Last updated on 2024-11-01
1. Which Credit Cards are Best for Travel Overseas?
2. Best Mileage Back Credit Cards for Overseas Spending
3. What is the Best Miles Credit Card for Overseas Use?
Credit cards that award miles for overseas spend are becoming increasingly popular for overseas travel. Although Cashback Credit Cards for Overseas Spending can sometimes more than offset any overseas bank transaction fees involved, the minimum spending requirements could be a huge deterrence. Cardholders looking for other options might be be more inclined to use mileage or reward points credit cards instead to chalk up those miles or reward points and at the same time not be restricted with minimum spending requirements. Miles or reward points awarded for spending on credit cards also take years to expire or better still, no expiry date at all in certain cases. Taking into consideration the mentioned benefits, let us take a closer look at how the various mileage or reward points credit cards stack up against each other in the table below.
Credit Card Issuer and Type of Credit Card | Minimum Requirements / Conditions | Mileage Earn Rate |
Only eligible for overseas spend that qualify and chosen as a preferred category. Categories include fashion, beauty and wellness, travel, dining, transport, entertainment and family |
Earn 4 air miles or 15X UNI$ (2.00% cash rebate) per $1 spend in overseas spend in chosen category |
|
Minimum spend of $1,000 per statement period |
Earn 4 air miles or 10X UNI$ (2.00% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
Only for contactless spend including Google Pay, Apple Pay and UOB Mighty |
Earn 4 air miles or 10X UNI$ (2.00% cash rebate) per $1 spend on overseas contactless payments |
|
Only eligible for retail shopping overseas |
Earn 4 air miles or 10X Citi ThankYou Points (2.27% cash rebate) per $1 overseas retail shopping spend |
|
Only eligible for overseas shopping for babies and children’s wear, department stores, clothes, shoes and bags, electronics and gadgets and personal care |
Earn 4 air miles or 10X OCBC$ (2.78% cash rebate) for every $1 overseas shopping spend |
|
Minimum spend of $4,000 / $800 per month |
Earn 3.2 / 2.8 air miles or 8X / 7X Treats Points (2.35% / 2.06% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
Only valid if mnimum spend of $2,000 in a statement month met. Else earn rate is 1 air mile per $1 spend |
Earn 3 air miles or 7.5X Points (3.00% cash rebate) per $1 spend |
|
UOB PRVI Miles World MasterCard Card |
None |
Earn 3 air miles or 7.5X UNI$ (1.50% cash rebate) per $1 spend in Indonesia Rupiah, Malaysian Ringgit, Thai Baht and Vietnamese Dong Earn up to 2.4 air miles or 6X UNI$ (1.20% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend. |
Only eligible for overseas retail, dining and travel spend |
Earn 2.90 air miles or 10X Points (3.13% cash rebate) per $1 overseas retail, dining and travel spend |
|
Minimum spend of $800 per month |
Earn 2.8 air miles or 7X Treats Points (2.06% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend.and air tickets |
|
None |
Earn 2.4 air miles or 6X DBS Points (1.00% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
None |
Earn 2.4 air miles or 6 Rewards Points per $1 spend |
|
Step-up earn rate of 2.4 Krisflyer miles per $1 overseas spend only valid for all spending above $3,800 in a month |
Earn 1.3 Krisflyer miles per $1 spend |
|
None |
Earn 2.4 air miles or 6X UNI$ (1.20% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
None |
Earn 2.3 air miles or 2.3 Travel$ (2.3% cash rebate) per $1 spend in foreign currency |
|
DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card |
None |
Earn 2.2 air miles or 5.5X DBS Points (0.91% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
None |
Earn 2.2 air miles or 5.5X DBS Points (2.20% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
None |
Earn 2.2 VOYAGE miles (2.2% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
None |
Earn 2 air miles or 5X Rewards Points (1.25% cash rebate) per $1 spend |
|
None |
Earn 2 air miles or 5X Points (1.56% cash rebate) per $1 spend |
|
Citibank PremierMiles Card |
None |
Earn 2 air miles or 2 Citi Miles (1.43% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
None |
Earn 2 air miles or 5X Treats Points (1.47% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend. |
|
None |
Earn 2 air miles or 5X DBS Points (0.83% cash rebate) per $1 overseas spend |
|
None |
Earn 2 air miles per $1 overseas spend |
|
Step-up earn rate of 2.0 Krisflyer miles per $1 overseas spend only valid for all spending above $3,800 in a month |
Earn 1.3 Krisflyer miles per $1 spend |
The flexible UOB Visa Signature Card gets our vote for being the best mileage credit card for overseas travel. Its 10X UNI$ earn rate for overseas spend can also be converted to 4 air miles per $1 overseas spend or 2.3% cash rebate. The low minimum spend of $1,000 in foreign currencies is also not a big deterrence if you consider the fact that tourists usually spend more than $1,000 overseas. However, cardholder should take note that the 10X UNI$ earn rate is capped at a relatively low $2,000 (4,000 UNI$) spend in a statement month which is probably insufficient for a good long holiday and UOB imposes a 3.25% foreign currency conversion fee which is higher than the 2.3% cash rebate. On the other hand, we have to give credit to UOB because UOB Visa Signature Card's 10X UNI$ earn rate for overseas spend have been constant from Day 1 of card launch and has helped UOB secure its status as one of the more transparent and reliable card-issuers around.