7 Best Credit Cards for Dining in Singapore (2024 List)

MoneyMate
Updated:

It’s never too difficult to find a good meal in Singapore’s foodie paradise. But the island’s reliance on imports means food costs have been increasing as of late – in some cases, raw ingredients are now double or triple the price.

That makes a good dining credit card all the more invaluable.

So we went on a quest to find out just which credit cards help you save the most money, evaluating them based on:

  • Effective cashback or equivalent rewards earn rates
  • Minimum spend and suitability for various budgets
  • Cashback caps
  • Limitations and downsides
  • Other benefits

We’ll cover these in our recommendations on the 7 best credit cards for dining in Singapore.

7 Best Credit Cards for Dining in Singapore

We’ve calculated potential savings for the following cards based on cashback caps, assuming your goal is to maximise rewards.

Of course, these are just estimates. You might choose to spend more on other categories from time to time, for example.

CardKey FeaturesMin. SpendPotential Savings on Food
BOC Family Card
  • 10% rebate on dining and movies
  • 5% rebate on Family Club merchants
  • 3% rebate on public transport
  • 3% rebate on supermarkets, online purchases, and hospital bills
$800 monthly$300 yearly
Citi Cash Back Card
  • 6% cashback on dining worldwide
  • 8% cashback on groceries and petrol worldwide
$800 monthly$960 yearly
DBS Live Fresh Card
  • 5% cashback on online and visa contactless spend
  • Extra 5% cashback on selected eco-eateries and retailers
  • Up to 15% discount at selected eco-merchants
$600 monthly$660 yearly
HSBC Revolution Card
  • 10X Reward points on online and contactless spending
  • Extra 1% cashback with linked HSBC Everyday Global Account
None$300 yearly
Maybank Family & Friends Card8% cashback globally on your choice of 5 out of 10 categories, including Dining & Food Delivery$800 monthly$600 yearly
Maybank Horizon Visa Signature3.2 MPD on dining, petrol, public transport, Grab, taxi, and Agoda bookings$300 monthlyN/A
UOB EVOL
  • 8% cashback on mobile contactless spend
  • 8% cashback on online spend
$600 monthly$480 yearly

1. Bank of China Family Card

Bank of China Family Card

The Bank of China Family Card offers one of the highest cashback rates in the market for activities with your family. But if you’re all about maximising cashback, watch out for the high minimum spend requirement given the low cashback caps per category.
Read full review
Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$203.30Fee WaiverOne year
Supplementary Card(s)$101.65Minimum Spend Required$800 monthly

First, a caveat: Bank of China isn’t known for great credit cards. Most people avoid BOC unless they already have a savings account there and want a linked card to earn bonus interest.

Still, their 10% debate on dining and movies is hard to pass up. For most Singaporean families, that’s a recurring expense that we’d all love more discounts on.

Potential Savings?

BenefitCategory Cashback CapMonthly Spend to Max Cashback
10% rebate on dining and movies$25/mo$250
5% rebate on Family Club merchants$25/mo$500
3% rebate on public transport$25/mo$833.33
3% rebate on supermarkets, online purchases, and hospital bills$25/mo$833.33

Hitting max cashback for dining and movies is easy enough.

The other categories are more difficult: the typical family may only spend a couple hundred on public transport at most, so you’ll have to make up the $800 minimum spend with purchases from Family Club merchants. These include Best Denki, POPULAR Bookstore, Unity Pharmacy, Watsons, and Welcia-BHG.

With only a 3% rebate, we also wouldn’t recommend using this card for groceries or online purchases.

Realistically, unless you have recurring hospital bills you need to pay off, you’ll probably only get around $40 – 50 in cashback per month from this card.

Best For

As the name implies, this card is best for families – specifically, families who regularly shop at POPULAR, Best Denki, Watsons, and so on. You’ll find it hard to maximise cashback if you don’t fall in that demographic.

2. Citi Cash Back Card

PROMO: Receive an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$508.30) or Dyson Supersonic (worth S$699) or Dyson Micro 1.5kg Vacuum (worth S$599) or S$350 Shopee Vouchers AND enjoy PAY DAY SURPRISE

Citi Cash Back Card

8% cashback on groceries is already a good deal, but the Citi Cash Back Card tops it off by giving you rebates on grocery purchases worldwide. If you spend quite a bit on cooking and dining out, this is a card worth considering.
Read full review
PROMO: Receive an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$508.30) or Dyson Supersonic (worth S$699) or Dyson Micro 1.5kg Vacuum (worth S$599) or S$350 Shopee Vouchers AND enjoy PAY DAY SURPRISE
Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$192.60Fee WaiverOne year
Supplementary Card(s)$96.30Minimum Spend Required$800 monthly

There are two excellent benefits to the Citi Cash Back Card: first, you’ll get cashback from eligible categories globally, and second, it has a combined cashback cap instead of by category.That means if dining out and/or grocery shopping is a big expense, you could spend all S$800 of the required minimum spend on that. Other cards would need you to monitor your spending across various categories so you don’t exceed the cashback cap.

Citi also offers up to 20.88% in fuel savings at Esso and Shell stations locally, so that’s an extra perk if you’re one to scour the island for the best food.

Potential Savings?

BenefitCombined Cashback CapMonthly Spend to Max Cashback
6% on dining worldwide$80/mo$1,333.33
8% on groceries worldwide$80/mo$1,000
8% on petrol worldwide$80/mo$1,000

You’ll get the most value out of this card if you spend more on groceries, of course.

But if you split your spending evenly between dining out and groceries, you can still net around $70 cashback monthly on $1,000 spending per month.

To sweeten the pot, Citi also offers S$300 cashback as a welcome gift when you spend S$800 in the first two months.

Best For

Those who spend $800 or more on dining out and groceries, and who don’t want the hassle of monitoring their food expenses.

Current promotion:

Receive an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$508.30) or Dyson Supersonic (worth S$699) or Dyson Micro 1.5kg Vacuum (worth S$599) or S$350 Shopee Vouchers AND enjoy PAY DAY SURPRISE with a minimum spend of S$500 within 30 days of card approval. (Valid until 1 September 2024). Pay Day Surprise: Every 10th applicant of participating Citi & Standard Chartered credit cards will receive S$100 bonus Shopee voucher on top of existing rewards! (Valid until 5 September 2024) Click to apply.

3. DBS Live Fresh Card

DBS Live Fresh Card

You know this card was designed for an eco-conscious, cashless society from the rebates it gives in these categories. Its lower-than-average minimum spend and annual fee also hold an appeal for those wanting more flexibility with their credit cards.

Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.S$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$192.60Fee WaiverOne year
Supplementary Card(s)$96.30Minimum Spend Required$600 monthly

Marketed as Singapore’s “first eco-friendly credit card,” the DBS Live Fresh Card incentivises environmentally-friendly habits with “green cashback.” You’ll get extra rebates when you transact with participating eco-friendly merchants like Just Dabao, The Summerhouse, and Open Farm Community.

Heck, even the card itself is made of 85.5% recycled plastic.

As far as dining is concerned, there are only five eco-eateries listed. There are a number of grocers as well, though.

Potential Savings?

BenefitCategory Cashback CapMonthly Spend to Max Cashback
5% on online spend$20/mo$400
5% on Visa contactless spend$20/mo$400
5% on sustainable spend$15/mo$300
0.3% on all other spend$20/mo$6,666.67

Some of these categories overlap. For example, you might choose Visa contactless payment at one of the partnered “eco-friendly merchants.” In those cases, you’ll earn 10% cashback split between the two categories.

You’ll get max value from this card if you spend mostly on eco-friendly merchants. Most report getting around $30 – 40 cashback monthly. The list includes bus/train rides via SimplyGo, but be sure you actually frequent the other stores before applying for the card.

Best For

Eco-conscious shoppers.

4. HSBC Revolution Card

PROMO: Receive a Dyson AM07 (worth S$459) or Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10 (worth S$349) or S$250 eCapitaVoucher or 15K Max Miles (worth a free flight to Tokyo, Japan)

HSBC Revolution Credit Card

The HSBC Revolution Credit Card is an excellent option for digitally-savvy working adults who mostly shop locally. While the 10,000 point cap may feel restrictive to high spenders, it’s a fuss-free card that allows you to earn great rewards from the get-go.
No Minimum
Monthly spend required
3%
Cashback up to S$5,000 spend for first 6 months
1.5%
Cashback on dining
Read full review
PROMO: Receive a Dyson AM07 (worth S$459) or Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10 (worth S$349) or S$250 eCapitaVoucher or 15K Max Miles (worth a free flight to Tokyo, Japan)
Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$0Fee WaiverN/A
Supplementary Card(s)$0Minimum Spend Required$0

This isn’t strictly a card for dining – you get 10X Reward Points on all online and contactless payments. But the fact that it’s a Visa card means you can use it at just about any restaurant that accepts credit cards.

What we like most about this card is the fact that it charges no annual fees and doesn’t require a minimum spend for you to start earning rewards. You’ll even get $30 cashback for every supplementary card you apply for (up to 5 cards) – and again, those are free.

Potential Savings?

BenefitMonthly Spend to Max Bonus Points
10X Reward Points$1,000/mo

You can redeem the points for things like cash vouchers, home appliances, miles, or hotel stays. With the 10X Reward Points rate, each dollar spent is worth 4 MPD or about 2.5 – 3.5% cashback.

If you max out the bonus points every month, that’s at least $300 in cashback on dining per year.

Best For: Those looking for a low-maintenance starter credit card.

Current promotion:

Receive a Dyson AM07 (worth S$459) or Xiaomi Robot Vacuum S10 (worth S$349) or S$250 eCapitaVoucher or 15K Max Miles (worth a free flight to Tokyo, Japan) with a minimum spend of S$500 by the end of the following month from card approval date. (Valid until 2 June 2024) Click to apply.

5. Maybank Family & Friends Card

PROMO: Get a pair of American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$336), or an AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case (worth S$261.40), or S$200 cashback + 1x chance to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, plus a chance to win S$5,000 bonus cash each week

Maybank Family and Friends

With an expansive list of eligible spending categories, the Maybank Family & Friends Card is one of the best cashback cards you’ll find. It’s not the best card for travel-related transactions, but it’s an easy go-to card for everyday expenses locally.
Read full review
PROMO: Get a pair of American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$336), or an AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case (worth S$261.40), or S$200 cashback + 1x chance to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, plus a chance to win S$5,000 bonus cash each week
Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$180Fee WaiverThree years
Supplementary Card(s)$0Minimum Spend Required$800 monthly

The Maybank Family & Friends Card allows you to choose the five categories you spend most on. Options include:

  1. Groceries
  2. Dining & Food Delivery
  3. Transport
  4. Data Communication & Online TV Streaming
  5. Retail & Pets
  6. Online Fashion
  7. Entertainment
  8. Pharmacy
  9. Sports & Sport Apparels
  10. Beauty & Wellness

The range of categories means you can get 8% cashback not only on food, but also on things like your broadband plan, public transport, Grab rides, Netflix subscription, and vitamins.

And while this card caps your cashback by category, it also has one of the highest combined cashback caps as far as the market goes.

Potential Savings?

BenefitCategory Cashback CapMonthly Spend to Max Cashback
8% cashback on groceries$25/mo$312.50
8% cashback on dining & food delivery$25/mo$312.50
8% cashback on a category of your choice$25/mo$312.50
8% cashback on a category of your choice$25/mo$312.50
8% cashback on a category of your choice$25/mo$312.50

Hitting the cashback caps for your five chosen categories won’t be too difficult if you’ve got a partner (or a family). You get a free supplementary card, and the 8% cashback rate applies even if you (or a family member) are across the border.

Best For

Those looking for cashback on a variety of everyday expenses, including dining.

Current promotion:

Get a pair of American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$336), or an AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case (worth S$261.40), or S$200 cashback with a minimum credit card spend and/or CreditAble account withdrawals every month of S$600 for 2 consecutive months from card approval date. (Valid until 31 December 2023). + 1x chance to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, plus a chance to win S$5,000 bonus cash each week. (Valid until 20 December 2023) Click to apply.

6. Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card

PROMO: Get a pair of American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$336), or an AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case (worth S$261.40), or S$200 cashback

Maybank Horizon Card

Maybank Horizon Visa Signature Card is an entry-level miles card with a generous 3-year fee waiver and free supplementary cards. The 3.2 MPD for local spend goes beyond the usual rates offered by most other miles cards.
Read full review
PROMO: Get a pair of American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$336), or an AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case (worth S$261.40), or S$200 cashback
Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$180Fee WaiverThree years
Supplementary Card(s)$0Minimum Spend Required$300 monthly

Want to earn miles every time you eat out? That’s what the Horizon Visa Signature is for.

You get 3.2 miles (or 8X TREATS Points) for every dollar you charge to the card at restaurants, along with a few other categories.

Unlike typical miles cards though, it isn’t as worthwhile putting travel expenses on the card. You also won’t get as many travel perks, like limo rides from the airport or free VIP lounge access.

Potential Rewards?

CategoryTREATS PointsMiles-per-Dollar (MPD)
Dining8 points/dollar3.2
Petrol8 points/dollar3.2
Public transport, Grab, and taxis8 points/dollar3.2
Agoda hotel bookings8 points/dollar3.2
Air tickets5 points/dollar2
Travel packages from any travel agency5 points/dollar2
Cruise packages5 points/dollar2
Foreign currency transactions5 points/dollar2

There’s no cap on the miles you can earn, but note that bonus points are capped at 30,000 per month (or about S$4,285 in spending if you only spend on 8X point categories). TREATS points are also only valid for a year. The sweet spot here seems to be $18,000 in annual spending on the 8X categories. You’ll get an automatic annual fee waiver at this point while still keeping under the bonus rewards cap.

Best For

Frequent travellers who like eating out and typically spend about $1,500 – 2,000 monthly on dining, petrol, transport, and Agoda hotel bookings.

Current promotion:

The first 5,000 approved applicants (first-time cardholders) will get a pair of American Tourister Linex 66/24 Luggage TSA (worth S$336), or an AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case (worth S$261.40), or S$200 cashback. when they charge S$600 for each of the first two consecutive months after approval. Click to apply.

7. UOB EVOL Card

PROMO: Receive S$350 cash credit* + Receive an Apple iPad 10th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$691.60) or Dyson Airwrap (worth S$859) or S$350 Vouchers*

UOB Evol Credit Card

This is a great card for working professionals whose spending is primarily centered on online and contactless spending. The 8% cashback rate is one of the highest in the market and the eligible categories are straightforward and easy to track.
8%
cashback on online spending + mobile contactless payments (capped at S$60/statement month)
Complimentary Insurance
complimentary travel insurance when you charge your fare to your UOB card AND fill out the form before your trip
Bonus Interest
earn bonus interest on your savings when you open a UOB One account with the UOB EVOL
Read full review
PROMO: Receive S$350 cash credit* + Receive an Apple iPad 10th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$691.60) or Dyson Airwrap (worth S$859) or S$350 Vouchers*
Minimum Age21 yrs oldIncome Req.$30,000 annually
Annual Fee$192.60Fee WaiverOne year
Supplementary Card(s)$96.30 (waived for two years)Minimum Spend Required$600 monthly

Like the HSBC Revolution Card, this isn’t strictly a card for dining. But it takes HSBC’s offer up a notch by offering 8% rebates on all mobile contactless and online spending.

The UOB EVOL Card also has an automatic fee waiver if you make 3 purchases a month for 12 consecutive months before your annual fee date. Not quite as low-maintenance as the HSBC Revolution Card, but it rewards consistent users.

Potential Savings?

BenefitCategory Cashback CapMonthly Spend to Max Cashback
8% on mobile contactless spend$20/mo$250
8% on online spend$20/mo$250
0.3% on all other spend$20/mo$6,666.67

Online spending includes in-app purchases via Deliveroo, GrabFood, and FoodPanda. You can even use this card for public transport rides via SimplyGo, as they’d fall under mobile contactless spending.

Considering the low cashback caps, you’ll always exceed those before you fulfill the minimum spend requirement. That puts this card’s effective cashback rate between 6.7 – 0.8%, depending on how much you go past the minimum spend.

Simply put: it doesn’t pay to spend much more than $600 on this card. Track your spending closely.

Best For

Diners who can split their spending between mobile contactless and online spend – and charge almost exactly $600 to the card per month.

Current promotion:

First 200 new-to-UOB credit card customers receive S$350 cash credit with a minimum spend of S$1,000 per month for 2 consecutive months upon card approval + Receive an Apple iPad 10th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$691.60) or Dyson Airwrap (worth S$859) or S$350 Vouchers when you are one of the first 200 applicants and make a min. spend of S$1,000 per month for 2 consecutive months from card approval date. (Valid until 31 March 2024) Click to apply.