There are plenty of cashback credit cards that reward you for buying with your Visa contactless spend cashback card, but only a few can provide you rewards for going green, like the DBS Live Fresh Card.
DBS Live Fresh is a must-have if you frequently shop at green-oriented establishments because the huge 5% cashback on online, grocery, and Visa contactless spend is notable. However, the high S $600 minimum spend to receive cashback can put off a great number of customers.
With these pros and cons in mind, we’ll break down this DBS Live Fresh Card review.
Key Features
- 5% cashback with green merchants such as Open Farm Community
- 5% cashback for all local and overseas Visa contactless payments and online spend capped at S$20 per calendar month. Can combine with merchant cashbacks for a total of 10%
- Annual fee waiver of S $192.60 for the first year
- 5% rebate on online spend and Visa contactless spend (including games purchases and SimplyGo rides)
- Annual interest rate: 26.80%
- Minimum monthly repayment: 3% or $50, whichever is higher
- Cash advance transaction fee: 8% or S $15, whichever is higher
- Mobile payments: Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay
Who is it for?
Nature lovers conscious about the environmental impact of their purchases will feel empowered using this card and supporting its merchants. Additionally, even frequent online shoppers will love the DBS Live Fresh Card because of its huge online transaction rebates.
Pros
- Great rewards for eco-merchants conscious about the environment
- 5% cashback on your other spending outside DBS Live Fresh’s primary categories is a competitive feature versus other cards
- High rewards for local and overseas online shopping and Visa contactless transactions
Cons
- Not suitable for low-income Singaporeans and families because of its S $600 minimum spending
- A slightly low S $20 cashback cap may turn off some customers
- No cashback on other online payment platforms, such as Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, and SmoovePay
How DBS Live Fresh Card Compare to other Cashback Cards
Here’s how DBS Live Fresh measures up against other cashback cards available in Singapore.
| Credit Card | Minimum Income Requirement | Annual Interest Rate | Cashback | Cashback Cap | Minimum Monthly Spending | Rewards |
| DBS Live Fresh | S $30,000 (S $45,000 for foreigners) | 26.80% | 5% | S $25 on all categories (Monthly) | S $600 |
|
| Citi Cash Back + Mastercard | S $30,000 (S $42,000 for foreigners) | 26.90% | 1.6%-5% | Unlimited | None |
|
| American Express True Cashback Card | S $30,000 (S $60,000 for foreigners) | 26.90% | 3.0% | Unlimited | None |
|
| Standard Chartered Unlimited Cashback Credit Card | S $30,000 (S $60,000 for foreigners) | 26.90% | 1.5% | Unlimited | None |
|
| Maybank Family and Friends Card | S $30,000 (S $60,000) | 25.90% | 8% | S $125 (Monthly) | S $800 |
|
| UOB One Card | S $30,000 (S $80,000 for foreigners) | 25.90% | 10% | S $300 (Quarterly) | S $2,000 |
|
Based on this table, DBS Live Fresh has much competition with Citi Cash Back Plus Mastercard and American Express True Cashback Card. Live Fresh has zero minimum monthly spending yet provides decent cashback. However, the other cards aren’t focused on eco-merchants, which green-oriented customers might find disappointing.
What We Think About DBS Live Fresh Card
DBS Live Fresh Card is an excellent card for online shopping and Internet banking. We believe it’s a great effort by DBS to encourage Singaporeans to live healthily and contribute to their environment’s wellness.
However, DBS Live Fresh’s benefits get easily outweighed by other cards because of its high S $600 minimum spend. Many customers might be apprehensive with its 5% cashback capped at S $25 in each category. That means if you love Open Farm and shop at it all the time, you’ll need to diversify and use online services to gain much more cashback.
With this in mind, DBS Live Fresh does stand out as an excellent card. But, if you can’t meet its minimum income requirements and aren’t a frequent shopper of eco-merchants, you have plenty of alternatives available. Know about the best credit cards in Singapore for overall spending here.
How to Apply for DBS Live Fresh Card
Here’s everything that you’ll need to apply for DBS Live Fresh.
Eligibility
- Age: 21 years old and above
- Income: S $30,000 (S $45,000 for foreign workers)
Requirements
Here are the documents your DBS Live Fresh application requires from you.
- A copy of NRIC (Front & Back)
- Latest 3 months computerized payslips
- Company letter certifying employment and salary in SGD (dated within last 3 months from date of card application)
- Latest min 3 months CPF Contribution History Statement
- Latest 1 year of Income Tax Notice Assessment with latest 3 months computerized payslips / 12 Months CPF Statement
- A copy of your Telecommunication or Utility Bill
For foreigners, the requirement set is different. Learn more about them below:
- A copy of valid Passport
- A copy of your Work Pass (Front & Back, min. 6 months validity)
- A copy of your In-Principal Approval (IPA) if your Work Pass has less than 6 months validity
- Latest 1 year of Income Tax Notice Assessment with latest computerized payslips
- A copy of your Telecommunication or Utility Bill (for new DBS/POSB Bank customers only)
Fees
- Annual Fees: S $192.30 (S $96.30 per year for each supplementary card.
- Late Fees: S $100 (for any outstanding balance above S $200)
- Overlimit fee: S $40
We’re answering some of your most asked questions.
1. Which transactions do not qualify for earning rewards?
Any DBS and POSB service charges that you pay using your DBS Live Fresh Card aren’t qualified for the 5% cashback. However, you can spend on any category and receive cashback.
2. Is there a cap for the cashback earned?
Yes. DBS Live Fresh has a S $20 cap per month for each category. For example, if you’ve received a 5% cashback on groceries reaching S $20 in a month, you’ll only get S $20 even if succeeding purchases you make qualify for the cashback. However, you can still get cashbacks from other categories as long as you haven’t maxed them out, too.
3. What are the current promotions of DBS Live Fresh Card?
At the moment, DBS has no promotion for its Live Fresh Cards. However, stay tuned because you might just find the latest promotions within the next months or years.
4. What’s a Cashback Card?
A cashback card is a credit card that pays back some or all of the purchases made on the card. There are typically different conditions for how much cashback you can earn. For example, the DBS Live Card gives back 5% on all your groceries and 5% on all your online purchases, giving you a collective 10% cashback that’s capped at S $20.
All cashback cards have credit card functionality and support various merchants or services. DBS Live Fresh Card, for example, works with green-oriented merchants and encourages online purchases with its discounts.
5. Are Cashback Cards Like Discount Cards?
Cashback cards typically have a tiered redemption value where you can earn a certain amount of cashback in reward for every dollar you spend. Discount cards are typically more flexible in exchange for a lower redemption value. For example, a discount card may offer different discounts for different stores, while cashback cards may only be given in return for every dollar spent.
Key Takeaways
- DBS Live Fresh Card gives you 5% rebates on qualified green merchant purchases and 5% from online and Visa contactless spending purchases
- If you’re a green-oriented spender, you will surely love DBS Live Fresh Card’s rebates and partner merchants.
- The high S $600 minimum spending and S $20 cashback cap per category might turn off a huge category of customers.
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