Credit Card Exclusions, What No Longer Earns You Rewards
You've been spending. You've been swiping. And you've been assuming the rewards are stacking up.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: banks across Singapore quietly tightened their exclusion lists in 2025 and early 2026. Categories that used to earn cashback or miles no longer do. And most cardholders have no idea.
If you haven't checked your card's T&Cs recently, there's a good chance you've been leaving money on the table — or worse, assuming you're earning rewards you're not.
What Are Credit Card Exclusions?
Every credit card in Singapore has a list of transaction types that do not qualify for cashback, miles, or points — regardless of how much you spend.
In 2024, the exclusion lists were manageable. In 2026, they've expanded significantly as banks get more surgical about where they're willing to pay out rewards.
The Categories Most Likely Hitting Zero in 2026
School fees, polytechnic and university payments, CPF-related transactions, and most government service payments are universally excluded.
Any transaction categorised as a digital asset purchase or crypto exchange top-up earns nothing. Most cards also actively block these transactions.
Loading money into GrabPay, FavePay, or any e-wallet no longer earns cashback or miles on virtually every card in Singapore. The loophole that lets people stack rewards by topping up GrabPay.
Singapore Power, PUB, and most town council payments are now excluded from cashback on the majority of cards. This catches a huge number of households off guard — many people set their utilities to auto-charge their rewards card and assume they're earning. They're not.
Many cashback cards apply a foreign transaction fee of 3.25% on overseas spend — and that spend may also earn the base fallback rate rather than bonus cashback. The maths often works against you.
Many cashback cards apply a foreign transaction fee of 3.25% on overseas spend — and that spend may also earn the base fallback rate rather than bonus cashback. The maths often works against you.
The Hidden Cost of Getting This Wrong
Here's a real scenario:
You're on a card with 5% dining cashback and a S$1,000/month minimum spend. You spend:
S$300 on utilities
S$200 on insurance premium
S$200 on GrabPay top-ups
S$300 on dining
You hit S$1,000. You think you've unlocked your bonus cashback tier.
But only the S$300 dining spend qualifies for the bonus rate. The other S$700 earns 0.3% base cashback — or nothing at all on some cards.
Your actual effective cashback rate for the month? Well under 2%.
Nowhere near the 5% headline.
The Fix: One Card That Just Works
Standard Chartered Simply Cash — At a Glance
Almost every dollar you spend earns cashback. No categories. No tracking. No nasty surprises.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Cashback Rate | 1.5% on almost everything Unlocks 2% uncapped with S$800 min. monthly spend |
| Cashback Cap | None — fully uncappedEarn on every dollar with no ceiling |
| Min. Spend | No minimum for 1.5%S$800/month unlocks the 2% rate |
| Annual Fee | S$192.60First year waived |
| Instant Approval | Yes — via MyInfoDigital card issued instantly upon approval |
| Min. Income | S$30,000/year · Age 21+ |
| Perks | The Good Life® privilegesDining, retail, online offers and more |
Apply Now and Get Up to S$500 in Rewards
Right now, new Standard Chartered applicants can stack serious sign-up rewards through SingSaver — on top of the card's ongoing cashback.
🎁 Choose your base reward:
S$350 Cash via PayNow
S$370 Grab Vouchers
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro + S$100 eCapitaVoucher (worth S$449)
🔼 Top up for even more:
Dyson Cyclone 8 Vacuum (worth S$559) — S$100 top-up
Dyson Airstrait (worth S$799) — S$100 top-up
MacBook Neo 256GB Magic Keyboard (worth S$849) — S$450 top-up
Apple iPad Air M4 11" 128GB (worth S$899) — S$500 top-up
To qualify:
Apply via SingSaver and spend min. S$800 within 30 days of approval
Apply for at least one eligible SC product (EasyPay, Bonus$aver Account, CashOne Personal Loan, or CCFT) via SingSaver
Valid for new Standard Chartered credit card applicants only
Promotion valid until 30 June 2026
The Verdict
Credit card exclusions are the silent reward killer of 2026.
Most people don't notice them until they check their cashback statement and realise half their spending earned nothing. Utilities, insurance, e-wallet top-ups, government services — these are not small categories.
If you're tired of tracking what earns and what doesn't — and you want a card where almost every dollar works for you — the SC Simply Cash is the answer.
No minimums. No caps. No category stress. Just cashback.
Shaun
Founder
RealisedGains is committed to empowering retail investors to achieve lasting financial well-being. By delivering meticulously curated investment insights and educational programs, RealisedGains equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to make sophisticated, informed financial decisions.
Founder, Analyst
With over a decade of expertise spanning investment advisory, investment banking analysis, oil trading, and financial advisory roles, RealisedGains is committed to empowering retail investors to achieve lasting financial well-being. By delivering meticulously curated investment insights and educational programs, RealisedGains equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to make sophisticated, informed financial decisions.
Credit Card Exclusions, What No Longer Earns You Rewards
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© 2026 RealisedGains | All Rights Reserved | www.realisedgains.com