Have you ever wondered what is the best way to pay while travelling?
Do you even remember the last time you went to a travel agency to plan your holidays? Booking your flight tickets and accommodations has never been easier. With everything available with a click of a button, most Singaporeans plan and pay for their overseas trips online instead of going through an agent.
However, when it comes to holiday budget and allowances, Singaporeans still rely on local and international money changers and exchange hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars to fund their overseas expenses.
According to a TODAY article, “Singaporeans are tech-savvy travelers who are browsing seamlessly across multiple devices to find the best deal before making their purchase.”
With Singapore itself driving towards becoming a cashless society – those traveling overseas should consider using this payment method as well. Therefore, if you are planning a holiday abroad – it is best to research the available payment methods there are in your destination. Of course, if you are traveling to remote or rural areas, a few hundred dollars would be enough. However, here are some reasons as to why you should consider going cashless abroad:
Going cashless would typically mean using payment methods that involve one swipe or one QR code. Not only is it fast, convenient and secure, but it will also save you the trouble of comparing currency rates and having to put some cash notes inside your hotel room safe box.
Singapore is ranked as one of the safest cities in the world. When traveling to a foreign country, there is always the fear of getting robbed or pick pocketed. It is quite common to receive stacks of cash from a money changer in an envelope; and at times, when we are busy exploring the tourist attractions, we can misplace or even get distracted to the point that some sly thieves have gotten their hands on the money.
By using your credit card, you avoid the risk of your money and valuables falling into the wrong hands.
Of course, if you are traveling to remote or rural countries – bringing just enough to accommodate your stay is always advisable. Payment transactions have been slowly evolving all around the world. The evolution of technology has brought about an era of disruption even during our coffee runs.
Remember you are on vacation, so instead of worrying about money, enjoy yourself!
If you are still unsure, here are some reliable credit cards that Singaporeans can use abroad on top of mobile payments and QR codes as per moneysmart.sg:
HSBC Advance Credit Card
- Up to 3.5% Cash Back on All Spend
- S$70 Cash Back Cap per month
- S$0 Min. Spend per month
- Option 1: American Tourister Caravan 70cm TSA luggage (worth S$260)
- Option 2: S$100 Cash Back
Key Features
- Up to 3.5% Cash Back on all purchases
- No minimum spend required
- Up to 75% off hotel bookings on Agoda and 10% off hotel books on Expedia
- 1 year card annual fee waiver / Perpetual card annual fee waiver for HSBC Advance banking customers
Citi PremierMiles Visa Card
- S$1 = 1.2 Miles Local Spend
- S$1 = 2 Miles Overseas Spend
- S$1 = Up to 7 Miles Selected Online Hotel and Flight bookings
- Get 4 Citi Miles with Apple Pay
Other Promotions
- Get S$120 Cashback
Key Features
- Earn up to 7 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on selected online travel bookings
- Get up to 4 Citi Miles per S$1 spent on Apple Pay, excludes other promotional earn rates, valid till 31 Jul 2018
- Receive 10,000 Citi Miles upon membership renewal and payment of an annual fee
- Citi Miles never expire
- 1 Citi Mile = 1 Mile with over 60 popular airlines like KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Enrich, Qantas, Qatar
Citi Rewards Card
- S$1= 10X Points on Bags, Shoes, Clothes (Online + Retail)
- S$1 = 1 Point on All Other Spend
- 1 Point = 0.4 Miles Rewards to Miles Conversion
- Get 20X Rewards Points with Apple Pay
Other Promotions
- Get S$120 Cashback
Key Features
- 20X Rewards Points per S$1 spent on Apple Pay, excludes other promotional earn rates, valid till 31 Jul 2018
- 10X Rewards (10 points or 4 Miles) for every S$1 spent on Shoes + Bags + Clothes at Online, Retail or Department stores, locally and overseas
- Enjoy discounts of up to 50% at Foodpanda, Lazada, Zalora, Reebonz, and more
- S$1 spent = 1 Rewards point (All other spend)
American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card
- S$1 = 1.1 Miles Local Spend
- S$1 = 2 Miles Overseas Spend
- S$1 = 3.1 Miles Grab rides
- Get up to 30,500 Bonus KrisFlyer Miles
- Get S$150 cashback at Singapore Airlines
Key Features
- S$1 = 1.1 KrisFlyer miles (Local)
- S$1 = 2 KrisFlyer miles (Overseas) during June and December
- S$1 = 3.1 KrisFlyer miles for Grab rides, capped at S$200 per month
- Receive 5,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles when you first charge to your card
- Get an additional 6,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles when you spend S$2,000 within 3 months of card approval
- First Year Fee Waiver
- Eligible with Apple Pay
DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card
- S$1 = 1.2 Miles Local Spend
- S$1 = 2 Miles Overseas Spend
- S$1 = 3 Miles Selected Online Hotel and Flight bookings
Key Features
- Enjoy up to 3 miles/S$1 on all spend
- Complimentary travel insurance coverage of up to S$1 million
- 10,000 bonus miles upon paying an annual membership fee; Miles never expire
UOB YOLO Credit Card
- Up to 12% Cash Back All Week on Grab, Dining and Entertainment
- Up to S$100 Cash Back Cap per month
- S$600 Min. Spend per month
- Get up to $180 cash credit when you sign up for YOLO and One Account Bundle
- Get 12% cash rebate on Grab, Dining and Entertainment
Key Features
- 12% cash rebate All Week on Grab, Dining and Entertainment
- 8% cash rebate on weekend Grab, Dining and Entertainment and 3% for weekday for existing Cardmembers
- 3% cash rebate on Online Travel and Online Fashion
- Kickstart your investment journey with the Young Professionals Solution by pairing with your YOLO Credit Card and UOB One Account where you can earn up to 3.33% p.a. deposit interest rate
- Up to 13% off at Expedia, Agoda, and free travel insurance coverage (up to S$500,000)
