POSB Everyday vs DBS Altitude: Cashback or Miles Better in 2026?

Choosing between cashback vs miles credit cards is one of the most common dilemmas in Singapore — especially when sign-up bonuses are involved. In this post, we compare the POSB Everyday Card and the DBS Altitude Card, using a real-world Melbourne trip to determine which card provides better value.

Quick Comparison: Sign-Up Bonus Overview

POSB Everyday Card

  • Sign-up bonus: SGD 388 cashback

  • Minimum spend: SGD 800

  • Annual fee: Waived

  • Reward type: Cashback (no conversion required)

DBS Altitude Card

  • Sign-up bonus: 28,000 miles

  • Minimum spend: SGD 800

  • Optional annual fee: SGD 196.20

    • Paying the fee gives additional 10,000 miles

  • Total possible miles: 38,000 miles

⚠️ Minimum spend for both cards excludes insurance, utilities, government payments, and other restricted MCCs (refer to official PDFs for full exclusions, DBS and POSB).

🏁 TL;DR

  • Economy flyers → POSB Everyday Card

  • Business / Premium flyers → DBS Altitude

  • If miles < 1.8¢, cashback always wins

  • DBS Altitude only makes sense if you redeem strategically

Personal Bias: Cashback vs Miles

Cash is always king.
It’s universal, flexible, and requires no valuation gymnastics. 

Especially for someone like me with low monthly expense around $1000. Collecting miles is already an uphill battle.

That said, miles can outperform cashback if:

  • Award space is available

  • Redemption value exceeds ~1.8 cents per mile

  • High monthly expense/miles collector subgroup

This brings us to the real test.

Real Use Case: Singapore to Melbourne (June 20–27)

  • Travel dates confirmed

  • Airlines considered: Scoot & Singapore Airlines

  • Checked both cash fares and award redemptions

Option 1: Paying Cash for Flights

Cheapest Cash Fare (Scoot)

  • SGD 790.21

  • Includes 20kg baggage each way

  •  


Option 2: Redeeming Miles (Scoot Award)

Award Ticket (SG → Melbourne)

  • 12,500 miles

  • SGD 94.08 taxes

  • + SGD 48 baggage fee

Effective Comparison

  • Cash fare equivalent: SGD 248

  • Out-of-pocket cash (tax and baggage): SGD 142.08

  • Cash saved: SGD 105.92

  • ➡️ 0.8 cents per mile (105.92 / 12500 miles)
    ❌ Poor value for miles does not beat HeyMax benchmark 1.8 cents per mile

Singapore Airlines Redemption Comparison

Economy Saver

  • 58,000 miles + SGD 193

  • Cash equivalent: ~SGD 1,376

  • Miles value: ~2.3 cents per mile

Business Class Saver

  • 144,000 miles + SGD 193

  • Cash equivalent: ~SGD 5,108

  • Miles value: ~3.0 cents per mile

✔️ This is where miles shine — premium cabin redemptions

Final Verdict: Which Card Wins?

Choose POSB Everyday Card if:

  • You prefer guaranteed value

  • You mainly fly budget airlines

  • You don’t want to deal with award availability

  • You value simplicity and flexibility

➡️ SGD 388 cashback = real money, zero effort

Choose DBS Altitude Card if:

  • You redeem miles for Business / Premium Economy

  • You already collect KrisFlyer miles

  • You can consistently extract ≥1.8 cents per mile

➡️ DBS Altitude only wins if miles are used strategically

Conclusion: Cashback Wins for This Scenario

For this Melbourne trip:

  • Economy award redemption gave sub-1 cent per mile

  • Cashback would have offset airfare directly

  • POSB Everyday Card is the better choice

Miles are powerful — but only when used correctly.






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