OCBC is pushing out some negative changes for its Voyage credit card holders next year, cutting the number of free limo rides by two-thirds from up to 24 per year to a maximum of 8 per year, and adding a fee for Voyage Miles to airline miles transfers, from February 2023.
This comes ahead of the addition of seven new transfer partners for OCBC cards, which have traditionally offered conversions only to KrisFlyer miles, though the introduction of these new options has now been suspended from December 2022 to February 2023, presumably to coincide with these latest changes.
Here’s what’s happening.
Limo rides slashed
OCBC Voyage cardholders currently accrue up to two complimentary limo rides per calendar month, one for every S$5,000 spent on the card, which is up to 24 per year for the big spenders.
Each ‘earned’ ride is then valid for three months. For example if you earn two free rides in January (S$10k+ spend) and two in February (S$10k+ spend), you could then take all four of those in March (even with no spend in March itself).
From 1st February 2023, OCBC Voyage cardholders will have to spend S$12,000 in a calendar quarter to accrue two complimentary limo rides (maximum).
“Travel in comfort up to twice a quarter if you spend at least S$12,000 per quarter in local or foreign currency (effective from 1 February 2023).”
OCBC
Calendar quarters are defined by OCBC as:
- January to March
- April to June
- July to September
- October to December
Spend is considered by transaction date, based on Singapore timing (UTC + 8 hours).
In other words if you make a purchase on 31st March at 11.30pm Singapore time, it will count as a transaction in the January to March quarter, even though it will almost certainly be charged to your card in April.
Limo rides: How it will work
Effectively, you will now have to accrue spend of at least S$12,000 in one of the calendar quarters defined above to unlock two complimentary limo rides using this card.
- S$11,999 in a quarter is not enough (0 rides)
- S$24,000 in a quarter doesn’t give you any more (2 rides is the cap)
For example, if a new OCBC Voyage card account is opened on 15th February, the cardmember has to meet the qualifying spend of S$12,000+ before 31st March (i.e. in the same calendar quarter), to be awarded two complimentary one-way limo rides.
These limo rides will also be valid for a three-month period, as they are now, but this is a significant reduction in the total number of rides that can be accrued, from 24 per year under the current system to just 8 per year.
Additionally, an absolute minimum spend of S$12,000 per calendar quarter will be required to unlock any free limo entitlement (in fact, two will then be accrued).
The “average” spend required for each ride also effectively rises by 20%, from S$5,000 to S$6,000, though as mentioned you won’t be able to accrue single ride entitlements anymore from February 2023 (S$6,000 quarterly spend doesn’t actually help you), significantly reducing the flexibility of this perk.
Effectively the OCBC Voyage card will match the Citi Prestige benefit from February 2023 – a maximum of 8 one-way limo transfers per year, with a minimum total spend of S$48,000 per annum (S$12,000+ in each quarter).
Full details are provided in the latest OCBC Voyage TnCs doument, effective from 1st January 2023 (though these limo changes come about a month later, according to the website).
Other limo ride changes
OCBC is also tweaking its limo ride terms and conditions slightly from 1st February 2023.
Currently, rides are possible from the cardmember’s residential address in Singapore to the following destination points:
- Changi Airport – T1, T2, T3 or T4
- Seletar Airport
- Harbourfront Ferry Terminal (Singapore Cruise Centre)
- Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
- Railway Station
- Marina Bay Cruise Centre
From 1st February 2023, the list is slightly expanded, as follows:
- Changi Airport – T1, T2, T3 or T4
- Seletar Airport
- Harbourfront Ferry Terminal (Singapore Cruise Centre)
- Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
- Marina Bay Cruise Centre
- Queen Street Bus Terminal (for cross-border bus and taxi services to Johor Bahru, but also handy for dinner in Jalan Besar and the Arab Quarter!)
- Woodlands & Tuas Checkpoints (for bus services to Malaysia)
The default vehicle for the service, still provided by E Capital Limousine Pte. Ltd., will also be expanded from a 4-seater Mercedes to either:
- A 4-seater Mercedes or a 7-seater Toyota Vellfire
The midnight surcharge of S$12, currently applicable to limo rides provided between 11pm and 7am each day, will be abolished from 1st February 2023.
We’ve updated our guide to Singapore credit cards that give you free airport limo rides to reflect all the upcoming changes to the OCBC Voyage card, which you may find useful if you wish to compare credit cards on the basis of this perk alone.
Miles transfer fee added
OCBC Voyage cardholders currently enjoy fee-free transfer to KrisFlyer miles, with denominations as small as 1 Voyage mile.
This makes them a very flexible currency, with the ability to transfer the precise number of miles needed for a redemption, as often as you like, fee-free.
Unfortunately from 1st February 2023, each transfer of Voyage Miles to FFP miles will incur a cost of S$25, which is typical of many other cards on the market (though OCBC does not levy GST on this charge, which provides a small saving compared to some other banks).
“From 1 February 2023, an admin fee of S$25 will be charged when you convert your VOYAGE Miles to KrisFlyer miles or any other airlines or hotel partner programmes.”
OCBC
If you’re accumulating Voyage miles with a transfer to KrisFlyer in mind, you may wish to consider converting on or before 31st January 2023, to avoid this new fee.
Ridiculously, the new policy means that transferring a single Voyage Mile to one KrisFlyer mile will cost you a S$25 “admin fee” from 1st February 2023. That’s quite indefensible, and almost completely erodes the benefit of making smaller transfers from this card.
The OCBC 90°N cards also boast fee-free transfers to airline miles, but it’s hard to believe this perk will be retained while the higher-end Voyage cardholders suddenly have to pay for each and every conversion, so watch out for an upcoming TnCs change for the 90°N cards too from February 2023!
OCBC cards are getting seven new transfer partners
Earlier this year OCBC revealed it would be dragging itself out of the dark ages when it comes to airline and hotel transfer partners in Singapore, by improving its offering from a single programme (Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer) to an eight-partner repertoire, from December 2022.
Well, December 2022 has practically come and gone with no announcements, and so it’s not too surprising that the bank is now shifting its customers expectations, with the (yet to be revealed) list of seven new partner options now only coming our way in February 2023.
From
OCBCDecember 2022February 2023, convert VOYAGE Miles to loyalty points at 8 airline and hotel partner programmes.
Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles programme is a likely addition (a 1,500 miles sign-up bonus is expiring today, if you’re not yet a member!), but for the full list and the respective transfer ratios we’ll have to wait and see what OCBC announces closer to the date.
In any event, all of these new partners will unfortunately be hit with the new S$25 transfer fee per conversion made from Voyage Miles, and the minimum transfer quantity will be another thing on our watchlist, as well as the transfer ratio itself.
Summary
OCBC is slashing the number of complimentary limo rides its Voyage cardholders can accumulate by 67% on 1st February 2023 – from 24 per year to just 8 per year, while also hiking the effective spend required for each ride by 20%.
Accrual for this perk will also become less flexible, with zero rides for a spend of S$11,999 in a calendar quarter, then suddenly two eligible rides for spending just a dollar more in the same period (S$12,000).
It wasn’t too long ago that a spend of S$3,000 per month got you a free limo ride with this card, so the devaluation for this perk over the last few years is stark.
On the miles transfer side, OCBC will unfortunately also start to impose a S$25 fee whenever you convert Voyage Miles to KrisFlyer miles, a charge that will also be levied on a per-transfer basis when seven new partners join the list from February 2023.
(Cover Photo: Supplied)
Maybe time to ditch the card.
The limo trips are still valid to & from residences right? Not only restricted to From residences?
An MPV will cost an additional $10 or 500 voyage miles – Was just told this was made effective in November…