Kris+, SIA’s “lifestyle app” which allows you to earn and spend KrisPay miles at merchants across Singapore, has now integrated Apple Pay and Google Pay to its latest app version, allowing more seamless payment and automated miles earning at the checkout without the merchant having to scan a QR code on your device.
From today, you can make payment via your linked Visa or Mastercard for an in-store purchase at participating Kris+ outlets (most are on the list). The ability to use American Express cards will be added from October 2021.
You’ll then earn KrisPay miles for the transaction automatically, which you can then transfer into KrisFlyer miles as normal, either immediately (which is preferable) or within seven days.
How it works
You’ll need to have the latest version of the Kris+ app installed on your mobile device, and of course you’ll also need to have Apple Pay or Google Pay set up too.
At the store checkout, all you now need to do is scan the merchant’s Kris+ QR code to start the payment process. Many merchants are keeping this on display, but if not you’ll have to ask for it.
The app then allows you to pay either with KrisPay miles (which you shouldn’t do unless they are stuck in the app, since they are much more valuable as KrisFlyer miles), or with a mix of miles and via Apple Pay / Google Pay, or wholly using Apple Pay / Google Pay.
Remember to remove the toggle to use KrisPay miles, which is active by default, assuming you only want to pay by card via Apple Pay / Google Pay.
The primary card must be set as a Visa or Mastercard, but you can switch to any other Visa or Mastercard in your wallet for the payment itself. This will therefore only be an issue (for now) if an American Express card is set as your default payment option.
You’ll then immediately earn KrisPay miles on completion of the transaction for any amount paid by Apple Pay or Google Pay.
What about miles earning?
The nice thing about Kris+ is that you can earn KrisFlyer miles (via KrisPay miles) for in-store purchases and also double-dip with the miles earned on your credit card for the payment itself.
This can lead to some attractive overall earn rates for merchants in bonus categories, especially when Kris+ earn promotions are running.
You’ll also earn miles or points through your credit card for Apple Pay / Google Pay transactions made via Kris+, but here the earn rate becomes a little murky, at this stage.
Update: The Kris+ team confirmed to Mainly Miles that the merchant MCC will apply even when making payment via Apple Pay / Google Pay through the Kris+ app.
The difference is that instead of earning those additional miles at your card’s prevailing rate for the merchant’s business type, you may be paying KRISPAY directly (Kris+ recently became a company in its own right). If that’s the case, we do not know which Merchant Category Code (MCC) these payments will process under yet.
We have checked with the Kris+ team how these payments will process, and will update this section once we hear back, but the possibilities include:
Via the merchant MCCVia a generic KRISPAY MCCVia a variable KRISPAY MCC, based on the merchant’s business type
Update: For Citi, the transaction appears to register under the retailer name, not as KRISPAY, so the merchant MCC should still be the one in the background. Thanks to Eric for the early data point!
Update: The Kris+ team confirmed to Mainly Miles that the merchant MCC will apply even when making payment via Apple Pay / Google Pay through the Kris+ app.
If you’re using a general spend card (e.g at 1.2 mpd with the Citi PremierMiles) it shouldn’t make much difference, unless KRISPAY codes under an excluded MCC – hopefully not!
The impact probably comes when trying to earn in the bonus category of your credit card (e.g. 4 mpd for clothes shopping with the Citi Rewards card).
Offline payment is still available
If you don’t want to use the new Apple Pay or Google Pay methods, you can still earn KrisPay miles the old fashioned way via the “offline” payment method, with payments made in cash or by card in-store.
For 4 mpd cards not listed above, we’d advise following the offline payment method for now at bonus miles retailers, until we’ve clarified how the MCC coding works through the Kris+ team when using Apple Pay or Google Pay, or at least until we get some data points from our readers.
Kris+ has updated its full guide (now 15 pages long!) to the app, to include the new Apple Pay and Google Pay process, and you can read it here.
Summary
For those using Apple Pay or Google Pay, this new integration on the Kris+ app will make life a lot easier with only a single QR code to scan for both earning miles from your payment or redeeming them.
You can also customise how many KrisPay miles you wish to use to offset your payment, which could be useful if you have a small number ‘stuck’ in the app, ineligible for conversion to KrisFlyer.
Update: The Kris+ team confirmed to Mainly Miles that the merchant MCC will apply even when making payment via Apple Pay / Google Pay through the Kris+ app.
(Cover Photo: Shutterstock)
A good improvement. I’ve encountered retailers who gave the excuse that the system was not working after I had made payment and wanted to earn the miles.
As an aside, if my preferred card for the transaction is not the default card, I would need to change it to the default card in GPay/Apple Pay first before paying i.e. there is no way to select the card in the Kris+ app?
I can’t speak for Google Pay but with my Apple Pay it does let me choose which card to use. The default will come up first but I can then change it prior to payment.
So I’m not sure why Kris+ said it had to be the default card… 🤷♂️
Sorry, on closer inspection I think I misread the requirement. The primary card enabled must be set to a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card in order for the Apple Pay / Google Pay option to appear, but you can then change to any other card in your wallet for the transaction itself. No need to swap the primary around.
If the default card in your wallet is an Amex card, it won’t work (until October).
Article updated!