Instarem Amaze Card review - how does it compare and is it still worth using with the Citi Rewards card?

The Amaze Card offers a few different features, including options to link your existing Mastercard or top up a multi-currency wallet with PayNow. You can earn some InstaPoint rewards on wallet spending - but with changes to rewards and some fees linked in March 2025, the way you use Amaze may be set to change.

This full Instarem Amaze Card review looks at the Amaze Card benefits in full, plus how to use the Amaze Card and how it measures up against popular alternatives with a rundown of the Amaze Card vs YouTrip vs Wise card. Let’s dive right in.

Table of contents
What is the Amaze Card and how it works Amaze Card spending limits and exchange rates Is the Amaze card still worth using with Citi Rewards? SG travel card comparison - Amaze Card vs YouTrip vs Wise card Amaze Card cashback Summary

What is the Amaze Card?

The Amaze Card from Instarem allows you to either link Mastercard credit or debit cards, or top up your Amaze e-wallet using your card or PayNow, to spend in person and online, and view and manage all your spending in one place.

Amaze Cards have a few specific features:

• Spend from your wallet or from linked Mastercard debit or credit cards, all with one physical or virtual Amaze Card
• Amaze wallets can hold 11 foreign currencies - add funds in SGD and exchange to the currency you need²
• You can use Amaze with Google Pay for mobile payments
• Send money overseas with Instarem
• Enjoy Mastercard World benefits as well as earning Amaze InstaPoints on wallet spending
• Convert InstaPoints to Krisflyer benefits

Amaze is a little different to some other international spending cards you may have seen. With the Amaze Card you have a couple of options:

• Link one or more Mastercards to your Amaze account to spend via Amaze using multiple cards
• Use your Amaze account as a prepaid e-wallet, by topping up with PayNow or your linked card, and spending the funds you hold in the account

If you’re topping up your Amaze wallet you’ll only ever be able to spend the amount of money in the account. However, if you prefer to link a Mastercard, you can choose a debit or credit card, which can mean you can spend on credit through Amaze as well.

In this way, the Amaze Card can pull together different functions and features, and act as either a credit or debit card depending on how you set it up.

Amaze Card benefits

So why bother using Amaze then? Here are some of the Amaze Card benefits you’ll want to know about¹:

• Spend overseas from your wallet which can hold foreign currencies
• Get great foreign exchange rates when spending from a linked card overseas, with no extra Amaze charges to pay
• Get InstaPoints on wallet spending which can convert to Krisflyer miles
• Use a card like Citi Rewards to continue to earn your reward points as you spend through Amaze
• Track your spending across all your linked cards in one place
• You may also be able to benefit from Mastercard specific rewards and offers
• Make cash withdrawals with your physical Amaze card

Amaze Card March 2025 changes

If you already have an Amaze card you’ll want to make sure you’re abreast of the changes coming in March 2025. Amaze has launched the enhanced wallet feature which allows you to add money with your card or PayNow, and convert to 11 foreign currencies for spending. However, there have also been a few bigger changes³:

• From March 10 2025, InstaPoints can no longer be exchanged for cash - only Krisflyer miles
• From March 10 2025, you can only earn InstaPoints on wallet spend, not on linked card spend
• From March 2024, there was a 1% fee on SGD spending over 1,000 SGD a month - this is rumoured to be moving to a fee from the first dollar of SGD spend from 2025

Amaze Card spending limits

If you use your Amaze Card as a prepaid wallet, you can spend up to the daily amount specified in your Instarem app. You can spend up to 15,000 SGD per transaction, with a 75,000 SGD annual limit³.

If you link one or more Mastercards to your account you can spend up to 50,000 SGD per transaction, or to the limit of the specific card in question, whichever is lower.

Amaze Card exchange rate

Amaze Card international spending uses the Amaze exchange rate, which Instarem states can include a lower admin fee and markup compared to the rates typically used by banks.

You’ll be able to see the rate that will apply in the Instarem/Amaze app once you initiate a transaction. Compare the rate you’re offered against the mid-market exchange rate to see the markup - if any - that’s been added.

The mid-market exchange rate is the rate used when banks and other institutions buy currency themselves. However, it’s not often passed directly on to retail customers. Instead, organizations add a markup to calculate the retail exchange rate. This is an extra fee which pushes up costs overall.

Comparing a few different payment options is usually the best way to get a good exchange rate for your specific purchase - there’s a comparison of Amaze vs some other popular payment services coming up later to start you off.

How to use Amaze with Citi Rewards card?

Many people in Singapore have benefited from using Amaze as a way of maxing out the benefits they can get from card providers, while also earning InstaPoints. One very common way to do this has been to pair Citi Rewards + Amaze to get the benefit of the Amaze exchange rate and InstaPoints, plus Citi Rewards on your spending.

You might have read about the Amaze card nerf on various cards from providers like DBS and UOB, which prevented card holders from stacking points. However, using the Citi Rewards card with Amaze is still possible - with one big proviso.

Unfortunately, as of 10 March 2025, Amaze is changing some of its features. One result of this is that you can’t get InstaPoints on spending from a linked card. This means that you lose out when you use Amaze and Citi Rewards. The other big downside is that the InstaPoints you earn can no longer be converted to cash - only to Krisflyer miles, at a pretty low rate of return. This might mean that the Amaze/Citi Rewards pairing isn’t as attractive or competitive.

Is it still worth it to use Citi Rewards + Amaze?

So we've looked at how to use Amaze with Citi Rewards - but it is worth it now? This will depend on your spending patterns and your personal preferences. Using Amaze with your Citi card can still mean getting good exchange rates and Citi’s own rewards of up to 4 miles per dollar. You lose out on the InstaPoints - but in reality, the biggest issue will likely be if you’re using your card to spend domestically.

The card’s additional 1% fee on all SGD spending means that people using their Amaze card for domestic spending are hit by extra fees right away when spending here in Singapore. This may mean that the costs of the transaction outweigh the benefits you can get from Citi, particularly now that you may not be able to earn InstaPoints or cash back - essentially, you’re paying a higher rate for miles now.

SG travel card comparison - Amaze Card vs YouTrip vs Wise card

Let’s look at how the Amaze Card from Instarem measures up against a couple of other card options available in Singapore - the YouTrip card and the Wise Account.

	Amaze¹	YouTrip³	Wise
Account maintenance fees	None	None	None
ATM fees	ATM withdrawals not available	5 SGD + any applicable ATM operator fees⁴	Up to 2 withdrawals per month, to 350 SGD in value, fee free 1.50 SGD + 1.75% after that
Currency exchange fees	No specific fee, exchange with Instarem rates	No specific fee, exchange with Mastercard rates⁵	Exchange with mid-market rates and low fees based on currency
Overseas payment fees	Instarem fees - full details shown in the Instarem/Amaze app	Available for 10 holding currencies with YouTrip Send - fees available in app only⁶	Send to 140+ countries, fees based on currency
Available currencies for holding and exchange	SGD²	10⁷	40+ currencies
Available currencies/countries for card spending	Any Mastercard supported currency	150+ currencies	150+ countries
Withdraw a balance back to your bank	Not available	No⁸	Yes - withdraw in a range of currencies
Rewards and cashback	1% cashback	Promotional offers and cashback available	Limited range of promotions available

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

While Amaze from Instarem offers some neat features including the option to link multiple cards and see all your spending in one place, it does have a few fees to know about, and some limitations in terms of international use. You can’t receive foreign currency payments to your account for example, and ATM charges kick in from the first withdrawal you make.

If you’re looking for a great all round option, check out the multi-currency Wise Account to hold 40+ currencies, send payments to 140+ countries, and get paid conveniently in select foreign currencies. You can also spend and make withdrawals - including some getting some fee free cash every month - with the linked Wise card.

Get a Wise account today!

How do Instarem Amaze Card InstaPoints work?

If you use Amaze as a wallet and load a balance, you can earn InstaPoints on spending. As we mentioned earlier, this earning option was previously on all spending, and your points could convert to cash back. From March 10 2025 this changes - the new rules will be as follows:

• Earn 0.5 InstaPoint per 1 SGD spent from your wallet locally or overseas
• Convert 1,200 InstaPoints to 400 KrisFlyer miles

You can no longer convert your points to cash back.

In addition to InstaPoints on wallet spend, you’ll continue to earn any points offered by your specific card if you’re spending with a linked Mastercard, rather than using Amaze as an e-wallet.

---

Summary - Is Amaze a great multi-currency card?

The Instarem Amaze Card lets you link one or more Mastercards for spending online and through Apple or Google Pay, both at home and abroad. You can also top up with a card or PayNow, to add SGD and convert to any of 11 currencies for wallet spending. You can earn InstaPoints on wallet spend, which can be converted to Krisflyer miles.

Because Amaze adds fees on some domestic spending, this is not a great option for most people looking to spend in SGD. If you’re interested in using the wallet for overseas use, or want to spend with a linked card to get the Amaze rates, it may be a good pick. However, you’ll need to review the available exchange rates before you decide.

Compare Instarem Amaze against alternatives like the Wise Account and card which lets you hold and exchange 40+ currencies, get paid in foreign currencies from a broad range of countries, send international payments to 160+ countries, and spend in 150+ countries. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees, no ongoing charges and no minimum balance to maintain. Just get your account online or in the Wise app, and use it as and when you need it, for low cost international transactions in person and online.

---

Frequently asked questions

Is the Instarem Amaze Card a debit or a credit card?

Instarem Amaze lets you add funds to a prepaid wallet to use as a debit option, or to link Mastercard credit and debit cards for onward spending.

Is the Amaze Card Visa or Mastercard?

The Amaze Card is a Mastercard which you can either top up, or link to other existing Mastercard credit or debit cards for payments. You also can use PayNow to add funds to your Amaze Card.

Does the Amaze Card work with Apple Pay?

The Amaze Card is compatible with Google Pay and Apple Pay.

How to activate an Amaze Card?

You need to activate your physical Amaze Card before you can use it, although you can spend online before your physical card is available. To activate the Amaze Card:

• Log into the Instarem/Amaze app
• Tap Activate Card
• Set your Card PIN
• Your card is ready to use

---

Sources:

1. Instarem Amaze Card
2. Amaze Blog - wallet launch
3. Amaze Blog - wallet details
4. YouTrip Singapore
5. YouTrip fees
6. YouTrip - send money
7. YouTrip refund balance
8. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing: Only Pay for What You Use for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.