Best Cards to Use For Public Transportation Late 2023 Edition

💳 This is part of the “The Best Cards to Use” series. Tap here for more great cards to use in other areas of spend!

There is fare hike coming at the end of the year! Save on your public transportation rides when you pay for your fares with these credit cards.

Cashback

Banks tend to be disingenuous with cashback earn rates, so I have put a Maximum Earn Rate column next to the advertised rate. UOB One, for instance, advertises a 10% earn rate for public transportation rides, but you would often earn a mere 3.33% for most other spend, decreasing your effective cashback yield a fair bit. If you meet the minimum spend solely on bus/train rides, your effective yield is 8.33%.

Of course, no one spends that much on public transportation in a month, and I have placed a Realistic Earn Rate column to show what spending $100 a month on these cards would look.

Note that you also have to fulfil the minimum spend and spend conditions (if any) on almost all of these cards.

Card	Advertised Earn Rate	Maximum Earn Rate	Realistic Earn Rate	Apply	Conditions	Monthly Limit
Maybank Family and Friends	8%	8%	8%	Apply	– Minimum spend of $800 each month (across all spend) – Transport category selected	$25 cashback
DBS LiveFresh	10%	6.88%	5.83%	Apply	– Minimum spend of $600 each month (across all spend)	$35 cashback
UOB EVOL	8%	6.67%	6.67%	Apply	– Minimum spend of $600 each month (across all spend) – Mobile wallet only (e.g. Apple Pay)	$20 cashback
StanChart Smart Card	6%	6%	6%	Apply	– No minimum spend! – Conversion in blocks of 3,200 Points for $10	15,705 points (~$49 worth of cashback)
Citi SMRT Card	5%	5%	5%	Apply	– Minimum spend of $500 each month (across all spend)	$600 cashback (annual cap)
UOB One	10%	8.33%	4.33%	Apply	– Spend $2,000. per month for a quarter	Quarterly cashback
UOB One	8.33%	8.33%	5% ($500 spend) 4.17% ($1,000 spend)	Apply	Spend $500 / $1,000 per month for a quarter	Quarterly cashback

Miles

If you’re a miles person instead, here are the best cards for that:

Card	Earn Rate	Apply	Conditions	Monthly Limit
StanChart Smart Card	5.568 mpd	Apply	7.68 mpd earn rate for StanChart Visa Infinite or X Card cardholders	$818 spend
UOB Lady’s Solitaire	4 mpd 6 mpd	Check back soon	Transport category selected	$3,000 spend
UOB Lady’s Card	4 mpd 6 mpd	Apply	Transport category selected	$1,000 spend
Maybank Horizon Visa	3.2 mpd	Apply	Minimum spend of $300 each month (across all spend)	$4,286 spend
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card	3 mpd	Apply	Minimum spend of $800 on SIA	Unlimited

SimplyGo

There is no registration required and all you have to do is to tap your credit card against the card reader of the bus or MRT gantry. If you wish to see a history of your bus rides, you should create an account at the SimplyGo website.

You also get to make claims for double deductions… something that’d happen if you don’t use the same card or device for tapping in and out.

Adult Monthly Travel Card

If your fares exceed $128 per month, consider getting an adult pass for unlimited rides instead.

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