The Citi PremierMiles Card may not be the best card on the market, but it does have an edge in certain areas.
For one, you’re not tied down to a specific airline (unless you want to be) so you’re free to compare rates to get the most out of your miles.
Second, you won’t find many other cards that give you the option of earning miles or cashback on bills (like condo management fees).
Read on to find out more about:
- Eligibility requirements
- Fees and charges
- Miles earning rate, discounts, and other perks
- Citi PremierMiles earn rate vs other cards
- How to maximize your rewards
- Who this card is best for
Eligibility Requirements
| Residential Status | Singaporean or PR |
| Age | 21 and above |
| Annual Income | At least S$30,000 for Singapore Citizens and PRs; S$42,000 for foreigners |
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can easily apply via Singpass MyInfo. Foreign applicants can apply via the online form.
Fees and Charges
| Annual Fees | S$194.40 with the option of a first year fee waiver, or an extra 30,000 Citi Miles if you pay the annual fees. Free supplementary cards. |
| Effective Interest Rate | 26.90% p.a. (S$3 minimum) |
| Late Payment Charge | S$100 |
| Minimum Monthly Payment | 1% of the current balance plus 1% of any outstanding unbilled installment amounts plus all interest charges plus late payment charge or S$50, whichever is higher |
| Overlimit Fee | S$40 |
| Citi Miles Conversion Fee | S$25 for each conversion |
| Foreign Currency Transaction Fee | Up to 3.25% |
| Interest On Cash Advance | 26.9% |
Miles Earning Rate, Discounts, and Other Perks
The Citi PremierMiles card offers:
- 2 Citi Miles per S$1 equivalent for foreign currency spending
- 1.2 Citi Miles per S$1 for local spending
- Bonus 10,000 Citi Miles when you renew the card
On the surface, this all sounds pretty standard – and perhaps slightly underwhelming. After all, the Krisflyer UOB Card gives you 3 miles per dollar with local spending, while the HSBC Revolution gives you 4 miles (or 10 Reward Points) per S$1.
Here’s where it gets a bit more appealing:
- 2 complimentary worldwide airport lounge visits per year
- Up to S$1 million in travel insurance coverage when you purchase your tickets with the Citi PremierMiles Card
- (Promotional Offer) 10 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on Kaligo
- (Promotional Offer) 7 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on Agoda
- Earn Citi Miles when you pay your taxes, rent, insurance premiums, utilities, and more with Citi PayAll
- Partnered with multiple frequent flyer programs, including Krisflyer, Eva Air, Asia Miles, Qatar, and Flying Blue to name a few
- Citi Miles never expire
Earn Citi Miles with Citi PayAll
Tax payments, insurance premiums, and utility bills are usually excluded from earning miles or cashback. That’s why it’s nice that Citi PayAll gives you the option to earn miles on those categories – even if you do have to pay a small service fee for it.
Redeem Miles with Multiple Frequent Flyer Programs
Citibank has arguably the best range of airline partners, so you aren’t locked into redeeming miles with only one or two frequent flyer programs. This allows you to pick whichever airline offers the best rates for the dates you plan to fly. You can view the full list of Citibank’s airline partners via their rewards portal.
How Many Miles per Dollar Do You Earn Compared to Other Cards?
| Credit Card | Local Spend | Overseas Spend |
|---|---|---|
| Citi PremierMiles Card | S$1 = 1.2 Miles |
|
| BOC Elite Miles World Mastercard | S$1 = 1 Miles | S$1 = 2 Miles |
| American Express KrisFlyer Card |
| S$1 = 2 Krisflyer Miles, but only in June and December |
| DBS Altitude American Express Card | S$1 = 1.2 Miles |
|
In this snapshot, the Citi PremierMiles Card seems to hold its own well.
It doesn’t have as many odd restrictions as the AMEX Krisflyer (which only gives you 2MPD for overseas spending in June and December), though the latter does give you an excellent 3.1 MPD if you spend a lot on Grab.
The Citi PremierMiles does lose out to the DBS Altitude card for foreign currency and travel spending though. With both cards going at S$194.40 in annual fees and requiring the same minimum annual income, the DBS card naturally has a strong edge over Citi’s.
That said, DBS only has KrisFlyer and AsiaMiles as its frequent flyer partners, so that makes a difference if you’d prefer having more options to compare miles exchange rates.
How to Maximize Earned Miles
At its current rates, the Citi PremierMiles card seems best as a general spending card. To maximise your miles, apply for this card when you anticipate a big purchase (at least S$800) so you automatically qualify for the 30,000 bonus miles.
Other than that, use this card for recurring bills and categories that other credit cards tend to exclude, namely:
- Taxes
- School fees
- Insurance premiums
- Condo management fees
- Rent & rental deposits (if payable via card)
- Utility bills
- Goods & services such as renovations, wedding expenses, parking and transport fees
Of course, use this card for air tickets and travel-related expenses like hotel bookings as well.
Who Should Use the Citi PremierMiles Card?
- Infrequent travelers who take a trip maybe once or twice a year. Since Citi Miles don’t expire, you can use this card to collect miles at your own pace. Frequent flyers would do better with a card that offers a higher MPD for overseas spending.
- Those who want a card that offers miles/rewards for paying bills such as taxes, insurance premiums, utility bills, condo management fees, and school fees.
- Travelers who aren’t picky about the airlines they fly with (read: non-SIA loyalists) and prefer having a range of frequent flyer programs so they can secure the best deals for their earned miles.