DBS Altitude Cards offering 4 mpd on overseas spend

EXPIRED This article relates to an offer or promotion which has now expired.
 

DBS has a new enhanced miles earning offer for its Altitude cardholders, with 4 mpd for offline overseas (FCY) spend on up to S$3,000 of transactions per month. The deal runs from 1st November 2022 through to 31st January 2023, giving you three months to benefit.

The snag with this one is that you’ll have to be among the first 5,000 to successfully register each month (though DBS will tell you if you are successful, this isn’t UOB!).

You’ll also need to hit at least S$2,500 (in any spend) during the same calendar month to trigger the enhanced earning rate, which is quite a high threshold for some.

Nonetheless, this is a good deal to consider if like many of our readers you’re taking year-end overseas travel, for example splurging on your Christmas shopping in Sydney, London or Paris in the coming months!

There’s also the chance to win two Business Class tickets from Singapore to London on Singapore Airlines, with an entry into the prize draw for every S$100 spent in travel and overseas spend categories between now and 31st January 2023, for those who enrol in that promotion too.

The offer

All principal DBS Altitude Visa Signature and DBS Altitude American Express cardholders are eligible for the offer, but registration through the DBS PayLah! app is required.

Simply log on and go to the “Rewards” tab, then you will be able to find the offer on that screen.

You need to register for the promotion every month to qualify for the entire promotion period, so even if there are no more available slots for the current month, set a calendar reminder for 00:00 on the 1st of December or 1st January to participate for those periods.

You can participate in one, two or all three periods of the promotion. Previous participation is not required if you only want to sign up for December and/or January, for example.

You will earn bonus miles for point-of-sale (i.e. in-store) overseas transactions as follows:

• Earn an additional 2 miles per S$1 for offline FCY transactions (i.e. 4 mpd total)

when you spend a minimum of S$2,500 (any spend) in each calendar month during the promotion period, having successfully registered.

If you wish to participate in November, for example, that means spending S$2,500+ (on anything) during that month.

Spend Category	Base miles	Bonus miles	Total miles
Overseas Spend (Point-of-sale transactions made during each registered month of the promotion)	2 mpd	+ 2 mpd	4 mpd

Bonus miles are capped at S$3,000 of spending (i.e. 6,000 miles) within each calendar month of the promotion you participate in.

If you wish to participate in all three months of the promotion, you’ll have to clock S$2,500+ (on anything) in November 2022 and S$2,500+ (on anything) in December 2022 and S$2,500+ (on anything) in January 2023, after having successfully registered in each month.

Eligible spend

The following categories count as eligible spend for this promotion:

• Overseas Spend Point-of-Sale Transactions
  Card transactions made overseas at point-of-sale in foreign currency. Card transactions made overseas but effected / charged in Singapore Dollars and online transactions effected in foreign currencies at merchants with their payment gateway in Singapore will not be valid.

Any spend made by supplementary cardholders during this promotion will be combined with that of the principal cardholder, for calculation of both the qualifying minimum spend and the eligible spend components.

Calculation of the minimum spend requirement and overseas spend is based on the transaction date of the retail spend, not the posting date to your card account, so it’s still safe to make purchases on the last day of the month (in Singapore Time).

Do note that DBS applies a 3.25% FCY transaction fee, so the 4 mpd you’re earning under this promotion for eligible non-SGD spend aren’t coming completely free (it’s still worth it though).

UOB PRVI Miles cardholders may be interested in the bank’s new 5 mpd promotion on overseas spend from 1st November to 31st December 2022, as a better alternative to this one, though you could always then take advantage of the Altitude offer just for the month of January 2023, once the UOB deal has finished.

Monthly cap

Do remember, the maximum spend for bonus miles under this promotion is capped at:

• S$3,000 per calendar month.

You’ll still need to make S$2,500+ of qualifying general spend (on anything) in each calendar month to ‘activate’ the bonus rate for that month, having successfully registered for the promotion that same month.

Qualifying spend

For the S$2,500 in monthly charges to the card to qualify for the applicable enhanced earn rate within that month, the following typical DBS exclusions apply:

• Posted 0% interest-free instalment plan monthly transactions (“IPP”)
• Posted My Preferred Payment instalment plan monthly transactions (“MP3”)
• Interest, finance charges, cash withdrawal, cash advance, balance transfer
• AXS payments, SAM online bill payments, bill payments via internet banking
• All fees charged by DBS and any refund or transaction which is subsequently reversed or re-credited (whether in whole or part)

Unlike some DBS promotions, the general monthly spend of S$2,500+ to activate this bonus 4 mpd rate can include CardUp and ipaymy transactions. For example, if you’re already paying your monthly rental through CardUp using your Altitude card, you may well qualify immediately every month for spend in the bonus categories!

You can track your minimum spend requirement for this offer on the DBS PayLah! app under the “Rewards” page.

The promotion tracker is updated within three working days after each minimum spend transaction is reflected.

Qualifying spend vs. Eligible spend

Qualifying spend can include eligible spend, for example if you have successfully registered then make a S$3,000 in-store overseas payment in November 2022, it will unlock the bonus earn rate (S$2,500+ qualifying achieved) and be awarded 4 mpd earn rate (since it’s also eligible spend).

In other words you don’t necessarily need to make S$2,500+ of qualifying spend to then unlock the bonus for subsequent eligible overseas spend, the two amounts can ‘overlap’ if you wish.

When are the bonus miles credited?

Initially you’ll earn miles (as DBS Points) at your Altitude card’s usual earn rate of 2 mpd for overseas spend.

Bonus miles applicable from this promotion will be credited to your card account within 60 days from the end of each calendar month of the promotion period (so basically by the end of January 2023, February 2023 and March 2023 for eligible spend in November 2022, December 2022 and January 2023 respectively).

Is it just for KrisFlyer miles?

No. These bonus miles will be credited as DBS Points, so you can transfer them into your choice of four different frequent flyer programs. For example 5,000 DBS Points transfers into:

• 10,000 KrisFlyer miles
• 10,000 Asia Miles
• 10,000 Qantas Points
• 15,000 AirAsia BIG Points

Our advice? Forget AirAsia BIG Points (worth about 0.34 Singapore cents each as mentioned in our full review of this card) and stick with KrisFlyer miles, Qantas Points or Asia Miles, all worth closer to the 1.9 Singapore cents per mile / point mark.

DBS Points never expire, so there’s no rush to transfer to your preferred program. Do be aware however that DBS Points typically take up to four days to credit into KrisFlyer upon each transfer request, and we expect Asia Miles and Qantas transfers are probably no different.

Whichever frequent flyer programme you choose, there’s a S$26.75 fee (including GST) each time you transfer DBS Points into an airline scheme.

SIA Business Class lucky draw

There’s a separate promotion to register for in your DBS PayLah! app, which entitles you to entry into a prize draw to win:

• A pair of Singapore Airlines Business Class return tickets from Singapore to London, valid for travel on Singapore Airlines flights in U class.

A total of five of these prizes will be awarded, based on a draw taking place on 2nd March 2023.

You will earn one entry into the draw for every S$100 of “Travel Spend” made on your card during the period starting from your first registration via the DBS PayLah! app through to 31st January 2023.

“Travel Spend” includes:

• Online flight and hotel spend; and
• Overseas spend

Prize draw entries are not capped and can be accumulated from both of your DBS Altitude cards, if you are holding the Visa and Amex versions. Travel Spend incurred by a Supplementary Cardmember will be accrued to the Principal Cardmember too.

The Prize will be subject to seat availability at the time of reservation or ticket issuance, and must be redeemed by 30th September 2023 (booking deadline).

Full details on how to redeem the prize will be included in the redemption letter sent to you, if you are among the five lucky winners.

Terms and conditions

Full terms and conditions for this 4 mpd bonus miles offer and lucky draw promotion are available at the DBS website:

 DBS Altitude 4 mpd & Lucky Draw Promo
 DBS Altitude 4 mpd & Lucky Draw FAQ

DBS is offering its Altitude cardholders double miles on up to S$3,000 of in-person overseas spend each month during November 2022, December 2022 and January 2023, subject to successful registration for the promotion each month via the DBS PayLah! app.

You’ll need to spend S$2,500+ on the card in each of the calendar months you wish to participate, but this can include spend in the bonus categories, so it’s not necessarily a huge stumbling block.

The offer is capped at the first 5,000 to register each month, with slots for November already reducing, so it’s best to act now and again at the very start of December and January if you wish to participate in all three months of the promotion.

There’s also UOB’s PRVI Miles 5 mpd overseas spend offer to consider here, which is potentially a better deal if you stick to the eligible bonus MCCs.

Finally there’s a separate promotion to register for, allowing Altitude cardholders making travel, flight, hotel and overseas spend to earn entries into a prize draw to win a pair of Singapore Airlines return Business Class ticket to London. Worth a try!

For full details of the DBS Altitude cards, see our comprehensive review.

(Cover Photo: EDITION Hotels)