The Kris+ App is My Secret Travel Hack to Scoring Miles, Here's Why

Who says miles credit cards are the only way to earn miles? Speed up your miles earn rate, redeem more rewards, and unlock exclusive access to deals and privileges, all through the Kris+ App by Singapore Airlines.

After three long years, the majority of countries are finally entering an endemic phase. Which means, time to take to the skies! With Singaporeans jet-setting across the globe to make up for lost holiday time, many of these trips were probably booked and redeemed with the miles accumulated by a miles credit card.

But what if we told you, there’s a faster and better way to earn more miles through lifestyle and everyday spend across dining, shopping, and more? Well, as they say, good things must share, so we shan’t gatekeep anymore.

If you want to earn up to 9 miles per S$1 spend (or 13 miles per S$1 with the inclusion of rewards from a miles credit card) at 1,500 shops islandwide, be sure to check out the Kris+ app. Here are some reasons why you should download the app by Singapore Airlines to level up your miles game.

Table of contents

• What is Kris+?
• How to use Kris+?
• Why should you use Kris+?
• Comparison: Kris+ vs yuu vs Shopback vs Klook
• Best miles credit cards to pair with Kris+

What is Kris+?

First and foremost, what is the Kris+ app? 

To put it simply, the Kris+ app is a lifestyle rewards app created by Singapore Airlines. Kris+ rewards app users with a unique combination of benefits and perks not found anywhere else.

From boosted miles earn rates, miles rebates (“miles-back”), exclusive shopping discounts and offers, in-app challenge rewards, and guaranteed lucky draw wins, this app already exceeds a lot of capabilities and offerings that regular rewards apps offer. 

As it is, there isn’t any other rewards app that lets you earn instant air miles for flight redemptions. In fact, Kris+ offers the highest miles earn rates in Singapore at up to 9 miles per S$1 spend. 

This makes Kris+ App the most rewarding miles accumulation tool on the market right now that every miles-chaser needs to have on their phone. 

How to use the Kris+ App?

It’s as easy as the 3 steps below. 

Step 1 - Download the Kris+ by Singapore Airlines app from App/Play Store.

Step 2 - Log in with your KrisFlyer account details or sign up for a new account (if you don’t have one yet). 

Step 3 - Start paying for daily spend through the app and earn miles, which you can transfer to your KrisFlyer account at a conversion rate of 1:1

Note: Miles earned on Kris+ can only be transferred to your KrisFlyer account within 7 days of earning. Otherwise, the miles will remain in your Kris+ account which you can use to offset purchases.

Why should you use the Kris+ App?

#1 Double dip rewards – Earn miles & credit card rewards points simultaneously for the highest miles per dollar spend

If you’re unfamiliar with what double-dipping rewards is, it’s essentially earning twice the type of rewards on a single transaction either by stacking cards or syncing a credit card with a rewards app.

No brownie points for guessing which category the Kris+ app falls under, but yes: you can earn miles from both Kris+ and your credit card rewards at the same time. Simply by choosing to shop at merchants that accept payment through Kris+.

You can expect Kris+ to give you up to 9 miles per S$1 spend at 1,500 Kris+ partner outlets offering dining, retail, and activities. 

Imagine you spend S$300 dining at Tung Lok Seafood and use a miles credit card (e.g. HSBC Revolution Card) to pay via Apple Pay on the Kris+ app…

+                                             9 miles/S$1 spend       10X Points (4 miles/S$1 spend) on dining*
Kris+ app promo	10% off $100 dining voucher
Total expenditure	Before discount: S$300 After discount: 90% x S$300 = S$270
Miles earned	From Kris+ app: 9 x S$270 = 2,430 miles From credit card: 4 x S$270 = 1,080 miles
Total savings: S$30 off + 3,510 miles

*Credit card used to pay for dining through Kris+ app

With just one meal, you are more than 1/3 your way to redeeming a one-way Economy Bali flight with Singapore Airlines (requires 8,500 miles). 

💡 Fun fact: Miles credit cards typically earn between 1.2 to 4 miles per dollar on specific spend categories or conditions. Add up with Kris+ app’s rate of up to 9 miles per dollar on everyday spend, and you get up to a crazy 13 miles per dollar spend.

Did we mention that there’s no cap on the number of miles you can earn either?

See also: Best HSBC Credit Card Promos: HSBC Revolution vs HSBC Advance vs HSBC Visa Platinum Comparison Review

#2 Exclusive deals and privileges at over 1,500 dining & retail partners

One does not simply claim to be a lifestyle rewards app without featuring some of the best offers and discounts in town. The Kris+ app lives up to its name, having upgraded and expanded its partnership to over 1,500 merchant outlets islandwide!

Spanning across dining, retail, attractions, wellness, and others, there’s something in it for everyone.

Bargain hunters can look forward to dollar discounts, 1-for-1 meals, and cash vouchers, whereas shopaholics will love their wellness and shopping vouchers. You can even use the app to book cab rides and earn miles too. 

But wait, you can redeem similar discounts and offers on other rewards apps. What makes the Kris+ app so unique? Well, what sets it apart is the flexibility/diversity in rebate types earned. 

Within their catalogue, you can find the following promotions often running: 

• Generous rebates (e.g. every min. spend of S$10, gives you a sure-win chance for S$1-S$20 rebate)
• In-app challenges (e.g. Check in to the app three times weekly for free S$0.50)
• Complimentary discount on items and services (e.g. 10% off)
• Complimentary gifts (e.g. free champagne with min. spend)
• Discounted cash vouchers (e.g. S$50 voucher at only S$37.50 spend).
• 1-for-1 deals (e.g. 1-for-1 ice cream), and 

There’s even a 20% miles-back rebate for Esso fuel redeemed using miles!

But what’s really the cherry on top is the fact that you have over 1,500 partner outlets to choose from; so chances are, whatever merchant you’re intending to shop at, the Kris+ app likely has an ongoing deal with them.

#3 Cross-transferable points from other rewards programmes

Looking for flexibility in your rewards programmes? The Kris+ app values that too; it doesn’t discriminate against other rewards programmes. But what do we mean by this?

The Kris+ app allows users to convert rewards points from other rewards programmes into miles – basically, it facilitates the rewards-points-to-miles conversion for other partner rewards programmes like Citibank, DBS, UOB, and CapitaStar.

Upon transferring to Kris+ you can simply tap a single ‘Transfer’ button to store your miles on KrisFlyer for future flight redemptions.  

The benefit of using this Kris+ functionality is the lack of a conversion fee, as well as a lower than the typical minimum number of rewards points before conversion can happen!

Source: Singaporeair

#4 Flexible redemption of miles 

By now you would have understood the various ways Kris+ can help you fatten your air miles wallet. Refer to the table below to see how many miles are required to get to your next holiday. 

But most of us are aware that the miles accumulation game requires consistency and patience; but that doesn’t mean you have to constantly save all your miles so aggressively, you deserve to treat yourself with them every once in a while.

With the Kris+ app, there are multiple ways to redeem your miles – like funding your next retail therapy purchase.

“I have insufficient miles for flight redemptions / expiring miles…”

For those in either of these predicaments, don’t fret! 

Transfer your precious miles from your KrisFlyer Account to the Kris+ app and use these extra miles to offset other everyday transactions like 108 Matcha Saro, 19 Tea, ASICS, Bacha Coffee, Beauty in a Pot, and more!

Do note that KrisPay miles have a validity period of 6 months after transfer to the Kris+ account. 

💡 Fun fact: The conversion rate per transfer is 150 miles to S$1. A medium-sized Pearl Milk Tea from Gong Cha costs S$3.20, which is equivalent to about 480 miles for a cup of bubble tea.

“I have enough miles to redeem a flight from Singapore to ____”

But if you think that you’ve racked up enough miles to redeem a flight, congrats! If you are intending to head to Tokyo or Seoul, you’ll need at least 54,000 KrisFlyer miles to redeem an Economy ticket on redemption save to either Tokyo or Seoul. Check out the number of miles to redeem or upgrade your flight with KrisFlyer’s redemption calculator. 

💡 Fun fact: 13,522 miles earned from a SIN – LHR return trip (on Economy Flexi fares) is approximately equivalent to S$90 when transferred to Kris+, and can be used to offset your spend at daily partners.

Comparison: Kris+ App vs yuu vs Shopback vs Klook

*As of 6 March 2023

To put these values in perspective, we can explore the same Tung Lok Seafood example we mentioned earlier. 

Say you’ve volunteered to pay using Kris+ for your family’s S$1,000 meal. The app would have earned you 9,000 miles instantly (or 13,000 miles if you use the right miles card). This would have been sufficient to redeem a one-way from Singapore to Bali (SIN-DPS)!

Whereas on the other hand, the other rewards programmes offering cashback on everyday spend would have earned you $5 (assuming 0.5% cashback) or up to $20 (assuming 2% cashback).  

While earning rewards can seem attractive, this example shows how miles when redeemed on flights gives you even higher value.

Best Miles Credit Cards

Credit Card	Best for/Benefits	Details	Min. Annual Income
Citi PremierMiles Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 10 miles on Bookings at Kaligo - S$1 = 7 miles on Hotel Books at Agoda - S$1 = 2 miles on Overseas Spend   - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend   - 2 free airport lounge visits per year with Priority Pass - Complimentary Travel Insurance	- Miles awarded as Citi Miles, which never expire - S$27 per redemption - Annual fee: S$194.40 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$42,000
DBS Altitude Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 10 miles on Hotel Transactions at Kaligo - S$1 = 6 miles on Flight & Hotel Transactions at Expedia - S$1 = 3 miles on Online Flight & Hotel Transactions (capped at S$5,000 per month) - S$1 = 2 miles on Overseas Spend   - S$1 = 1.2 miles on Local Spend   - 2 free airport lounge visits per year with Priority Pass	- Miles awarded as DBS Points, which never expire - S$27 per redemption - Annual fee: S$194.40 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$45,000
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 2.8 miles^ on Air Tickets (all airlines) and Foreign Spend* - S$1 = 1.2 miles on all Local Retail Spend like shopping, dining, petrol, hotels, and more - S$1 = 0.25 miles on Utilities, Education, Insurance, and Medical expenses - Complimentary Travel Insurance	- Miles awarded as TREAT Points ,which is capped at 30,000 per month   - *Min. S$800 spend per calendar month, otherwise 1.2 mpd earned only - Annual fee: S$180 (First 3 years free)   ^Up to 3.2 mpd for a limited time only. T&Cs apply.	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Malaysian Citizen: S$45,000 - Foreigner: S$60,000
UOB PRVI Miles Card Apply Now	- S$1 = 6 miles on Selected Online and Flight Bookings at Agoda, Expedia, and UOB Travel - S$1 = 3.2 miles on Overseas Spend - S$1 = 1.4 miles on Local Spend - Complimentary Travel Insurance	- Miles awarded as UNI$   - S$25 per redemption - Annual fee: S$259.20 (First year free)	- Local/PR: S$30,000 - Foreigner: S$40,000

Conclusion

Even if you were to compare the rebate value to yuu, ShopBack, and Klook, the Kris+ app is the only app allowing users to accumulate miles, with the highest miles-earn rate no less. Every other rewards programme app only earns some form of cashback.

And considering how the valuation of a mile largely depends on the flight route, it’s safe to say that earning miles via the Kris+ app and redeeming flights thereafter is the most versatile ‘bang-for-your-buck’ rebate out there.

This article was written in partnership with Kris+ by Singapore Airlines.

Read these next:
Best Air Miles Credit Cards in Singapore (2023)
6 Best Ways to Redeem Your Miles Without Travelling
7 Common Mistakes People Make When Redeeming Miles
How to Earn KrisFlyer Status Credits Without Flying
7 Ways to Earn More Miles With Everyday Expenses