Buy the iPhone 17 smarter. Earn Miles and Travel Further

Peter was at the Apple Store on the iPhone 17 launch weekend. He stood there shaking his head as people paid with debit cards, cashback cards, e-wallets, and at best…the wrong credit cards.

Crowds walked out grinning, clapping, celebrating as if they had just won a prize. But in reality, they had left behind a stash of miles without even knowing it. Peter felt a mix of amusement and sadness watching it happen.

At BolehMiles, we don’t want you making the same mistake. We want you to squeeze every mile out of your big purchases. Here are some tips to earn more miles iPhone 17 or any big-ticket buy earns you the miles you deserve.

Buy the iPhone in Singapore

As a tourist in Singapore, you’re entitled to a GST refund when purchasing an iPhone. You can check the full guide here, but the key thing to remember is this: ask the retailer to register your passport in the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) system.

For this analysis, we’ll use a conversion rate of 1 SGD = RM3.30. After deducting Singapore’s GST, here’s how the iPhone prices work out:

Buying in Singapore with the conversion rate factored in still works out slightly cheaper than Malaysia’s retail prices.

Here’s the breakdown of what you actually pay for iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB using different cards with FCY included. We have excluded Singapore GST, assuming you can get the tourist refund.

The UOB PRVI Miles Elite (UOB PME) delivers the highest amount of miles, thanks to the special 12x UNIRM promo on SGD spending (effectively 1 MPR, and even better when paired with the UOB Zenith).

But you can do even better with Kris+ by Singapore Airlines.

What’s Kris+? It’s an app that lets you earn even more miles when paying through the app at retail partners. You can find the full Kris+ guide here, but in short: you simply scan the merchant’s QR code (just like using Touch ‘n Go, BigPay, etc.), and the payment is charged through Apple Pay or Google Pay.

It’s mainly designed for Singapore users to shop locally, but Malaysians can sign up as well.

Miles are earned as KrisPay Miles, which can be converted to KrisFlyer Miles at a 1:1 ratio. We recommend converting them IMMEDIATELY after paying for your iPhone, otherwise they’ll be stuck in the Kris+ app after 21 days and can no longer be transferred to your Krisflyer account.

Here are the gadget shops in Singapore that accept Kris+ let you earn extra miles on top of your credit card rewards when you pay through the app:

KrisShop doesn’t sell iPhones to tourists, which leaves Challenger, Harvey Norman, and iStudio as the main options, all earning at 1 MPD / 0.30 MPR via Kris+. These stores are found throughout Singapore, but do check that they can process TRS and accept Kris+, as some outlets may have their own rules.

iStudio even has a branch in Changi’s airside terminals where GST is automatically waived (no refund paperwork needed), though iPhones at iStudio Changi often seem permanently “out of stock” (unless you’re buying their repair/insurance package, then they might say “oh actually we have the last unit of this color, just for you”).

The catch with Kris+ is that you can’t pay retailers directly with your credit or debit card. Instead, you must go through Apple Pay or Google Pay, which means you’ll need a Malaysian card that supports these wallets. Since not all banks in Malaysia support Apple Pay, the choices are narrower (no ApplePay/GooglePay for UOB) :

Both CIMB TWE and Maybank Platinum Charge give you the highest amount of miles. The catch is that CIMB doesn’t support Apple Pay, so you’ll need to use it with an Android phone to use Google Pay (How? Maybe just borrow your wife’s or kid’s Android phone? Mileschasers can make anything work!).

And thanks to Kris+, you can even pick up some miles with the Wise debit card with no FCY fees. Even if you’re not a miles chaser, you can still earn some miles while buying iPhone 17 at a discount.

Buy the iPhone in Malaysia

Why bother flying to Singapore when you can just buy the iPhone in Malaysia? The truth is, with online vouchers, promos, or cashback cards, it can be cheaper locally, but you’ll usually earn fewer miles. So, run the math (using everything we thought you on this site) and decide if it’s worth it for yourself.

As a ballpark, if you’re saving more than 5% off the retail price, it might make sense to just buy it locally (like this Lazada promo, though with such a low quota, it’s most likely already gone).

Buy on Shopee using SPayLater (or other retailers accepting SPayLater)

A good way to earn miles when buying on Shopee is with ShopeePay Later, which lets you pay in installments without interest. Since the monthly repayments count as online transactions (MCC: 5964), you can earn miles while paying off the installments due on the 1st of every month.

Buy on Lazada using AsiaMiles Shop Link

Did you know you can earn Asia Miles when shopping on Lazada Malaysia? The earn rate depends on the product category, and for electronics like the iPhone it’s RM10 = 2 Asia Miles (0.25 MPR).

It’s not huge, but hey, better than nothing. Note that the extra miles can take quite a while to show up in your Asia Miles account (up to 150 days).

You can access the Asia Miles shop link for Lazada here.

And here’s the breakdown of miles earned using this method:

Buy from Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang and LaLaport BBCC

There is an ongoing promotion that lets you earn Asia Miles at the rate of RM5 = 1 Asia Miles, which works out to be 0.25 MPR. So you need to make your way down to Nojima Gadget Store at Lalaport or Mitsui Outlet, then use a suitable card to make the payment.

The earn rates using this method is similar to the one above, except for the Krisflyer AMEX which earns less in physical stores:

FAQ

How about Cashback cards?

For our Cashback only friends (vegans), unfortunately Ccshback cards come with spend conditions and category caps. For big ticket items like this, miles cards usually reigns supreme.

Can you buy other stuff other than the iPhone in Singapore?

Yes, as long as the item is SGD100 and above, you can buy gadgets, luxury bags, and more without paying GST. And if the merchant supports Kris+, even better.

Conclusion

Overall, buying the iPhone 17 in Singapore can net you the most amount of miles, however that means you have to make a trip down to Singapore. But hey, if you are already planning for a holiday in Singapore, this might be worth it.

However, if you prefer to buy it locally, you have options with ShopeePay later and Lazada too. Do you know any other ways to buy it cheaper or earn more miles? Share it in our BolehMiles telegram.

See you in the next post!