you can see Citi ULTIMA cardholders who are also eligible to use the PayAll facility with a 1.5% fee get the best deal here – the ability to buy miles for 0.94 cents each.

Provided you don’t have any strange habits like addiction to KrisPay, buying Scoot vouchers with your KrisFlyer miles or burning your earnings at the KrisShop, you basically can’t lose out at that rate.

At the top end those on the 2.0% fee structure with the Citi PremierMiles Visa can buy miles at 1.67 cents each, still worth considering if you need them (and use them wisely). Our upper limit to buy is 2 cents per mile.

Remember too that Citi Miles / ThankYou Points also transfer to 12 different frequent flyer programs, including Avios, Asia Miles, Qantas and Turkish, so they can be super flexible.

As we mentioned when the targeted trial started in November, you can never make this work well with the Citi Rewards card and so should never consider using that card for PayAll transactions. We included it in the table only to show how bad it is. 3+ cents per mile is way over the odds.

Income tax payment

Like me, many of you will have already received your IRAS Notice of Assessment for this income tax year. If you haven’t yet – it should be posted by September, as IRAS sends out the notices in batches.

A couple of weeks ago we published our updated guide to earning miles by paying your income tax with your credit card in 2019, with the cost per mile calculations including the Citi PayAll options at both 2% fee and 1.5% fee levels.

Depending on the other miles earning cards you currently hold, PayAll might well be the best way for you to settle your income tax, though it does depend on the transaction fee you are targeted for. Do take a look at the analysis to determine the best option for you.

Note that payment to IRAS using Citi PayAll is not restricted to income tax payment, and also includes Property Tax for example.

Summary

Citi promised us more PayAll categories when it was first launched, and these additional payment options are either the first batch (with even more options to come), or perhaps the final list. Crucially they have secured the IRAS income tax payment option just in time for 2019 tax season.

As our recent analysis shows, there are some attractive options there depending on the Citi card you hold and the transaction fee you’re entitled to.

Some of the other new categories using Citi PayAll can be a good way to boost your annual miles balance, provided you’re comfortable buying miles at the rate applicable to your card and account.

We may personally make use of the electricity payments and property tax payments too, while others will find the education payments and condo management fees options useful.