Considering it’s an entry-level card, the DBS Altitude Card has one of the best miles-per-dollar ratios we’ve seen for travel-related spending.
It doesn’t come with too many travel perks – just the standard two lounge visits per year and discounts off typical travel expenses – but it’s still a great go-to card for travel planning.
If this card piques your interest, read on to find out more about:
- Eligibility requirements
- Fees and charges
- MPD rates and other benefits
- How the miles-per-dollar ratio (MPD) compares to others
- Who would benefit the most
Eligibility Requirements
| Age | 21 and above |
| Income Requirement |
|
You can apply for either the Visa Signature or American Express card via the digibank app or DBS website. Just bear in mind that the Visa Signature card offers more benefits than the AMEX card at the moment.
There’s no option to provide a fixed deposit collateral in lieu of the income requirement, so be sure you can provide proof of income with either your CPF contribution history, payslips, bank statements, or Income Tax Notice of Assessment. DBS is integrated with Singpass MyInfo, so all the relevant info will be automatically retrieved when you apply.
Fees and Charges
| Annual Fees | S$194.40 for the principal card and S$97.20 for each supplementary card. One-year annual fee waiver; subsequent waivers require a minimum spend of S$25,000 each year |
| Effective Interest Rate | 26.80% per annum |
| Late Payment Charges | S$100 for outstanding balances above S$200 |
| Minimum Monthly Payment | 3% of the statement balance or S$50, whichever is higher |
| DBS Point Conversion Fee | S$25 for each conversion |
| Foreign Currency Transaction Fee | Up to 3.25% |
| Cash Advance Fee | 8% of the amount withdrawn or S$15, whichever is higher |
| Lost or Stolen Card Penalty | Maximum charge of S$100 |
MPD Rates and Other Benefits
Here’s what you’ll get with the DBS Altitude Card:
1.2 MPD on Local Spending
Nothing spectacular, but also a fair rate versus other cards on the market.
Up to 10 MPD on Travel-Related Transactions
Currently, you’ll get:
- 2 MPD on general overseas purchases
- 3 MPD when you book flights and hotels online (capped at S$5,000 monthly)
- 6 MPD if you book those flights and hotels via Expedia
- 10 MPD if you book your hotel via Kaligo
All this makes it easy to rack up miles quick when you’re making your holiday preparations, though it’s a bit of a bummer that they cap the flight and hotel bookings at S$5,000 monthly. If you’re booking a long-haul trip with your whole family, it’s easy to go over that limit.
Extra 1 MPD on All Transactions with 2% Admin Fee
This is an option if you find yourself short of miles for your next trip.
Once you register and pay the 2% admin fee, you’ll start earning an extra mile per dollar on all your spending for the next calendar month. That means 2.2 MPD on all local spend and up to 4 MPD on flight and hotel bookings.
You can opt out again whenever you’ve collected enough miles.
DBS Point Expiry & Redemption
Co-branded cards like the AMEX or UOB KrisFlyer deposit miles directly into your linked frequent flyer account. The DBS Altitude, however, uses a point system.
That means you’re not locked into a specific airline: you can convert your DBS Points into KrisFlyer miles, Asia Miles, Qantas Points, or AirAsia BIG Points. Your points will also never expire, which came as a relief to many dealing with the travel restrictions last year.
There’s an admin fee of S$25 per conversion, but some would prefer this over the risk of losing the miles.
Travel Privileges
Along with all the ways to accumulate miles, you’ll also get these travel perks:
- Two free access passes to 1,300 lounges worldwide per year
- Up to 60% off TravellerShield Plus
- Visa-exclusive deals like free 24/7 access to the Visa Concierge as well as discounts on airport transfer services and Avis, to name a few
Renewal Bonus
If you renew the card and pay its annual fees, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles. Sadly, this doesn’t apply if you call in for a fee waiver (or spend above S$25,000 per year for the automatic fee waiver).
How Do the MPD Rates Compare?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the DBS Altitude Card versus other entry-level miles cards:
| Credit Card | Local Spend | Overseas Spend |
|---|---|---|
| DBS Altitude Card | 1.2 MPD | 2 MPD for overseas spend 3 MPD for online flight and hotel bookings (capped at S$5,000/mo) 10 MPD for hotel transactions on Kaligo 6 MPD for flight and hotel transactions on Expedia |
| Citi PremierMiles Card | 1.2 MPD | 2 MPD 7 MPD on Agoda 10 MPD on Kaligo |
| UOB KrisFlyer Card | 1.2 MPD 3 MPD for dining, transport, travel, food delivery, and online shopping | 3 MPD for travel bookings with SIA brands including SIA, Scoot, and KrisShop |
| American Express KrisFlyer Card | 1.1 MPD 3.1 MPD on Grab transactions | 1.1 MPD 2 MPD for June and December only |
| Maybank Horizon Card | 3.2 MPD for local dining, public transport, Grab/taxi rides, and petrol 0.4 MPD for others | 2 MPD for overseas (online and onsite) and travel-related spend |
Overall, the DBS Altitude Card is comparable to the Citi PremierMiles Card for overseas and travel-related spending. It’s just a matter of whether you prefer Agoda or Expedia – or perhaps if you’d prefer booking flights and hotels directly.
Pair this with the Maybank Horizon or UOB KrisFlyer Card and you’ve got the best MPD rates for both local and overseas spending.
Who Would Benefit the Most From This Card
In all, we’d recommend this card for anyone not set on a specific airline (e.g. KrisFlyer) and who want excellent MPD rates for travel-related spending. Since DBS points never expire, it’s also a good option if you need more time to accumulate miles for travel.