10 Best business travel credit card in Singapore for 2024
For many businesses, corporate travel is a core part of their operations. That alone is a huge reason why it’s so important for them to manage travel expenses efficiently.
But even for businesses that don’t facilitate or host a lot of business trips, the few rare trips can still be a hassle without the right tools and processes.
Luckily, a travel credit card can easily streamline travel expenses. Centralize all travel-related payments by making them all through a travel card.
The finance team can easily track these payments, as some of the best travel credit card providers offer tools like a card management dashboard for convenience.
Business travel cards are extremely valuable tools when it comes to improving corporate travel expense management. However, picking one can be daunting.
To get started, here are some of the best travel credit cards offered in Singapore. These cards can be used by Singaporean businesses both in Singapore and internationally.
● Introduction
While not a credit card, Volopay offers prepaid cards designed for businesses. Companies that have a lot of employees going on business trips can benefit from using Volopay cards, as each employee can be equipped with their own card.
With a robust backend dashboard that allows finance teams to track card expenses, travel expense management is easy.
● Features
Volopay enables businesses to assign cards to multiple employees. There’s no need for card sharing when each traveler has their own card.
All Volopay prepaid cards are linked to a card management dashboard and mobile app. Finance teams and employees can easily monitor card usage.
Adjust spend limits accordingly for each business traveler.
Enjoy direct accounting integration with some of Singapore’s most popular accounting platforms. All transactions can be automatically synced.
● Introduction
HSBC boasts a travel credit card that is geared toward travel rewards, with a wide selection of airline and hotel partners to redeem rewards with.
Business travelers who use HSBC’s TravelOne credit card can enjoy instant reward redemption, all in just a few clicks through the HSBC mobile app.
● Features
Partnering with Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Marriott Bonvoy, and more, redeeming TravelOne rewards is easy and instant using the HSBC mobile app.
Earn up to 6x reward points for each dollar spent on the card by meeting spending requirement categories.
TravelOne offers other benefits such as airport lounge access and travel insurance, which includes COVID-19 insurance.
The HSBC TravelOne credit card is a personal card and not a business card, though it can be used by business travelers.
● Introduction
As the name suggests, Standard Chartered’s Rewards+ card is a credit card that can be used to maximize rewards and points on purchases.
While it is not specifically designed as a business travel credit card, business travelers can still take advantage of its high rewards rates on foreign currency purchases.
● Features
Cardholders can get up to 10x points when using the Rewards+ card on foreign currency transactions, specifically for dining, retail, and travel purchases.
Dining transactions in SGD can also get up to 5x points.
Standard Chartered offers 0% installment plan interest as long as monthly payments fulfill the terms and conditions.
Get up to SGD 500,000 insured with the Standard Chartered Rewards+ card, as it comes with complimentary travel medical insurance.
● Introduction
Similar to some of the other best travel credit card providers in Singapore, Citi’s PremierMiles card offering is primarily designed for personal travel but can be used by businesses.
The CitiMiles that cardholders earn through either domestic or international transactions can be redeemed for any purchase, meaning that rewards can also be used for non-travel expenses.
● Features
Citi PremierMiles has a higher rewards earning rate for international transactions, at 2 CitiMiles per dollar.
Citi PremierMiles cardholders don’t have to worry about quickly using up their points. CitiMiles doesn’t have an expiry date.
The Citi PremierMiles card comes with Citi’s new mobile app, which allows users to activate their cards and lock or unlock them as needed.
With 2 complimentary lounge visits and travel insurance, it’s perfect for international travelers.
● Introduction
The DBS Altitude card can be used for all kinds of purchases, but it lives up to its name. When used for travel-related purposes with select travel agencies and partners, cardholders can earn up to 10x miles with this card.
While DBS offers commercial cards, this personal travel credit card is also a solid choice for frequent travelers.
● Features
Get up to 53,000 miles as a welcome bonus after meeting the terms and conditions. Bonus miles (up to 10,000) are also available after paying the annual fee.
Hotel bookings, flights, and travel packages booked with partnered travel agencies get at least 4 miles per dollar.
A complimentary Priority Pass membership gives the cardholder 2 free lounge visits each year.
There are a number of deals and discounts available with the DBS Altitude Visa card.
● Introduction
The UOB PRVI Miles card is a unique card offering that allows cardholders to choose between American Express, Visa, or Mastercard as their card network. Depending on which is chosen, cardholders can get unique deals.
Regardless, the card has plenty of rewards and deals for frequent travelers, although it is not designed specifically for businesses.
● Features
The UOB PRVI Miles card’s welcome bonus is worth up to 50,000 miles
The more a cardholder uses the card for travel expenses, the higher they can earn. Earn up to 6 miles on plane tickets and hotel bookings through Agoda and Expedia using this card.
Get cashback and Grab ride discounts as a card user.
Enjoy a number of deals depending on which card network is chosen for the UOB PRVI Miles card.
● Introduction
With a name like Voyage, this OCBC card is perfect for traveling. It’s a personal travel credit card, but the rewards it offers can be what some business owners are looking for.
Redeem the Voyage miles earned for cash rebates or airline or hotel miles to save on business travel.
● Features
OCBC’s Voyage Miles offers greater flexibility with 9 airline and hotel partners to convert miles with. Cardholders also don’t have to worry about an expiration date.
Domestic travelers can enjoy deals that help them save up on fuel with the OCBC Voyage.
There’s no limit as to how many free lounge visits cardholders can get. Access over 1,200 lounges for free with OCBC Voyage’s complimentary lounge access.
The OCBC Voyage card is by invitation only.
● Introduction
While not necessarily geared toward businesses, Standard Chartered’s Visa Infinite card offering has features that make it attractive for business travel purposes, particularly for small business owners.
With its unique ability to pay income taxes, business owners can utilize this card to gain rewards that can be redeemed for flights or accommodations.
● Features
Standard Chartered Visa Infinite cardholders can use their cards to pay their income taxes and earn rewards. These rewards can easily be redeemed for travel purposes.
Cardholders can earn 1.4 miles per dollar spent domestically and 3 miles when the card is used overseas, making it ideal for international travel.
Get complimentary travel insurance up to SGD 1,000,000.
Cardholders can also access a digital credit card and make easy contactless mobile payments.
● Introduction
Frequent travelers can utilize Maybank’s Horizon Visa Signature card to optimize reward points, which can be earned at a higher rate for plane tickets and foreign transactions.
Although this card can be used by both personal and business cardholders, business travelers may benefit from the reward offerings and travel-related deals.
● Features
Maybank has free a supplementary card for its Horizon Visa Signature offering, allowing business owners or directors to supplement one other card for an employee.
Earn up to 2.8x air miles on air tickets and foreign transactions.
Rewards can be easily redeemed Maybank Treats SG app. Any local or foreign transaction can be offset with points.
Cardholders who spend at least SGD 1,000 on a single transaction can get complimentary lounge access.
● Introduction
American Express Singapore Airlines Business credit card is a good travel credit card choice for frequent Singapore Airlines flyers. As Singapore’s national carriers, most Singaporean businesses that engage in international travel can take advantage of this.
Paired with business benefits from American Express, businesses can also enjoy up to 51 interest-free days.
● Features
Earn up to 8.5 HighFlyer points for each SGD 1 spent with the Singapore Airlines Group using this card.
Each HighFlyer point is worth 1 KrisFlyer point, making it easy for businesses to redeem flights with Singapore Airlines.
Get up to 51 interest-free dates from each transaction date.
Businesses get other travel perks such as 2 complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits, complimentary Hertz Gold status, and the ability to fast-track to KrisFlyer Elite Gold status.
There are plenty of benefits that companies and employees alike can gain from using business travel credit cards.
The best travel credit card providers will have features that can help businesses track and control spending better, while employees get an easy way to make business-related transactions during their travel.
Cards that are geared specifically for business travel offer additional spend control features. The finance and management teams won’t have to worry about overspending or a lack of visibility into how company funds are being used.
Every travel credit card under a particular company name can be linked to the company’s card management dashboard. All transactions will be automatically recorded in real time and managers can set up spend limits to ensure the cards are being used appropriately.
Introducing a higher level of visibility to business travel spending can also help improve expense management. By equipping employees with individual travel credit cards, businesses can promote better accountability and a stronger sense of responsibility.
At the same time, managers will be able to access all card information easily through the card management system. Customize spending limits accordingly, identify spending patterns, and get a better grasp on company expenses to manage them better.
Given that business travel credit card transactions are easily trackable, companies can ensure that all card usage complies with company policies and local regulations.
Some of the best travel credit card providers will also have built-in fraud prevention or detection features, which flag any suspicious transactions automatically.
Paired with expense reporting features, it’s impossible to misuse cards without the finance team noticing. Businesses can also easily freeze or block cards that have been compromised through the dashboard.
Some business travel credit cards will offer a rewards or points system, which card users can rack up the more they use their cards. These rewards can be exchanged for airline miles or hotel points, allowing businesses to save money by purchasing tickets or accommodation using these points.
Business travelers may also be able to get discounts and cashback on their purchases if they use their travel credit card.
Equipping each business traveler with their own travel credit card will not only promote better accountability but also improve employee satisfaction. Employees will feel like they have a degree of independence when it comes to making business purchases.
Instead of having to share one card or nag the finance team for cash advances, employees who go on business trips can simply swipe their cards to make expenses, which are all still tracked accordingly.
Employees can always make business travel purchases with their personal credit cards, but that creates complications and is actually more of a hassle than getting a business travel credit card under the company’s name.
With a business or corporate card, there is no mistaking which expenses are made on behalf of the company and which are personal expenses. This way, employees also won’t have to struggle with reimbursement claims.
Many business travel credit card providers boast additional benefits, such as airport lounge access. Business travelers who are often in and out of airports can enjoy better comfort during their trips, typically free of charge.
While airport lounge access may seem like a major benefit, it could provide much better satisfaction for seasoned travelers. Employees who go on numerous business trips every year are guaranteed to be satisfied with this perk.
Rather than going to the money changer to exchange cash for different currencies depending on the trip destination, business travelers can simply rely on one card to make all their purchases. Most business travel credit cards are accepted globally, as they are designed specifically for the purpose of travel.
Cards from major card networks, such as Visa or Mastercard, are generally accepted in most countries. This allows easy payments on business trips.
Not all business travel cards have the same features. Some cards may have more extensive features than others, with the caveat that they likely have a higher annual fee.
Regardless, there are some features that are considered must-haves for most businesses. Here are some features that businesses should consider looking for in a travel credit card.
Every business travel credit card will have its own annual fees and charges. When researching the best travel credit card providers, make sure to note down what the fees and charges are for each card.
Businesses with a lower budget may want a card with a lower or no annual fee that doesn’t have a lot of extra charges. It’s also important to know that the benefits of the card outweigh the costs.
Business travel credit cards are typically used both domestically and internationally. If a company has a lot of employees who go on international business trips, it’s important to get a card that has low foreign transaction fees.
Typically, these fees are around 3% of the transaction. However, since travel credit cards are geared specifically toward travelers, some have lower—or no—fees. This is a great feature to have when a company has a lot of international trips.
There are a number of travel-specific perks that business travelers can get by using a travel credit card for their purchases. One big thing to look out for is a rewards or points system that is geared toward travel.
Some card providers may offer higher rewards for travel-related spending. Businesses may also find that they can exchange points for travel perks such as plane ticket upgrades or free rental car services.
Plenty of business travel credit cards offer airport lounge access on top of their travel-specific rewards. Considering that air travel is often exhausting for the mind and body, lounge access is incredibly valuable for frequent travelers.
Airport lounges allow travelers to rest in a better environment. With a business travel credit card, business travelers can get access to lounges in multiple airports for free. Businesses should consider which airports employees frequent for this perk.
Any frequent traveler knows how important it is to have travel insurance. The good news is that there are plenty of business travel credit cards that offer travel insurance for free as part of their card programs.
Rather than getting a separate insurance plan, which will be an additional cost for businesses, having a free travel insurance plan built into a travel card program is a handy perk. Delays or lost luggage are often also included in the coverage.
Finance teams won’t have to worry about a lack of visibility with real-time spending tracking. Every purchase made on the business travel card will automatically be reflected on the card management dashboard.
There’s no need to do guesswork on how much money has been spent on travel-related expenses. Get real-time updates on how much of each card’s limit is left. Overspending is a thing of the past with real-time spend tracking features!
Equipping each employee with their individual travel credit card can be daunting without the right spend control features. This is why it’s crucial for businesses to seek a card provider that has built-in employee card controls.
Each card should be linked to a card management dashboard on the back end, which managers and the finance team can use to track expenses, monitor card usage, and set the appropriate spending limits.
Don’t waste time with manual accounting processes like administrative data entry tasks. Look for a business travel credit card provider that has integration capabilities with accounting software. This lets the finance and accounting departments sync card transactions with just one click.
Businesses will be able to streamline accounting and ensure that all card transaction journal entries are accurate. Some card dashboards may also be able to do automatic two-way matches.
Card providers know how crucial it is for businesses to make their payments in a timely manner and track their transactions accordingly. It’s no surprise that the best travel credit card companies boast attentive customer support and services.
This is a must-have feature for all businesses. Without the right customer support, it becomes extremely difficult to solve issues quickly. A good customer support team will be able to handle queries and issues rapidly and responsibly.
Sensitive business information and company funds are matters that must be treated with a high level of security. This is why businesses looking for a travel credit card will want to ensure that the card provider they choose has sufficient security features.
Credit card encryption is a good feature to look out for. The ability to freeze and block cards instantaneously is also extremely valuable should a card become compromised.
The best travel credit card for one organization may differ from another organization. This is because businesses have different needs and require a variety of features to fulfill those needs. Identifying the business’ spending patterns may help pinpoint those needs.
Here are some ways to determine which card provider is best suited for a particular company.
Each business will have different needs and requirements from a travel credit card. It’s important for businesses to first determine what it is they need by identifying their travel spending patterns.
Knowing what their spending patterns look like helps businesses decide what is important to them from a business travel card. For example, businesses with many employees who travel internationally will want a card with good FX rates.
Business travel credit card reward systems can differ depending on the card. One common one is a points system, which allows cardholders to gain points based on their purchases. These points can be exchanged for flights or accommodations.
Some businesses may benefit from other types of rewards, such as discounts and cashback. Make sure that whichever card provider is chosen has rewards that are in line with what the company needs.
Determining whether a card’s annual fee is worth it or not depends on several factors. If the potential benefits a card has to offer outweigh the costs, that’s a good sign.
However, it is also important to determine whether these benefits are useful for the company or not. If a cardholder can make use of the free airport lounge access for several trips, for example, it may make the annual fee worth it.
As with most other credit cards, business travel credit cards may charge their users with a credit interest rate. While interest can sometimes be waived, partial payments or payment plans that span multiple months will result in interest.
Try to get a card with low or no interest rates, as interest can add to costs significantly. Keep in mind that ideally, credit should be paid in full and on time to avoid interest and improve the business’ credit score.
Travel rewards, discounts, and cashback are not the only benefits that businesses can get by using corporate travel credit cards. Additional benefits, such as travel insurance and airport lounge access, can also be invaluable.
Low or no foreign transaction fees are also another sought-after benefit. Assess what benefits can be enjoyed with the travel credit card of choice. It’s also important to determine which of these benefits are in line with the company’s needs.
There are different types of business travel credit cards, some of which are assigned to one individual, such as the director of the company, while others offer programs where companies can assign individual cards to employees.
Consider going with a card provider that offers employee cards. This means that each business traveler in the company can be equipped with their own travel card, all of which will be linked to a dashboard that hosts card control features.
The best travel credit card for frequent international business travelers will have an exceptional acceptance rate globally. This ensures that regardless of the destination, employees will be able to use the card to make purchases on behalf of the company.
Look for major card networks like Visa or Mastercard, which are used by merchants in many countries across the globe. It’s also a good idea to look at customer testimonies about the acceptance rate of the card provider.
Plenty of business travel card providers offer complimentary card expense management tools. Cards typically come with a dashboard that can be used to track, monitor, and control card usage.
Before making a decision on which corporate travel card to use, explore the available expense management tools from each provider. Ask if there are features to aid with managing travel expenses. Having an all-in-one solution could help businesses save time and money.
No matter how great the features of a business travel credit card are, it is still important to get feedback and testimonials from its existing customers. Knowing the customer service team’s reputation is crucial, especially regarding how agile and attentive they are.
If there are issues with the cards, the customer service team should be able to walk the customer through them and assist them until the issues are resolved.
Not every travel credit card is geared toward businesses. However, businesses will want to pick business-specific cards, as these often come with features and perks that are not available to regular, non-business-affiliated cardholders.
When researching card providers, try to look for cards with business-specific perks, such as higher limits, more rewards, better spend controls, and many more. Always go for a travel card that is designed for businesses.
While many businesses can use personal travel cards for business purposes, a card designed with businesses specifically in mind will have some features that personal cards don’t have.
From the ability to assign individual cards for each employee to robust expense tracking capabilities, many businesses can benefit from these features.
Small business owners, or those who conduct business as sole traders or partnerships, may find that a personal travel credit card is sufficient.
However, businesses that have a lot of employees who go on frequent trips may want the best travel credit card geared toward business travelers.
Business travel cards typically have a higher available limit than personal cards, as businesses may have more reason to make purchases.
There may also be some features that personal credit cards don’t have, such as the ability to pay income taxes, adjust spend limits, or spend a certain amount of money to unlock a particularly good reward.
If you’re looking for a business travel card provider that allows each employee to be equipped with their own card for business trips, look no further.
Businesses can take advantage of Volopay’s prepaid travel cards for business trip expenses. Rather than using a travel credit card, the Volopay card may be the right answer for your business.
Each card you have can be linked to your Volopay dashboard, where finance teams, managers, and admins can monitor all transactions. Cardholders will also get a streamlined overview of their spending and how much of their limits are still available.
Even better, Volopay offers more than just cards for business travel purposes. As an all-in-one expense management solution, Volopay has other robust features to help view, monitor, and control travel expenses.
With its real-time expense tracking, every transaction made on your Volopay card will be automatically recorded. To create expense reports, all employees need to do is open up their mobile app and fill out the required fields.
Manage your corporate travel expenses easily with Volopay.
Interesting read - Business travel industry trends and forecast for 2023
As the name suggests, a travel credit card is a card designed for frequent travelers. These cards typically have travel-specific perks and better reward or discount rates on travel-related purchases.
Whether or not an annual fee is worth it depends on the business. Businesses that have employees who travel frequently and use their cards often will get benefits that far outweigh the annual fee.
While this ultimately depends on the provider, plenty of business travel credit cards will offer travel insurance at no additional cost. Make sure to check if each cardholder gets this benefit or not.
While it is not illegal to use business credit card for personal travel, however, doing so might end up breaking your credit card membership agreement. Therefore, it is advised not to charge your personal travel on your business credit card.
Yes, businesses can get a business credit card even with no revenue as long as they can prove a reasonable intention to turn a profit in near future.
Many businesses will find that they have a need for travel. Given that there are plenty of employees and managers going on business trips, a travel credit card is beneficial for its travel-specific perks.
Yes, there are travel credit cards that are geared toward businesses. These cards tend to have bigger limits and are to be used specifically for business purposes. They also have more advanced spend control features.
Business credit cards offer unparalleled convenience and eliminate the need to carry large amounts of cash or your checkbook. It is faster than loan qualification and offers purchase protection on your payments. Having a business credit card protects your personal credit score from being affected and builds a business credit score in the process.
Volopay corporate cards are extremely secure and offer utmost protection against theft, accident, misuse, and loss. With Volopay virtual cards, users can make temporary cards for trial subscriptions and one-off payments on unknown sites and stay further protected.
If a business travel credit card has a rewards system, make sure to take advantage of that. Exchange points with airline miles or hotel loyalty points to save on flights and accommodations.
Businesses must first examine their spending patterns and what they need for business travel. Make notes of what features are offered by the best travel credit card providers. Match up these features with the business needs.
Not only do they help businesses save on administrative costs by streamlining the travel expense process, but they also give managers better control and visibility over how company funds are spent.
It depends on the individual card provider, but most providers will have different ways to use rewards. Not all of these are travel-related, so businesses may use rewards to save up on transportation, office supplies, and more.
While personal cards can be used by anyone, business travel cards must be under a business entity or owner. These cards typically have a higher monthly limit as they are expected to be used for bigger transactions.
When traveling overseas, avoid using your home country's currency and buying travel money at the airport as the forex and markup fee is exorbitant this way. It is better to use corporate cards such as Volopay that offer the lowest exchange rates than any other establishment.