Petrol credit cards

Everyone knows how expensive it is to own a car in Singapore. Using a petrol credit card to get cashback when you fill up helps to keep that cost down.

By Yvonne Taylor | Verified by Kwok Zhong Li | Updated 25th April 2020

Comparing petrol credit cards

On HSBC's website

HSBC Advance Credit Card

Highlights

Up to 3.5% cashback on spending worldwide, no min spend
Yes please to exclusive retail, dining, entertainment, travel, and hotel privileges

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing HSBC cardholders

Bank promo

Samsonite T5 68cm Spinner Luggage worth $560 or $150 cashback ($30 cashback for existing HSBC cardholders)

On OCBC's website

OCBC 365 Credit Card

Highlights

6% rebate on local and overseas dining every day and for online food delivery
3% rebate on local, overseas and online groceries, travel, land transport and recurring bills
Save up to 23% at Caltex and 20.4% at Esso on petrol, as well as 5% Cashback at all other petrol stations
All other purchases still get you 0.3% rebate
Up to $500,000 travel insurance coverage and up to $400 coverage for baggage loss

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing OCBC cardholders

Bank promo

$50 cash rebate

On Citi's website

Citi Prestige Credit Card

Highlights

Earn 5 points (2 miles) per $1 overseas spend and 3.25 points (1.3 miles) per $1 local spend
No cap on points and miles won’t expire on you
A concierge team to support your lifestyle at home and abroad
Complimentary 4th night stay hurray
Earn miles or reward points when you pay your tax, rent, condominium management fee, school fee or electricity bill with Citi PayAll on the Citi Mobile® App

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing Citi cardholders

Bank promo

62,500 points (25,000 miles)

On OCBC's website

OCBC Frank Credit Card

Highlights

Feel cool flashing your card with over 120 hip designs to choose from
6% rebate on your online shopping, including Grab rides! Woohoo!
5% rebate on local entertainment from Fri to Sun, 3% on other days
5% rebate at selected cafés from Fri to Sun, 3% on other days
3% rebate on your 1st 2 NETS FlashPay Auto Top-Ups

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing OCBC cardholders

Bank promo

$50 cash rebate

On Citi's website

Citi PremierMiles Card

Highlights

Earn 2 miles per $1 overseas spend and 1.2 miles per $1 local spend, miles won’t expire on you
Access to over 1,000 airport lounges with Priority Pass membership
Up to $1 mil travel insurance coverage is awesome
Up to 10% rebate at over 500 merchants
Earn miles or reward points when you pay your tax, rent, condominium management fee, school fee or electricity bill with Citi PayAll on the Citi Mobile® App

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing Citi cardholders

Bank promo

37,300 miles (extended until 30 June 2020).

On HSBC's website

HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card

Highlights

5% rebate local grocers and on your recurring TV, internet, and mobile bills
Save 20.2% at Caltex and 18.30% at Shell on petrol
2% rebate at local restaurants
Earn 1 point per $1 spend for rewards on top of cash rebate

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing HSBC cardholders

Bank promo

Samsonite T5 68cm Spinner Luggage worth $560 or $150 cashback ($30 cashback for existing HSBC cardholders)

On OCBC's website

OCBC Cashflo Credit Card

Highlights

Pay over 6 months with 0% interest for transaction $1,000 and above
Pay over 3 months with 0% interest for transaction between $100 and $1,000
1% rebate if your monthly spend is above $1,000 or 0.5% rebate if it's below
Save up to 14% at Esso, 16% at Caltex and 20% at Sinopec on petrol

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing OCBC cardholders

Bank promo

$50 cash rebate

On OCBC's website

OCBC Plus! Visa Credit Card

Highlights

Up to 12% off at Fairprice outlets, Unity and Warehouse Club and up to 8% at Fairprice Online
3% rebate at Cheers and Popular
Save up to 20.6% at Esso, 18% at Caltex, 20% at Sinopec
1% rebate on your recurring bills with M1, Starhub, and Singtel
0.22% Linkpoint rewards on all Visa spends

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing OCBC cardholders

Bank promo

$50 cash rebate

On HSBC's website

HSBC Revolution Credit Card

Highlights

Earn 5 points per $1 spend on online shopping, local dining, and local entertainment
All other purchases still earn you 1 point per $1 spend
Enough points can get you cash, items, or vouchers for dining, shopping, or travel

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing HSBC cardholders

Bank promo

Samsonite T5 68cm Spinner Luggage worth $560 or $150 cashback ($30 cashback for existing HSBC cardholders)

On Citi's website

Citibank SMRT Card

Highlights

Up to 7% rebate at selected grocers
Up to 15% rebate at selected cafés
5% rebate at Popular and Toys'R'Us
Up to 2% rebate on your EZ-Reload with no convenience fee
Rebates are redeemed as vouchers or offset your next purchase

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing Citi cardholders

Bank promo

$120 cash back

On OCBC's website

OCBC Titanium Rewards Credit Card (Blue)

Highlights

Earn 10 points per $1 spend at department stores or on clothes, shoes, bags, electronics, gadgets, kid's wear, or personal care
Earn 10 points per $1 spend for online purchases at selected merchants
All other purchases still earn you 1 point per $1 spend
Redeem points as miles, vouchers, or cash to offset purchases on the spot
Save up to 14% at Esso, 16% at Caltex and 20% at Sinopec on petrol

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing OCBC cardholders

Bank promo

$50 cash rebate

On OCBC's website

OCBC Titanium Rewards Credit Card (Pink)

Highlights

Earn 10 points per $1 spend at department stores or on clothes, shoes, bags, electronics, gadgets, kid's wear, or personal care
Earn 10 points per $1 spend for online purchases at selected merchants
All other purchases still earn you 1 point per $1 spend
Redeem points as miles, vouchers, or cash to offset purchases on the spot
Save up to 14% at Esso, 16% at Caltex and 20% at Sinopec on petrol

Finty Rewards

$10 cash upon getting your card, even for existing OCBC cardholders

Bank promo

$50 cash rebate

Learn about petrol credit cards

Find out how your can optimise the benefits of a credit card with petrol rebates.

FAQs

Can I get a cash rebate on other types of purchases, not just petrol, with the same card?

Yes. You could choose a flat rate card which offers a cash rebate on all spending, including petrol, since almost all cashback cards also let you take advantage of significant onsite petrol discounts. Alternatively, choose a cashback card which lets you combine petrol with another category of purchases for rebate returns (e.g. petrol + dining, or petrol + groceries).

Can I get other benefits, in addition to petrol discounts and cash rebates, with my petrol credit card?

Yes. You can expect to get some of the following additional benefits with your card:

First year annual fee waiver, or a two-year waiver
A sign-up or first purchase cash or merchandise gift
A petrol card pre-loaded with a credit amount (e.g. a $150 Caltex StarCard)
A credit, discount or cashback for Grab rides
Air miles or rewards points, including a sign-up points bonus in some cases

Do all petrol credit cards offer the same percentage discounts and cashback?

No, the rates vary from card to card, although they nearly always have the potential to reduce petrol prices by between 14% and 24% with a combination of discounts and rebates.

Does it matter what brand of petrol I buy, or where in the world I buy it?

Each card will often specify which brands of fuel qualify for the discount and cashback, e.g. Caltex only, or Shell and SPC stations only, or Esso and Caltex stations only. But there are cards which offer cash rebates on all petrol spending worldwide, regardless of the brand, although the onsite petrol discounts will only apply islandwide.

Do I have to spend a certain amount on petrol or other items, in order to qualify for the cash rebate?

Many cards have a very low starting rebate each month (e.g. 0.3%), but once a monthly target spending level is reached (e.g. $600 total purchases in any category) a much higher rebate percentage will be applied to all of that month’s purchases.

How often will I receive my cashback into my account?

The cashback earned is usually paid into your account quarterly, at the beginning of the second month of the following quarter.

Is there any cap on the rebate I can receive for petrol purchases?

Although there are a few cards with no cap on the amount you can earn, most cards will have a monthly limit (as low as $40 or as high as $100, depending on the card). Some caps are applied quarterly or annually.

What are some of the costs associated with a petrol credit card?

In addition to an annual fee of between $80 and $195 or more, look out for possible foreign currency transaction fees of up to 3.5%, and don’t forget the high interest rate that will be applied to your purchase balance if you fail to pay it off on or before the monthly due date.

Some cards waive their annual fee for the first year, or in any year that you spend a target amount, such as $12,500.

What are the best brands in Singapore for petrol spend?

You can save money when you fill up at Shell, Esso, Caltex, and SPC and paying with a petrol credit card in Singapore. Some cards will offer savings on petrol spend outside Singapore too.

Who should consider applying for a petrol credit card?

If you drive one of Singapore’s more than half a million cars, each covering an average of around 18,000 kilometres per year, you’ll no doubt be looking for a way to save money on high fuel prices. You can do this with a credit card designed to give you a combination of fuel discounts and cash rebates, and possibly rewards points which can effectively be converted into spendable cash.

An unfortunate downside of petrol cards is that the layers of discount and rebate can be extremely complicated, and you need to be alert to all the potential savings in order to maximise the benefit. A single card could combine an onsite discount on at a selected petrol station brand (say, 4%), plus a discount that comes with the credit card brand (perhaps 4%), plus a further discount for belonging to the petrol brand loyalty program (maybe 5%), an 8% credit card cashback on petrol purchases plus an additional cashback (say 3%) for reaching a monthly minimum spend. Who knew buying petrol could be so complicated?

Because petrol credit cards are so potentially confusing, you may prefer to go for a flat rate rebate card (perhaps 5% on all spending) which still has significant onsite discounts on petrol.

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