Is the DBS Altitude Card a good general miles card? This DBS Altitude Card review comes down to three facts from DBS’s own terms, as at November 2026: it earns 1.3 miles per S$1 on local spend and 2.2 miles per $1 in foreign currency, with no cap and no minimum spend, and the points do not expire.
The catches are the $196.20 annual fee after the first year, a $27.25 fee each time you convert, and a 3.25% charge on foreign currency spend. Whether it suits you depends on what a mile is worth to you, which the maths below works through.
DBS Altitude Card Review: How We Checked the Figures
Every figure is from DBS’s Altitude Card page, the card’s terms and conditions (last updated September 2026) and DBS’s fee guide. We read the terms, not just the headline.
We do not cover the welcome offer. DBS runs one, it changes, and the card page shows the current version. We are not paid by DBS, and this page carries no rating.
What the Card Earns
The Altitude comes as a Visa Signature or an American Express card. Both earn at the same rates.
| Spend | DBS Points per $5 | Miles per $1 |
|---|---|---|
| Local (posted in Singapore dollars) | 3.25 | 1.3 |
| Overseas (posted in foreign currency) | 5.5 | 2.2 |
Points are worked out on each transaction, then rounded down to a whole number. That shaves a little off small purchases:
- A $12 lunch: 12 ÷ 5 × 3.25 = 7.8, rounded down to 7 points, or 14 miles (not 15.6).
- A $4 coffee: 4 ÷ 5 × 3.25 = 2.6, rounded down to 2 points, or 4 miles (not 5.2).
On a $200 purchase the rounding is nil. The more your spending is in small amounts, the further you fall below 1.3.
Some spend earns no points at all. The terms point to the exclusion list in the DBS Rewards terms, which is worth reading before putting bills or top-ups on the card.
The Fees, and What Changed in August 2026
| Item | Amount (as at November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Annual fee, principal card | $196.20 including GST; first year waived |
| Annual fee, supplementary card | $98.10 |
| Points conversion | $27.25 per conversion |
| Foreign currency transactions | 3.25% of the converted amount |
| Minimum income | $30,000 (Singaporeans and PRs aged 55 and below); $15,000 (56 and above); $45,000 (foreigners) |
Two points on the annual fee.
First, the terms used to waive the fee automatically for $25,000 of retail spend in a card year. They now state that this waiver ceased with effect from 1 August 2026.
Second, when the fee is charged, DBS credits 5,000 DBS Points, which convert to 10,000 miles. If the fee is later waived, the points are reversed. So paying the fee is, in effect, buying 10,000 miles for $196.20, or about 1.96 cents a mile.
Worked Example: A Year on the Altitude Card
Take an illustrative cardholder who charges $1,500 a month in Singapore and $6,000 a year in foreign currency on two trips. Illustration only; rounding on small transactions would lower the totals slightly.
- Local: $18,000 × 1.3 = 23,400 miles
- Foreign currency: $6,000 × 2.2 = 13,200 miles
- Total: 36,600 miles, held as 18,300 DBS Points
Conversions are in 5,000-point blocks, so three blocks give 30,000 miles and 3,300 points stay in the account. They do not expire, so they carry into next year.
The costs in the same year:
- Foreign currency fee: $6,000 × 3.25% = $195
- One conversion: $27.25
- Annual fee: nil in year one; $196.20 from year two if not waived, with 10,000 miles credited
Now compare it with a flat 1.6% cashback card on the same $24,000: that pays $384. Divide $384 by 36,600 miles and the break-even is about 1.05 cents a mile. If your redemptions are worth more than that per mile, the Altitude is ahead. If you are unsure you will redeem at all, the cash is ahead. Our cashback vs miles calculator runs this with your own numbers.
The short version: The DBS Altitude Card pays an uncapped 1.3 miles per $1 at home and 2.2 abroad, and the points never expire. From August 2026 the fee is no longer waived by spending $25,000, so count $196.20 a year, or the 10,000 miles it buys, into the decision.
Converting DBS Points to Miles
- Rate: 1 DBS Point = 2 miles with KrisFlyer or Asia Miles, in blocks of 5,000 points. AirAsia points convert in blocks of 500 DBS Points for 1,500 points.
- Fee: $27.25 per conversion, charged to the card.
- Time: the terms say about one to two weeks.
- Auto conversion: DBS’s page lists a KrisFlyer auto-conversion programme with a $43.60 annual fee.
Because the points do not expire, there is no pressure to convert early. Converting once, when you have a booking in mind, keeps the fee to a single $27.25.
Lounge Visits and the Overseas Catch
The lounge benefit is for the Visa Signature card only. The principal cardholder gets two complimentary Priority Pass visits per 12-month membership period: two visits alone, or one visit with a guest. Further visits cost US$35 per person.
On overseas spend, the 2.2 miles rate applies only when the charge posts in foreign currency. If a shop or website bills you in Singapore dollars through dynamic currency conversion, the terms treat it as local spend at 1.3 miles. Our guide to overseas card fees and DCC explains why paying in the local currency usually costs less as well.
The 3.25% fee also needs weighing. On $1,000 of foreign spend you pay $32.50 and earn 2,200 miles, which prices those miles at about 1.5 cents each.
Who It Suits, and Who It Does Not
On the stated measures, the card fits someone who:
- spends across many categories and does not want to track caps or choose categories
- collects slowly and values points that do not expire
- will pay for or accept the annual fee in exchange for 10,000 miles
It is a poor fit for someone who:
- puts most spending in one category that a specialised card pays 4 miles per $1 on
- wants cash rather than miles
- makes many small transactions, where rounding bites
- sometimes carries a balance
That last point matters most. DBS’s page states finance charges of 27.8% a year, charged daily, and a $100 late fee. MoneySense explains how interest applies to the whole balance once a bill is not paid in full. One month of interest can cost more than a year of miles is worth.
Alternatives to Compare
- Other banks’ general miles cards, with their local and overseas rates side by side, on our best air miles credit cards page. The Citi PremierMiles Card review covers one of them.
- DBS’s own category card for online spend, in DBS Woman’s World vs UOB Lady’s Card.
- The full DBS range in DBS credit cards compared.
- Cards for foreign currency spend on our best credit cards for overseas spending page.
What To Do Next
- Work out your own break-even value per mile from a trip you would really take, using cashback or miles: how to decide.
- Read the current Altitude Card terms and the DBS Rewards exclusion list before applying.
- If you already hold the card, note your card anniversary and decide in advance whether the fee and its 10,000 miles are worth it to you.
- If you are carrying a balance on any card, clear that first. Our debt payoff calculator shows the timeline.
