Phase: Citi PM + Citi Rewards + Amaze (pre-HSBC)
Local Spend Guide
Current stack · HSBC Revolution replaces all contactless local spend when it arrives
Amaze 1% local fee rule: Amaze charges 1% (min $0.50) on SGD transactions. Break-even vs Citi PM direct is ~$14. Use Amaze + Citi Rewards for physical spend above $15. Below $15 or for online transactions Citi Rewards already earns on = use Citi Rewards directly (no Amaze needed).
⚠ Apple Pay in-app kills Citi Rewards 4 mpd. Never tap Apple Pay button inside Grab, Tada, Foodpanda, McDonald's app. Enter Citi Rewards card number directly as a saved card in each app. See Apple Pay Rules tab for full detail.
| Category | $ | Best — Now | mpd | After HSBC | mpd | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online & App-Based (Citi Rewards earns 4 mpd directly — no Amaze needed) | ||||||
| Grab app (rides, GrabFood) | Varies | Citi Rewards saved card, NOT Apple Pay | 4 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Save CR card number directly in Grab app payment settings. Do NOT use Apple Pay button in-app. |
| Tada, Gojek (ride-hailing) | Varies | Citi Rewards saved card | 4 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Same rule — save card number directly in app, not Apple Pay. |
| Foodpanda, Deliveroo | Varies | Citi Rewards saved card | 4 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Food delivery MCC qualifies. Card directly saved in app. |
| McDonald's app | ~$40 | Citi Rewards saved card | 4 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Must save CR card number in McDonald's app. Do NOT use Apple Pay button inside app. Test on first order to confirm. |
| Shopee, Lazada, online retail | Occasional | Citi Rewards card at checkout | 4 mpd | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd | Online purchases — CR earns 4 mpd directly. No Amaze needed here (Amaze adds 1% SGD fee for no benefit). |
| iHerb (online, ~every 2 months) | Varies | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd | Online purchase, international — earns 4 mpd on CR. Also earns 2.2 mpd on Citi PM as FCY. CR wins. |
| Physical In-Store (Amaze recodes to online for 4 mpd) | ||||||
| Restaurants, family dinners | ~$60 | Citi Rewards+ Amaze tap Amaze | 4 mpd -1% fee | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Each visit ~$60 — above $15 threshold, worth using Amaze. Net ~3.0% return vs 1.56% on Citi PM. |
| Cigarettes — 7-11, NTUC, Giant | ~$300 | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd -1% fee | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Individual buys at 7-11 often ~$16–19 — above $15, use Amaze. Dedicated tobacco shops (MCC 5993) = 0 mpd on all cards. |
| KTV (if card terminal) | ~$300 | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd -1% fee | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | $400 KTV = massive Amaze win. $400 × 4 mpd – 1% fee = ~$16.80 value vs $6.24 on Citi PM. Always use Amaze. |
| Mall shopping, retail | ~$100 | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd -1% fee | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Department stores and clothing already earn 4 mpd on CR without Amaze. Other mall stores: use Amaze. When in doubt, use Amaze. |
| Transport | ||||||
| SimplyGo MRT & Bus | ~$50 | Citi PM Apple Pay | 1.2 mpd | HSBC Rev + HeyMax | 4 mpd + Max Miles | Never mix Apple Pay + physical card same journey. Amaze + CR for SimplyGo = 1% Amaze fee on $1.50 = $0.50 min fee = terrible. Use Citi PM directly. |
| Petrol — Caltex/Sinopec SG | ~$70 | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd -1% fee | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | $70 × 4 mpd – 1% Amaze = net 3.0% return. Worth using Amaze over Citi PM 1.2 mpd. |
| Anytime Fitness gym | $110 | Citi Rewards recurring card-on-file | 4 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Recurring merchant charge. Set Citi Rewards as billing card at AF. MCC 7997 = earns 4 mpd online/card-on-file. No Amaze needed. |
| Claude subscription | ~$30 | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Online subscription. CR earns 4 mpd. No Amaze needed. |
| Use Citi PM — zero earning on Citi Rewards and Amaze adds no value | ||||||
| Small purchases <$15 (7-11 quick buy, bus fare top-up) | <$15 | Citi PM | 1.2 mpd | HSBC Rev | 4 mpd | Amaze $0.50 min fee kills value below $15. Use Citi PM directly. |
| Hawker / kopitiam (PayNow) | $400–600 | PayNow = 0 miles | 0 | PayNow = 0 miles | 0 | Structural zero. Buy HeyMax Grab vouchers with CR card for some conversion of planned GrabFood orders. |
| Insurance, telco, season parking, NETS | ~$239 | 0 miles — all excluded | 0 | 0 miles | 0 | MCC 6300/4813/9311/NETS all excluded. Keep on existing autopay. |
JB + Travel
Overseas Spend Guide
Amaze overseas = no 1% fee · Citi PM fallback at 2.2 mpd FCY
Amaze overseas = no fee at all. The 1% local SGD fee does NOT apply to foreign currency transactions. Overseas Amaze + Citi Rewards = clean 4 mpd + ~2.1% FX spread. This is the best combo for JB and all overseas travel.
| Category | Est. $ | Option 1 — Best | mpd + FX | Option 2 — Fallback | mpd + FX | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB Regular Trips | ||||||
| JB restaurants, cafes | ~$100 MYR | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd no FX fee ~2.1% spread | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd 3.25% FX | Tap Amaze card (physical or via Apple Pay) at terminal. No 1% fee overseas. Best JB combo. |
| JB massage, spas | ~$50 MYR | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd ~2.1% spread | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd | Same. Tap Amaze. |
| JB Shell petrol | ~$60 MYR | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd ~2.1% spread | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd | Shell JB excluded on UOB cards. Amaze or Citi PM only at Shell JB. |
| JB 7-Eleven cigarettes | ~$30 MYR | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd | 7-Eleven codes MCC 5912 (not 5993). Amaze earns 4 mpd. Dedicated tobacco shops = 0 mpd. |
| JB hawkers, cash-only | ~$30 MYR | YouTrip | 0 mpd 0% FX | Cash MYR | 0 | No terminal. YouTrip for best FX on cash needs. |
| JB highway tolls | Varies | TNG RFID | 0 | TNG RFID | 0 | RFID mandatory. Top up TNG via DBS debit. |
| Travel Bookings | ||||||
| Flights — direct airline (SQ, Scoot, AirAsia) | Per trip | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd FCY | HSBC Rev (when ready) | 4 mpd | Citi Rewards excludes travel MCC — Amaze cannot bypass. Citi PM best now. HSBC when available. |
| Hotels — direct hotel website | Per trip | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd FCY | HSBC Rev (when ready) | 4 mpd | Direct booking = HSBC earns 4 mpd (MCC 7011). Until HSBC arrives, Citi PM. |
| Agoda, Booking.com, Klook, OTAs | Per trip | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd FCY | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd | HSBC excludes MCC 4722 (OTAs/Klook). Citi PM is best for OTAs regardless of which other cards you have. |
| Overseas retail, dining with terminal | Per trip | Citi Rewards+ Amaze | 4 mpd ~2.1% spread | Citi PM | 2.2 mpd FCY | Amaze overseas = always best for physical retail. No fee, lower FX, 4 mpd. |
| Overseas transport, cash | Per trip | YouTrip | 0% FX | Cash local | — | YouTrip for ATM and transit. Never credit card cash advance. |
Critical Rules
Apple Pay Rules — Citi Rewards
This only affects Citi Rewards. Citi PM earns 1.2 mpd on Apple Pay everywhere — no issue.
Citi PM + Apple Pay = always fine. No restrictions. Apple Pay rules below ONLY apply to Citi Rewards card, which is a bonus-category card.
The Two Scenarios
❌ In-App Apple Pay button = 0.4 mpd on Citi Rewards
When you tap the "Pay with Apple Pay" button inside an app (Grab, McDonald's, Foodpanda, Deliveroo, Shopee etc), the transaction routes through Apple's wallet layer. Citi Rewards explicitly excludes in-app mobile wallet payments from the 4 mpd bonus. You earn only 0.4 mpd. Waste of a card.
Grab app → Apple Pay button ✗
McDonald's app → Apple Pay ✗
Foodpanda → Apple Pay ✗
Shopee → Apple Pay ✗
✓ Physical terminal tap via Apple Pay = 4 mpd (depends on merchant MCC)
When you tap your phone at a physical checkout terminal (restaurant, 7-11, NTUC, Uniqlo, mall shops), Apple Pay works fine on Citi Rewards. The MCC of the physical merchant determines the earn rate — not Apple Pay itself. Department stores, clothing = 4 mpd. Hawker/restaurant = 0.4 mpd normally. That's why you use Amaze for physical merchant tapping instead of Citi Rewards directly.
Uniqlo terminal tap (Citi Rewards) = 4 mpd ✓
Restaurant terminal (Citi Rewards direct) = 0.4 mpd → use Amaze instead
✓ Amaze via Apple Pay at physical terminal = 4 mpd
Add Amaze virtual card to Apple Pay. When you tap Amaze via Apple Pay at a physical terminal, Amaze does the MCC recoding before Citi Rewards sees it. The in-app Apple Pay exclusion does not apply here — Amaze is the intermediary. Result: 4 mpd regardless of merchant type.
Amaze (Apple Pay) tap at 7-11 → Citi Rewards = 4 mpd ✓
Quick Decision Tree
Paying in an app → Apple Pay button visible?❌ Do NOT tap Apple Pay → save card number directly
Paying in an app → saved card option available?✓ Use Citi Rewards saved card → 4 mpd
Paying at a physical terminal (restaurant, mall, 7-11)?✓ Tap Amaze (via Apple Pay or physical Amaze card) → 4 mpd
Paying at a department store / Uniqlo / Zara physically?✓ Citi Rewards direct Apple Pay OR Amaze → both earn 4 mpd
SimplyGo MRT/bus?Use Citi PM Apple Pay — Amaze $0.50 min fee kills small fares
App Setup Checklist — Do This Now
1
Grab app
Grab → Profile → Payment → Add payment method → Credit/Debit card → Enter Citi Rewards card number manually. Set as default. Do NOT use Apple Pay option.
2
Tada app
Same process. Add Citi Rewards card number directly as saved card. Remove any Apple Pay default.
3
McDonald's Singapore app
Add Citi Rewards card details directly. Verify 4 mpd posts on first order by checking Citi app the next day.
4
Foodpanda / Deliveroo
Add Citi Rewards as saved card. Not via Apple Pay.
5
Add Amaze to Apple Pay
For physical tapping — Amaze virtual card in Wallet. Use this for all in-store taps where you want 4 mpd (restaurants, 7-11, petrol).
Accumulation
Miles Tracker
Current Phase — Citi PM + Citi Rewards + Amaze
~2,500
Miles/month
both Citi cards
both Citi cards
~30,000
Miles/year
current phase
current phase
Never
Citi Miles expiry
both cards
both cards
Sep–Nov
HSBC Revolution
target window
target window
Monthly breakdown — current stack
Grab/Tada/Foodpanda (CR saved card, 4 mpd)varies
JB FCY via Amaze+CR ~$210 MYR × 4 mpd~840 miles
Physical stores via Amaze+CR (cigs, restaurants, petrol ~$430 × 4 mpd – 1% fee)~1,720 miles net
Anytime Fitness $110 × 4 mpd (CR recurring)440 miles
Claude $30 × 4 mpd (CR online)120 miles
SimplyGo $50 × 1.2 mpd (Citi PM)60 miles
Citi PM for small <$15 purchases~60 miles
Estimated monthly total~3,240 miles
After HSBC Revolution
~3,800+
Miles/month
all 3 cards
all 3 cards
~45,600+
Miles/year
No fees
HSBC = 4 mpd
zero Amaze overhead locally
zero Amaze overhead locally
Redemption Milestones
🛫 Scoot short-hop 1-way (Bali, Phuket) ~6,000 miles~2 months
✈️ Return economy Bangkok (35,000 miles)~11 months current · ~9 months with HSBC
✈️ Return economy Tokyo/Seoul (54,000 miles)~17 months current · ~14 months with HSBC
Transfer Rules
Citi Miles → KrisFlyer$27.25 flat fee — transfer in large batches (25k+ miles)
HeyMax Max Miles → KrisFlyerFREE — always use HeyMax if possible
Cancel either Citi cardAll Citi Miles forfeited instantly — transfer first
Citi Rewards 4 mpd monthly cap$1,000 eligible spend per statement month
Airport Perk
Lounge Access — Priority Pass
Citi PremierMiles · 2x free visits/year · resets 22 May annually
2×
Free visits/year
resets 22 May
resets 22 May
US$32
Per extra visit
after free 2
after free 2
Register Priority Pass now if not done
Download "Priority Pass" app → register Citi PM card. Cannot register at the airport. Do at home first.
Changi lounges covered
SATS Premier Lounge T1, T2, T3, T4Covered ✓
Plaza Premium T1, T3Covered ✓
How to useShow Priority Pass app + boarding pass at entrance
JB trips — use lounge?No — land crossing, no airport
Unused visitsDon't carry forward — use by 21 May 2027
Fee Management
Annual Fees & Key Dates
Citi PremierMiles
Year 1 (approved 22 May 2026)Waived ✓
Year 2 (~May 2027)$196.20 — call 1800 225 5225 before due date to waive
Citi Rewards World Mastercard
Year 1 (approved late June 2026)First year free ✓
Year 2 (~June 2027)$196.20 — call 1800 225 5225 to waive
HSBC Revolution (when approved)
Every year — always$0 annual fee forever
Target application windowSeptember–November 2026
Pre-application actionCall HSBC 1800 227 8889 informally first — don't apply blind
Critical Reminders
Pay Citi PM bill MANUALLY by 10 July 2026No GIRO set up — set reminder 5 July
Pay Citi Rewards bill when first statement arrives (~late July)Set reminder 5 days before due date
Before cancelling any Citi cardTransfer ALL Citi Miles to KrisFlyer first — forfeited instantly on cancellation
Sep–Nov 2026HSBC Revolution application window
~May 2027Call Citi retention for Citi PM annual fee waiver
~June 2027Call Citi retention for Citi Rewards annual fee waiver
Amaze by Instarem
Amaze Setup & Rules
Free · No CBS impact · Links to Citi Rewards Mastercard only for 4 mpd
Key post-nerf reality (from 10 March 2025): Local SGD transactions via Amaze = 1% fee (min $0.50). Overseas FCY = no fee. Use Amaze overseas freely. Use Amaze locally only for spend above $15.
Setup
1
Download Instarem app, sign up
Free. Get virtual card immediately.
2
Link Citi Rewards World Mastercard
Instarem app → Payment methods → Add Citi Rewards card number. MUST be Mastercard version (yours is ✓).
3
Add Amaze virtual card to Apple Pay
For physical tapping via phone at terminals.
Where Amaze Works
| Where | Fee | Earn | Use it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| JB / overseas physical terminals (FCY) | No fee ✓ | 4 mpd | Always ✓ |
| SG physical terminals >$15 per txn | 1% (min $0.50) | 4 mpd net ~3% | Yes ✓ |
| SG physical terminals <$15 per txn | $0.50 min = >3.3% fee | Kills value | No — use Citi PM ✗ |
| In-app purchases (Grab, Shopee online) | 1% + no benefit | CR earns 4 mpd directly | No — use CR card directly ✗ |
| SimplyGo taps | $0.50 min fee on ~$1.50 fare | Terrible value | No — use Citi PM ✗ |
| Travel bookings (flights, OTAs) | — | Citi Rewards excludes travel MCC | No — use Citi PM ✗ |
HeyMax
HeyMax — Stack on Top of Card Miles
Free · Max Miles transfer to KrisFlyer FREE · Stacks additively on card miles
3 Ways to Earn
1 — Shop via HeyMax portal
Check HeyMax app before buying from Shopee, Lazada, Agoda, Guardian, iHerb. Click through HeyMax link first → buy normally. Card earns miles + HeyMax credits Max Miles. Completely free bonus.
2 — Buy vouchers (Grab, NTUC)
Buy Grab voucher via HeyMax with Citi Rewards (4 mpd online + Max Miles). Use Grab credit for GrabFood. Partial workaround for hawker PayNow zero-miles problem.
3 — Card Maximiser (Visa only)
Links Visa cards. HSBC Revolution (Visa) = link when approved. Earns 2 Max Miles/$ on SimplyGo + Grab on top of HSBC's 4 mpd. Both Citi cards are Mastercard — cannot link to Card Maximiser yet.
Transfer Advantage
HeyMax → KrisFlyer transferFREE — always use HeyMax to avoid Citi's $27.25 fee
Transfer speedNear-instant
Transfer partners30+ including KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Marriott
One-time Setup
App Payment Setup Guide
Do this once — ensures Citi Rewards earns 4 mpd in all your apps
The rule: Never use Apple Pay button inside an app with Citi Rewards — drops to 0.4 mpd. Always save Citi Rewards card number directly.
| App | Action | Card to save | Earn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grab | Profile → Payment → Add Credit/Debit Card → enter CR number manually → set as default | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| Tada | Payment settings → Add card → enter CR number manually | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| McDonald's SG | Account → Payment → Add card → CR number manually → verify 4 mpd on first order | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd (test first) |
| Foodpanda | Profile → Payment → Add new card → CR number manually | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| Deliveroo | Account → Payment → Add card → CR number manually | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| Shopee | Me → Payment → Add credit card → CR number | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| Lazada | Account → Manage Payment → Add new card → CR number | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| SimplyGo | Keep Citi PM on Apple Pay. No change needed. | Citi PM | 1.2 mpd |
| Anytime Fitness | Update billing to Citi Rewards card — earns 4 mpd as recurring card-on-file | Citi Rewards | 4 mpd |
| Physical Amaze tap | Add Amaze virtual card to Apple Pay → use for all physical terminal taps >$15 | Amaze → CR | 4 mpd |
After setup, verify on first use: Check Citi app the next day after each new app's first transaction. Confirm the bonus points posted (should show 10X or 4 mpd). If only 1X appears, the Apple Pay routing is still active — fix it in the app's payment settings.