Best Credit Card for SimplyGo — Get Cashback, Rewards & Air Miles From Public Transport Spending

Following the announcement by Singapore’s Land Transport of Authority (LTA), all non-SimplyGo EZ-Link adult cards and NETS FlashPay cards can no longer be used to pay for your rides on public trains and buses, with effect from 1 June, 2024.


For the majority of us in Singapore, utilising the bus and MRT serves as our primary means of travel, and this will greatly affect us. So, here’s an overview to help you keep up with the latest and upcoming changes on payments for public transportation, plus the added benefit of earning cashback, rewards, and air miles with every commute.

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Complete Guide to Using Credit Cards for SimplyGo 2025

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!
SimplyGo

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.
EZ-Link

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.
NETS FlashPay

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.

Top Credit Cards for Public Transport Spend Via SimplyGo

Credit CardCashback/RewardMore Benefits
Credit CardUOB One CardCashback/RewardUp to 10% cashback, including SimplyGo ridesMore Benefits
  • Up to 10% cashback on McDonald's, Grab (including GrabFood), Cold Storage, CS Fresh, Giant, Guardian, 7-Eleven
  • Up to 3.33% cashback on all retail spend (based on S$500, S$1,000 or S$2,000)
  • Up to 22.66% savings on SPC fuel purchases 
  • Up to 21.15% savings on Shell fuel purchases
Credit CardOCBC Frank CardCashback/RewardUp to 10% cashback, including 2% bonus cashback on SimplyGo ridesMore Benefits
  • Up to 8% cashback online shopping including mobile transactions
  • 0.3% cashback on other eligible spends
Credit CardDBS Live Fresh CardCashback/RewardUp to 6% cashback, including SimplyGo ridesMore Benefits
  • Up to 6% cashback on your shopping spend (online and overseas)
  • 0Up to 14% instant fuel savings at Esso
Credit CardCiti SMRT CardCashback/RewardUp to 5%, including SimplyGo ridesMore Benefits
  • Up to 5% cashback on grocery purchases and online shopping
Credit CardUOB PRVI Miles Visa CardCashback/Reward1.4 miles per S$1 spend (UNI$3.5 per S$5 spend) on bus and train ridesMore Benefits
  • 1.4 miles per S$1 (UNI$3.5 per S$5 spend) spent locally
  • Earn 2.4 miles per S$1 (UNI$6 per S$5 spend) spent overseas
  • 6 miles per $1 spend (UNI$15 per S$5 spend) on major airlines and hotels booked through Expedia and Agoda via UOB PRVI Miles website
Credit CardUOB Lady's CardCashback/Reward10 miles per S$1 spent (25X UNI$ per S$5 spend), including SimplyGo ridesMore Benefits
  • 10 miles per S$1 spent on beauty & wellness, dining, entertainment, family, fashion, and travel categories, with no minimum spend required
  • Up to 25X UNI$ per S$5 spent (equivalent to 10 miles per S$1) on petrol with no min. spend required
Credit CardStandard Chartered Simply Cash CardCashback/RewardUp to 1.5% cashback, including SimplyGo ridesMore Benefits
  • 1Up to 23.7% fuel savings at Caltex
  • No cashback cap and no minimum spend on shopping transactions

Using Your Phone as EZ-Link Card

Long lines of commuters tapping their phones rather than physical cards on buses and MRT has become a norm nowadays in Singapore. If you’re like one of them using your digital card in your phone to pay for your public transport fares, do remember to upgrade your card to a SimplyGo type if not you may be stuck or scrambling to pay in other modes at the bus stop or train stations.


By June 2024, all non-SimplyGo EZ-Link adult cards and NETS FlashPay cards will no longer be valid for payment of rides on public trains and buses.

SimplyGo (Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay)

If using your credit card to tap and go isn't convenient enough for you, you can go one step further by adding your credit card to your mobile wallet in Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. Then, simply tap and go!

EZ-Link NFC

To use your phone as an EZ-Link Card, you need to have an NFC-enabled mobile phone and request a NFC SIM card from your telco. It usually costs $37.45. After you have inserted the NFC SIM card into your smartphone, you can tap your phone and tap it as an EZLink card. Unfortunately, iPhone users cannot use this function.

About the Author

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Dawn Lee

A mother of two who seeks to return to my Japan travel quest in search of the best matcha and smart travel hacks. Besides my love for matcha and wanderlust, I’m always looking for the best credit cards to optimise cashback perks and spreading the love for money-saving hacks.
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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 UOB One Card, OCBC FRANK Card and DBS Live Fresh Card are good options. You need to examine your lifestyle to find the most suitable one, as the range of 1.5% to 10% cashback is conditional upon your monthly expenditure. If you are collecting miles, the UOB Lady’s Card lets you get up to 10 miles per S$1 spent on public transport fares when paid with this card.

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. Note that all non-SimplyGo EZ-Link adult cards and NETS FlashPay cards will not be applicable for payment of rides on public trains and buses by June 2024 according to LTA.
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