Getting a credit card with great travel benefits is a must for travellers. UOB KrisFlyer and Citi PremierMiles are two cards that offer great miles rewards and travel benefits with no minimum spend amount.
See what each card offers below.
Contents
The difference between UOB KrisFlyer vs Citi PremierMiles
UOB KrisFlyer and Citi PremierMiles both offer great complimentary travel benefits and other rewards. They also offer miles rewards for all spending, with increased miles for certain transaction categories.
Here are the transactions that can earn you miles for each card.
Miles per Dollar
UOB offers KrisFlyer miles for transactions with Singapore Airlines Group
Since UOB KrisFlyer card rewards KrisFlyer miles, you must be a member of the KrisFlyer Programme to earn your miles.
You can earn KrisFlyer miles by using your UOB KrisFlyer card for spending on the Singapore Airlines Group. Here are the eligible transactions and the miles rewards that you can earn.
| Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and KrisShop Transactions | 3 KrisFlyer Miles/$1 |
| All Other Transactions | 1.2 KrisFlyer Miles/$1* |
*If you spend a minimum of $500 on transactions with Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and KrisShop for the membership year, you are also eligible to earn an additional 1.8 KrisFlyer Miles/$1 for all your other transactions for the year. This totals to 3 KrisFlyer Miles for all other transactions!
You may want to note that UOB rewards miles only in blocks of $5. This means that you can get a minimum of 15 KrisFlyer Miles/$5 for spending on Singapore Airlines Group and 6 KrisFlyer Miles/$5 for all other spending.
For a list of merchant categories exclude from UOB KrisFlyer’s miles rewards, you may view the Terms & Conditions.
Citi offers miles rewards for all local and foreign currency transactions
Using your Citi PremierMiles card can earn you miles rewards for all local and foreign currency transactions.
| Local Currency Transactions | 1.2 Citi Miles/$1 |
| Foreign Currency Transactions | 2 Citi Miles/$1 |
While UOB offers miles only in blocks of $5, Citi rewards miles per dollar.
For a list of merchant categories excluded from the miles rewards of Citi PremierMiles, you may view the Exclusion List.
Minimum Spend
Both UOB KrisFlyer and Citi PremierMiles have no minimum spend amount. However, UOB offers miles only in blocks of $5.
Maximum Miles Cap
Both Citi and UOB also do not have a miles cap. This is great for earning as much miles as you want!
Miles Expiry
Citi provides greater flexibility in redeeming points as Citi Miles do not have an expiration. On the other hand, the KrisFlyer Miles you earn by using your UOB KrisFlyer card are governed by the KrisFlyer Programme’s terms and conditions. As such, KrisFlyer Miles expire in 36 months.
You may want to note that KrisFlyer allows extension of miles validity subject to additional fees.
Miles Redemption
You can redeem your KrisFlyer Miles through Singapore Airlines’ redemption site. You can choose to redeem your KrisFlyer Miles for the following:
- Award tickets
- Flight upgrades
- Payments for Scoot Airlines and KrisShop
- KrisFlyer vRooms
- Figgy Points
- Shangri-La Golden Circle Award Points
- Donations
While UOB rewards miles directly to your KrisFlyer account, Citi Miles can be converted to miles of any of their partner mileage programs:
| Asia Miles |
| British Airways Executive Club |
| Etihad Guest |
| Eva Air Infinity MileageLands |
| Flying Blue |
| IHG Rewards Club |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Miles |
This gives you more flexibility to redeem miles from whatever partner airline you choose to fly with! You can redeem 10,000 miles for 10,000 miles of any of the above programs.
You may want to note that Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Programme is also one of Citi’s partners.
You can also redeem Citi Miles through vouchers, cash rebates, and their Pay with Points program. Here are the miles per dollar redemption rates for Citi PremierMiles:
| Cash Rebate | 1,650 Citi Miles = $10 cash rebates |
| Pay with Points | 165 Miles = $1 payment |
For full details on how to redeem your Citi Miles, you may check Citi’s redemption portal.
Eligibility
UOB and Citi require the same age and minimum annual income for Singaporeans. However, UOB has a higher minimum annual income requirement for foreigners.
| UOB KrisFlyer | Citi PremierMiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 21 years old | 21 years old |
| Minimum Annual Income (Singaporeans) | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Minimum Annual Income (Foreign Nationals) | $80,000 | $42,000 |
Other Benefits
Complimentary Travel Benefits
Both UOB and Citi offer a wide range of complimentary travel benefits perfect for frequent flyers.
UOB KrisFlyer offers complimentary benefits for flying with Scoot Airlines
For UOB, you get to enjoy the following perks for flying with Scoot Airlines:
- Complimentary priority check-in and boarding for Scoot flights
- Complimentary additional 5kg baggage allowance for Scoot flights if you purchase 20kg to 35kg baggage allowance
- Complimentary standard seat selection for Scoot flights
- Booking flexibility waiver for flight changes on Scoot
In addition, UOB also provides the following travel insurance coverage:
- Travel personal accident insurance of up to $500,000
- Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation up to $50,000
Citi PremierMiles offers access to airport lounges and travel insurance
Citi offers the following travel benefits:
- Complimentary access twice a year to over 1,300 airport lounges
- Travel insurance of up to $1M
You may view Citi PremierMiles’ travel insurance Terms & Conditions for the full list of insurance benefits.
Other Rewards
Get discounts, additional KrisFlyer Miles, extension waiver, and bonus miles with UOB KrisFlyer
UOB ensures that getting a UOB KrisFlyer card is worth it! You can also enjoy the following with your UOB KrisFlyer card:
- $20 off your purchases from KrisShop
- 2 x $15 worth of Grab Rides to or from Changi Airport
- 2 x $15 off ChangiWiFi
- $5 GrabFood rebates
Plus, you can also earn an additional 1.5 KrisFlyer Miles/$1 for purchases on KrisShop! This is on top of the 3 KrisFlyer Miles offered for spending on the Singapore Airlines group. Note that miles are offered in blocks of $5.
You can also get a one-time 12-month validity extension of up to 60,000 KrisFlyer miles for no additional fees with your UOB KrisFlyer card! This is a great benefit to extend the validity of your KrisFlyer Miles before they expire in 36 months.
When you renew your UOB KrisFlyer card by paying the annual fee, UOB also rewards 10,000 bonus KrisFlyer Miles!
Get more ways to earn miles with your Citi PremierMiles card
Citi offers additional ways to earn increased Citi Miles. For Kaligo and Agoda bookings, you can earn the following for a limited time:
| Miles per dollar | Promo Period | |
|---|---|---|
| Kaligo | 10 Citi Miles/$1 | until December 31, 2022 |
| Agoda | 7 Citi Miles/$1 | until July 31, 2022 |
You can also earn the following bonus points when you get approved for a Citi PremierMiles card and reach the minimum spend amount for the first 3 months:
| Minimum Spend | Bonus Citi Miles |
|---|---|
| $4,000 | 18,000 Citi Miles |
| $9,000 | 45,000 Citi Miles |
Similar to UOB, Citi also offers a bonus of 10,000 miles upon renewal of your card!
Fees
UOB and Citi have the same annual fee for the principal card. However, whereas Citi offers supplementary cards free of charge, UOB also requires an annual fee for supplementary cards
| UOB KrisFlyer | Citi PremierMiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee – Principal Card | $192.60 | $192.60 |
| Annual Fee – Supplementary Card | $96.30 | None |
UOB and Citi have the same interest rates for card transactions and cash advances
| Interest – Card Transactions | 26.90% p.a. |
| Interest – Cash Advances | 26.90% p.a. |
Final Verdict
Both UOB KrisFlyer and Citi PremierMiles offer great miles rewards, travel benefits, and other additional rewards. Both cards are perfect for travellers and choosing which one is better for you depends on your flying preferences.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of what each card offers:
| UOB KrisFlyer | Citi PremierMiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Miles per Dollar | 15 KrisFlyer Miles/$5 for Singapore Airlines Group 6 KrisFlyer Miles/$5 for all other transactions | 1.2 Citi Miles/$1 for local currency transactions 2 Citi Miles/$1 for foreign currency transactions |
| Minimum Spend | None | None |
| Miles Cap | None | None |
| Miles Expiry | 36 months(can be extended for additional fees) | None |
| Miles Redemption | KrisFlyer Miles Redemption Options | Miles of 11 Partner Mileage Programs Cash Rebates Pay with Points Vouchers |
| Travel Benefits | Complimentary Priority Check-In Complimentary Baggage Allowance Complimentary Seat Selection Booking Flexibility Waiver Travel Insurance of up to $500,000 | Complimentary Access to Airport Lounges Travel Insurance of up to $1M |
| Anniversary Bonus Points | 10,000 KrisFlyer Miles | 10,000 Citi Miles |
| Annual Fee | $192.60 – Principal $96.30 – Supplementary | $192.60 – Principal None – Supplementary |
| Interest Rate – Card Transactions | 26.90% p.a. | 26.90% p.a. |
| Interest Rate – Cash Advances | 26.90% p.a. | 26.90% p.a. |
UOB KrisFlyer is great if you love Singapore Airlines
As it is an affiliate card, UOB KrisFlyer offers a multitude of great benefits when you transact with the Singapore Airlines group – from increased miles rewards to travel benefits when you fly with Scoot Airlines. It is therefore a great option if you love flying with Singapore Airlines or Scoot Airlines, or you usually purchase from KrisShop.
UOB KrisFlyer also offers discounts for Changi Airport services which makes it great for frequent flyers!
Citi PremierMiles is great if you travel with a lot of different airlines
Citi PremierMiles, on the other hand, is best if you travel with a lot of different airlines and are a member of other mileage programs. Miles you earn from your PremierMiles card can be converted to miles of their 11 partner programs, one of which is also Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles. This provides more flexibility if you also travel with other airlines.
Their travel insurance coverage of up to $1M also makes it perfect for frequent travellers.
Moreover, Citi Miles also not expire so you can redeem your points anytime you want!
👉🏻 Credit Card Deals
Are you interested in signing up for a credit card? Check out some of the deals below!
Citi PremierMiles
UOB KrisFlyer
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