Buy the iPhone Duo Smarter. Pay Less. Earn More Miles.
The iPhone Duo is arriving in Malaysia on 23 October 2026, with pre-orders starting on 16 October. Priced from RM9,499 to RM15,499, it’s a big purchase, so if you’re planning to get one, you might as well maximise the miles you earn.
For savvy mileschasers though, you also have the opportunity to buy the iPhone cheaper overseas, especially in countries that offer tax refunds.
In this post, we’ll go through how to minimise the cost and maximise the miles on your iPhone Duo purchase. The same tricks work for the iPhone 18, other gadgets and other luxury purchase too.
iPhone Duo Pricing in different countries
Here’s how much the iPhones cost after refund across 14 popular markets:
| # | Country | Local Price (256GB) | Tax Refund | Final Price (after refund) |
Drawbacks |
| 1 | 🇺🇸 USA | US$1,999 / RM8,150 | ❌ | RM8,150 (cheapest) |
Yes1 |
| 2 | 🇯🇵 Japan | ¥364,800 / RM9,476 | ✅ 10% | RM8,615 | Yes2 |
| 3 | 🇨🇳 China | CN¥15,999 / RM9,742 | ✅ 11% | RM8,865 | Yes3 |
| 4 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | ₩3,290,000 / RM9,692 | ✅ 10% | RM8,960 | Yes4 |
| 5 | 🇦🇪 UAE | AED 8,499 / RM9,434 | ✅ 5% | RM9,048 | Yes5 |
| 6 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | HK$17,499 / RM9,094 | ❌ | RM9,094 (Sweet Spot)⭐ |
– |
| 7 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | S$3,099 / RM9,905 | ✅ 9% | RM9,175 | – |
| 8 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | ฿79,900 / RM9,787 | ✅ 7% | RM9,190 | – |
| 9 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | NT$74,900 / RM9,633 | ✅ 5% | RM9,238 | – |
| 10 | 🇦🇺 Australia | A$3,499 / RM10,166 | ✅ 10% | RM9,242 | – |
| 11 | 🇩🇪 Germany | €2,299 / RM10,756 | ✅ 19% | RM9,410 | – |
| 12 | 👉 🇲🇾 Malaysia | RM9,499 | ❌ | RM9,499 | – |
| 13 | 🇬🇧 UK | £1,999 / RM10,907 | ❌ | RM10,907 | – |
| 14 | 🇮🇳 India | ₹2,99,900 / RM12,770 | ❌ | RM12,770 (most expensive) |
– |
1 Price applies to tax-free states only (Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon). Otherwise, sales tax of roughly 5–10% applies.
2 Tax refund is not offered at Apple Stores in Japan, but is available from resellers. The camera shutter sound cannot be turned off while in Japan.
3 Tax refund is only available at designated tax-refund stores. No FaceTime Audio, and potential Chinese regulatory restrictions on other functionalities.
4 The camera shutter sound cannot be turned off while in Korea.
5 Cartels inflate prices by making it mandatory to buy their repair package during the first few months after launch.
Buying the iPhone Duo Overseas
From a proximity and cost perspective in Asia:
- Singapore and Thailand are the closest-to-home options
- Hong Kong is the cheapest option without hardware limitations
- Japan, Korea and China are okay too, though you’ll want to consider the hardware differences and drawbacks.
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.
Here’s the breakdown of what you actually pay for iPhone Duo 256GB using different cards with FCY included. We have excluded Singapore GST since you can get the a refund.
| iPhone | Card | Earn Rate (Overseas) MPR |
FCY Fee1 | Total Cost with FCY |
Miles Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
iPhone Duo
256GB RM 9,175
(after SG GST refund) [MY: RM9,499]
|
CIMB Travel World Elite
|
0.67 | 1.25% | RM 9,290 | 6,147 Seafood |
Maybank AMEX
Krisflyer Plat |
0.50 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 4,588 KF |
|
Maybank Platinum Charge
|
0.71 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 6,514 KF/Asia Miles |
|
UOB PRVI Miles Elite
|
1.00 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 9,175 Enrich/KF/ Asia Miles |
|
UOB VI PB
|
1.00 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 9,175 KF/Asia Miles |
|
HLB Opus
|
2.50 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 22,938 🤩 Enrich |
Even after factoring in FCY fees for the cards above, you’re still paying less than the RM9,499 Malaysia price. The difference is marginal, but you’ll earn more miles along the way.
If your priority is the lowest overall cost, the CIMB TWE is the best choice. Otherwise the best options are UOB PME and UOB VI PB, earning around 9,175 miles.
And just for fun, the HLB Opus earns a whopping 22,900 Enrich Points, but it’s notoriously hard to get
Get Even More Miles with Kris+
You can also use Kris+ by Singapore Airlines to maximise your miles.
What’s Kris+? It’s a payment 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 1:1. Transfer them immediately after payment, otherwise they’ll be stuck in Kris+ after 21 days and can no longer be transferred to KrisFlyer.
Harvey Norman and iStudio are the main Kris+ options in Singapore, earning 1 MPD / 0.31 MPR. Both have multiple outlets, but check if the outlet accepts Kris+ and supports TRS.
iStudio also has an outlet in Changi’s airside terminal, where GST is automatically waived. Note though, that Kris+ only accepts Apple Pay or Google Pay, so you’ll need a Malaysian card that supports either wallet.
| iPhone |
|
Earn Rate (Overseas + Kris+) MPR |
FCY Fee | Total Cost with FCY |
Miles Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
iPhone Duo
256GB RM 9,175
(after SG GST refund) [MY retail: RM9,499]
|
Wise Debit
|
0.00 + 0.31 = 0.31 | 0%1 | RM 9,175 | 2,844 KF |
|
CIMB Travel World Elite
|
0.67 + 0.31 = 0.98 | 1.25% | RM 9,290 | 8,992 Blended |
|
|
Maybank AMEX
KrisFlyer Plat |
0.50 + 0.31 = 0.81 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 7,432 KF |
|
|
Maybank Platinum Charge
|
0.71 + 0.31 = 1.02 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 9,359 Blended |
|
|
HLB Opus
|
2.50 + 0.31 = 2.81 | 2.25% | RM 9,381 | 25,782 🤩 Blended |
The Wise debit card supports Apple Pay, so it’s an interesting option because it offers the lowest cost while still earning you some miles through Kris+.
For travel cards, the CIMB TWE gives you the lowest CPM, while the HLB Opus option earns 25,780 Enrich Points, enough for a one way Business to Bali on MH.
Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan
Buying an iPhone in these countries can make sense too, but check the tax refund rules before you buy. Your best option is the UOB VI PB at 1.00 MPR for any country, or UOB PME for Thailand specifically.
And if you don’t want the hassle of dealing with tax refunds while paying a low price, Hong Kong is the sweet spot to buy the iPhone Duo.
Buying the iPhone in Malaysia
Buying the iPhone locally will be the most straightforward option without having to worry about hardware compatibility and going through tax refunds.
As a ballpark, if you’re saving more than 5% off the retail price through promotions, it probably makes sense to just buy it locally. Banks often run purchase promotions, and you may also come across good deals on Lazada or Shopee.
Here’s a promotion from Maybank which will likely to run out quickly: https://www.maybank2u.com.my/maybank2u/malaysia/en/personal/promotions/maybank_cards/iphone.page?
Buy on Shopee or Physically using SPayLater
A good way to earn miles when buying on Shopee is with ShopeePay Later, which lets you pay in instalments without interest for the 3-months plan, and yet you can earn miles from the monthly repayments.
We recommend sticking to the 0% fee plan (3 months), and paying on time. Otherwise you might receive phone calls from the Shopee lady to nag you about repayment.
| iPhone |
|
Earn Rate MPR |
Miles Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
|
iPhone Duo
256GB [MY retail: RM9,499]
|
Alliance Visa Virtual
|
0.53 | 4,7701 Enrich |
|
Maybank AMEX KrisFlyer Plat
|
0.50 | 4,750 KF |
|
|
Maybank Platinum Charge
|
0.71 | 6,744 KF/Asia Miles |
At RM9,499, a 3-month SPayLater plan means repayments of roughly RM3,166 per month, which slightly exceeds the Alliance Virtual online monthly cap of RM3000, but you still earn 4,770 Enrich Points.
Otherwise, Amex KrisFlyer Platinum or Maybank Platinum Charge, with no caps, will be your best options with SPayLater.
Buy from LaLaport BBCC or Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang
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:
| iPhone |
 +
|
Earn Rate (MPR) | Miles Earned |
|---|---|---|---|
|
iPhone Duo
256GB [MY retail: RM9,499]
|
Alliance Visa Virtual
|
0.53 (max RM9,000) + 0.25 (unlimited) |
7,1451 Blended |
|
Maybank AMEX
KrisFlyer Plat |
0.40 + 0.25 = 0.65 | 6,174 Blended |
|
|
Maybank Platinum Charge
|
0.71 + 0.25 = 0.96 | 9,119 Blended |
If you are new to SPayLater, it is a surprisingly useful tool for mileschasers. Part of the ShopeePay ecosystem, you can use to scan any merchant DuitNow QR in Malaysia nowadays. And you’ll likely find the SPayLater offered at an Apple Authorised Reseller.
SPayLater repayments count as online transactions (MCC 5964), letting you earn miles with eligible cards while spreading payments to improve cash flow.
💰 Sign up for ShopeePay and get RM100 with referral code PAF8HP3XL
Conclusion
Overall, buying the iPhone Duo overseas will earn you the most miles, with Hong Kong being the sweet spot, while Singapore and Thailand are the closest-to-home options.
However, if you prefer to buy it in Malaysia, SPayLater is the way to go.
Know another way to buy it cheaper or earn more miles? Share it with us in the BolehMiles Telegram community.