More Mileage for Your Spending: Stack Rewards with Kris+ and Make Your Money Last Longer

For those of us who are kiasu (let’s face it, that’s most of us) and want to get the most bang for our buck, getting cashbacks, rewards, and discounts are some ways we can maximise our savings while we spend on our needs and wants every month.
Hence, for the longest time, we would try to find the credit cards that have a loyalty point programme or cashback for money spent, though there are usually many strings attached, such as need to spend only within certain expense categories, minimum spends, or caps on your rewards.
Then came payment apps that have their own loyalty rewards system and allow you to connect your credit cards to them. So now, you can earn even more rewards and cashback in a single purchase through a payment app. (Word of caution: not all credit cards allow you to earn rewards if you use them with a payment app so be sure you read the terms and conditions of your card). These payment apps also offer exclusive discounts at times to give you even more savings – if you know how to use it that is. Here's one such app, whose parent company most of us know of, that allows you to stack rewards, discounts, or cashback with your credit card : Kris+, a lifestyle rewards app by Singapore Airlines.

The art of rewards stacking 

The first thing you need to know is that there are no restrictions on the number of rewards you can get through the Kris+ app. So that’s one thing less that you need to think about when strategising how to best stretch your dollar.     Here’s a quick snapshot of how it works and where your savings kick in at each step.  

1. Purchase discounted deals and get free privileges under the app’s ‘Discover’ section
2. Earn reward points called miles whenever you purchase a deal on Kris+ or use the app to make in-store payments at Kris+ partners; your rewards/miles can be used to offset future spend
3. On top of discounted deals and earning miles, you can also earn rewards or cashback from the credit card you use to pay on Kris+ 
4. Take advantage of promotions such as bonus miles campaigns, miles-back promotions, and games to earn more miles 

You can use this four-tier system to make your money work way harder for you just by going to the restaurant or store that you always frequent anyway, as long as it’s a partner with Kris+, of course.  

How does the Kris+ reward system work?  

With any rewards system, it’s crucial to understand the conversion rates so that you can stretch your dollar the right way. When you spend with Kris+, the rewards, or “miles” you earn can be used to offset your future spend at a rate of 1 mile = ~ SGD 0.0067. Right now, Kris+ partners typically offer miles earn rates of 3, 6, or 9 miles per dollar spent. So, assuming you spend at a partner that offers 9 miles per dollar spent, you will essentially earn 9 x SGD 0.0067 = SGD 0.06 per dollar spent, which is equivalent to a 6% rebate.  And if you stack this reward with a rewards or cashback credit card, you could potentially earn more than 6% rebate on your spend.  So even though your rewards are called “miles”, you can think of your miles as a potential rebate or cashback alternative. The best part is that miles are extremely versatile.   For example, the miles you earn can be used to purchase vouchers for discounted deals in the Kris+ app, or used to pay off your in-store spends at any of Kris+ partner outlets islandwide ranging from dining, small eats, to electronics/gadgets and appliance purchases, and even petrol.

Planning to Travel?  

Apart from privileges and deals with partners in Singapore, Kris+ also has overseas partners. So, if you’re planning to travel again as the border restrictions ease, you can look out for deals on Kris+ for tours, attractions, experiences and dining. Kris+ currently has partners in 15 countries with privileges offered in Australia, Korea, and Hong Kong, just to name a few and they’re continuously expanding their overseas offerings.  Kris+ is useful not just for its overseas deals – it also gives you the flexibility to use miles earned on Kris+ to redeem Singapore Airlines flight tickets. So, if you’re only collecting miles to redeem flights, you can transfer the miles you earn from Kris+ to your KrisFlyer account within 7 days of earning them at a 1:1 transfer rate.  If you’re looking to rack up miles as quickly as you can for your next trip overseas, you can even stack your Kris+ spend with a miles credit card to get the best miles earn rate possible.   On the other hand, if you have been collecting KrisFlyer miles pre-pandemic and you don’t foresee yourself travelling anytime soon, you can simply transfer your KrisFlyer miles to Kris+ at a 1:1 transfer rate to offset spend on everyday purchases.   One thing to note: Miles on Kris+ are valid for 6 months so make sure to also check regularly to see if you have miles expiring. You wouldn’t want all that “free money” to go to waste.

Stacking rewards as you spend every day 

As Kris+ has over 1,000 partner outlets islandwide, there are a variety of reward stacking possibilities that can suit your budget and lifestyle. For example, if bubble tea is a staple for you, you can get 10% off your bill at Gong Cha  while collecting 6 miles per dollar spent (equivalent to 4% rebate on your spend) when you pay with Kris+.  Pro-tip: Always check the app before you spend on any F&B or retail establishment you frequent in order not to lose out on potential miles and rebates   If bubble teas aren’t your thing and you want to get a gym membership to stay on top of your health goals instead, you can consider getting a discounted membership at GYMMBOXX for as low as $55.25 per month with Kris+, while earning 9 miles/dollar spent (or a 6% rebate).  This is a significant saving – a 26% savings, to be exact – when you compare the cost to the usual $75 per month adult membership if you sign on for 12 months.  12-month membership at GYMMBOXX: $55.25 x 12 = $663  Miles earned: $663 x 9 miles/dollar = 5,967 miles  6,000 miles lets you purchase a $50 voucher for dining at Nordic cafe @3 through Kris+   Total savings: ($75 - $55.25) x 12 + $50 dining voucher = ~$287 per annum  For the foodies, Kris+ allows you to get free desserts, appetizers, and drinks at popular F&B joints such as Aburi-EN, WATAMI Japanese Dining, The Social Alley, and Kam’s Roast. You’ll also earn up to 9 miles for every dollar spent on your meal at Kris+ dining partners. This is on top of the rewards you earn from your linked credit cards!    And if you’re planning and saving up to buy big ticket items like furniture, stacking your rewards for your purchase can also help you clock significant rebates and miles that you can use to offset other expenses down the line, or part of the cost of your next flight ticket. .   How would this look like in practice? Say you need to get a new mattress from Simmons that costs $3,600. Effectively, you’ll earn about 21,600 miles on Kris+ with your purchase, which you can potentially use to redeem a one-way Economy Saver flight ticket from Singapore to Perth.  That’s savings that your budget will appreciate!   Pro-tip: Newlyweds and new homeowners can take advantage of Kris+ to get rack up those miles on your large expenditures at partners such as Harvey Norman, Simmons and SK Jewellery.  

Convert UOB UNI$, DBS Points and Citi Points to miles  

Credit card enthusiasts who have been collecting bank rewards on DBS, UOB and Citibank can also turn those into miles for immediate use on the app. There are a variety of ways you can choose to use the rewards from these rewards programmes on the Kris+ app; you can check out the full list of conversion rates and terms here.  

Spend wisely while you grab those rewards 

While earning rewards and rebates is very tempting, don’t go busting your budget just to earn that extra mile or save that extra dollar. Remember to always spend within your means.   Using a rewards-stackable app like Kris+ and this handy guide, you will become a true budgeting Jedi by maximising your hard-earned money for rewards (or miles) when you spend on goods and services that you will be purchasing anyway.