Summary
Traditional GIRO payments for bills like rent typically earn zero rewards, while using credit cards via third-party platforms costs a high 1.4¢–1.8¢ per mile.
Most Singaporeans miss out on earning rewards from their single largest monthly expense—rent—because standard payment methods offer no value.
A direct eGIRO-to-miles payment method offers a significantly lower cost per mile, turning a major expense into a productive asset for travel.
Rently's Earn Rewards on Rent program allows you to earn air miles on rent from just 0.67¢ per mile via eGIRO, no credit card needed.
If you've ever set up a GIRO arrangement in Singapore, you already know the frustration. As one Reddit user on r/singaporefi put it bluntly: "Just a warning that it's very difficult to cancel GIRO with the various banks if you want to stop the arrangement." Another chimed in: "I'm surprised at how bad the Singapore system is, when other first world countries let people cancel their direct debits on internet banking easily."
And now, just as Singaporeans were figuring out how to squeeze a little value out of the system, banks are quietly pulling the rug: "FYI - new T&C, no more GIRO cashback wef 1 Nov 2025."
So here's the question that's increasingly on every miles hacker's mind: With cashback drying up, does eGIRO spend earn air miles — and what does each mile actually cost you?
This article breaks it all down. We'll cover the traditional credit card-linked route, introduce a direct eGIRO-to-miles channel most people overlook, and give you a clear decision guide based on your situation. The goal is simple: find the lowest cost per mile (CPM) possible via eGIRO in Singapore.
Part 1: The Traditional Route — Credit Cards + GIRO Bill Payments
Let's be clear about how this method actually works. When most people talk about "earning miles via GIRO," they typically mean one of two things:
Paying your credit card bill via GIRO — the bank auto-debits your savings account to pay off the card, and you separately earn miles by charging your recurring bills to the credit card itself.
Using a third-party payment platform — which processes your GIRO-linked payments through a credit card network, charging a fee (typically 1.75–2.8%) in exchange for making non-card-eligible bills (like rent) earn miles.
The problem with path #1 is that many recurring bills — government payments to IRAS, HDB, and town councils — simply don't accept credit cards. You're stuck with plain GIRO and earn nothing.
The problem with path #2 is that the fees eat into your returns. As one r/singaporefi user put it: "You can't beat a general spend card cashback % — it's too low to cover the platform's fees. It's mainly used for miles." And even then, the math is murky: "Why these 3 data points [card, fees, CPM] are not simply available? Is there something I'm missing?"
Let's do that math for you. Here's how the top miles-earning credit cards stack up for general bill payments:
Miles Card Comparison: Earn Rates, Fees & Cost Per Mile
Local Earn Rate: 1.2–1.4 mpd
Annual Fee: S$192.60
Effective CPM(est.): ~1.4–1.7¢
DBS Altitude Visa
Local Earn Rate: 1.2–1.3 mpd
Annual Fee: S$192.60
Effective CPM(est.): ~1.5–1.7¢
Citi PremierMiles Card
Local Earn Rate: 1.2 mpd
Annual Fee: S$192.60
Effective CPM(est): ~1.65¢
How CPM is estimated: Annual fee ÷ annual miles earned from fee = fee CPM contribution. This is then blended with the platform fee (e.g., a platform's ~1.75%) divided by earn rate to get your all-in cost per mile.
The honest takeaway? For bill payments, you're typically paying between 1.4¢ and 1.8¢ per mile through the traditional credit card route — and that assumes no excluded categories, no failed GIRO arrangements, and consistent high spend. For most people, the real-world CPM is closer to the top of that range.
Part 2: The Direct eGIRO Method — Turning Rent into Miles with Rently
Here's where things get genuinely interesting — especially if you're one of the hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans paying rent every month.
Rent is typically your single largest recurring expense, ranging from S$1,800 to S$6,000+ monthly depending on where you live. And via traditional GIRO? It earns you exactly zero miles. Zero cashback. Nothing.
Rently changes that equation entirely.
Rently is a Singapore-based fintech that sits between tenants and landlords as a financial intermediary. Their base product, Pay with Rently, lets you set up an eGIRO from any Singapore bank account — Rently collects your rent, then pays your landlord on time via standard FAST transfer. No landlord approval needed. No new paperwork for them.
Layered on top of that is their Earn Rewards on Rent add-on: a tiered program that lets you earn Max Miles — a flexible rewards currency — on every dollar of rent paid. Max Miles are provided via HeyMax, never expire, and are transferable to over 30 airline and hotel programs including KrisFlyer (often at 1:1 during promo periods) and Velocity.
Rently's eGIRO Tiers: The Cost Per Mile Breakdown
This is where Rently genuinely stands out. Unlike the opaque math of credit card platforms, the CPM here is fixed, transparent, and competitive — as independently verified by MileLion:
Rently Tier 1
Miles per S$1: 0.3 Max Miles
Fee: 0.2%
Cost Per Mile (eGIRO): 0.67¢
Rently Tier 2
Miles per S$1: 1.0 Max Miles
Fee: 1.1%
Cost Per Mile (eGIRO): 1.10¢
Rently Tier 3
Miles per S$1: 1.7 Max Miles
Fee: 2.1%
Cost Per Mile (eGIRO): 1.24¢
To put this in perspective: at 1.33¢ per mile on average across Tier 1, you're already beating most credit card-linked bill payment strategies — without needing to hold any specific card, pay a platform's variable fees, or worry about excluded spend categories.
And if you're already a credit card miles collector? Rently also offers a credit card tier, where you earn your base card miles and an additional 0.3 Max Miles per dollar simultaneously. That dual-stacking is structurally impossible for other payment routers — it only works because Rently functions as a full financial intermediary, not just a transaction processor.
A Real-World Example: S$3,000/Month Rent Over 12 Months
Let's say you're paying S$3,000/month in rent — a common figure for a 2-bedroom in a mid-tier area.
Traditional GIRO (no card)
Annual Rent: S$36,000
Fee Paid: S$0
Miles Earned: 0
Effective CPM: ∞ (nothing earned)
Typical payment platform (1.75%) + 1.2mpd card
Annual Rent: S$36,000
Fee Paid: S$630
Miles Earned: 43,200
Effective CPM: ~1.46¢
Rently Tier 2 eGIRO
Annual Rent: S$36,000
Fee Paid: S$396
Miles Earned: 36,000
Effective CPM: 1.10¢
Rently Tier 1 eGIRO
Annual Rent: S$36,000
Fee Paid: S$72
Miles Earned: 10,800
Effective CPM: 0.67¢
Even at Tier 2, Rently saves you S$234 in fees per year versus a standard payment platform setup, while delivering a comparable volume of miles at a lower cost per mile. At Tier 1, the fee is negligible — you're essentially buying miles at near-wholesale prices.
Decision Guide: Your eGIRO Miles Strategy
As the r/singaporefi community knows, "the idea is to keep the cost per mile as low as possible." Here's how to apply that principle to your specific situation.
If your eGIRO bills currently earn zero miles...
This is the reality for most Singaporeans. Government bills, utilities, and rent via direct GIRO all earn nothing.
Your move: Your rent is the single largest untapped opportunity. Setting up Rently's eGIRO Tier 1 or Tier 2 is the most effective, lowest-friction way to make that expense productive. At 0.67¢–1.10¢ per mile, you're accessing rates that beat most credit card strategies without having to qualify for, apply, or pay annual fees on a premium card.
Use Rently's interactive miles calculator to see exactly how many KrisFlyer miles your monthly rent can generate annually.
If you're already a serious miles optimizer...
You've got cards, you track CPM obsessively, and you use every trick in the book.
Your move: Rently isn't a replacement — it's an upgrade to your rent line item specifically.
For lowest CPM on rent: Drop to Rently's eGIRO Tier 1. At 0.67¢ per KrisFlyer mile (when transferring via HeyMax on promo days), that's genuinely hard to beat anywhere in Singapore.
For maximum miles volume: Use Rently's credit card tier. Pay rent via your highest-earning general spend card (e.g., DBS Altitude, Citi PremierMiles), earn your card miles as normal, and get 0.3 additional Max Miles per dollar stacked on top. No other platform in Singapore offers this dual-stack structure.
Stop Leaving Miles on the Table
The GIRO system in Singapore has long frustrated savvy consumers — clunky to manage, difficult to cancel, and now increasingly stripped of the cashback perks that made it worthwhile. But the rise of eGIRO and platforms built on top of it means there's a smarter path forward.
For most recurring bills tied to government bodies, you're out of luck — those will always be rewards dead zones. But for rent, which is likely your biggest monthly outgoing anyway, there's no reason to keep earning nothing.
Rently's Earn Rewards on Rent program via eGIRO offers the most transparent, low-cost, and flexible cost per mile eGIRO Singapore has to offer today. The rates are fixed, the Max Miles never expire, and it works with any Singapore bank account — no premium card required.
Set it up once. Pay your rent. Earn your miles. It really is that straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to earn miles on GIRO payments in Singapore?
The most cost-effective way to earn miles on a major recurring GIRO payment like rent is through Rently's eGIRO Tier 1 plan. This plan allows you to earn miles at a fixed cost of just 0.67 cents per mile, which is significantly lower than the typical 1.4¢–1.8¢ cost per mile associated with using credit cards through payment platforms.
How can I earn miles on my monthly rent payments?
You can earn miles on rent by using a financial intermediary service like Rently. Rently allows you to pay your rent via eGIRO from any Singapore bank account and, through its "Earn Rewards" add-on, converts your rent payments into flexible Max Miles. These miles can then be transferred to over 30 airline and hotel loyalty programs, including KrisFlyer.
Do I need a specific credit card to use Rently?
No, you do not need a credit card to earn miles with Rently's primary eGIRO service. You can set up an eGIRO payment from any Singapore bank account to pay your rent and earn miles. This makes it accessible even if you don't have a premium miles card or wish to avoid annual fees.
What are Max Miles and can they be converted to KrisFlyer miles?
Max Miles are a flexible rewards currency provided by Rently's partner, HeyMax. They never expire and offer great flexibility. Yes, Max Miles can be transferred to numerous airline programs, with Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer being a key partner. Transfers are often 1:1, especially during promotional periods, making them highly valuable for local users.
How is Rently different from other rent payment platforms?
Rently differs from other rent payment platforms in several key ways. First, its core offering is eGIRO-based, meaning you don't need a credit card. Second, its cost per mile is lower and more transparent, starting at 0.67¢. Finally, for credit card users, Rently offers a unique "dual-stacking" feature where you can earn your base card miles plus an additional 0.3 Max Miles on top, something other platforms don't offer.
Does my landlord need to sign up for Rently?
No, your landlord does not need to sign up or approve your use of Rently. You set up the eGIRO payment to Rently, and Rently then pays your landlord on time via a standard FAST transfer. The process is seamless for your landlord, who continues to receive rent as usual without any changes to their workflow.