SINGAPORE - Booking a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight with a credit card is set to get more expensive for some travellers.

The carrier will be introducing a credit card service fee of 1.3 per cent of the total amount, capped at $50, for its new lower cost Economy Lite fare type for tickets issued in Singapore, according to SIA's website.

Credit card fees also apply to routes departing from Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The fee, which does not apply to debit cards, is new to flights departing from Singapore.

It is meant to cover "costs relating to the acceptance of credit cards" in certain countries, SIA said on its website. The credit card service fee applies only to all-inclusive fares not using KrisFlyer miles, and not to other products such as excess baggage charges.

It is not the only new charge to kick in on Jan 20, when SIA and SilkAir restructure their fare types to Lite, Standard and Flexi. Economy passengers choosing the lowest Lite category will have to pay to choose their own seats in advance.

Changes to the fare types will also affect mileage accrual for some travellers, while cancellation and fare refund policy changes are also forthcoming, the airlines announced in December.