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Credit Card Comparison: Citi Rewards vs OCBC Titanium vs HSBC Revolution

Denise Bay

Denise Bay

Last updated 18 April, 2023

Choices are never easy. That’s why, we do the math, so you don’t have to. Compare This, a SingSaver series, is here to help make decisions a little easier for you.


Earn 10X rewards with no minimum spend? Enter Citi Rewards, OCBC Titanium and HSBC Revolution. These top rewards credit cards deserve to be on your radar if you’re keen on racking up rewards points at record speed.

 

You can count on rewards credit cards to make each dollar of yours work hard for you as you spend. Of course, rewards credit cards like Citi Rewards, OCBC Titanium and HSBC Revolution are supremely strong contenders to consider if you enjoy shopping and online shopping and are thrilled to start earning 10X rewards on your purchases. 

In this Citi Rewards vs OCBC Titanium vs HSBC Revolution three-way comparison, you will learn more about what each card has to offer as well as important things to note in this rewards apple-to-apple-apple comparison. 

HSBC TravelOne Card Welcome Gift: Receive 20,000 miles when you make a min. spend of S$800 within the first month of card approval and annual fee payment. Valid till 31 August 2023. T&Cs apply.

Citi Rewards vs OCBC Titanium vs HSBC Revolution

Credit card  Key benefits
Citi Rewards 10X rewards on shopping, online shopping, online food delivery, online groceries, Grab, Gojek rides

1X reward on all other spend
OCBC Titanium 50 OCBC$ for every S$5 spent on eligible online and retail purchases

5 OCBC$ for every S$5 spent on all other purchases
HSBC Revolution 10X rewards on online and contactless spending

1X reward on all other spend 

What these rewards credit cards have in common

Citi Rewards, OCBC Titanium and HSBC Revolution are accessible rewards credit cards that only require a minimum annual income of S$30,000. A common attribute of all three credit cards is that there is no cap on base rewards points earned. Also, there’s no minimum spend required to start earning 10X rewards.


How these rewards credit cards differ

Credit cards aren’t created equal. While Citi Rewards, OCBC Titanium and HSBC Revolution all reward you on your spending, there are several differences between these cards you ought to know if you’ve been thinking about adding either one of these cards to your wallet(or mobile wallet). Read on to find out which card could be the right fit for you and your needs.

Comparison #1: Rewards workings

  Citi Rewards OCBC Titanium HSBC Revolution
Rewards workings 10X rewards (4 mpd) on online and shopping purchases, excluding travel

10X rewards (4 mpd) on rides with Grab, Gojek and more

10X rewards (4 mpd) on online food delivery

10X rewards (4 mpd) on online groceries 

1X reward (0.4 mpd) on all other retail spend, no cap

10X rewards capped at 10,000 points per month i.e. S$1,000 spent
50 OCBC$ (20 miles) for every S$5 spent on eligible online and retail purchases, capped at 120,000 OCBC$ in each card anniversary year

5 OCBC$ (2 miles) for every S$5 spent on all other purchases, no cap

Enjoy extra 2% cash rebate in addition to 50 OCBC$ (worth 20 miles) for every S$5 spent at BEST Denki


10X rewards (4mpd) on online purchases such as shopping, food delivery or travel bookings 

10X rewards (4 mpd) on contactless payments made through Visa payWave and Apple Pay

1X reward (0.4 mpd) on all other retail spend, no cap 

10X rewards capped at 10,000 points per month i.e. S$1,000 spent


The rewards workings for Citi Rewards, OCBC Titanium and HSBC Revolution aren’t entirely the same although all three rewards cards let you earn 10X rewards on specific categories, albeit with a cap — monthly S$1,000 spend on 10X rewards categories for Citi Rewards and HSBC Revolution; average monthly S$1,000 spend on 10X rewards categories for OCBC Titanium. 

Comparison #2: Minimum spend required to earn 10X rewards

  Citi Rewards OCBC Titanium HSBC Revolution
Minimum spend required to earn 10X rewards NIL


NIL — However, OCBC$ is earned on each block of S$5 charged to the card per transaction. No partial or pro-rated award of any OCBC$ will be entertained 


NIL


Although there’s no minimum spend required for cardmembers to start earning 10X rewards on their spending, keep in mind that OCBC Titanium rewards OCBC$ for every block of S$5 spent. This applies even to cardmembers’ 1X reward expenses. 

Comparison #3: Rewards expiry

  Citi Rewards OCBC Titanium HSBC Revolution
Rewards expiry Citi ThankYou Points expire after a period of 60 months, counted from your card approval date


OCBC$ earned will expire on the last day of the 24th calendar month calculated/commencing from the relevant calendar month in which such OCBC$ was earned


All HSBC Rewards Points awarded expire at the end of a 37-month period which shall commence from the month subsequent to the month in which such points were awarded


While OCBC$ expires quickest amongst the three, keep in mind that Citi Rewards' points expiry can be tricky.

For starters, most people aren't aware that the maximum points validity is five years. Cardmembers have to accrue and redeem their points in fixed five-year periods, counted from their card approval date.

If you were to accrue points towards the end of your fixed five-year period, those points would only be valid for a short period of time. Citi does offer a three-month grace period, though.

It is important that you consider this when thinking about which rewards credit card to go for, especially if you are gunning for big rewards like free flights or hotel stays as those require a fairly huge amount of rewards points hence a longer period of time to accumulate.

HSBC TravelOne Card Welcome Gift: Receive 20,000 miles when you make a min. spend of S$800 within the first month of card approval and annual fee payment. Valid till 31 August 2023. T&Cs apply.


Comparison #4: Extra perks

  Citi Rewards OCBC Titanium HSBC Revolution
Extra perks Enjoy complimentary travel insurance when you charge your airfare to the card


All online purchases charged to the card come with e-Commerce Protection, which safeguards you against non-delivery or defective goods or if the seller fails to reimburse you

No annual fee

Free ENTERTAINER with HSBC access, with 1-for-1 dining, lifestyle and hotel deals

The additional perks that come with each of the three cards are quite varied. The most tangible benefits, at least for me, are those that HSBC Revolution offers. You might be more inclined to go with Citi Rewards or OCBC Titanium and that’s entirely OK. Everyone has different wants and preferences.


Conclusion: Which one should you choose?

Citi Rewards, OCBC Titanium and HSBC Revolution offer generous rewards on your spending if you spend under those listed qualified categories. The best one for you largely depends on your lifestyle and spending habits. 

Choose HSBC Revolution: HSBC Revolution is more straightforward in that cardmembers who spend online or make contactless payments through Visa payWave and Apple Pay get to earn 10X rewards on their spending. It’s as easy as that, there’s no need to bother about specific spending categories at all. 

The additional perks that come with HSBC Revolution are enticing too — perpetual waiver of the card’s annual fee and plenty of awesome 1-for-1 dining, lifestyle and hotel deals for you to enjoy at no extra cost.

HSBC Credit Card Welcome Gift: Receive a Samsonite Prestige 69cm Spinner Exp with built-in scale (worth S$670) or S$150 cashback when you make a min. spend of S$1,000 within the qualifying spend period and provide marketing consent during application. Valid till 31 August 2023. T&Cs apply.

Alternatively, receive 20,000 miles when you make a min. spend of S$800 within the first month of card approval and annual fee payment with the HSBC TravelOne Card. Valid till 31 August 2023. T&Cs apply.

 


CITI_PREMIERMILES_BLOGARTICLE

 

CITI_BLOGARTICLE

 

SingSaver Exclusive Offer:

For Citi PremierMiles Card: Receive a Nintendo Switch OLED (worth S$549)Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.2 Wifi 64GB (worth S$503.65) or S$400 CapitaVouchers or S$300 cash via PayNow upon activating and spending (min. S$500 spend) within 30 days of card approval. Valid till 15 June 2023. T&Cs apply.

For Citi Cashback+ Card, Citi Cashback Card and Citi Rewards Card: Receive a Hinomi H1 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair (worth S$599) or Nintendo Switch OLED (worth S$549) or $400 CapitaVouchers or S$300 Cash via PayNow upon activating and spending (min. S$500 spend) within 30 days of card approval. Valid till 15 June 2023. T&Cs apply.

Plus, enjoy up to 2% cashback on all qualifying spend and up to S$450 cash when you apply for the Citi Cash Back+ card and join Citi PlusT&Cs apply.

 
OCBC Titanium Rewards Card
OCBC Titanium Rewards Card Blue
OCBC Titanium Rewards Card
OCBC Titanium Rewards Card Pink

 

OCBC 365 Card Welcome Gift: Receive a Samsonite Polygon Spinner 28" (worth S$640) when you make a min. spend of S$500 within 30 days of card approval. Valid till 30 June 2023. T&Cs apply.

Alternatively, get up to S$250 cashback when you make a min. spend of S$1,000 for 2 consecutive 30-day periods (total 60 days) after card approval. Valid till 30 June 2023. T&Cs apply.

 

Choose Citi Rewards or OCBC Titanium: If you shop a lot for clothes, shoes, bags and frequent department stores, consider Citi Rewards and OCBC Titanium. These two rewards cards offer stellar rewards on such purchases. 

OCBC Titanium’s eligible 10X rewards Merchant Category Codes (MCC) on shopping and online spend categories are very similar to Citi Rewards’. The identical ones include:

  • Departmental Stores ( MCC 5311)
  • Men’s and Boys’ Clothing and Accessories Stores (MCC 5611)
  • Women’s Ready to Wear Stores (MCC 5621)
  • Women’s Accessory and Speciality Stores (MCC 5631)
  • Children’s and Infants’ Wear Stores (MCC 5641)
  • Family Clothing Stores (MCC 5651)
  • Shoe Stores (MCC 5661)
  • Men’s and Women’s Clothing Stores (MCC 5691)
  • Miscellaneous Apparel and Accessory Shops (MCC 5699)

Besides shopping, Citi Rewards is a versatile credit card for everyday use as well as you can earn 10X rewards on rides with Grab, Gojek, online food delivery as well as online grocery shopping. You also enjoy complimentary travel insurance of up to S$1 million when you charge your air tickets to the card. 

If you are a new homeowner who’s looking to furnish your home with a myriad of home appliances and furniture, consider OCBC Titanium as you stand to enjoy an extra 2% cash rebate in addition to 50 OCBC$ (worth 20 miles) for every S$5 spent at BEST Denki. OCBC Titanium’s 10X rewards perk applies to the Computers, Peripherals, and Software (MCC 5045) and Electronic Stores (MCC 5732) categories, too. Some examples of these merchants include Apple, Dell, Prism Plus, Harvey Norman and Gain City.


Read these next:
Best Cashback Credit Cards In Singapore
Credit Card Comparison: DBS Altitude vs Citi PremierMiles vs OCBC 90N
Credit Card Comparison: DBS Live Fresh vs UOB YOLO vs OCBC FRANK
Credit Card Comparison: POSB Everyday vs Citi Cash Back vs OCBC 365
Cashback vs Miles vs Rewards: Which Is The Best Type Of Credit Card For You?
Best Citibank Credit Cards in Singapore
Best HSBC Credit Cards in Singapore
Best OCBC Credit Cards in Singapore

While Denise has a thing for travel, K-dramas, 0% sugar bbt (with boba!), Japanese cuisine and flat white, her curious nature means all sorts of random tabs are open on her phone 24/7. She doesn’t like to pay full price for anything, too.

FINANCIAL TIP:

Use a personal loan to consolidate your outstanding debt at a lower interest rate!

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