Rewards Updates: LiquidPay 2.0: Earn credit card miles at QR code-only merchants

Source:

https://milelion.com/2026/06/23/liquidpay-2-0-earn-credit-card-miles-at-qr-code-only-merchants/

ChatGPT:

The article discusses the relaunch of LiquidPay 2.0, a payment platform from Liquid Group that briefly created a new opportunity for Singapore consumers to earn credit card miles when paying at QR-code-only merchants such as hawker stalls, coffee shops, and small neighborhood businesses.

Historically, earning rewards at such merchants has been difficult because many only accept PayNow or NETS QR payments. Previous solutions like XNAP and AMEX Pay were discontinued, limiting opportunities for miles collectors. LiquidPay 2.0 initially appeared to solve this problem by allowing users to scan compatible NETS QR codes and pay using linked credit cards.

Transactions reportedly coded under Merchant Category Code (MCC) 5399, which is eligible for bonus rewards on several popular Singapore miles cards. This meant users could potentially earn up to 4 miles per dollar (mpd) on everyday spending at hawker centres and other small merchants.

However, the article contains an important update. Shortly after launch, LiquidPay changed its setup. Wallet top-ups now code as MCC 6540 and incur a 3.5% fee when funded via debit cards. More significantly, credit card payments at QR-code merchants are no longer supported. As a result, the original miles-earning opportunity has effectively been removed.

The article also discusses wallet limits, which currently appear capped at S$5,000 despite references to higher limits that may require future regulatory approval. While some users explored workarounds involving debit card top-ups and reward-earning combinations such as Amaze-linked cards, the economics became much less attractive after the fee increase.

Overall, LiquidPay 2.0 remains a useful QR payment solution, but its value proposition for miles enthusiasts has diminished substantially since the initial launch excitement.

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Social Media & Forum Discussions

HardwareZone (Singapore)

The strongest discussion has been on Singapore-focused finance and miles communities.

Common reactions include:

• Initial excitement that hawker spending could once again earn 4 mpd.

• Users rushing to test NETS QR terminals across food centres and small merchants.

• Frustration after reports emerged that credit-card funding was disabled.

• Debate over whether the opportunity was always intended or simply a loophole.

Many HardwareZone users compared the situation to previous short-lived opportunities involving XNAP, GrabPay, and AMEX Pay.

Reddit

On Singapore-focused subreddits such as r/singaporefi and miles-related communities:

• Users shared data points about MCC coding.

• Discussions centered on whether 3.5% fees justify earning miles.

• Most concluded that the updated structure is no longer attractive for mileage accumulation.

• Some praised the community's speed in identifying changes within days of launch.

A common sentiment was: "Great while it lasted."

X (Twitter)

Discussion has been relatively niche but active among:

• Miles collectors.

• Fintech enthusiasts.

• Personal finance influencers.

Posts highlighted:

• The brief 4 mpd opportunity.

• Changes to MCC coding.

• Concerns about sustainability for payment providers offering rewards-funded transactions.

Facebook

Singapore miles and credit-card groups discussed:

• Which cards initially worked.

• Merchant acceptance experiences.

• Whether LiquidPay would further tighten restrictions.

The tone shifted quickly from excitement to caution after the policy changes.

Instagram

Personal finance creators posted:

• Quick tutorials on setting up LiquidPay.

• Explanations of NETS QR compatibility.

• Updates warning followers that the original rewards opportunity had already been curtailed.

TikTok

Singapore finance TikTok creators generated short videos explaining:

• How users could earn miles at hawker stalls.

• Why the opportunity disappeared so quickly.

• Lessons about acting quickly when payment loopholes emerge.

Many videos attracted strong engagement from younger consumers interested in travel rewards.

Threads

Threads discussions mirrored X and Instagram:

• Users debated whether fintech companies can sustainably support reward-generating transactions.

• Some speculated that high transaction costs forced LiquidPay to close the loophole rapidly.

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Overall Sentiment

The overall sentiment is mixed but largely disappointed. Initial reactions were highly positive because LiquidPay appeared to revive a valuable way to earn miles at hawker centres and QR-only merchants. However, after the introduction of MCC 6540 coding, a 3.5% top-up fee, and the removal of credit-card QR payments, most finance enthusiasts concluded that the opportunity had effectively ended. The episode is now viewed as another example of a promising miles-earning strategy that was quickly closed once it gained widespread attention.

Rewards Updates: HeyMax ending Cash For Miles programme, removing 17 partners

Source:

https://milelion.com/2026/05/18/heymax-ending-cash-for-miles-programme-removing-17-partners/

ChatGPT:

HeyMax will discontinue its Cash For Miles programme from 1 June 2026, removing conversion access to 17 airline and hotel loyalty programmes. The change marks a major overhaul of the platform’s rewards ecosystem as it shifts focus toward direct transfer partnerships instead.

The affected programmes include airline schemes such as American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Alaska, Emirates Emirates Skywards, Virgin Australia Velocity, and hotel programmes including Hilton Hilton Honors, Marriott International Marriott Bonvoy, and Hyatt World of Hyatt. Users have until 31 May 2026 to submit final Cash For Miles redemptions.

Cash For Miles previously allowed members to convert Max Miles into external loyalty currencies through manually issued prepaid Visa debit cards, enabling access to programmes not normally available in Singapore. However, the process was operationally complex and potentially expensive for HeyMax to sustain, especially for premium programmes like AAdvantage.

The loss is especially significant for frequent flyers who relied on niche programmes such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Alaska, AAdvantage, and Virgin Australia Velocity, which have limited alternative earning options in Singapore. AAdvantage was particularly valued for low-cost premium cabin redemptions, including Japan Airlines First Class flights between Singapore and Japan for 40,000 miles.

Despite the cuts, HeyMax announced three new direct transfer partners: EVA Air EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles, and Radisson Hotel Group Radisson Rewards. The platform is also planning a 25% transfer bonus promotion to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, improving redemption value for Europe-bound business class travel.

HeyMax says more transfer partners and new features are still in development, including its upcoming “HeyMax First” service later in 2026.

Rewards Updates: Chocolate Games: 4 simple games, 10 million Max Miles to be won

Source:

https://milelion.com/2026/04/22/chocolate-games-4-simple-games-10-million-max-miles-to-be-won/

ChatGPT:

Chocolate Finance is launching “The Chocolate Games,” a 10-day promotional event from April 27 to May 6, 2026, offering a total of 10 million Max Miles in prizes. Open to Singapore residents aged 18 and above, the campaign features four simple mobile games—Blink, Make It Rain, Tap, and Cash Cow—designed to be easy to play but highly rewarding.

Participants can win up to 50,000 Max Miles daily, with prizes awarded to the top 50 scorers in each game. Daily rewards range from 200 to 50,000 miles depending on ranking. There is no limit to the number of attempts per game, and only the highest score per day counts, encouraging repeated play.

Additional earning opportunities include streak bonuses for consecutive days of participation, small score boosts for sharing results on social media, and referral bonuses for inviting friends. Over the 10-day period, about 2,000 winners are expected.

The competition culminates in a live-streamed Grand Finale on May 10, where the top eight players (two from each game) will compete for a 1 million Max Miles prize pool, with the winner taking home 250,000 miles.

Max Miles are a flexible rewards currency in Singapore, offering 1:1 transfers to nearly 30 airline and hotel loyalty programmes. They can also be redeemed for cash value (around 1.8 cents per mile) or hotel stays (up to 3 cents per mile).

Participants must create a Chocolate Finance account and link it to a HeyMax account to redeem winnings. The platform also promotes its Visa debit card, which earns miles on spending, including some bill payments, and offers bonus miles based on account balances.

Overall, the campaign combines gamification with financial rewards to attract and engage users.

Rewards Updates: How long do credit card points transfers to KrisFlyer take?

Source:

https://milelion.com/2026/02/16/how-long-do-credit-card-points-transfers-to-krisflyer-take/

ChatGPT:

If you’re converting credit card points to KrisFlyer miles, transfer times vary widely by bank — from instant to several weeks. Unlike cobrand cards that earn miles directly, most cards award bank points that must first be converted, and delays can mean missing out on award seats.

Instant transfers are available with American Express, HSBC and DBS (for yuu Points only). These conversions are typically immediate and free, making them ideal for urgent mile top-ups. However, HSBC offers a weaker transfer ratio to KrisFlyer compared to some other airline partners.

Within one day, Maybank and OCBC usually credit miles by the next calendar day, sometimes even on the same day. Both charge conversion fees.

1–3 days is the typical timeframe for Citi, DBS (DBS Points), Standard Chartered and UOB. Transfers are commonly completed within two days but may stretch to three, especially if initiated over weekends or public holidays.

The slowest option is Bank of China, which requires a manual PDF form submission. Processing can take two to three weeks, and each transfer is capped at 100,000 miles, with a fee charged per submission.

Several factors affect timing. First-time transfers often take longer due to verification checks. Some banks require advance account linking, which can delay urgent conversions if not done early. Transfers also tend to process faster on working days. Additionally, mismatched names between bank and frequent flyer accounts may cause delays or rejection.

Overall, for speed and flexibility, keeping points with instant-transfer banks is safest. Otherwise, plan ahead — especially if transferring from slower institutions — to avoid disappointment when redeeming flights.

Comments:

Good information.

Rewards Updates : HeyMax announces major overhaul of Max Miles redemptions

Source : 

https://milelion.com/2025/04/07/heymax-announces-major-overhaul-of-max-miles-redemptions/

Apple Intelligence : 

• Loyalty Program Update: HeyMax announced major updates to its Max Miles loyalty program, including changes to FlyAnywhere and conversion requirements.

• FlyAnywhere Changes: Effective immediately, Max Miles can be redeemed via FlyAnywhere at a higher value of S$0.02 each, and partial redemptions are now allowed starting from 1,000 Max Miles.

• Conversion Requirements: HeyMax is introducing a temporary minimum conversion requirement of 10,000 Max Miles and suspending instant points transfers.

• Currency Conversion: Tickets in foreign currency are converted to SGD using the current spot rate for Max Miles deduction.

• Non-Cash Payment: Max Miles can only be redeemed for the cash component of a commercial ticket.

• Trial Measures: Boosted value and partial redemptions are trial measures from 7 April to 7 July 2025.

• Conversion Options: HeyMax offers two models: direct points transfers and cash-for-miles.

• Conversion Ratio: Both models have a 1:1 conversion ratio with no conversion fees.

• Conversion Time: Direct points transfers are instant, while cash-for-miles conversions take up to five business days plus processing time.

• Points Transfer Method Change: HeyMax is shifting from direct points transfers to a cash-for-miles model.

• Minimum Conversion Amount Increase: The minimum conversion amount will be increased to 10,000 Max Miles from 21 April 2025.

• Future Plan: HeyMax aims to migrate all partners back to direct transfers within 2-3 months, restoring 1,000 miles minimums and instant redemptions.

• Max Miles Conversion Change: Instant conversions are suspended, requiring a multi-step manual process involving a virtual Visa debit card and purchasing miles/points from the airline/hotel.

• Minimum Conversion Block Increase: The minimum conversion block is increased from 1,000 to 10,000, potentially leading to orphaned points.

• Accor Live Limitless (ALL) Redemption: Instead of direct conversion, users need to complete a stay at an Accor hotel and submit the invoice for reimbursement of room rate, taxes, and incidentals.

• Redemption Rate: 2,000 ALL points = €40, calculated using the day’s spot rate.

• Program Changes: Adding transfers to EVA Air and Garuda, suspending transfers to Air Asia and JAL.

• Devaluation Plan: Aiming to maintain a 1:1 ratio for Max Miles and no plans to devalue.

• Max Miles Value Proposition: The 1:1 transfer ratio to airline and hotel programs is crucial for maintaining the value of Max Miles.

• Program Expansion: HeyMax plans to expand the Max Miles program to 50 airline and hotel partners by 2027.

• Transition Disruptions: Temporary disruptions, including the suspension of instant transfers and a new minimum transfer amount of 10,000 Max Miles, will occur during the transition.