HSBC Revolution Calculator: Is Keeping S$50,000 With HSBC EGA Worth It For 8 Miles Per Dollar?
Since 1st April earlier this year, HSBC Revolution gained the ability to double its earn rate to 8 miles per dollar, making it one of the strongest miles cards we have available.
It’s not without a catch, however, because to get the higher earn rate, cardholders are required to maintain an average balance of at least S$50,000 with HSBC EGA. With interest rates, including that of HSBC EGA, coming down over the past few months, is it worth it to maintain this balance amount with HSBC EGA for extra miles from your HSBC Revolution?
Calculator
This calculator can help you find out:
Savings Amount
We would obviously need at least S$50,000 here, but if you qualify for HSBC EGA’s fresh fund promo and it’s a higher rate than what you can get elsewhere, there is no harm putting more funds than this amount.
Monthly spend (and using another card beyond the S$1,000 cap)
HSBC Revolution requires no minimum spend to earn 4 or 8 miles per dollar. For those who do not have sufficient funds in their HSBC EGA, the spend cap is S$1,000 for the 4 miles per dollar earn rate. Cardholders who meet the balance amount will get a higher spend cap of S$1,200 for 8 miles per dollar.
| HSBC Average Balance | Spend Cap | Earn Rate |
|---|---|---|
| <S$50,000 | S$1,000 (4,000 miles) | 4 miles per dollar |
| ≥S$50,000 | S$1,200 (9,600 miles) | 8 miles per dollar |
While this seems like it is possible to earn up to 5,600 additional miles by maintaining the required balance in HSBC EGA, cardholders can always choose to use another 4 miles per dollar card once they hit their S$1,000 spend cap. This is an option that is checked by default if you enter more than S$1,000 in the calculator.
Interest Rates
You can refer to the following comparison articles to see what kind of interest rates are available in the market right now:
Value Per Mile
Value per mile can be a tricky thing to determine, but 1.5 cent per mile should be a relatively safe estimation for KrisFlyer miles. It is worth noting that HSBC has a poorer transfer ratio to KrisFlyer than it does to other airline programmes, which means you could enter around 1.25 cents per mile into the calculator above if you are intending to use HSBC points for Singapore Airlines.
However, HSBC points can also be transferred to airlines like EVA Air and Qatar Airways which make them more valuable in my books because the ability to book Singapore Airlines flights with fewer miles through EVA Air and making good redemptions with Qatar Airways.
This is why I would personally value such miles at 10-20% more than KrisFlyer miles.
HSBC Revolution has a high effort-reward ratio
While I continue to put HSBC Revolution in high regard, I would also be the first to say that it requires a little more work than other cards. When using the card, you need to be more aware of MCCs, and redeeming its points for miles is best done through non-KrisFlyer airlines that fewer people may be familiar with. Even taking advantage of its increased 8 miles per dollar earn rate requires a bit of calculation, which I hope this article helps to clarify.
But as with many things in life, a higher amount of rewards usually corresponds to more effort required, and in this regard I think HSBC Revolution has a very good effort-reward ratio.
You can see more on how I’m using the card in the video I’ve done recently:
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Seth Wee was a licensed financial adviser representative from 2009 to 2025, with over 16 years of experience in Singapore’s financial advisory industry.
He started Sethisfy.com in 2019 to share practical insights on credit cards, banking products, and miles strategies, helping readers identify financial products that deliver the best value. Seth has been featured in CNA, Channel 8, Today, and a host of other publications. In 2025, he was also part of a panel at CPF’s Ready For Life festival.
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