The best credit card for dining in Singapore, measured by cashback rate, pays 6% at restaurants: the OCBC 365 Credit Card and the Citi Cash Back Card both do, once you spend S$800 in the month. Measured in miles, the UOB Lady’s Card and HSBC Revolution earn up to 4 miles per dollar on dining, capped at $1,000 of spend a month.
Those are the rates as at November 2026. Which card pays you most depends on your total monthly spend, what the bank counts as dining, and whether you pay the annual fee.
How We Compared Dining Cards
We read the card pages and terms of the main Singapore issuers and kept cards that state a higher earn rate for restaurants and whose conditions we could verify there. We compared them on:
- the dining rate and the merchant category codes (MCCs) it covers;
- the minimum monthly spend;
- the cap;
- the annual fee, any stated waiver, and the minimum income.
We do not rank the cards or rate them. Sign-up gifts and short-term offers are left out. Several cards run a higher introductory rate for new cardholders; we quote the standing rate only.
“Dining” is defined by the merchant’s category code, not by whether you ate there. The usual codes are 5812 (restaurants), 5814 (fast food), 5811 (caterers) and 5813 (bars). Cards differ on which they include.
What $400 of Dining a Month Earns
An illustrative diner charges $1,000 a month to one card: $400 at restaurants and $600 elsewhere, none of it in another bonus category.
| Card | On $400 dining | On $600 other | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCBC 365 | 6% = $24 | 0.25% = $1.50 | $25.50 | $306 |
| Citi Cash Back | 6% = $24 | 0.2% = $1.20 | $25.20 | about $302 |
| HSBC Live+ | 5% = $20 | 0.3% = $1.80 | $21.80 | about $262 |
| UOB Lady’s (Dining) | 1,600 miles | 240 miles | 1,840 miles | 22,080 miles |
| HSBC Revolution | 1,600 miles | 240 miles | 1,840 miles | 22,080 miles |
None of these amounts reaches a cap. The miles figures assume every transaction lands on an eligible code and, for the UOB card, in whole $5 blocks.
The HSBC row assumes a partner that converts 25,000 points to 10,000 miles, such as Asia Miles. HSBC lists 30,000 points for 10,000 KrisFlyer miles, which makes the same spend about 18,400 KrisFlyer miles a year.
Now the fee. OCBC 365 and Citi Cash Back each list an annual fee of $196.20. Paid in full, it cuts the yearly value to about $110 and $106. HSBC Revolution’s page shows the annual fee as waived, so its 22,080 miles come with no fee to offset.
The short version: $400 a month at restaurants earns about $24 a month at 6%, or 1,600 miles at 4 miles per dollar. A $196.20 annual fee that is not waived wipes out roughly eight months of that cashback.
Whether 22,080 miles beat $306 depends on what a mile is worth to you. The cashback vs miles calculator does that sum with your own figures.
Dining Credit Cards Compared
Figures are from each bank’s own page, as at November 2026.
| Card | Issuer | Dining rate | Minimum monthly spend | Cap | Annual fee | Minimum income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCBC 365 | OCBC | 6% | $800 | $160 a month across 6% categories | $196.20; first two years waived | $30,000 |
| Citi Cash Back | Citibank | 6% | $800 | $80 a month in total | $196.20; first year waived | $30,000 |
| HSBC Live+ | HSBC | 5% | $600 | $250 a calendar quarter | First year waived; later years waived above $12,500 annual spend | $30,000 or $65,000 (see below) |
| POSB Everyday | POSB | 5% dining out; 10% online food delivery | $800 | Daily$20 a month of bonus rebates | $196.20; first year waived | $30,000 |
| UOB Lady’s | UOB | 4 miles per $1 in chosen category | None | $1,000 of spend a month | $196.20; first year waived | $30,000 |
| HSBC Revolution | HSBC | Up to 4 miles per $1, contactless or online | None | 9,000 bonus points a month | Waived | $30,000 or $65,000 (see below) |
HSBC’s pages set the minimum income at $30,000 for salaried Singaporeans and permanent residents who are existing HSBC customers with a Total Relationship Balance of at least $50,000, and $65,000 for new customers and others.
What Each Card Pays, and the Catch
OCBC 365 Credit Card
OCBC’s terms from 1 November 2026 pay 6% on MCCs 5811, 5812 and 5814, here and overseas. The catch: bars (5813) are not on the list, hotel dining not coded as a restaurant is excluded, and below $800 the month earns 0.25%. It does not suit light spenders or those whose meals out are mostly at hotels.
Citi Cash Back Card
Citi also covers MCCs 5811, 5812 and 5814 at 6%, above $800 in the statement month. The catch: one $80 cap covers dining, groceries, petrol and rides together, and Citibank’s fees page waives the fee for the first year only. It does not suit someone who would fill the cap from petrol or groceries first.
HSBC Live+ Credit Card
The standing rate is 5% on dining, shopping and entertainment with $600 of eligible spend a month, capped at $250 of cashback a calendar quarter. HSBC’s page states these terms for cards issued from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027. The catch: the higher rate shown on the page applies only to new cardholders for a limited period. It does not suit applicants who cannot meet HSBC’s income criteria. See our HSBC Live+ Card review.
POSB Everyday Card
With $800 of qualifying spend, POSB pays 5% on dining out and 10% on online food delivery. The catch: bonus rebates are capped at Daily$20 a month and exclude fast food. That cap is reached at $400 of dining. It does not suit bigger dining budgets.
UOB Lady’s Card
Choosing Dining earns 10X UNI$ per $5, equal to 4 miles per $1, on restaurants, fast food and online food delivery, up to $1,000 of spend a calendar month. The catch: one category per quarter, $5 earning blocks, and UNI$ that expire two years from the end of the quarter they were earned. It does not suit people who will not redeem miles. Details are in our UOB Lady’s Card review.
HSBC Revolution Credit Card
Eligible contactless and online payments at MCCs 5441, 5462, 5811, 5812 and 5813 earn 10X points, which HSBC equates to up to 4 miles per $1. Bonus points stop at 9,000 a calendar month, or $1,000 of spend. The catch: fast food and hotel dining are excluded, and inserting the card instead of tapping earns the base rate. It does not suit diners who prefer cash. See the HSBC Revolution Card review.
When a Dining Card Does Not Pay
A dining card is a poor fit if most of your meals are at hawker centres, if your total card spend sits below the minimum, or if a service charge and GST already stretch the budget. A 6% rebate on a meal you would not otherwise have bought is a 94% cost.
It also fails the moment a balance is carried. HSBC’s pages quote an effective interest rate of at least 27.8% a year, and MoneySense notes that late fees are often a flat $100. On a $1,000 balance, a month’s interest is about $23, close to the whole month’s cashback in the example above.
What To Do Next
- Check three months of statements for what you spend at restaurants, and whether those merchants appear as restaurants.
- Read the category definition and cap on the bank’s page before applying. Promotions exist and change.
- Compare cashback and miles with the cashback vs miles calculator, or read cashback or miles: how to decide.
- For the wider picture, see our guide to credit cards in Singapore and the pages on cashback cards, HSBC cards and UOB cards.
