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Best Credit Cards For Overseas Spending in Singapore 2023

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.

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.

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar

Citi PremierMiles Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.30 miles per dollar

OCBC 90°N Mastercard open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.30 miles per dollar

OCBC 90°N Visa Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.30 miles per dollar

UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.40 miles per dollar

UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.40 miles per dollar

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Hotel Booking: 3 miles per dollar

UOB Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 4 miles per dollar

DBS Woman's World Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 4 miles per dollar

UOB Lady's Solitaire Card open_in_new

Airmiles Flight Booking: 6 miles per dollar

Citi Rewards Card open_in_new

Airmiles Local Online Shopping: 4 miles per dollar

HSBC Revolution Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Travel: 4 miles per dollar

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 open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: 3 points per dollar

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: 3 points per dollar

UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: UNI$ 3.50

UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: UNI$ 3.50

UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Local Spending: UNI$ 3.50

Standard Chartered Rewards+ Credit Card open_in_new

Airmiles Overseas: 2.90 miles per dollar

UOB Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Overseas Spending: UNI$ 10

DBS Woman's World Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Overseas Spending: 10 DBS Points

UOB Lady's Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Flight Booking: UNI$ 15 for every S$5 spent

UOB Lady's Solitaire Card open_in_new

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

Citi Rewards Card open_in_new

Rewards Points Online Shopping: 10 points per dollar

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 open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 3 visits per year*

HSBC TravelOne Credit Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 4 visits per year*

Standard Chartered Journey Credit Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits per year*

Citi PremierMiles Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits per year*

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card open_in_new

Airport Lounge Access: 2 visits per year*

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 open_in_new

Airmiles Local: 1.20 miles per dollar
How to best use a Credit Card For Overseas Spending?

Using a credit card for overseas spending can be convenient and beneficial, but it's important to use it wisely to avoid unnecessary fees and ensure a smooth experience. Here are some tips on how to best use a credit card for overseas spending:

 

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Other things to note about Overseas Spending

Multicurrency wallets

Some modern credit cards come with digital wallets that allow you to hold multiple currencies in a single card. This can help you avoid currency conversion fees and manage your foreign expenses more efficiently.

 

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Who should use a Credit Card For Overseas Spending?

A credit card for overseas spending is particularly beneficial for individuals who travel internationally or frequently make purchases from foreign merchants. Here are some specific groups of people who can benefit from using a credit card for overseas spending:

 

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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.