No minimum spend required, but you will need to fork out $695.50 for the annual fee (1.7 cents per mile)
SingSaver is currently running a sign-up promotion for SCB’s X Card, offering 40,000 miles as a sign-up gift if you pay the $695.50 annual fee, up from the usual 30,000 miles.
This offer effectively lowers the 2.3 cents per mile you would normal pay for to 1.74 cents per mile.
How to apply
The promotion mechanics are pretty straightforward: simply apply through SingSaver’s website. The bonus miles will be credited to your account directly, there is no need to fill up a separate redemption form.
The 40,000 miles will be transferred in the form of 100,000 360° Rewards Points that you can use on 11 different partners (see below).
Note that the annual fee is $695.50 cannot be waived.
An overview of the card:
- Income requirement: S$80,000 p.a. (or $30,000 p.a. for Priority Banking customers)
- Annual fee: S$695.50 for principal cardmembers, S$107 for supplementary cards
- Annual fee gift: 30,000 miles (in the form of 75,000 reward points)
- Earn rates: 1.2 mile per dollar spent (mpd) locally; 2.0 mpd overseas
- Foreign currency transaction fee: 3.5%
What’s noteworthy is that Standard Chartered also boast of the widest range of airline transfer partners, with 11 partners under its fold. The transfer ratio varies though, so this is what you’ll get with 100,000 360° Rewards Points:
| Loyalty Programme | Transfer Ratio | 100,000 360° Rewards Points will give you: |
| Singapore Airlines Krisflyer | 2.5:1 | 40,000 miles |
| EVA Air Infinity Mileageland | 2.5:1 | 40,000 miles |
| Air France KLM FlyingBlue | 2.5:1 | 40,000 miles |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 2.5:1 | 40,000 points |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 3:1 | 33,333 miles |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 3:1 | 33,333 miles |
| Etihad Guest | 3:1 | 33,333 miles |
| United MileagePlus | 3.5:1 | 28,571 miles |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 3.5:1 | 28,571 miles |
| Emirates Skywards | 3.5:1 | 28,571 miles |
| Accor Live Limitless | 5:1 | 20,000 points |
| IHG Rewards Club | 2.5:1 | 40,000 points |
Best offer seen in 2019: 100,000 bonus miles
Standard Chartered Bank’s famed X Card has created a huge wave last year with its humongous 100,000 bonus miles offer, even though that meant spending $6,000 on the card.
This offer ran out in days, given the ‘overwhelming response’ and SCB even cut short the promotion. But, SCB return a short while later but at a reduced level of 60,000 miles, also at $6,000 minimum spend.
This again, ran out quickly. Since then, it was only the sign-up offer, i.e. 30,000 bonus miles for $695.50, making it poor value from any perspective.
Final thoughts
We have not seen any decent sign-up promotions from SCB in a while since its launch, so I guess this is as good as it can get – for now.
Having said that, without the sign-up bonus, there’s really no reason to have this card. It’s abysmal earn rate of 1.2 or 2.0 mpd for local or overseas spending pales – or at best equals to – other travel-related cards. You can easily find a card that has a much better earn rate, such as the UOB PRVI card at 1.4 mpd for local spend and 2.4 for overseas spend.
So the only upside to this card is probably the fact that you can transfer points to some lesser-known frequent flyer programme, such as Emirates Skywards. Even then, if you really don’t need the miles at this point, maybe it’s a good time to pass.
Shanescape 