Best Credit Card for SimplyGo & EZ-Link — Get Cashback, Rewards & Air Miles From Public Transport Spending
For many of us living in Singapore, taking the bus and MRT is our main form of transportation. With the launch of initiatives like SimplyGo and EZ-Link Reload, it’s now super convenient to pay for your public transport on the go. Even better, with these methods, you can earn cashback, rewards & air miles from your daily commute.
Complete Guide to Using Credit Cards for SimplyGo & EZ-Link 2023
Earn cashback, air miles and rewards on your daily commute.
Read all there is to know about paying for public transport in Singapore
How to Pay for Public Transport in Singapore?
There are 3 cashless ways to pay for public transport in Singapore. With the launch of SimplyGo in 2019, paying for public transport has never been more convenient. Don’t worry, if you’re caught stranded without these options, you can also pay by cash. Just a small thing to note if you’re paying cash on Singapore buses. Bus drivers don’t provide change!
The most convenient option
SimplyGo allows you to pay for train and bus rides with Mastercard, NETS, or Visa credit and debit cards. Registering for a SimplyGo account allows you to track your journey and fare history. In our experience, you can tap and take public transport with your card even without registering too. If your credit card has EZ-Link or NETS FlashPay functionality (e.g. POSB Everyday Card, Citi SMRT Card), you need to go to General Ticketing Machines to switch the payment mode to SimplyGo.
Earn rewards and top up automatically
The EZ-Link card needs no explanation, as it is the first contactless way of paying for MRT and bus fares. You can purchase one at MRT stations, passenger service centres and 7-Eleven stores. It costs $12 with a stored value of $7, meaning the card cost is $5. You can earn rewards through the EZ-Link app and redeem freebies like free Old Chang Kee curry puffs. Topping up can be done manually or through EZ-Reload.
Similar to EZ-Link
NETS FlashPay is another type of card that you can use for fare payment. You can purchase over the counter at General Ticketing Machines, 7-Eleven stores, Cheers, and some money changers. It costs $12 with a stored value of $7. There’s also an auto top-up feature that you have to register to use. The activation is a little more troublesome as you have to bring your NETS FlashPay Card and activation code to any TransitLink Ticket Office within 7 days.
Best Credit Cards for SimplyGo Cashback 2023
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DBS Live Fresh Card
- Cashback on Online & Visa Contactless Spend
- Up to 5%
- Cashback cap
- Up to S$75
- Min. Spend per month
- S$600
The next highest cashback on public transport is 10%, offered DBS Live Fresh Card. This is on the condition that you meet the $600 monthly minimum spend and apply from now until 31 March 2020. This applies to Comfort/CityCab Taxi, Grab, GOJEK, as well as bus and MRT rides using SimplyGo.
Prior to this promotion it offers 5% is for all contactless and mobile payments as well as public transport fares (via SimplyGo), so if or when the above promotion is over, you can still expect to get 5%.
There is a cashback cap of $60 per month ($20 on eligible online spend, S$20 on eligible Visa contactless spend and S$20 on all other spend).
UOB One Card
- Cashback on McDonald's, DFI Retail Group, Grab, Shopee, SP and more
- Up to 10%
- Cashback Cap per quarter
- S$500
- Min. Spend per month
- S$500
[FLASH DEAL | LUCKY DRAW]
Get EXTRA S$50 Cash via PayNow when you apply and spend a min. of S$1,000 per month for 2 consecutive months from card approval! T&Cs apply.
PLUS stand to receive a Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M2 Chip 256GB (worth S$1,899) or a Google Pixel 8 Pro, 128GB (worth S$1,549) or a Sony PlayStation®5 Disc Console (worth S$799) when you sign up through MoneySmart and meet the eligibility criteria! T&Cs apply.
PLUS get up to 15% Cashback and S$350 Cash Credit from UOB when you successfully apply for an eligible UOB Credit Card and spend a min. of S$1,000 for 2 consecutive months from card approval date. T&Cs apply!
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Maybank Platinum Visa Card
- Cashback on Local & Foreign Spend
- Up to 3.33%
- Min. Spend per month
- S$300
- Cashback Cap per quarter when you spend S$300 per month
- S$30
OCBC Frank Card
- Cash Back
- Up to 10%
- Cash Back Cap per month
- S$100
- Min. Total Spend per month
- S$800
Get a Samsung 27-inch M5 Smart Monitor (worth S$554) OR a Apple AirPods 3rd Gen (worth S$261.40) OR S$280 Amazon SG Gift Card OR S$250 Cash via PayNow when you apply and spend a min. of S$500 in Qualifying Spend within 30 days of card approval. T&Cs apply
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DCS CASHBACK Card
- on all eligible transactions
- Up to 5% Cash Rebate
- Airport Lounge Access and Insurance Coverage
- Complimentary
- Annual Principal Fee
- S$194.40 (inclusive of GST)
Best Credit Cards for SimplyGo Air Miles 2023
UOB Lady's Card
- Base Earn Rate
- S$5 = 1X UNI$ (or 2 miles)
- Category of Choice
- S$5 = 15X UNI$ (or 30 miles)
- Min. Spend
- S$0
[FLASH DEAL | LUCKY DRAW]
Get EXTRA S$50 Cash via PayNow when you apply and spend a min. of S$1,000 per month for 2 consecutive months from card approval! T&Cs apply.
PLUS stand to receive a Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M2 Chip 256GB (worth S$1,899) or a Google Pixel 8 Pro, 128GB (worth S$1,549) or a Sony PlayStation®5 Disc Console (worth S$799) when you sign up through MoneySmart and meet the eligibility criteria! T&Cs apply.
PLUS receive up to S$350 Cash Credit from UOB when you are the first 200 new-to-UOB customers who successfully apply for an eligible UOB Credit Card and spend a min. of S$1,000 per month, for 2 consecutive months from the card approval date. T&Cs apply.
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature
- on Air Tickets and Foreign Currency Spend
- S$1 = 8X Points
- on Dining, Petrol, Groceries, Taxi, Hotel Bookings
- S$1 = 3X Points
- Rewards to Miles Conversion for Selected Airline Partners
- 1 Point = 0.4 Miles
Using Your Phone as EZ-Link Card
Ever saw people tap their phones rather than a physical card on buses and MRT in Singapore? Using your phone as an EZ-Link card is a really convenient way to pay for your transport fares. No more fishing around in the bag right before you board! How can you do that?
SimplyGo (Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay)
EZ-Link NFC
Frequently Asked Questions
What card do you use for SimplyGo?
- This depends on whether you want to earn straightforward cashback or you prefer to collect air miles. If you want to earn cashback, the Maybank Friends & Family Card, UOB One and DBS Live Fresh are good options. You need to examine your lifestyle to find the most suitable one, as the 5% to 8% cashback is conditional upon your monthly expenditure. If you are collecting miles, the Maybank Horizon Visa Signature offers $1 = 3.2 miles with a minimum spend of $300.
How do I pay with SimplyGo?
- SimplyGo is the name of the feature that allows you to use Mastercard, NETS and Visa credit and debit cards to tap and pay on MRTs and buses. You either tap the physical credit or debit card like an EZ-Link card, or you can register it in mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay to tap with your phone.
Which credit card can be used as EZ-Link?
- Almost all credit cards from major banks like DBS, UOB, and OCBC can be used as an EZ-Link with the launch of SimplyGo.
