Rent is one of the biggest monthly expenses for many tenants in Singapore. If you're paying S$3,500 a month for a condo, that's S$42,000 a year going towards your accommodation. Yet, once your rent payment arrangement is in place, it's easy to stop thinking about how that money is being paid.
For tenants who enjoy travelling, there's another question worth asking: could your rent help you earn travel miles?
Paying your landlord on time and earning rewards are two different things. A payment method that gets your rent where it needs to go doesn't necessarily help you collect miles along the way.
With the year coming to an end and many tenancy agreements approaching renewal in 2027, now is a good opportunity to review your arrangements. Before deciding whether to change anything, make sure you're not falling into these six common mistakes.
1. Assuming PayNow and bank transfers are your only options
PayNow and bank transfers are familiar ways to pay rent in Singapore. They're convenient, straightforward and widely used. If your landlord gave you their bank details when you signed your tenancy agreement, you've probably continued using the same arrangement ever since.
There's nothing inherently wrong with that. The limitation is that a regular PayNow transfer or bank transfer from your savings account isn't a credit card transaction. As a result, it won't earn credit card miles or rewards.
This is easy to overlook because rent is such a regular expense. You might carefully choose a miles credit card for your everyday spending but never consider whether your largest monthly payment could also contribute towards your travel goals.
The reset: Look beyond your existing payment instructions. If earning travel rewards is important to you, explore whether a rent-payment service could give you another way to fund your rent while keeping your landlord's usual bank transfer arrangement.
2. Assuming every miles credit card rewards rent payments
Finding a way to pay rent by credit card doesn't automatically mean you'll earn miles.
Banks have their own rewards eligibility rules, and certain transaction types, merchant category codes (MCCs) and recurring payments may be excluded. These exclusions can vary between cards, even when they're issued by the same bank.
An MCC is a code used to identify the type of merchant processing a transaction. It can influence whether a payment qualifies for credit card rewards.
For example, Rently currently processes credit card rent payments under MCC 5817. However, your bank's treatment of the transaction ultimately determines whether you receive miles or other card rewards. Some cards also exclude recurring or merchant-initiated transactions from earning points.
In other words, having a popular travel miles card isn't enough. You need to establish whether the particular rent transaction qualifies under your card's current terms.
The reset: Before switching to credit card rent payments, check your bank's latest rewards exclusions. Look specifically for restrictions relating to merchant category codes, recurring payments and bill-payment services. If the terms aren't clear, contact your card issuer rather than assuming you'll earn miles.
3. Thinking your landlord must accept credit cards
One reason tenants don't explore alternative rent-payment methods is the assumption that their landlord would need to start accepting credit cards.
If your tenancy agreement specifies bank transfers, you might think that paying rent by card would require your landlord to change their preferred arrangement.
But there's an important distinction between how you fund a payment and how your landlord receives it.
A rent-payment service can handle the payment on your behalf. You fund the transaction using an eligible payment method, while the service transfers the rent to your landlord's bank account.
With Rently, for example, tenants can pay using a credit card or eGIRO, while their landlord receives the full rent amount through a standard bank transfer on the scheduled rent due date. The landlord doesn't need to sign up for Rently.
This means you can explore alternative payment arrangements without necessarily asking your landlord to change how they receive rent.
The reset: Understand the complete payment process before ruling out other options. Ask how the service collects your payment, when your landlord receives the money and whether the full contractual rent amount is transferred. Your landlord's existing preference for bank transfers doesn't automatically mean you have to fund the payment in the same way.
4. Overlooking eGIRO because you don't have a miles credit card
Many tenants associate earning travel miles with having the right credit card. If you don't own a miles card, you might assume that your rent simply cannot contribute towards your travel rewards.
That's not necessarily true.
eGIRO is an electronic payment arrangement that allows money to be deducted automatically from your bank account. It's useful for recurring payments because you don't have to manually initiate a transfer every month.
On its own, an ordinary eGIRO deduction doesn't earn credit card miles because no credit card transaction takes place. However, some rent-payment services offer their own rewards on eligible eGIRO payments.
Rently, for instance, offers Max Miles through its eligible Earn Rewards plans. This gives tenants another way to earn travel rewards on rent without needing to put the payment on a miles credit card.
The important distinction is that these are rewards offered through the rent-payment service, rather than miles awarded by your bank. The number of miles you receive and the applicable service fees depend on the plan you choose.
The reset: Don't limit your options to credit cards. Compare both credit card and eGIRO arrangements, including the rewards offered, applicable fees and redemption options. You might find that an eGIRO-based rewards plan is worth considering even if you don't have a miles credit card.
5. Chasing miles without calculating whether the fees are worth it
Earning thousands of miles sounds appealing, especially when rent is already a substantial monthly expense. But there's another number you shouldn't overlook: the cost of earning those rewards.
Some rent-payment services charge a service fee, which can vary depending on the payment method or rewards plan. Before signing up, consider how much you're paying in fees compared with the rewards you're receiving.
For example, if you're paying S$3,500 in monthly rent, even a small percentage-based fee can add up over 12 months.
You should also consider how you intend to redeem your miles. The value you get from travel rewards depends on the airline or hotel programme, the redemption option and the availability of the rewards you want.
A large miles balance isn't automatically a good deal if the cost of accumulating those miles outweighs their eventual value.
The reset: Calculate the total annual service fees before committing to a rewards plan. Compare the cost with the miles you expect to earn and how you realistically plan to redeem them. Use the provider's latest rewards calculator to compare available plans rather than automatically choosing the one with the highest earn rate.
6. Waiting until your next lease renewal to review your payment method
When your tenancy agreement approaches renewal, your attention naturally goes towards the rental amount, lease duration and other terms your landlord wants to discuss.
It's easy to overlook the payment arrangement because it feels like an administrative detail you've already settled.
But your rent-payment method deserves its own review. Banks can update their rewards terms, payment services can introduce different plans and your own travel goals may change over time.
Something that worked well when you first moved into your condo might not necessarily be the most suitable arrangement today.
You also don't have to wait until your lease expires to explore alternatives. If your current tenancy agreement is still active, you can review your payment options and check whether a different arrangement is available.
The reset: Make your rent-payment method part of your regular financial review, rather than something you only think about when signing a new tenancy agreement. Recheck your card's rewards terms, compare payment options and decide whether your current approach still makes sense.
Make your rent-to-miles strategy a considered choice
Your rent is already a significant financial commitment. The question is whether you're making an informed decision about how you pay it.
From assuming bank transfers are your only option to overlooking eGIRO rewards, there are several reasons why tenants might miss opportunities to earn travel rewards on rent.
The key is to understand the difference between funding your rent, getting it to your landlord and earning rewards along the way. These are separate parts of the payment process, and each deserves a closer look.
If you're interested in earning travel rewards on your Singapore rent, Rently offers options to pay by credit card or eGIRO and earn Max Miles through eligible plans.
You can explore the available payment methods, compare rewards and check the applicable service fees before deciding what works for you.
After all, your rent is one expense you can't avoid. It makes sense to understand all the options available before deciding how to pay it.
