SingapoRediscovers Vouchers: How to Redeem & Where to Use Them
For the first time ever, almost all Singaporeans are staying put on our claustrophobic island for the year-end break. Depressing, huh?
But thanks to the $100 free SingapoRediscovers vouchers that the gov has kindly given us, we can finally stop moping and play tourist!
Here’s a guide to maximise your Singapore Rediscovers vouchers and the best places to visit with your free cash.
What are SingapoRediscovers vouchers?
It’s no secret that the tourism industry is suffering from the impact of COVID-19. Without incoming tourist spending, it’s now up to the unlikely heroes — Singaporeans like you and me — to save the establishments from sinking.
The only obstacle? To convince stingy-ass Sinkies to spend money. But, as usual, the best way to coax us into any action is to give us free money. Hence, the SingapoRediscovers vouchers scheme was born.
Starting from 1 December 2020, all Singaporeans will receive $100 SingapoRediscovers vouchers to offset ticket purchases and hotel stays at participating establishments.
Who is eligible for SingapoRediscovers vouchers?
All Singapore citizens aged 18 and above as of 2020 will receive their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers in denominations of $10. (PRs are not eligible.)
Parents, grandparents, relatives and legal guardians of minors can also purchase up to six child or youth tickets, at $10 off per ticket.
Don’t assume that ah gong is dumb and you can start acknowledging strangers as relatives. The adult must declare his/her familial relationship and have at least $10 left in their SingapoRediscovers vouchers balance.
There are also some restrictions to prevent cheeky Singaporeans from exploiting the scheme:
Vouchers cannot be stacked or combined with another person within the same redemption
The merchant has the right to deny a transfer of product (e.g. ticket or hotel stay) from one person to another
Vouchers may be used for retail and food only if they are part of an approved package including a hotel stay, attraction visit and/or tour
How to redeem SingapoRediscovers vouchers?
Online and offline redemption starts from 1 December 2020 to 30 June 2021.
You can redeem your vouchers via SingPass online through five authorised booking partners:
Changi Recommends, GlobalTix, Traveloka, Trip.com and Klook. These booking platforms will also mark out eligible products with the SingapoRediscovers vouchers icon.
It’s easy peasy with the following steps:
Add your desired “Singapoliday” experience to cart
Select the amount of SingapoRediscovers vouchers to use
Activate child/youth subsidies if applicable
Voucher code will be generated for you to copy and paste this at the booking partner’s checkout page
Pay the outstanding amount (if any) and checkout within 10 minutes
For technology noobs, fear not — authorised booking partners will provide assistance at 69 locations across Singapore (located in close proximity and within community centres). Selected malls and Singpost locations will also have booking counters run by Changi Recommends, GlobalTix, Klook and UOB Travel.
A point to note is that every booking partner and counters have different packages. So it’s best to know which packages you want before making a wasted trip down to the nearest counter.
Using SingapoRediscovers vouchers on staycations
We all know that Singaporeans are one of the most overworked people in the world. A nice hotel with good food will mend your soul and allow it to break again later. Over 170 hotels across the island allow the use of SingapoRediscovers vouchers.
Currently, the easiest way to scroll through staycation bundles is through Klook. Here are some of the most popular staycation bundles for a 1-night stay:
Hotel | Price | Free meal | Additional perks |
From $100 | None | $60 F&B credit OR Funan shopping credits | |
From $200 | Breakfast | 20% off at Kith Café and complimentary 1 x carpark coupon | |
From $280 | Breakfast OR weekend brunch OR afternoon tea | Welcome amenities basket for pet OR gingerbread house making kit OR 20% discount at hotel restaurants | |
From $293 | Breakfast | Club lounge access OR afternoon tea | |
From $300 | Breakfast | $100 F&B credit per room | |
From $330 | 4-course set dinner | Complimentary bottle of house wine and late check-out at 2pm | |
From $359 | Breakfast | Miffy merchandise OR $100 F&B credit | |
From $385 | Breakfast | $50 OR $100 F&B credit | |
From $400 | Breakfast | Garden Picnic Experience or 3-course dinner or Splash Zone playtime | |
From $566 | 4-course set dinner OR afternoon tea | Complimentary bottle of house wine |
If you are not sure if the hotel qualifies for the use of SingapoRediscovers vouchers, you can always check this link for more information.
Using SingapoRediscovers vouchers at attractions
We totally get it if you think that it’s a waste of money to stay in a Singapore hotel when you live in Singapore.
An alternative way to use up your SingapoRediscovers vouchers is to use them at touristy attractions. This is great if you have hyperactive kids and don’t wish to be confined with their screaming in a small hotel room.
Here’s how much the top places to visit in Singapore cost in vouchers:
Singapore attraction | Price per pax (adult) |
$3 to $29.75 | |
$10 to $20 | |
$13.30 to $25 | |
$24 to $30 | |
$33 | |
$36 | |
$39 | |
$51 | |
$66 | |
$175 to $395 |
Do take note that some of the attractions might require you to book in advance so that they can manage the crowd.
Using SingapoRediscovers vouchers on local tours
If the above places seem a bit too lame and touristy for your tastes, the SingapoRediscovers vouchers are also eligible for selected local tours.
Some of the tours are a bit done-to-death, such as the underwhelming DUKW (Duck) tour and the typical primary school cultural tours at Kampong Glam, Chinatown and Little India.
But we found some unique tour packages you can consider:
Singapore tour packages | Price |
$20 | |
Half Day Farm Tour in Bollywood Veggies, Hay Dairies Goat Farm and Kok Fah Technology Farm | $45 |
$65 | |
$85 | |
$90 | |
The Creepy Tales of Singapore Ghost and WWII Tour with Point to Point Transfer | $105 |
$150 | |
$160 to $180 | |
$324 to $435 | |
$750 |
Pro tips on maximising your SingapoRediscovers vouchers
Start your planning by going to Singapore Tourism Board’s official website. There are 2 ways to explore:
By precinct: Choose 1 of 10 precincts and plan your “Singapoliday” itinerary
By category: Search for promos under accommodation, tours, dining, shopping and attractions categories
After shortlisting what you’re interested in, click on “book now” to redirect to the vendor’s site.
However, the STB website does not list out all the deals from all five vendors — and it turns out that similar packages can be priced differently on different booking websites.
So you should also compare deals across all booking sites before settling on one.
Best credit cards to use on your travel bookings
At the end of the day, the best way to win this voucher game is to offset the package entirely with your vouchers so you don’t have to pay a cent in cash.
But if you do need to top up in cash, we suggest making payment with these credit cards that give you cash rebates for online travel bookings, provided you hit the minimum spend:
UOB YOLO Credit Card
More Details
Key Features
8% cashback on weekends and 3% cashback on weekdays for Grab, Dining and Entertainment transactions
3% cashback on Online Fashion Transactions and Online Travel Transactions
0.3% cashback on all Other Spend
Free Travel Insurance Coverage (Up to $500,000)
Up to 2.5% p.a. interest with your UOB One Account when you spend on UOB YOLO (Insured up to S$75,000 by SDIC)
OCBC Frank Card
More Details
Key Features
Minimum Total of $600 Spend
Up to 6% Cashback for Mobile Payments
6% Rebate on FX Spending
S$75 Cap Monthly with $25 per Sub Category as per TNCs
2 Years Fee Waiver for Principal Card, Subsequent Years Waived with Min. Spend of S$10,000 p.a.
Online & Visa Contactless Spend
DBS Live Fresh Card
More Details
Key Features
Earn up to 5% cashback on Online & Visa contactless spend with a minimum spend of S$600 per calendar month
Earn 0.3% cashback on all other spend
All-in-one card: Use the same card for your bus and train rides, and ATM withdrawals
Enjoy 1-year annual fee waiver
Alternatively, here are some credit cards that give you 10X rewards points on travel bookings. No minimum spend required.
Online Promo
Earn Points for Everyday Spending
HSBC Revolution Credit Card
Online Promo:
Get a Samsonite Prestige 69cm Spinner Exp (worth S$670) OR S$150 Cashback from HSBC with min. spend of $800 in first month of card approval + S$30 worth of Lazada vouchers!
Valid until 31 Dec 2020
More Details
Key Features
No annual credit card fees
Get 10X Rewards Points, equivalent to 4 air miles per dollar spent
Redeem your rewards points for home, dining, retail, travel, or charity cash vouchers online or offset cash rebates on transactions online via rewards catalogue or the HSBC mobile app
Travel Insurance: Enjoy up to S$300,000 coverage when you charge travel expenses to card
DBS Woman's World Card
More Details
Key Features
10 DBS rewards points per S$5 local and overseas online spend
3 DBS rewards points per S$5 overseas spend
1 DBS rewards point per S$5 spent on all other categories
Online hotel booking and staycation deals with Agoda and Klook
Beauty deals with Laneige, Skin Inc, Strip, Browhaus, High Brow etc.
Online shopping promotions with Fayth, Her Velvet Vase, The Closet Lover, and Senreve etc.
Activate SimplyGo to use your card as an EZ-Link. Bus and MRT fares are charged directly to your card, so you don’t even need to top-up or set up auto top-up arrangements
DBS Points earned can be redeemed for Apple products via the DBS Apple Rewards Store, NTUC, and Takashimaya vouchers, Golden Village movie tickets, and more
Know anyone who needs to ease the wanderlust bug? Share this article with them.
The post SingapoRediscovers Vouchers: How to Redeem & Where to Use Them appeared first on the MoneySmart blog.
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