Best bank offers in Singapore (October 2024): Win 1,500 Ion+ points, get 10% off flights, and more
PHOTO: MoneySmart
PUBLISHED ONOctober 19, 2024 1:00 PMByVanessa Nah
Everybody loves credit card sign-up promotions, but not many of us realise the promotions don't end with a welcome gift. Banks actually shower us with tons of lifestyle deals and perks just for owning and using their credit cards or debit cards.
Once in a while, we even get super exclusive deals like priority early access to concert tickets. Remember the epic UOB pre-sale in 2023 that saw an bombardment of Swifties flood UOB? This year, UOB cardholders also got early access to Waterbomb Singapore 2024.
Here's a look at all the ongoing bank offers and deals in Singapore that you can enjoy with your credit card or simply with your banking app, including lucky draws, cashback or gift promotions, and flight deals.
Bank offers in Singapore: Lucky draws, giveaways and more
3% unlimited cashback at UltraLuxe 2024 with CIMB
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Live up the luxury at UltraLuxe 2024, a 10-day luxury event in Singapore happening from Oct 4 to 13, 2024. Held at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, the event will showcase high-end fashion, jewellery, timepieces, and lifestyle brands. Expect runway shows, gourmet experiences, and exclusive exhibits — the perfect avenue for luxury lovers to indulge in niche offerings and network with industry experts.
At UltraLuxe 2024, CIMB World Mastercard cardmembers will enjoy three per cent unlimited cashback for all purchases. Since it's a luxury event, you can expect price tags to be hefty and unlimited cashback is a must.
If you don't have a CIMB World Mastercard yet, act fast. The first 10 new approved applications will receive one UltraLuxe VIP Pass worth more than $500, including a $500 Shopping Voucher, 5 Wine Vouchers, access to 1 Red Carpet Runway Show, an Ultimate LuxScape Experience, and more.
On top of that, new customers get $188 when they spend a minimum of $988 within 60 days.
Up to 15% off illumi tickets with DBS/POSB Cards
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The world’s largest sound and multimedia show, illumi, is happening right here in Singapore, at the Bayfront Event Space. The spectacular event features the world’s tallest Tree of Lights, lifelike animatronics, and over 20 million LED lights.
If you’re a DBS/POSB cardmember, you get to enjoy exclusive perks. As the Official Bank Partner, DBS is offering its cardholders special discounts:
- 10% off Peak tickets
- 15% off Non-Peak tickets,
Plus, get an additional 10% discount on all merchandise and F&B at the event.
UOB: Save up and Cash in Promotion
Get ready to boost your savings with UOB’s Save up and Cash in Promotion. This year-end promotion offers incredible opportunities to grow your savings while earning up to S$940 in cash rewards.
Simply deposit new funds into an eligible UOB savings account*, such as the UOB One Account or UOB Lady’s Savings Account, and receive up to S$700 in guaranteed cash. The first 25 new-to-UOB savings customers who top up S$150,000 in new funds between Oct and Dec 2024 will also walk away with exciting rewards, including:
- October: 2D1N staycation at ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay (worth S$600)
- November: Buffet dinner for 4 at Lime Restaurant, ParkRoyal Collection Pickering (worth S$500)
- December: Singapore Airlines return air tickets to Bangkok (worth S$800)
To participate, simply register by Dec 31, 2024, and deposit a minimum of S$20,000 in new funds, which must be set aside for five months.
Plus, don’t miss Flash Deal Fridays! The first 50 customers to apply for a UOB savings account online and deposit at least S$5,000 every Friday in October will receive a Harman Kardon Citation One MK3 speaker.
| New Funds Amount | Guaranteed Cash Credit Amount |
| S$20,000 | S$70 |
| S$50,000 | S$200 |
| S$100,000 | S$450 |
| S$150,000 | S$700 |
* Eligible UOB savings accounts: UOB One Account, UOB Stash Account, UOB Lady’s Savings Account, UOB Passbook Savings Account or UOB Uniplus Account.
Switch, Spend, and Get Up to S$500 with POSB
Earn up to S$500 in cash rewards when you switch to POSB from now till Oct 31, 2024. Simply credit your salary and spend with your POSB/DBS cards.
- Step 1: Get S$300 when you register and credit a minimum salary of S$1,600 via GIRO for 3 consecutive months
- Step 2: Enjoy an additional S$200 by spending at least S$500 monthly for three months on your POSB/DBS Credit or Debit Cards.
Win 1,500 ION+ Points monthly with American Express
Calling all shopping enthusiasts! If you love a good spree at ION Orchard, you won’t want to miss this promotion from American Express.
In celebration of ION Orchard’s 15th anniversary, for 15 months, 15 winners every month will walk away with 1,500 ION+ Points if they spend a minimum of S$150 using an American Express Card at ION Orchard. Those points are equivalent to a whopping S$600 in e-vouchers!
You get extra bonus chances depending on which American Express credit card you pay with. If you go for the American Express® Platinum Reserve or Platinum Credit Card, you’ll score an additional 10 chances.
Opt for The Platinum Card®, and you’ll get 20 bonus chances to win!
This fabulous opportunity runs from Jan 1, 2024 till March 31, 2025. Happy shopping!
POSB Work Permit Welcome Rewards 2024
Are you new to POSB and hold a Work Permit? Great news! POSB is rolling out the red carpet for you with their POSB Work Permit Welcome Rewards 2024. Get ready to treat yourself with up to S$20 in bonuses just for getting started with your banking essentials.
Here’s how to snag those rewards:
- Open and Activate: Start by opening a POSB Payroll account and activate your new DBS Visa Debit Card — which, by the way, gives its credit card counterparts a run for their money.
- Spend and Earn: Use your DBS Visa Debit Card for your purchases, accumulating at least S$200 in qualified spends each month for three months. You’ll earn S$5 cashback each month, adding up to a total of S$15.
- Bonus Bucks: Haven’t tried PayLah! yet? Download and register on the PayLah! app using the promo code ‘FIVELAH’ to pocket an extra S$5.
Make sure to take advantage of these offers before they expire on Dec 31, 2024.
Bank offers in Singapore: Travel deals
There’s no shortage of airfare discounts from banks like DBS, Citibank, HSBC and more. I’ve trawled through their promotion pages to summarise them here.
Citibank flight promotions (2024)
Have a Citibank credit card? Here’s a summary of Citibank’s ongoing flight promotions in 2024 — there are plenty to choose from!
| Citibank airfare promotion | Departing from/Destination | Booking period | Travel period |
| Up to 10% off Qatar Airways (promo code: CITIQR24) | Singapore to selected destinations | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Mar 2025 |
| 5% off Cambodia Airways (promo code: KRCITI01) | All bookable flights | Now till 26 Oct 2024 (black-out dates: 1 to 3 Oct 2024) | Now till 26 Oct 2024 (black-out dates: 1 to 3 Oct 2024) |
| 6% off China Airlines | Selected destinations in North East Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South East Asia and more | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 10% off on Etihad Airways | Departing Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand To: Athens, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Zurich |
Now till 15 Nov 2024 | Now till 17 Dec 2024 |
| 5% off round trip airfares and 2.5% off one-way airfares on EVA Air | To the following destinations from Singapore: – Asia: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan – Europe: Amsterdam, London, Milan, Munich, Paris, and Vienna – North America: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto – Australia: Brisbane |
Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
Book your flights with the Citi PremierMiles Card to earn Citi Miles that never expire.
Your Citibank credit card could also get you a discount on online travel booking sites for accommodation, flights, and more. Here’s a list of the ongoing offers:
| Citibank online travel booking site promotions | Valid till |
| Agoda: Up to 10% off flights capped at USD$50 | 15 Nov 2024 |
| Agoda: Enjoy up to 12% instant discount on hotel bookings worldwide with Mastercard | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Agoda: 5% off hotel bookings with your Visa card | 31 Dec 2025 |
| Hong Thai Travel: Spend a minimum of $2,500 to get a New Yorker luggage | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Traveloka: Up to $100 off | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Traveloka: $50 off flights, hotels, and Xperience products (promo code: CITIXPLORE) | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Klook: $10 off min. spend $150 | 31 Dec 2024 |
| L.G.E. Travel Pte Ltd: Spend a minimum of $2,500 and get New Yorker Luggage | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Booking.com: Earn 16% cashback (wallet credits) capped at USD$80 on worldwide properties with Mastercard | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Trip.com: 50% off economy-class return flights every Friday (capped at $200) | 27 Dec 2024 |
| Booking.com: Up to 10% cashback on accommodation bookings with Visa | 31 Dec 2024 |
| L.G.E. Travel Pte Ltd: Up to $1,600 off per couple for selected packages to Finland/Sweden/Norway, Alaska and Princess cruise packages | 31 Dec 2024 |
HSBC flight and travel promotions (2024)
| HSBC airfare promotion | Departing from/Destination | Booking period | Travel period |
| Up to 10% off Qatar Airways (promo code: HSBCQRSG24) | Singapore to selected destinations | Now till 31 Oct 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2024 |
On top of these promotions, you can also take $50 off flights, hotels and more with HSBC when you book on Traveloka with a minimum spend of $500. Book from now to Dec 29, 2024 for any travel period with the promo code HSBCWEEKEND.
HSBC travel booking promotions (2024)
| HSBC travel booking promotions | Valid till |
| Royal Caribbean: Complimentary luggage + additional 5% off 1st and 2nd guests on any Balcony and Deluxe stateroom bookings | 31 Dec 2024 |
| Royal Albatross: 15% off Breakfast Cruise, Sunset Dinner Cruise and City Lights Dinner Cruise | 30 Jun 2025 |
| HSBC Soar-turday Special: S$150 off flights with S$600 minimum spend every Saturday with TravelOne Credit Card | 30 Nov 2024 |
| Traveloka: SGD50 off SGD500 minimum spend on flights, hotels and Xperience (promo code: HSBCWEEKEND) | 29 Dec 2024 |
Don’t have an HSBC credit card? The HSBC TravelOne Card offers one of the highest miles earn rates for foreign spending, at 2.4 miles per S$1.
DBS flight promotions (2024)
From complimentary luggage bags to 10% off airfares, DBS credit cards have plenty of ongoing flight promotions:
| DBS airfare promotion | Departing from/Destination and other details | Booking period | Travel period |
| Singapore Airlines: Spend and Redeem an American Flyer luggage | – Spend a minimum of $3,000 to receive a 25″ American Flyer Luggage A – Spend a minimum of $4,000 to receive a 29″ American Flyer LuggageB |
Now till 13 Oct 2024 | Redeem by 17 Nov 2024 |
| Up to 10% off Emirates (promo code: SGMAST1) | Singapore to Melbourne: 10% off Flex and Flex+Fares for Business and Economy Class cabins Singapore to All Other Emirates Destinations (excluding Melbourne): – Up to 10% off Saver, Flex and Flex+ Fares for Business and Economy Class cabins – Up to 8% off Flex Plus Fares for Premium Economy Class cabins |
Now till 31 Jul 2025 | Now till 31 Aug 2025 |
| Cathay Pacific Fly Fiesta: S$100 off flight bookings (promo code: CXDBS100) |
From Singapore to selected destinations | Now till 13 Oct 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Up to 10% off Qatar Airways (promo code: DBSQR24) | From Singapore to various destinations | Now till 31 Mar 2025 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Up to 10% off Etihad Airways | To Japan from various cities | Now till 15 Nov 2024 | Now till 17 Dec 2024 |
| AirAsia: $50 off flight bookings every Friday, Saturday & Sunday | From Singapore to various destinations in Asia and Australia | Now till 13 Oct 2024 | Now till 31 Mar 2025 |
| 6% off China Airlines | Selected destinations in North East Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South East Asia and more | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | No restrictions |
| 10% off Qantas or British Airways (promo code: FLYDBS) | Qantas operated flights from Singapore to Australia, New Zealand, London plus eligible British Airways flights from London to the United Kingdom or Europe. | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| $150/$100/8% off flight bookings on KLM | Discount varies by destination and plane seat classes. | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | No restrictions |
| $100 off Economy and Premium Economy/Comfort class flight bookings on Air France (promo code: AFKLXDBS24) | Singapore to Europe, USA, Canada, Central and South America | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | No restrictions |
| $150 off Business class flight bookings on Air France (promo code: AFKLDBSBIZ) | |||
| Up to 5% off EVA Air (5% off round-trip or 2.5% off one-way flight bookings | Destinations from Singapore: – Asia: China, Hong Long, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Taipei – Europe: Amsterdam, London, Milan, Munich, Paris and Vienna – North America: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto – Australia: Brisbane |
Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
DBS is also running a number of ongoing accommodation offers:
| DBS accommodation promotions | Booking period | Stay period |
| Booking.com: Up to 16% cashback on accommodation bookings | Now till 31 Mar 2025 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Agoda: 15% off hotel bookings (capped at $30 per booking) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Rakuten Travel: 10% off Japan accommodations | Now till 31 Jan 2025 | Now till 31 Jun 2025 |
| Hotels.com: Up to 12% off hotel bookings with Visa (promo code: VISA8) | Now till 15 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Mar 2025 |
| Hotels.com: Up to 12% hotel bookings with Mastercard (promo code: MCSG8) | Now till 15 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Mar 2025 |
| Trip.com: Up to $100 off flights and hotels | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2024 |
| Traveloka: Up to 6% off sitewide (promo code: DBSSPECIAL) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2024 |
The DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card is a great travel buddy. Pay for your travel expenses with it to earn up to 10 Miles per $1 in the form of Miles for Life! DBS Points that never expire.
UOB flight promotions (2024)
With a UOB credit card, you could get up to 10% off flights to various destinations around the world.
| UOB airfare promotion | Departing from/Destination | Booking period | Travel period |
| Up to 10% off Qatar Airways (Promo code: UOBQR24) | Selected destinations | Now till 31 Mar 2025 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| 10% off Qantas or British Airways (promo code: FLYUOB) | Qantas operated flights from Singapore to Australia, New Zealand, London plus eligible British Airways flights to Europe when flying from Singapore to London | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 5% off EVA Air (5% off round trip airfares; 2.5% off one-way airfares) | Destinations from Singapore: – Asia: Taipei, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong & Macau – Europe: Amsterdam, London, Milan, Munich, Paris & Vienna – North America: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver & Toronto – Australia: Brisbane |
Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 8% off China Airlines | From Singapore to selected destinations. | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 10% off on Emirates (promo code: SGUOB01) | From Singapore | Now till 30 Jun 2025 | Now till 31 Jul 2025 |
Although the UOB flight deals above don’t have any for Singapore Airlines, the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card is a great way to earn KrisFlyer Miles on your Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Scoot, KrisShop, and Kris+ purchases.
UOB credit cards will also come in handy when you’re booking your hotel stays:
| UOB accommodation promotions | Booking period | Stay period |
| Agoda: 7% on Hotel Booking | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2024 |
| Agoda: 7% off accommodation bookings | Now till 31 Dec 2025 | Now till 31 Mar 2026 |
| Rakuten Travel: 10% off Japan accommodations (promo code: UOBRAKUTEN10) | Now till 31 Jan 2025 | Now till 31 Jun 2025 |
| Hotels.com: 8% off hotel bookings with Visa (promo code: VISA8) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Hotels.com: 8% off hotel bookings with Mastercard (promo code: MCSG8) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Expedia: 8% off hotel booking / $15 off flight+hotel package booking (promo code: UOBSG8 / UOBPKG15) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Booking.com: Up to 10% cashback (promo code: UOBSG8 / UOBPKG15) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | – |
OCBC flight promotions (2024)
OCBC credit cards don’t fall short on travel promotions. Check out these lists of flight and hotel promotions!
| OCBC airfare promotion | Departing from/Destination | Booking period | Travel period |
| 10% off Qantas or British Airways (promo code: FLYOCBC) | Qantas operated flights from Singapore to Australia, New Zealand, London plus eligible British Airways flights from London to the United Kingdom or Europe. | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 10% off Emirates flights (promo code: SGOCBC1) | 10% off flights from Singapore to Melbourne; 5–10% off flights from Singapore to other Emirates destinations | Now till 31 Oct 2024 | Now till 30 Nov 2024 |
| Up to 5% off EVA Air (5% off round trip airfares; 2.5% off one-way airfares) | Singapore to Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Amsterdam, London, Milan, Munich, Paris, Vienna, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto or Brisbane | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 10% off Qatar Airways (promo code: OCBC24) | From Singapore to selected destinations | Now till 28 Feb 2025 | Now till 31 Mar 2025 |
| OCBC accommodation promotions | Booking period | Stay period |
| 8% off selected hotel bookings on Hotels.com with Mastercard (promo code: MCSG8) | Now till 31 Jan 2025 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| 8% off selected hotel bookings on Hotels.com with Visa (promo code: VISA8) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| Up to 10% Booking.com Wallet Credits on accommodation bookings | Now till 31 Mar 2026 | – |
| Up to 16% Booking.com Wallet Credits on accommodation bookings (capped at USD$50) | Now till 31 Mar 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| 18% off accommodation worldwide on Agoda (capped at $40 per booking) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| 8% off selected hotel bookings on Expedia (promo code: VISAYRO) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
| $10 off on Klook with $150 minimum spend (promo code: OCBC<YR>10OFF<MTH> (e.g. OCBC2410OFFAUG) | Now till 31 Jan 2025 | – |
View all OCBC travel promotions.
The OCBC 90°N Card is OCBC’s signature miles card that lets you earn up to 7 Miles per $1 spend on Agoda accommodations worldwide.
Maybank flight promotions (2024)
Charge your next flight to your Maybank credit card to enjoy up to 10% off.
| Maybank airfare promotion | Departing from/Destination | Booking period | Travel period |
| 6% off flight bookings on China Airlines with promo code MBQR24 | – | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | – |
| Up to 5% off EVA Air (5% off round trip airfares; 2.5% off one-way airfares) | Singapore to Taipei, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Amsterdam, London, Milan, Munich, Paris, Vienna, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto and Brisbane | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 31 Dec 2025 |
| Up to 10% off Etihad Airways (10% off Economy Class flights; 5% off Business Class flights) | Singapore to Athens, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Zurich. | Now till 15 Nov 2024 | Now till 17 Dec 2024 |
| Maybank travel booking site promotions | Booking period | Stay period |
| Trip.com: Up to 7% off hotel and 2% flight bookings (promo codes: MBBSGHOTELS / MBBSGFLIGHT) | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Nov 2025 |
| Booking.com: 30% off with Mastercard | Now till 31 Dec 2024 | Now till 30 Jun 2025 |
Make the most of your travel spending by charging your air ticket to the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature card.
You’ll earn 3.2 air miles (8X TREATS Points) for every S$1 spent on air tickets and foreign currency transactions!
Credit card privilege programmes in Singapore
If you own a credit card, you're entitled to dining, travel, and other lifestyle offers you may not even know about.
Each bank has their own privilege programme or deals catalogue that makes claiming a deal as easy as applying a promo code or claiming a voucher on your banking app.
These differ from rewards programmes that let you redeem gifts using points accumulated from your credit card spending-for example, redeeming a $5 NTUC voucher with 100 points.
Here, we're talking about catalogues of deals and promotions that you have the privilege of accessing simply because you have a credit card with that bank-for example, showing your credit card at a restaurant to enjoy a 1-for-1 offer on all main courses.
Here's a list of credit card promotion/privilege programmes in Singapore for UOB, DBS, and more.
UOB: UOB Rewards+
UOB Rewards+ is the UOB rewards programme that all UOB Cardmembers are entitled to. It also claims to be the largest rewards catalogue in Singapore. So if you have a UOB card, make sure you download the UOB TMRW app to browse all deals. You can also view dining deals at The Dining Advisor.
Standard Chartered: The Good Life
The Good Life Privileges is a deals and rewards programme open to anyone with a Standard Chartered credit or debit card (or both).
Citibank: Citi World Privileges
Citi World Privileges is full of deals for not just the rest of the world while you’re on holiday, but when you’re back home in Singapore too.
DBS Privileges and Offers
DBS may not have a fancy schmancy name for their credit card offers programme, but they’ve still got a ton of good deals you should check out.
American Express: Love Dining and Chillax
Amex Platinum cards aren’t the most accessible, but give you access to tons of dining deals and privileges. Check out their Love Dining deals for offers at restaurants and hotels, and their Chillax programme 1-for-1 drink offers and welcome cocktails at bars around the island.
HSBC Credit Card Promotions and Deals
Like DBS, HSBC doesn’t have a dedicated name for their HSBC credit card promotions programme. An HSBC credit card also gives you access to standard offers on The Entertainer with HSBC, although only selected cards give you premium offers.
OCBC Credit Card Promotions
Another nameless programme, OCBC’s credit card promotions and deals span across food, fashion, health and many other categories.
Maybank Credit Card Promotions
The Maybank credit card promotions are all listed online, but don’t forget to change the filter to see the promotions you want. Categories include: dining, beauty, travel, wellness, shopping, and more. There doesn’t seem to be a way to see all categories at once.
CIMB Credit Card Promotions
Check out CIMB’s credit card deals across categories like dining, travel and lifestyle, e-commerce, and beauty and wellness. You can also select “near me” to see deals based on your location.
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This article was first published in MoneySmart.