Best Credit Cards for Overseas Spending 2021

Find the latest credit cards have the lowest foreign transaction fees and the best rewards for overseas spending. Read More
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Citibank logo
MoneySmart Exclusive
Earn Miles That Don't Expire - Annual Fee Applies

Citi PremierMiles Card - New Customer (45,000 Welcome Miles)

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = Up to 2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.25%
Apple AirPods Pro (worth S$379) or $350 Cash via PayNow - get them for free when you apply for a Citi Credit Card today! Simply make a transaction of any amount within 30 days.
Valid until 31 Jan 2021 - See more details below
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Standard Chartered logo
MoneySmart Exclusive
Earn Points on Dining & Travel

Standard Chartered Rewards+ Credit Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 10X Points
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.50%
Get a PRISM+ W270 Monitor OR $250 Cash via PayNow when you apply and spend on your card!
Valid until 31 Jan 2021 - See more details below
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HSBC logo
MoneySmart Exclusive
Cashback on Big Expenses

HSBC Advance Credit Card

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Get Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Earbuds OR S$100 Cash via PayNow from MoneySmart when your card is approved! 
Valid until 15 Feb 2021 - See more details below
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Citibank logo
Earn Miles That Don't Expire

Citi PremierMiles Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = Up to 1.2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.25%
Apply Now
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American Express logo
MoneySmart Exclusive
Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Credit Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.50%
Extended Promo: Get a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (worth $288) when you apply and spend on your card!
Valid until 31 Jan 2021 - See more details below
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UOB logo

UOB YOLO Credit Card

on Overseas Spend
8% Cashback
Min. Spend per month
S$600
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.5%
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HSBC logo

HSBC Visa Infinite Credit Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2.25 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.80%
Apply Now
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American Express logo
Online Promo
Convenience & Perks for Frequent Flyers

American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.50%
Online Promo:
Get $150 CapitaVouchers from Amex when you apply and spend on your card, and stand to win a 2D1N staycation!
Valid until 31 Jan 2021 - See more details below
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UOB logo
High Miles Earn Rate

UOB PRVI VISA Miles Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2.4 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.25%
Apply Now
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OCBC logo
High Spend on Dining

OCBC 365 Credit Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
6% Cashback
Min. Spend per month
S$800
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
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DBS logo
Online Promo
Earn Miles That Never Expire

DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.50%
Online Promo:
Get 100% Cashback on Dining and Groceries (Up to S$268) when you apply for a Credit Card with the promo code "FLASHCNY"!
Valid until 09 Feb 2021 - See more details below
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DBS logo
Online Promo
Earn Miles That Never Expire

DBS Altitude American Express Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 1.2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.50%
Online Promo:
Get 100% Cashback on Dining and Groceries (Up to S$268) when you apply for a Credit Card with the promo code "FLASHCNY"!
Valid until 09 Feb 2021 - See more details below
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OCBC logo
Earn Miles That Don't Expire

OCBC 90°N Card

on Overseas spend
S$1 = 2.1 Miles
Min. spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
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UOB logo

UOB PRVI MASTERCARD Miles Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2.4 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.25%
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UOB logo
Earn Miles on Everyday Spending

KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card

on Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Scoot and KrisShop
S$1 = 3 Miles
Min spend per annum on Singapore Airlines Group
S$500
Foreign Currency Transaction Fee
3.25%
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CIMB logo
Bank Promo

CIMB Visa Signature

Cash Back on Cruises
Up to 10%
Min. spend per month
S$800
Foreign Transaction Fee
2%
Bank Promo:
Get $100 cash credit when you apply and spend at least S$350 per month for the first 2 months from approval!
Valid until 28 Feb 2021 - See more details below
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UOB logo

UOB PRVI Miles American Express Card

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2.4 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.25%
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CIMB logo
Bank Promo

CIMB Platinum Mastercard

Cash Back on hotels and flights in Foreign Currency
10%
Min. spend per month
S$800
Foreign Transaction Fee
2%
Bank Promo:
Get $100 cash credit when you apply and spend at least S$350 per month for the first 2 months from approval!
Valid until 28 Feb 2021 - See more details below
Apply Now
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Standard Chartered logo
Frequent Travellers

Standard Chartered X Card

on Overseas Spend
S$1 = 2 Miles
Min. spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3.5%
Apply Now
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Bank of China logo

BOC Elite Miles World Mastercard®

Overseas Spending Rewards
S$1 = 2 Miles
Min. Spend per month
S$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Read More
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Best Credit Card for Overseas Spending

Frequent travellers who usually shop while on a business trip or holiday get higher rewards on overseas spending as long as they use the right credit card. Of course, not all credit cards are created equal. So some fare better than others, depending on the spending category. It’s also worth taking note that banks do charge a foreign currency transaction fee.

Best for High Spenders - OCBC 90°N Card and UOB Visa Signature Card

If you’re the type who goes all out while travelling, the OCBC 90°N Card or UOB Visa Signature Card are worth considering. With the OCBC 90°N Card, you can earn up to 4 miles per $1 spent overseas. What’s good about this is there’s no minimum spend and no cap. So if you’ve a Michelin-starred restaurant reservation or European trip planned before 29 Feb 2020, you can take advantage of OCBC’s bonus miles promotion. The UOB Visa Signature Card is even more competitive. With this card, you earn 4 miles per $1 spent on foreign currency whenever you use your card. While it’s a fixed feature of the card, you must hit the $1,000 minimum monthly spending to enjoy the bonus miles.

Best for General Spending - UOB PRVI Miles

Unlike the usual 1.4 or 2 miles per $1 spent offered by bank other banks, UOB PRVI Miles offers a slightly better deal – 2.4 miles per $1 spent overseas. Not bad for a permanent bonus miles feature. The downside? The UOB miles you accumulate are bound to expire within 2 years.

Best for Nearby Destinations - UOB YOLO, Maybank Friends & Family Card

If you like taking weekend trips to nearby cities like JB, Batam or KL, you can choose between UOB YOLO or Maybank Friends & Family Card for boatloads of cashback and rebates. With UOB YOLO, a weekend trip overseas means 8% cashback on weekend dining, entertainment and Grab rides. Unfortunately, if your trip is scheduled on a weekday, you’ll only get 3% rebate. For serial JB hoarders out there, the Maybank Family & Friends Card might be the perfect card for you. If you spend at least $500 a month, you’ll get 5% rebate on dining, grocery, petrol and taxi rides in Malaysia and Singapore. If you spend at least $800, you’ll get 8% rebate.

How to Activate Credit Card for Overseas Use

Banks enforce stringent security measures to curb unauthorised overseas credit card charges. To use your card overseas, you simply need to activate overseas use for your credit card. So if you’ll be travelling abroad, make sure that you’ve enabled this function to be able to use your credit card. You can activate your credit card for foreign travel via SMS, online banking or mobile banking. Some banks allow ATM or personal activation too. While activating your card for overseas usage, you need to set the dates when you plan to use it abroad. It will then be deactivated automatically.

Credit Card Overseas Rebate

The concept of credit card overseas rebate is simple – use your credit card overseas and earn a small percentage of the amount your paid for in return. Of course, you can’t expect banks to be generous in giving cashback on your foreign currency transactions. Usually, banks only give 2% to 8% cashback tops. Sometimes they also require you to hit the minimum spend requirement to enjoy overseas rebate.

Credit Card Foreign Transaction Fee

Foreign transaction fee often comes as a surprise to most overseas credit card users. Why? Because this fee is usually hiding in the terms and conditions section of credit card providers. So if you’re still scratching your head and wondering what this fee is all about, here’s a quick lowdown. Whenever you purchase something and make a foreign currency charge using your Singapore-issued credit card, you’ll be subject to a foreign transaction fee. Very rarely will you encounter banks that charge 0%. The usual foreign transaction fee is 2.5% to 3.25%.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to activate POSB Everyday credit card for overseas use?

There are 6 ways to enable your POSB Everyday credit card for overseas travel. You can activate it via SMS banking, virtual assistant, digibank mobile, digibank online, DBS Lifestyle app or ATM.

Can I use my credit card overseas?

Of course, you can use your credit card for foreign travel as long as you enable overseas use. Take note that if you charge a different currency, the foreign exchange rate will be a spot rate and you may incur a foreign transaction fee.

Do I need OTP when using a credit card overseas?

OTP is not needed for credit card use overseas. You’ll only be asked for an OTP while you’re activating your credit card for foreign travel.

How to check credit card foreign exchange rate and currency transaction charges?

Banks usually follow the foreign exchange rate of the credit card network (VISA, Mastercard). You can check their website for real-time currency conversion. As for the overseas transaction fee, you can check the terms and conditions section of your credit card provider.