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Best Credit Cards For Overseas Spending in Singapore 2024

Optimise your international expenses with the finest credit card choices for overseas spending in Singapore. These cards not only ensure seamless transactions while abroad but also offer alluring rewards, cashback, and exclusive travel perks. Whether you’re a frequent traveller or embark on occasional journeys, these top selections enhance your global adventures by providing financial ease and valuable benefits.

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Best Credit Card for Overseas Spending

A credit card that is well-suited for overseas spending comes with a range of features and benefits designed to make your international transactions seamless, cost-effective, and rewarding. 

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Cashback

Look for credit cards that offer upsized cashback or cash rebates for travel-related or foreign currency transactions. This incentivises you to use the card while travelling to maximise cashback earned.  Specifically, the CIMB Visa Infinite Card and CIMB Visa Signature Card are two cashback cards that are designed with overseas travel in mind. 

The CIMB Visa Infinite Card nets you 2% cashback on eligible overseas spend and travel bookings with minimum S$2,000 spend per statement month – so think flights, hotels, travel agency bookings, and any other dining, online & offline retail, or transport expenses you might incur whilst travelling.

Meanwhile, the CIMB Visa Signature Card nets you 10% cashback on your cruise bookings with minimum S$800 spend, capped at S$20 cashback per statement month. Choose this card if you prefer a quick getaway to neighbouring shores instead of visiting far-flung destinations by plane.

CIMB Visa Infinite Card

CIMB Visa Infinite Card open_in_new

Cashback Overseas: Unlimited 2 %
Apply
CIMB Visa Signature Card

CIMB Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Cashback Travel: 10 %
Apply

Miles

Look for credit cards that offer elevated miles for travel-related or foreign currency transactions. This incentivises you to use the card while travelling to maximise miles earned.

If you prefer a travel credit card, all of the options listed here are excellent choices. However, the UOB PRVI Miles Card offers the highest miles earn rate out of the bunch at 1.2 miles per S$1 (mpd) on local spend, 2.4 mpd on foreign spend, and a whopping 6 mpd on major airline and hotels booked on Agoda, Expedia, and/or UOB Travel.

For other miles cards, the UOB Lady’s Card and UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card offer 6 mpd on one (or two) preferred category(ies) respectively across Beauty & Wellness, Fashion, Dining, Family, Travel, Transport, and Entertainment. So you’ll earn 6 mpd overseas on whichever category you choose, subject to foreign transaction fees and other prevailing fees.

If that’s not up your alley, feel free to browse through our other curated miles credit cards in this listing.

Citi PremierMiles Card

Citi PremierMiles Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
Apply
HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
Apply
Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
Apply
DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.30 miles per dollar
Apply
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 2.80 miles per dollar
Apply
UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard

UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.40 miles per dollar
Apply
UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card

UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.40 miles per dollar
Apply
UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card

UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.40 miles per dollar
Apply
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Hotel Booking: 3 miles per dollar
Apply
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.10 miles per dollar
Apply
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
Apply
UOB Visa Signature Card

UOB Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 4 miles per dollar
DBS Woman's World Card

DBS Woman's World Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 4 miles per dollar
Apply
UOB Lady's Card

UOB Lady's Card open_in_new

Apply
UOB Lady's Solitaire Card

UOB Lady's Solitaire Card open_in_new

Airmiles Flight Booking: 6 miles per dollar
Citi Rewards Card

Citi Rewards Card open_in_new

Apply
HSBC Revolution Credit Card

HSBC Revolution Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Travel: 4 miles per dollar
OCBC 90°N Mastercard

OCBC 90°N Mastercard open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.30 miles per dollar
Apply
OCBC 90°N Visa Card

OCBC 90°N Visa Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.30 miles per dollar
Apply

Rewards Points

Look for credit cards that offer bonus rewards points for travel-related and foreign currency transactions. This incentivises you to use the card while travelling to maximise rewards points earned.


Rewards credit cards that double up as a travel credit card will be the ideal option to go for here. Once again, the UOB PRVI Miles Card is the better choice here because it earns a bonus UNI$6 per S$5 spend on overseas spend and UNI$15 per S$5 spend on major airlines and hotel bookings via Agoda, Expedia, and UOB Travel. 

Alternatively, you can pair the Citi Rewards Card with the Instarem amaze Card to convert all overseas spend into online transactions. This effectively nets you 10X ThankYou Points per S$1 on almost all spend.

But that’s just our take. Check out other great rewards credit card options featured here on the list.

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: 3 points per dollar
Apply
Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: 3 points per dollar
Apply
UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard

UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: UNI$ 3.50
Apply
UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card

UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: UNI$ 3.50
Apply
UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card

UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: UNI$ 3.50
Apply
Standard Chartered Rewards+ Credit Card

Standard Chartered Rewards+ Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 2.90 miles per dollar
Apply
UOB Visa Signature Card

UOB Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Overseas Spending: UNI$ 10
DBS Woman's World Card

DBS Woman's World Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Overseas Spending: 10 DBS Points
Apply
UOB Lady's Card

UOB Lady's Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Flight Booking: UNI$ 25 for every S$5 spent
Apply
UOB Lady's Solitaire Card

UOB Lady's Solitaire Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Flight Booking: UNI$ 15 per S$5
Citi Rewards Card

Citi Rewards Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Online Shopping: Up to 10 points per dollar
Apply
HSBC Revolution Credit Card

HSBC Revolution Credit Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Flight Booking: 10 points per dollar
Best Credit Cards for Other Overseas Usage and Features

Besides earning rebates on foreign spend, there are other helpful (and important!) overseas card perks that often get overlooked. 

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Complimentary Airport Lounge Access

There’s nothing quite luxurious as chilling in an airport lounge before your flight prepares for boarding. All of the following credit cards provide complimentary airport lounge access, but the CIMB Visa Infinite Card (3 lounge visits per year) and the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card (4 visits per year) offer cardholders with more visits than average. 

But if you have a preference for a specific type of airport lounge (e.g. Priority Pass, DragonPass etc.), compare your options with the other credit cards here. 
CIMB Visa Infinite Card

CIMB Visa Infinite Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 3 visits per year*
Apply
HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 4 visits per year*
Apply
Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits per year*
Apply
Citi PremierMiles Card

Citi PremierMiles Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits per year*
Apply
DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits per year*
Apply

No Foreign Transaction Fees

One of the key features is the absence or minimal foreign transaction fees. On average, such fees usually range between 3.25% to 3.5%, which can be a hefty add-on cost to your overall receipt abroad.

The Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card offers an evergreen 0% foreign transaction fee on your overseas transactions, making it a reliable travel companion overall. However if you want to earn slightly more miles, the HSBC TravelOne Credit Card currently offers a 0% foreign transaction fee promotion until 31 Dec 2023.

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
Apply
Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
Apply

Comparison of Best Credit Cards for Overseas Spending in Singapore

 

Credit card

Key benefits for overseas spending

Details

Citi Cash Back Card

Citi_Cashback_Platinum_Mastercard

- 6% cashback at restaurants and cafes worldwide

- 8% cashback at supermarkets and groceries stores worldwide

- Up to S$1 million complimentary travel insurance when you charge your travel tickets

- Cashback card

- Minimum monthly spend of S$800 required to earn cashback

- Cashback capped at S$80 per month

DCS CASHBACK Card

DCS Cashback Card New_Sep2023

- 5% cashback on all eligible transactions

 - 1x complimentary airport lounge per annum 

 - Up to S$1 million complimentary travel insurance
- Cashback card
 
- Minimum monthly spend of S$400 required to earn cashback
 
- Cashback capped at S$50 per month

HSBC Advance Card

HSBC-Advance-Card-1

- Up to 3.5% cashback on eligible spends

- Up to S$500,000 complimentary travel insurance for you and your family

- Cashback card

Base cashback (max. S$70 per month):

- 1.5% cashback with no minimum monthly spend

- 2.5% cashback with S$2,000 minimum monthly spend

 

Everyday+ Rewards cashback (max. S$300 per month):

- Extra 1% cashback with min. monthly deposit of S$2,000 and min. five eligible transactions

CIMB Visa Infinite Card

CIMB-VISA-INFINITE_2019-LR-1024x674-1

- Unlimited 2% cashback on travel, overseas spend and online spends in foreign currencies

 - 3x complimentary airport lounge visit per annum

 - Up to S$1 million complimentary travel insurance

- Cashback card

- Minimum monthly spend of S$2,000 required to earn cashback

- Premium credit card, requires minimum annual income of S$120,000

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card

HSBC TravelOne

- 2.4 mpd on foreign currency transactions (1.2 mpd for local spends)

- 4x complimentary airport lounge visit per annum

- Up to S$100,000 complimentary travel insurance for you and your family

- No cap on miles earned, no minimum spend required

 - Miles card

UOB PRVI Miles Card

uob-prvi-amex-resized-3

uob-prvi-resized-e1548402137533-2
 
UOB_PRVI_MASTERCARD

- 2.4 mpd on overseas and online foreign currency transactions (1.4 mpd on local spends)

- 6 mpd on Agoda, Expedia and UOB Travel bookings

- no cap on miles earned, no minimum spend required

 - Miles card

DBS Altitude Card

DBS-Altitude-Amex-_may-15-1024x668-1
 
DBS-Altitude-Visa_LF-2019-2026-1024x686-2

- 2.2 mpd on overseas spend (1.3 mpd on local spends)

- 10 mpd on Kalingo hotel bookings

- 6 mpd on flights, hotels and travel packages at Expedia

- Receive 10,000 bonus miles when you pay the annual fee (S$196.20)

- no cap on miles earned, no minimum spend required

 - Miles card

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card

Maybank-Horizon-Visa-Signature-Card-3

- 2.8 mpd on air tickets and foreign spends (1.2 mpd on local spends)

- Complimentary airport lounge access with minimum S$1,000 spent at least 3 months prior to lounge visit

- Up to S$1 million complimentary travel insurance when you charge your travel tickets

- Miles card

- Minimum spend of S$800 per month required to earn 2.8 mpd 

Trust Bank Credit Card

trust credit card

Zero foreign transaction fees
 

 

How to Choose the Best Credit Card for Overseas Spending?

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best credit card for overseas spending to maximise benefits and minimise costs. Here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Look for credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees. These fees can quickly add up and significantly increase the cost of your international purchases.

Worldwide Acceptance

Ensure that the credit card is widely accepted at your destination. For instance, Visa and Mastercard are generally more widely accepted globally than American Express.

Chip-and-PIN Technology

Opt for a card with EMV chip-and-PIN technology. Many countries, including Singapore, use chip-and-PIN for card transactions, so having this technology can be beneficial.

Currency Conversion Fees

Select a card with good currency conversion rates. To do this, check the currency conversion fees associated with the card. Some cards offer competitive exchange rates, while others may have less favourable rates.

ATM Access

Verify the card's policies regarding ATM withdrawals abroad. Be aware of these costs since some credit cards charge high fees for cash advances.

Security Features

Consider credit cards with the best security features. Look for cards that offer fraud protection, zero-liability policies, and the ability to freeze or report a lost or stolen card quickly.

Contactless Payment Options

Having contactless payment options on your card can be convenient, especially in regions where contactless payments are prevalent. This option is also a good security feature!

Customer Support

Consider the customer support services the credit card issuer offers, such as their availability abroad or how you can reach them even outside Singapore. Knowing that you have reliable assistance in case of any issues while overseas can be reassuring.

Rewards Travel Benefits

Choose a credit card that offers rewards or travel benefits. Look for cards that provide bonus points, high miles earn-rate or cashback perks on international spending. Also, keep an eye out for travel-related perks such as travel insurance, airport lounge access, and concierge services.

How to Minimize Overseas Credit Card Fees and Charges?

To minimize overseas credit card fees and charges, consider the following strategies:

Use a Credit Card with Favorable Currency Conversion Rates

Look for credit cards that offer competitive currency conversion rates. Some cards provide better exchange rates compared to others, which can help you save on conversion costs.

Choose Local Currency for Transactions

When making purchases with your credit card abroad, ensure you are charged in the local currency. This is to avoid high Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fees and the potential to be unfairly charged by merchants.

Choose a Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees

Again, try to find credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction feeds. These fees can range from 2.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, so avoiding them can save you money.

Consider Travel-Focused Credit Cards

Explore cards that are specifically designed for travellers. Choose the best travel credit cards with features like no foreign transaction fees, travel rewards, and other perks that can make international spending more cost-effective.

Understand Cash Advance Fees

Be aware of the fees associated with cash advances. Credit cards often charge higher fees and interest rates for cash advances, so it's advisable to only use your card for purchases rather than cash withdrawals.

Use ATMs Wisely

If you do need cash, use ATMs strategically. Choose ATMs that belong to your credit card network to minimise withdrawal fees and ensure security. Also, withdraw larger amounts less frequently to reduce the impact of fixed ATM fees.

Understanding Foreign Transaction Fees

Foreign transaction fees are charges imposed by credit card issuers when you make purchases in a currency other than the one in which your card is denominated. You need to be aware of these fees to manage your expenses effectively abroad. Below is a breakdown to help you understand foreign transaction fees:

Definition of Foreign Transaction Fee

Foreign transaction fees, often ranging from 2.5% to 3.5% of the transaction amount, are incurred when you make purchases or withdraw cash in a foreign currency.

How Does Foreign Transaction Fee Work?

When you use your credit card overseas, the transaction amount is converted into your card's native currency. The foreign transaction fee is then applied as a percentage of the converted amount.

How Does Credit Card Networks Affect Transaction Fees?

It's important to check your card's terms since different credit card networks may have varying fee structures. For instance, Visa and Mastercard both charge a fee of 1%. The credit card company will then add a 1-2% issuer fee. This produces up to 3% foreign transaction fee.

Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)

Some merchants may offer DCC, allowing you to pay in your home currency instead of the local currency. While this might seem convenient, it often involves less favorable exchange rates (proposed by the merchants themselves) and additional fees.

What is Dynamic Currency Coversion (DCC)?

Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) is a service offered by certain merchants and ATMs, allowing customers to choose whether to pay for a transaction in their home currency rather than the local currency.

Why you should avoid DCC?

Avoiding Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) is advisable for several reasons.

When you opt for DCC, merchants or ATMs convert your transaction amount into your home currency using their own exchange rates, which are often less favourable than the rates provided by your credit card issuer. This can result in higher costs for each transaction due to increased fees and less advantageous exchange rates.

Choosing to be billed in the local currency allows you to take advantage of better rates offered by your credit card issuer, potentially saving you money on international spending.

By avoiding DCC, you reduce the risk of hidden fees and ensure greater transparency in your financial transactions while travelling abroad.

Good Credit Card Spending Habits When Overseas

Having smart credit card habits abroad is key to financial efficiency and worry-free spending while travelling.

Monitor Exchange Rates

Stay informed about currency exchange rates to understand the cost of your transactions. Consider using apps or financial websites for real-time rate updates.

Choose Local Currency

We couldn't stress this enough, but when making purchases, always choose to be billed in the local currency to avoid less favourable exchange rates associated with Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC).

Avoid Cash Advances

Try to minimize or avoid cash advances from ATMs, as they often come with higher fees and interest rates compared to regular credit card transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions for Credit Cards for Overseas Spending

Is Visa, Mastercard, or American Express better for international spend?

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In general, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are all excellent choices for international spending, as they offer widespread acceptance and competitive features. In particular, many American Express credit cards tend to waive foreign transaction fees to give you better bang for your buck for foreign transactions. 

The better option depends on the specific benefits and rewards offered by the credit card products associated with each network, as well as your individual preferences and needs.

How to Activate Credit Card for Overseas Use?

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Activate your credit card for overseas use by contacting your card issuer via phone or their website. Verify your identity, share your travel details, and confirm activation. Update contact information and consider using online options or mobile apps if available.

It's also best to test your card with a small transaction, keep the emergency contact handy, and familiarise yourself with any travel-related features.

What are Credit Card Overseas Rebates?

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Credit card overseas rebates vary from reward points, miles points, and cashback rewards for transactions made outside the cardholder's home country. These rebates encourage the use of credit cards for overseas spending. Check your card's terms for specifics on overseas rebates.

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