The SIA “lifestyle app” Kris+ has a new bonus miles offer this month in celebration of Singapore’s 59th National Day, with bonus miles on offer in addition to regular earning and credit card points when you buy vouchers for future redemption at selected merchants across the city.

In some cases, these vouchers also give you more value than they actually cost when you pay in-app by credit card, adding to the benefit for merchants you spend with regularly.

Kris+ SG59: 500 bonus miles

From 1st August to 31st August 2024, Kris+ is offering 500 bonus miles when you purchase a S$59 voucher from one of 11 merchants participating in the programme.

These miles are in addition to up to 9 mpd earning based on the merchant’s regular earn rate, since you’ll be purchasing these vouchers in-app via Apple Pay or Google Pay.

On top of that of course there’s your credit card points for the transaction itself, worth up to an additional 4 mpd for many of our readers.

Here are the participating merchants and their earn rates.

For example, with a S$59 voucher value purchase for BAKALAKI Greek Taverna, which will cost S$55.59, using your DBS WWMC card at the 4 mpd rate, you’ll earn:

• S$55.59 x 9 mpd (merchant earn rate)
  = 495 KrisPay miles
• + 500 bonus KrisPay miles from Kris+
• + 220 miles from DBS (paid as 110 DBS Points)
• = 1,215 miles in total

That’s over 21 mpd for this voucher purchase.

Sadly the merchant list isn’t too extensive (less than 3% of Kris+ earn merchants are participating), but if there is a retailer or restaurant you will be able to use the voucher at, it’s definitely worth considering.

Things to note

These vouchers can each only be used one-time as full or part payment towards your purchase, and must be redeemed by 30th September 2024.

• Only one voucher per participating merchant per customer is available to purchase (i.e. maximum of 11 vouchers for 5,500 total bonus miles per Kris+ member)
• If your bill is less than the face value of the voucher, the remaining voucher balance is forfeited
• If your bill is more than the face value of the voucher, you simply make payment for the balance via the Kris+ app in the normal way (you’ll still get the merchant’s regular earn rate for the balance payment)

You’ll therefore only want to be buying vouchers you are sure that you’ll be able to use relatively soon, and for a single transaction that will come to S$59 or more, so as not to waste any of the value.

Couples can consider buying one voucher each at a single merchant, using their respective Kris+ accounts, but you’ll then have to make two separate transactions at that merchant by 30th September (you can’t redeem more than one voucher at once, and bill splitting is not guaranteed).

The 500 bonus KrisPay miles for each voucher are transferable to your KrisFlyer account.

They will be credited on the Wednesday of the week following your purchase (e.g. purchase voucher on Sunday 4th August, 500 KrisPay miles will be credited on Wednesday 7th August).

Do remember to transfer your 500 bonus Kris+ miles for each voucher purchase immediately into your KrisFlyer account, where they are then valid for three years.

Alternative options at two merchants

In most cases this 500 bonus miles offer looks like a win-win deal, provided you will actually use these vouchers, but there are two merchants where an alternative voucher deal may offer better value:

• Fish Mart Sakuraya
  Regular vouchers of S$80 or S$50 value are available via Kris+ with a 15% discount year-round (i.e. for S$68 or S$42.50 respectively). These are valid for dine-in only for a 12-month period, making them potentially better value than the full-price S$59 voucher with 500 bonus miles.
• Cut Butchery
  A regular voucher of S$120 value is available via Kris+ with a 10% discount year-round (i.e. for S$108). This is then valid for six months, making it potentially better value than the full-price S$59 voucher with 500 bonus miles.

Which card to use for Kris+ purchases

Many bonus credit cards in Singapore earn at their top rate for Kris+ transactions, either for all spend or for purchases in selected Merchant Category Codes (MCCs).

That includes when buying these S$59 vouchers (or any merchant vouchers via Kris+ for that matter).

For some cards it’s a little complicated, because the payment you make in-app will tag under the merchant’s MCC, so you’ll need to be confident it qualifies prior to your purchase, but there are some cards that earn at their top rate for all Kris+ spend too.

Here’s how some of these cards earn for Kris+ payments, within their monthly spend caps. You can check the MCC with the merchant in advance of your payment if necessary, though some are obvious (like restaurants – 5812).

Bonus cards Kris+ earning

Card	Earn Rate	Notes / MCCs
UOB Lady’s UOB Lady’s Solitaire	4 mpd	Capped at S$1,000 per month (Lady’s) or S$2,000 per month (Lady’s Solitaire). Subject to your specified quarterly bonus category, including:
		Dining:	MCC 5499 MCC 5812 MCC 5814
		Beauty:	MCC 5977 MCC 7230 MCC 7297 MCC 7298
		Fashion:	MCC 5621 MCC 5651 MCC 5661 MCC 5691 MCC 5699 MCC 5948
HSBC Revolution (see our review)	4 mpd	On mobile wallet payments at specific outlets by MCC, capped at S$1,000 per calendar month.
		MCC 3501 MCC 5045 MCC 5441 MCC 5462 MCC 5499 MCC 5621 MCC 5651 MCC 5661 MCC 5691 MCC 5699 MCC 5732	MCC 5734 MCC 5812 MCC 5814 MCC 5944 MCC 5945 MCC 5947 MCC 5948 MCC 5992 MCC 5999 MCC 7011 MCC 7997
DBS WWMC (see our review)	4 mpd	On on up to S$1,500 of online spend per calendar month, including when paying at a merchant using Apple Pay or Google Pay via the Kris+ app (all MCCs).
OCBC Rewards (see our review)	4 mpd	On shopping transactions in specific MCCs, capped at S$1,110 per calendar month.
		MCC 5309 MCC 5621 MCC 5651 MCC 5655 MCC 5661	MCC 5691 MCC 5699 MCC 5941 MCC 5948
KrisFlyer UOB (see our review)	3 mpd	On all Kris+ spend, with no minimum and no upper cap.

Amex KrisFlyer cardholders who have successfully registered for this promotion can also earn up to 3.5 mpd for any Kris+ spend of up to S$500 (aggregate spend during the promo period).

Don’t use your Citi Rewards card to make payment with Apple Pay or Google Pay on Kris+, since online transactions these cards specifically exclude mobile wallet payments, and will therefore earn at the basic rate of 0.4 mpd.

Kris+ is offering 500 bonus KrisPay miles, fully transferable to KrisFlyer miles, when you purchase a voucher worth S$59 against a future purchase at 11 of the programme’s merchants, between now and the end of August 2024.

Each voucher must be redeemed in a single transaction by 30th September 2024 at the latest, so do be sure you will use it before taking the plunge.

Do note that regular vouchers via the Kris+ app are available at Fish Market Sakuraya and Cut Butchery, with a discount and a much longer validity window, which may be better options for you at these merchants than the full-price S$59 voucher with 500 bonus miles.

(Cover Photo: Stefan Johnson)