Best card for online shopping from US, UK & EU sites (For Singaporeans in 2026)

Key takeaways

• Standard credit cards from major Singapore banks inflate international purchases with foreign currency transaction fees averaging 3.25%.
• Using the Instarem amaze card in Wallet Mode allows you to enjoy 0% foreign transaction fees, 0 FX markeup, and competitive exchange rates when shopping in USD, GBP or EUR.
• Linked Card Mode lets you earn your bank card’s rewards while amaze replaces your bank’s FX spread of up to 3.5% with up to 2.1% — so you still pay less than using your bank card directly. 
• With amaze, you can earn InstaPoints that can be converted into KrisFlyer miles that can be converted directly into KrisFlyer miles.
• Setting up amaze takes only a few minutes, and the virtual card can be used instantly for Amazon, ASOS, iHerb, Sephora US and other international sites.

With just a few taps on your phone, you can browse a vintage store in New York or a tech outlet in Germany. One click, and a package from the other side of the world is instantly flying across continents straight to your doorstep. 

For Singaporeans especially, online shopping has become almost second nature. According to Milieu, almost half of the population shops online weekly, and 10% do so every day.

Paying for international shopping isn’t as straightforward as clicking checkout. That good deal from the US, UK or EU can end up costing more than the price tag promised — foreign transaction fees, poor exchange rates, hidden charges, and weak rewards. The right card fixes all of this. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the best card for online shopping from US, UK and EU sites for Singaporeans in 2026, along with what to look out for before making your next international purchase.

The hidden tax on every overseas online order

When you shop on an overseas site and see a price listed in USD, GBP or EUR, it’s easy to assume your bank will simply convert that amount into Singapore Dollars (SGD) using the prevailing exchange rate.

Almost every time you shop from an overseas website, your bank adds an extra charge on top of your purchase. Most Singapore-issued credit cards impose foreign currency transaction fees of around 3.25%.

Say you paid S$300 for a UK fashion retailer. It could cost you nearly S$10 in extra fees. What makes this frustrating is how invisible the fee feels. Shoppers assume they are only paying the displayed exchange rate, but foreign transaction costs are usually made up of multiple layers:

• A currency conversion fee charged by Visa or Mastercard
• An administrative fee added by your bank
• Sometimes an additional exchange rate markup hidden in the conversion itself

And if you accidentally choose to pay in Singapore Dollars during checkout through Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), the costs can become even worse due to inflated exchange rates.

Standard FX Fees Charged by Major Singapore Banks (2026) 

Bank	Typical Foreign Currency Fee
DBS	Around 3.25%
OCBC	Around 3.25%
UOB	Around 3.25%
Citibank Singapore	Around 3.25%
HSBC Singapore	Around 2.25% to 3%, depending on card type
Standard Chartered	Up to 3.5% for some cards

The S$500 online shopping haul: What you’re actually paying

The extra costs start piling up even during completely normal monthly shopping habits.

Let’s say you are a fairly typical Singaporean online shopper in 2026. You buy supplements from overseas because they are cheaper. You order skincare from the US because certain brands are unavailable locally. Maybe you wait for Amazon US sales to buy electronics or gadgets at better prices.

Without even trying, your cart across multiple sites already looks something like this:

Store	Currency	Approx. SGD Value
Amazon US (Electronics)	USD	S$120
iHerb (Vitamins)	USD	S$95
Sephora US (Skincare)	USD	S$110
ASOS (Clothing)	GBP	S$105
Myprotein EU (Supplements)	EUR	S$70
Total Cart Value		S$500

On paper, your checkout screen says you are spending exactly S$500. But depending on the card you pull out of your wallet to finalise the payment, the actual amount debited from your bank account will tell a completely different story.

What this haul costs with different cards

When you use a traditional bank card, the transaction goes through the foreign currency markup process we discussed earlier. If you use a modern multi-currency wallet or a specialised fintech card, those fees are minimised or eliminated entirely.

Here is how the final bill shapes up across different card types:

Card Type	Total FX Cost (on S$500)	What You Actually Pay
UOB / DBS / OCBC / Citibank	S$16.25	S$516.25
Wise Debit	~S$2.50 (Variable fee)	~S$502.50
amaze card	S$0	S$500.00

If you charge this S$500 haul to a traditional bank card like a UOB credit card, you are handed an extra bill of up to S$16.25. The additional charge is enough to cover a decent casual meal or the international shipping fees.

This is exactly why low-FX or zero-FX-fee cards like the amaze card have become increasingly popular among Singaporeans who shop internationally often. They remove one of the biggest invisible costs attached to buying from overseas websites.

amaze wallet vs. Linked card mode

The flexibility of the amaze card across various supported currencies and merchant types makes it versatile. However, the exact fee structure depends on your chosen transaction mode:

• amaze wallet mode (S$0 Fees):0% FX fee on all foreign currency transactions. No markup, no conversion charge. 
• Linked card mode (Up to 2.1% FX spread): If you link amaze directly to an external Mastercard credit or debit card to harvest bank rewards points, foreign currency transactions incur an FX spread of up to 2.1% — replacing your bank’s standard spread of up to 3.5%, so you still pay less than using your bank card directly. 

You also earn KrisFlyer miles on every eligible purchase

Thanks to an official partnership with Singapore Airlines, your amaze card acts as a direct pipeline to your next flight redemption or cabin upgrade. That means you may continue earning credit card reward points or miles while reducing some of the overseas transaction costs at the same time.

Eligible amaze wallet spending earns InstaPoints, which can be converted into KrisFlyer miles. Currently:

• Earn 0.5 InstaPoint for every S$1 spent via the amaze wallet
• 3 InstaPoints convert into 1 KrisFlyer mile
• No cap on miles conversion

On a S$500 overseas shop via your amaze wallet, you’d earn 250 InstaPoints — roughly 83 KrisFlyer miles. 

Your regular overseas purchases slowly start contributing toward future travel instead of simply disappearing as monthly expenses. Your Amazon gadget haul or ASOS shopping spree could eventually translate into KrisFlyer miles for flights, upgrades or travel perks.

Some users also pair amaze with the best rewards credit cards in Singapore to continue earning their bank card points separately, depending on the card and transaction type. 

Setting up amaze for online shopping (5 minutes, one time)

Getting set up with amaze is straightforward. You don’t have to wait days for a piece of plastic to arrive in the mail before you can start clearing out your overseas shopping carts. The entire application process is fully digital and can be completed right from your couch in about five minutes.

Here is how to get your virtual card up and running for your next international checkout.

Step 1: Download the Instarem app

Head over to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and download the official Instarem app.

For the fastest registration experience, select the option to sign up using MyInfo with Singpass. This automatically fills out your identity verification details securely, meaning your account approval can happen almost instantly, rather than waiting for manual document reviews.

Step 2: Virtual card first

Once your profile is approved, open the dashboard and tap the card icon at the bottom of the screen to apply for your amaze card.

The moment you complete the quick setup prompts, amaze instantly generates a Virtual Card for you inside the app. This virtual card comes complete with its own unique card number, expiry date and CVV code. You can use this digital version for all online transactions immediately.

Step 3: Link your miles or cashback card

With your virtual card active, it is time to choose your funding method:

• To use wallet mode (0% FX Fees): Tap the wallet section in your app to top up easily using PayNow. Alternatively, you can choose to top up via Apple Pay for a quick and secure digital wallet transfer. Your wallet is topped up and ready for use instantly.
• To use linked card mode: Navigate to the card settings and input the details of your favourite Singapore-issued Mastercard credit or debit cards. You can link up to five different Mastercards simultaneously and toggle between them instantly depending on which card maximises the rewards for your specific purchase.

Step 4: Use the virtual card at every foreign checkout

When you are ready to check out on an overseas site, do not type in your standard Singapore bank credit card details. Instead, pull up the Instarem app, tap ‘Card Info’ to copy your virtual amaze card number, and use that as your primary payment method.

Because amaze operates on the Mastercard network, it is accepted globally at any digital storefront that takes standard credit cards. 

Step 5 (optional): Save amaze in your browser’s autofill

If you shop on your laptop or mobile browser, save your virtual amaze card details directly into your browser’s secure autofill settings (like Google Chrome Autofill or Apple Safari Keychain).

Your browser will automatically input your fee-saving card details at checkout, saving you from manually opening the app to copy the card number every single time you shop.

Common questions about using amaze for online shopping

Does amaze work for subscriptions and recurring charges?

Yes, it does. You can absolutely use your amaze card to pay for recurring international subscriptions like streaming platforms, cloud storage, software licenses or monthly supplement boxes.

You must ensure that your amaze wallet always holds a sufficient balance before the subscription billing date hits. If the wallet balance drops below zero due to a recurring charge, the transaction could be declined, or your account may experience a temporary negative balance.

What if the overseas site charges my card in SGD?

This is a major red flag known as Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). If an international website realises your card originates from Singapore and automatically converts your checkout total from USD, GBP or EUR into SGD, do not proceed until you switch it back.

To secure the best rates, always toggle the currency settings on the overseas storefront to display and charge in the local merchant currency (e.g., USD for US sites), allowing amaze to handle the conversion instead of the store.

Can I use amaze for PayPal purchases in foreign currencies?

Yes, some users link amaze to PayPal for overseas purchases.

However, there is one important thing to watch out for. PayPal itself often tries to convert transactions into SGD automatically before the charge reaches your card.

To avoid this:

• Go into PayPal’s payment settings
• Select billing in the seller’s original currency instead of SGD conversion
• Let amaze handle the FX conversion instead

Otherwise, PayPal’s own exchange rates can sometimes eat into the FX savings you were trying to achieve in the first place.

Stop paying FX fees on every online checkout — amaze is free to get.

The amaze card is free to apply for with no annual fee and no minimum spend. Download the Instarem app, verify via Singpass, and your virtual card is ready to use immediately at your next international checkout.

Your next international checkout could cost less

Getting started takes less time than making a cup of coffee. Download the Instarem app, create an account, verify your identity and your virtual amaze card is issued instantly right inside the dashboard. The sooner you start, the sooner you can convert your InstaPoints to KrisFlyer miles!

You can immediately copy your new digital card details, paste them into your favourite global checkout screens and stop overpaying for your overseas packages today. Create an account today!

Disclaimer: Rates and terms are current as of May 2026. amaze is a product of Instarem (Nium Pte. Ltd.). While there are no annual fees, a 1% fee applies to domestic SGD transactions. Reward eligibility depends on your bank’s terms; always check your card’s latest rewards policy before spending.