DBS Live Fresh Student Card: Should You Get It?
ValueChampion Rating 
Pros
- 5% rebate on select merchants & 5% rebate on sustainable spend
- No minimum spend requirement
- Annual fee waived 5 full years
Cons
- Just 0.3% rebate on general spend
- otal rewards capped at just S$50/mo
DBS Live Fresh Student Card is the best option on the market for social young adults with notable dining & entertainment spend. Cardholders earn 5% rebate with Starbucks, McDonald's (including McDelivery), Golden Village, Netflix & Spotify–all without a minimum spend requirement. Total cashback rewards are capped at S$50/month, with $15 allocated to 5% cashback from eligible Merchant Spend, $15 allocated to 5% Cashback on Sustainable Spend and $20 allocated to 0.3% cashback on all other spend. Given general purchases earn just 0.3% cashback, DBS Live Fresh Student Card is best for those who have focused budgets and who don't mind shopping with specific vendors. Finally, the S$192.6 fee is waived for 5 full years, and by this time, most students will have already graduated to a mainstream card (perhaps DBS Live Fresh).
DBS Live Fresh Student Card Features and Benefits
|
|---|
Key Features:
|
What Makes DBS Live Fresh Student Card Stand Out
With boosted cashback and virtually maintenance-free (no minimums, fee waiver), DBS Live Fresh Student Card is the absolute best option on the market for young adults with focused social budgets. Cardholders earn an incredible 5% cashback with select dining and entertainment merchants, including Starbucks, McDonald's, McDelivery, Golden Village, Netflix and Spotify. While this rate is capped at just S$15/month. At this budget level, young adults would earn far less for their social spend with just about any alternative card.
Rewards Earned from S$300 Dining & Entertainment Spend
| Student Credit Card | Dining & Entertainment Rate | Earned (on S$300 spend) |
|---|---|---|
| DBS Live Fresh Student | 5% | S$15.00 |
| Maybank eVibes | 1% | S$3.00 |
| CIMB AWSM | 1% | S$3.00 |
This isn't the best option for all students, however. Young adults looking for a starter card might prefer a straightforward option like Maybank eVibes, which offers a flat 1% rebate on all spend (rather than just in select categories or with select merchants). DBS Live Fresh Student Card offers just 0.3% rebate on general spend, so "beginners"–or individuals with less specialised budgets–may end up earning little-to-no cashback on their purchases. Finally, older students with bigger budgets (S$1.5k/mo+) can earn more with an unlimited card, like Read Our Full Review of CIMB AWSM Card.
Even still, DBS Live Fresh Student Card is incredibly competitive, and is also nearly maintenance-free. There are no minimum spend requirements and the S$192.6 fee is waived for 5 full years. At this point, most cardholders will have graduated to a mainstream card with higher rates anyways. All in all, DBS Live Fresh Student Card is ideal for social students with focused dining & entertainment budgets.
How Does DBS Live Fresh Student Card's Rebate Program Work?
Use our quick guide below to learn how you can redeem DBS Live Fresh Student Card's rewards.
- Every 1 dollar of cashback earned is equal to S$1
- Cashback is credited to the cardholder's account every month
- Cashback is automatically applied to part of the billed amount for that month
- Cashback is forfeited and is non-transferable when an account is closed
DBS Live Fresh Student Card's Rewards Exclusions
The following credit card expenditures are ineligible for rewards.
How does DBS Live Fresh Student Card Compare Against Other Cards?
Read our comparisons of DBS Live Fresh Student Card with other cards and learn what makes each card unique in their own way. We compare and contrast each card to highlight its uniqueness to help you identify the card that you need.
| DBS Live Fresh Student v. Maybank eVibes Card | |
|---|---|
| |
| Maybank eVibes Card is the best starter card for students on the market. All spend–in all categories and with all merchants–earns 1% cashback. Additionally, there are no minimum spend requirements and no earnings caps. Finally, the S$5.0 quarterly fee (S$20.0/year) is waived with card use. Maybank eVibes Card is a bit easier to use than DBS Live Fresh Card, and therefore, may be a better option for young adults looking to open their first card. | |
| DBS Live Fresh Student v. CIMB AWSM Card | |
|---|---|
|
|
| CIMB AWSM Card is an excellent option for both students as well as low-income adults, as employees earning less than S$30k/year qualify. Cardholders earn 1% unlimited rebate on dining, entertainment, online shopping & telco. While this rate is lower than the 5% offered by DBS Live Fresh Student Card, there are no merchant restrictions and more categories are eligible. Additionally, CIMB AWSM Card has no annual fee–so even after 5 years, consumers won't need to worry about added expenses. Overall, CIMB AWSM Card is a better fit for students who want a slightly more flexible card, without having to give up on competitive rates. | |
| DBS Live Fresh Student v. Citi Clear Card | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Student foodies who want to earn miles instead of cashback may want to consider Citi Clear Card. Cardholders earn 1 point–equal to 0.4 miles–per S$1 spend, with no category or merchant restrictions. While this rate may not be particularly competitive, Citi Clear Card at least partially makes up for it with perks. Students have access to Citi World Privileges and Citi Gourmet Pleasures, which provide dining, shopping, lifestyle and travel discounts. Student drivers can also enjoy up to 14% fuel savings with Esso and Shell; most student cards do not offer petrol discounts. There is a S$29.96 fee, but it's waived for the 1st year. | |
| DBS Live Fresh Student v. Maybank eVibes |
|---|
|
| Maybank eVibes Card is the best starter card for students on the market. All spend–in all categories and with all merchants–earns 1% cashback. Additionally, there are no minimum spend requirements and no earnings caps. Finally, the S$5.0 quarterly fee (S$20.0/year) is waived with card use. Maybank eVibes Card is a bit easier to use than DBS Live Fresh Card, and therefore, may be a better option for young adults looking to open their first card. |
| DBS Live Fresh Student v. CIMB AWSM | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| |
| CIMB AWSM Card is an excellent option for both students as well as low-income adults, as employees earning less than S$30k/year qualify. Cardholders earn 1% unlimited rebate on dining, entertainment, online shopping & telco. While this rate is lower than the 5% offered by DBS Live Fresh Student Card, there are no merchant restrictions and more categories are eligible. Additionally, CIMB AWSM Card has no annual fee–so even after 5 years, consumers won't need to worry about added expenses. Overall, CIMB AWSM Card is a better fit for students who want a slightly more flexible card, without having to give up on competitive rates. | |
| DBS Live Fresh Student v. Citi Clear | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| |
| Student foodies who want to earn miles instead of cashback may want to consider Citi Clear Card. Cardholders earn 1 point–equal to 0.4 miles–per S$1 spend, with no category or merchant restrictions. While this rate may not be particularly competitive, Citi Clear Card at least partially makes up for it with perks. Students have access to Citi World Privileges and Citi Gourmet Pleasures, which provide dining, shopping, lifestyle and travel discounts. Student drivers can also enjoy up to 14% fuel savings with Esso and Shell; most student cards do not offer petrol discounts. There is a S$29.96 fee, but it's waived for the 1st year. | |
Read Also:
Zoryana is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion, who focuses on evaluating credit cards, savings and fixed deposits in Singapore. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MPA in International Finance and Economic Policy, both from Columbia University. Prior to joining ValueChampion, Zoryana worked in treasury management consulting.