(Updated 9th Oct 2019)
Did you know that you are leaving money on table by being loyal and charging your lifestyle expenses to the one or two credit cards in your wallet? In this competitive world today, banks are (literally) fighting for a share of your wallet. So, if you are not actively in the market signing up for new credit cards on offer, you could miss the opportunity to receive welcome gifts worth hundreds of dollars!
We are writing this post to share with you how you can take advantage of some of these promotions today by following a few simple steps. Best of all, the following cards have a first year (or longer) waiver, so there is no cost to you in signing up and cancelling the card within the first year! Compared to when we first published the post in August 2019, some cards have reduced their promotional cashback (UOB, Citibank) and others have totally stopped the promotional campaign (CIMB, Amex). These are the ones that remain 
Here’s how you do it:
Step 1: Check if you have any Citibank cards at all. If not, from now till 31st October 2019, apply for one of these cards: Citi Cashback Card, Citi SMRT Card, Citi Premier Miles Card, Citi Rewards Card. Congratulations! you have earned $200 from your first Citibank card if successfully approved within the month! If you do have an existing Citibank card, just apply anyway, because you can still get $30 if successfully approved within the month.
Step 2: Check if you have any StanChart cards at all. If not, apply for one of these cards: StanChart Unlimited Card, StanChart Spree Card. Congratulations! you have earned $120 from your StanChart card if successfully approved! If you do have an existing StanChart card, just apply anyway, because you can still get $50 if successfully approved.
Step 3: Apply for any of these UOB card that you don’t currently have: UOB One Card, UOB Privi Miles (Visa) Card, UOB Privi Miles (Amex) Card, UOB YOLO Card. Congratulations! you have earned $20 per card if successfully approved.
Step 4: Check if you have any OCBC cards at all. If yes, move on to the next step. If not, apply for the OCBC 365 Card or the OCBC Frank Card. Congratulations! you have earned $100 (in the form of cashback) from your new OCBC 365 card if successfully approved!
Step 5: Apply for, and clock a minimum of $200/month spending for 6 months on the ICBC Chinese Zodiac Card, to get $20/month, for a maximum of $120 over 6 months. Congratulations! by doing so, you would have earned $120 in cashback! To be honest, this step is actually a little tedious to implement compared to the others, but the ICBC Chinese Zodiac card is also a good generic spending card like the StanChart Unlimited and Amex True Cashback cards as well
Some common questions asked by readers
What if I have previously applied for, and cancelled a card from a particular bank?
In general, the promotions eligible to new cardholders also extend to those who have previously applied for but cancelled all their cards related to the respective bank (that they are now re-applying for). The promotions apply to applicants who have not re-applied for any cards for at least 12 months from their last card cancellation date. However, if you do want to verify this before applying for a card, you can read the terms and conditions here.
Can I get rewards through applying as a supplementary cardholder?
Unfortunately not. Rewards only go to the principal cardholder.
When and how do I get these rewards?
It can take up to 3 months from the card approval date to receive the reward. Basically, you have to receive a confirmation email from Singsaver (our affiliate partner) that you are eligible to get the reward. Also, you must submit the Rewards Redemption Form on Singsaver’s website with accurate information; that is how they will liaise with you and verify your details! You will get this form via email when you sign up with your email when prompted after you click “Apply Now” on Singsaver’s site.
Regarding how will you receive your cashback, the answer is, in cash and through PayNow for most of these promotions because it is run by Singsaver, with the exception of Steps 4 and 5, because those sign-ups promotion rewards are given directly by the financial institutions.
Conclusion
We have read through the terms and conditions of existing credit card sign-up promotions, so take advantage of our summary post and the freebies on offer (which could add up to hundreds of dollars) by following the steps outlined above.
If you’ll like to get the maximum rewards from your credit cards, do consider integrating WhatCard into your lifestyle to help you optimize your credit card rewards, and follow us on Facebook to stay updated on the latest tips, tricks, and hacks (like this article!) to get the most out of your credit cards
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