KrisFlyer ends two-way conversion with TapForMore points

Singapore Airlines has had a longstanding partnership with the Dairy Farm Group’s TapForMore points programme over the years, first striking up a deal to allow conversion of miles and points to and from the KrisFlyer programme in January 2015.

Today both parties have confirmed that the arrangement will unfortunately cease will effect from 1st July 2021.

“From 1 July 2021, KrisFlyer members will not be able to convert between KrisFlyer miles and TapForMore Points.”

Singapore Airlines

While most options to transfer to and from the KrisFlyer programme aren’t all that valuable or useful, like the latest Esso and CapitaStar options, this one did have its benefits and it’s sad to see it going.

For most of our readers, it means cashing out your TapForMore points into KrisFlyer by 30th June 2021, if you still want to take advantage.

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TFM transfers to KrisFlyer were good value

Here’s the main reason we’ll miss this conversion option.

TapForMore (TFM) Points are accrued at a 1:1 ratio for your shopping at participating Dairy Farm Group stores, including:

• Cold Storage
• Market Place
• Jasons
• Giant
• Guardian

These can be redeemed to offset future purchases at a ratio of 150 TFM Points : S$1 in-store rebate, an equivalent of 0.67% cashback.

Alternatively, however, transfer to KrisFlyer miles at a 2.3 TFM Points : 1 KrisFlyer mile ratio is quite a good alternative.

This is equivalent to each TFP Point transferring into 0.43 KrisFlyer miles, and since we value KrisFlyer miles at 1.9 cents each, that’s equivalent to 0.83% ‘value back’ in our book, nearly 25% better than redeeming in-store.

Since this 0.43 mpd is in addition to your credit card earn rate, it means earning up to 4.43 mpd for in-store grocery shopping at these outlets with cards like the HSBC Revolution.

Another way of looking at it is that forgoing TFM Points for an in-store rebate is equivalent to ‘buying’ miles at 1.54 cents each (2.3 x 0.67) – not a bad rate.

We do a lot of local grocery shopping at Cold Storage so this was our usual choice for TFM Points – straight to KrisFlyer in batches.

Loss of an instant transfer method

Another benefit of TapForMore to KrisFlyer transfers is that they are instant. Provided you have at least 300 TFM Points in your account, you can transfer them into KrisFlyer miles at a 2.3:1 ratio straight away.

The miles will then reflect in your account instantly (see our list of instant and ’24h’ ways to transfer into KrisFlyer).

While your volume of TFM Points is never likely to be enough for a Business Class or Suites redemption ticket in its entirety, the option can be very useful for a small, quick top-up – potentially taking you over a redemption threshold if you fall short by a small amount.

KrisFlyer to TFM transfers were poor value

While transferring from TFM Points into KrisFlyer was good value (in our opinion), conversion in the other direction was decidedly poor value.

For conversions of at least 3,000 KrisFlyer miles, it’s possible to achieve 1.1 TFM Points per mile, which you can then use to offset purchases at Dairy Farm Group stores.

That’s the equivalent of 0.73 cents per mile in value, a terrible way to ‘cash out’ of your miles – but not the worst way!

Cash alternatives for KrisFlyer miles

As you can see the option comes in 4% better value than a transfer to CapitaStar STAR$ and 9% better than a Kris+ or Esso Smiles transfer (though hopefully you shouldn’t be considering either of these).

Two-way transfers meant keeping some miles ‘alive’

KrisFlyer miles expiry is not a significant concern at the moment with Singapore Airlines progressively extending expiring miles due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest extension means no one’s miles are expiring until at least April 2022, with further reprieves likely.

When miles expiry does become an issue again, however, two-way TFM transfers provided an interesting way to give around half of your expiring miles a fresh 3-year validity period (though it meant sacrificing the other half).

It worked by transferring your expiring KrisFlyer miles into Tap for More points, and then transferring them back into KrisFlyer. You’d lose 52% of your miles doing this, but they were valid for another 3 years as a result.

Example 10,000 KrisFlyer miles > 11,000 Tap for More points > 4,785 KrisFlyer miles.

While this was a poor return, it was still better than some other options, including keeping the points in Tap for More and spending them there, since we believe Tap for More points are actually worth slightly more when transferred to KrisFlyer miles than they are as a discount on your spending in Giant, Guardian etc., assuming you value a KrisFlyer mile at 1.9 cents.

Transfer by 30th June

If you have a TFM Points balance and you usually take advantage of a transfer to KrisFlyer miles, we recommend waiting until late June when you have accrued as many as possible (min. transfer is 300 TFM Points), then converting them across.

From 1st July 2021, the option will no longer be available, even for TFM Points accrued before that.

Also, bear in mind that any TFM Points accrued in 2020 will expire on 30th June 2021 anyway if not redeemed.

To make the transfer, go to tapformore.com.sg and select ‘Partner Program > KrisFlyer’. There you can log in (or register your PAssion card if you haven’t done so yet).

Enter your KrisFlyer membership details then click ‘Convert to KrisFlyer Miles’ to complete the transfer.

Miles will reflect in your KrisFlyer account straight away.

What are the alternatives?

You can still transfer NTUC LinkPoints into Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles programme, for good value redemptions on a range of oneworld carriers.

LinkPoints are awarded for grocery purchases at FairPrice stores in Singapore.

Unfortunately in this case transfers aren’t such good value. LinkPoints are worth 0.67 cents rebate against in-store transactions at FairPrice, so surrendering 440 of them (worth S$2.93) for 110 Asia Miles (worth closer to S$2) is a big hit to take.

It’s like ‘buying’ Asia Miles for 2.7 cents each, assuming you would otherwise use the LinkPoints to offset FairPrice spend, which just isn’t worth it unless you’re looking to extend the validity of your Asia Miles by 18 months by registering a transaction activity.

Similarly in the other direction, converting 800 Asia Miles into 600 LinkPoints, is ‘cashing out’ at a dreadful 0.5 cents per mile.

Sadly it’s therefore best to stick to cash rebates for both TapForMore Points (after 1 July) and LinkPoints, rather than trying to boost your miles balance from these programmes.

Summary

Almost everyone in Singapore makes at least some of their regular spending in Cold Storage, Marketplace, Jasons, Giant or Guardian.

We’ve recommended transferring TapForMore points earned on your Passion Card at these outlets into KrisFlyer miles for some time now, given what we consider to be an attractive conversion ratio in the TFM > KrisFlyer direction.

Unfortunately this longstanding partner relationship is coming to an end next month, so do consider shifting your TFM Points into the KrisFlyer programme by 30th June 2021 at the latest if you want to take advantage.

The news also means the withdrawal of a useful ‘instant transfer’ option into the KrisFlyer programme, and a way to keep some of your miles alive for three more years, once that issue rears its head again in future.