How to Maximise Miles When Buying the New iPhone 18 Pro in Singapore
Updated: 11 Sept 2026
Written byAfina Najib
Senior Content Editor - Singapore
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.
Apple has taken the wraps off its latest lineup — the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first-ever foldable, the iPhone Duo — unveiled at the "Surprise and Shine" event on 9 September 2026. Pre-orders open 8pm SGT on 12 September, with phones in stores from 18 September.
Unlike previous years, there's no standard or budget model this cycle — Apple's entry-level iPhone 18 and 18e are reportedly delayed to Spring 2027, meaning the Pro tier is your only new-iPhone option for now.
Needless to say, this is no small investment. Here's what Apple Singapore is charging:
| Storage | iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Max | iPhone Duo |
| 256GB | S$1,899 | S$2,099 | S$3,099 |
| 512GB | TBC | TBC | S$3,399 |
| 1TB | TBC | TBC | S$3,999 |
| 2TB | TBC | TBC | S$4,899 |
With a purchase this size, it's always worth asking if you really need to upgrade. But assuming you've decided to take the plunge, you might as well maximise the miles you earn on it.
Decision Guide
Before You Compare
Check the merchant category code (MCC)
Bonus mpd rates on several cards only apply if the purchase codes as Electronics Stores
Watch your monthly bonus spend cap.
A single iPhone purchase can easily exceed a card's bonus cap. Split it instead
Confirm payment method requirements
Some in-store bonuses require tap-to-pay via mobile wallet, not the physical card
Check stacking terms before you buy
Kris+ and KrisShop bonuses have their own transfer deadlines and expiry rules
What cards should I use — Online
In store
Stack miles from Kris+
But if you only stop at credit card miles, you’re selling yourself short. There’s other ways of earning bonus miles on your iPhone purchase, at no additional cost.
One such way is Kris+, which awards bonus miles on top of what you get from your credit card. Kris+ currently offers an additional 1 mile per S$1 spent with the following retailers
- Challenger
- Harvey Norman
- iStudio
This is stackable with up to 4 mpd from your credit card. As Kris+ transactions code as online, and retain the MCC of the underlying merchant, you can use the cards mentioned in the previous section for online purchases.
Don’t forget to transfer any miles earned from Kris+ to krisFlyer within 21 days of the transaction, in their entirety. If you wait longer than 21 days, or use Kris+ to spend any portion of the miles earned, the remaining balance will be stuck inside Kris+.
Stack miles from KrisShop
The iPhone 18 lineup is expected to be listed on KrisShop once retail availability begins. KrisShop's earn structure has changed since last year — it's currently offering a sitewide 1.25 cents per KrisFlyer mile redemption rate (through 30 September 2026), a shift from the old tiered KrisShopper system.
As with previous years, KrisShop purchases code as MCC 5309 Duty Free Stores, so the optimum cards to use are:
| Card | Earn Rate | Remarks |
| OCBC Rewards Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,110 per calendar month |
| HSBC Revolution | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per calendar month |
| UOB Lady's Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per calendar month, must select Travel as quarterly bonus category |
| UOB Lady's Solitaire Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$750 per calendar month (reduced from S$2,000), must select Travel as quarterly bonus category |
| KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card | 3 mpd | No cap |
| AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend | 2 mpd | No cap |
Stack miles from HeyMax
Instead of buying an iPhone directly, you can consider buying vouchers via HeyMax instead. HeyMax offers Max Miles for voucher purchases, convertible to over 25 airline and hotel loyalty programmes.
Voucher purchases on HeyMax code as MCC 5311 Department Stores, which earns the standard 4 mpd bonus rate on the OCBC Rewards Card. Note: the card's elevated 6 mpd promotion (running through March 2027) currently applies to a different merchant list — Watsons, Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, and Taobao — not general department store spend, so HeyMax vouchers earn the base 4 mpd rather than 6 mpd.
| Card | Earn Rate | Remarks |
| OCBC Rewards Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,110 per calendar month |
| Citi Rewards Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per statement month |
| HSBC Revolution | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per calendar month |
| UOB Lady's Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$1,000 per calendar month, must select Fashion as quarterly bonus category |
| UOB Lady's Solitaire Card | 4 mpd | Capped at S$750 per calendar month, must select Travel as quarterly bonus category |
| KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card | 3 mpd | No cap |
The main benefit of buying vouchers over the item outright remains the same: you can split a large purchase — like the iPhone Duo at S$3,099 — across multiple vouchers to stay within each card's bonus cap, rather than busting it in one transaction.
Conclusion
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the debut iPhone Duo will put a real dent in your wallet, but with the right stacking strategy across your credit card, Kris+, KrisShop, and HeyMax, you can offset some of that cost in miles. Just be sure to check current caps and bonus categories before you buy — they shift more often than the phones do.
About the author
Afina Najib
Spending most of her young writer's phase working as a freelancer, Afina's written for various industries ranging from e-commerce, travel to health and finance. Her expertise lies in her ability to make complex subjects like finance easy to consume for everyday readers.
The information on this page is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. While we review and compare financial products to help you find the best options, we do not provide personalised recommendations or investment advisory services. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions.