OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card: Perks & Rebates for Department Store Loyalists

Top Rebates & Perks for Frequent Robinsons Group Store Shoppers
OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card
OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card

OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card: Perks & Rebates for Department Store Loyalists

Top Rebates & Perks for Frequent Robinsons Group Store Shoppers

3.3/5.0

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Pros

  • Consumers who shop mostly with Robinsons Group stores
  • People with a S$850+/mo shopping budget
  • Individuals who shop for the entire household

Cons

  • People who like shopping at a variety of stores
  • Consumers with consistent S$2k/month budgets
  • Those looking for a flexible everyday card
OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card
OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card

Update: As of 15 April 2021, OCBC is no longer offering the Robinsons Group Credit Card. Fortunately, we've already analyzed several alternative cards that also offer strong rewards for shoppers.

Frequent Robinsons department store shoppers–especially higher spenders or those buying for their entire household–can definitely benefit from OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card. Cardholders earn 5% rebate on the 1st S$5k store spend within each 6 month period, boosted to 10% for amounts above S$5k. Fortunately, supplementary card spend counts towards this total. Other perks include bi-annual discount letters, free weekend parking with S$50 min. store spend and exclusive store privileges. OCBC Robinsons Card is not great for general spend, however; rewards for non-Robinsons Group purchases earn the equivalent of 0.25%–0.94% cashback. The card's S$192.6 annual fee is waived with just S$3k annual spend however, so shoppers can use OCBC Robinsons Card as a maintenance-free complement to an everyday credit card.

ProsCons
  • 5% rebate on 1st S$5k Robinsons spend, then 10% on amounts above
  • Bi-annual 25% discount letter w/ Robinsons
  • Free weekend parking w/ S$50+ store spend
  • General spend earns Robs$ (only redeemable w/ Robinsons Group)
  • Robs$ (general spend) rates are very low
  • Robs$ expire in just 2 years
Promotions:
  • Receive & use card instantly when you apply via MyInfo
Card Overview
Pros:
  • 5% rebate on 1st S$5k Robinsons spend, 10% on amounts above
  • Bi-annual 25% discount letter w/ Robinsons
  • Free weekend parking w/ S$50 min. store spend
  • Promotions: Receive & use card instantly when you apply via MyInfo
Cons:
  • General spend earns Robs$ (only redeemable w/ Robinsons Group)
  • Robs$ (general spend) rates are very low
  • Robs$ expire in just 2 years

What Makes OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card Stand Out

OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card is a quite competitive shopper card for affluent Robinsons Group store customers, especially when it's paired with a strong everyday card. Cardholders earn 5% rebate on their first S$5k spend at Robinsons within each 6 month period, then 10% on amounts above. Rebates are credited to the cardholder's account to offset the statement bill, which is great because consumers don't need to worry about tracking or redeeming rewards across an extended period. The best part is that supplementary cardholders' spend at Robinsons also contributes towards the total, making it easier to push beyond the S$5k level.

Nonetheless, consumers would likely need to shop almost exclusively with Robinsons to reach this spend level. In fact, to reach S$5k within the allotted period, cardholders would need to cumulatively reach about S$833 Robinsons spend/month (S$417 if divided by 2 people). This amount is still less than the S$1k required to max out rewards with most other shopper cards, and is reasonably achievable for higher-spending shoppers. While cardholders are limited to Robinsons Group stores, they have access to a broad variety of items–fashion retail, beauty treatments, kids supplies, electronics, home goods & appliances and more.

Cashback Earnings by Monthly Spend Level at Robinsons Group Stores

Monthly Robinsons SpendBi-Annual Cashback EarningsAnnual Cashback Earnings
  • S$5k or below
  • per 6mo period
S$250/moS$75S$150
S$500/moS$150S$300
S$750/moS$225S$450
  • Above S$5k
  • per 6mo period
S$1,000/moS$350S$700
S$1,250/moS$500S$1,000
Bi-Annual and annual cashback earnings assume indicated monthly Robinsons spend is consistent

Still, OCBC Robinsons Card is not a great option for everyday spend. Cardholders earn 0.5 Robinsons$ per S$1 on general local spend and 1.5 Robinsons$ overseas. Robinsons$ can only be redeemed for Robinsons Group rewards vouchers at a rate of 2,000 Robinsons$ for a S$10 voucher or 4,800 for a S$30 voucher. Given this redemption value, general spend earns at a rate equivalent to 0.25%–0.31% locally and 0.75%–0.94% overseas. This amount is almost negligible. In addition, Robinsons$ expire within 2 years, so if you don't earn enough to redeem for a voucher, you'll lose your points altogether. Overall, it's better not to use OCBC Robinsons Card to pay for general spend at all.

Effective Earning Rate for General Spend by Type & Voucher Tier

S$10 Voucher RedemptionS$30 Voucher Redemption
Local RateOverseas RateLocal RateOverseas Rate
Amount SpendS$4,000S$1,333S$9,600S$3,200
Robs$ Earned2,000 Robs$2,000 Robs$4,800 Robs$4,800 Robs$
Voucher ValueS$10S$10S$30S$30
Effective Earning Rate0.25%0.75%0.31%0.94%

Fortunately, it's very easy for most cardholders to qualify for an annual fee waiver. In fact, the S$192.6 annual fee is waived with just S$3k spend (about S$250/month). In this case, OCBC Robinsons Card becomes essentially maintenance-free, pairing perfectly with an everyday card that may have lower rewards rates for shopping. And, given its exclusive Robinsons perks (like bi-annual 25% off discounts, free 1-hour weekend parking, and 0% interest instalment plans) OCBC Robinsons Card is ultimately a great option for higher-spending customers.

How Does OCBC Robinsons Card's Rewards Program Work?

Use our quick guide below to learn how you can redeem OCBC Robinsons Card's rewards.

  • Robinsons$ are valid for 2 years
  • Robinsons$ may be redeemed (by principal cardholder only) for Robinsons Group stores rewards vouchers: S$10 voucher for 2,000 Robinsons$, S$30 for 4,800 Robinsons$
  • Cardholders can also instantly redeem Robsinsons$ at participating Robinsons Group stores to offset their purchases on-the-spot
  • Principal cardmember can transfer Robinsons$ to another principal cardmembers via internet banking (transfer fee applies)

OCBC Robinsons Credit Card's Features and Benefits:

OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card
OCBC Robinsons Group Credit Card
Card Overview
  • Annual Fee: S$192.60, Waived 1 year & subsequently with S$3,000 annual spend
  • Income Requirement: 30000 for locals, 45000 for foreigners
Rewards Rate Details
  • 5% rebate on 1st S$5k spend w/ Robinsons every 6mo (credited to acct & deducted from balance)
  • 10% rebate on Robinsons spend above S$5k every 6mo
  • Supplementary cardholders' Robinsons spend counts toward rebate qualification
  • 0.5 Robinsons$ per S$1 general local spend (worth about 0.25%–0.31% cashback)
  • 1.5 Robinsons$ per S$1 overseas spend (worth about 0.75%–0.94% cashback)
  • Robinsons$ can be only be redeemed for Robinsons Group rewards vouchers
  • Annual fee waived w/ S$3k spend
Benefits & Perks
  • Bi-annual 25% Robinsons discount letter w/ S$500 spend at Robinsons or Marks & Spencer
  • 1-Hour free parking every weekend at select malls w/ S$50 min. spend at Robinsons or Marks & Spencer stores (available to 1st 50 cardmembers per day, per location)
  • 6 or 12 months 0% interest instalment plan available for transactions of S$250+ at Robinsons and Marks & Spencer (must be done at point-of-sale)
Promotions:
  • Receive & use card instantly when you apply via MyInfo

OCBC Robinsons Card's Rewards Exclusions

The following credit card expenditures are ineligible for rewards.

Annual card fees; interest; late payment charges; tax payments; cash-on-instalments facility; instalment payment plan; PayLite; cash advancers; balance transfers; wire transfer money orders (WTMOs);
Bill payments made via internet banking and any AXS network; utilities (electric, gas, heating oil, sanitary, water); non-financial institutions stored value card purchase/load
Insurance payments (direct marketing; insurance sales, underwriting and premiums); payments to member financial institutions (merchandise and services, securities brokers and dealers); quasi-cash merchants (non-financial institutions–foreign currency, non-fiat currency, cryptocurrency); payments to educational institutions (elementary, secondary, correspondence, business, secretarial, trade and vocational schools; colleges; universities; professional schools; junior colleges); payments to charitable, social service, political and/or religious organisations; court costs (including alimony and child support), fines, bail and bond payments; payments to government institutions; government postal services and intra-government purchases
Transactions made at TransitLink general ticketing machines; nondurable goods; real estate agents and managers (rentals); cleaning, maintenance and janitorial services; automobile parking lots and garages; gambling (betting, including lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, off-track betting, wagers at race tracks)

How does OCBC Robinsons Card Compare to Other Cards?

Read our comparisons of OCBC Robinsons 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.

Graph showing some of Singapore’s best shopping credit cards in terms of value-to-consumer after two years, based on an average monthly spend of S$2,000
OCBC Robinsons Card v. DBS Takashimaya Card
DBS Takashimaya American Express Card
DBS Takashimaya American Express Card
  • Annual Fee: S$192.60
  • Stand-Out: Rebates & perks for Takashiyama shoppers
DBS Takashimaya Card offers shoppers 0.167 Takashimaya Bonus Points per S$1 spend at the store, which can be redeemed for store vouchers at a rate of S$30 per 100 Points (equal to 5% cashback). This rate aligns with that offered by OCBC Robinsons Card, without the potential 10% boost for very high spenders. DBS Takashimaya Card is also slightly less flexible, as Bonus Points are credited to customers' individual accounts and cannot be combined across principal and supplementary cardholders. Finally, DBS Takashimaya Card's S$192.6 annual fee is waived just the 1st year, without a spend-based waiver option.


Nonetheless, DBS Takashimaya Card is inevitably more attractive for people who frequently shop at the store, even across multiple countries. Cardholders earn rebates at outlets in Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam, and enjoy perks like +10% off during store sales, free delivery service with at least S$100 Takashimaya spend, and rebates for parking with S$250+ in-store purchases. Ultimately, DBS Takashimaya is a better option for store loyalists who rarely shop at Robinsons Group stores.

OCBC Robinsons Card v. Citi Lazada Card
Citi Lazada Card
Citi Lazada Card
Citi Lazada Card is the best option on the market for Lazada loyalists, especially those with meaningful local social budgets. Cardholders earn 4 miles (10 pts) per S$1 spend with Lazada, 2 miles (5pts) for local dining, entertainment (including Netflix & Spotify) and travel & transport (including Grab & Gojek), and 0.4 miles (1 pt) on all else. Cardholders can earn up to 4,000 miles per month, which can be maxed out with as little as S$1k Lazada spend.


Citi Lazada is also a great pick for shoppers because of its exclusive perks, including up to four S$1.99 shipping rebates on S$50+ Lazada orders per month and card-specific Lazada discounts. There is a S$192.6 annual fee, however, which is waived just 1 year. Consumers who prefer shopping at Robinsons stores and who'd like to avoid an annual fee might prefer OCBC Robinsons Credit Card.

OCBC Robinsons Card v. DBS Woman's World Mastercard
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Get up to 10X DBS Points (or 20 miles) for online purchases, 3X DBS Point (or 6 miles) for overseas purchases and 1X DBS Point (or 2 miles) for other purchases
  • Read Our Full Review
DBS Woman's World Mastercard offers shoppers with online budgets of about S$2,100/month an easy way to earn at competitive rates without worrying about an annual fee. Cardholders earn 4 miles per S$1 on all online shopping, regardless of merchant type. This rate is roughly equivalent to 4% cashback in value, which slightly lower than OCBC Robinsons's store-specific rebate. General spend, however, earns a higher 0.4 miles per S$1 locally (equal to about 0.4%) and 1.2 miles (about 1.2%) overseas. Therefore, DBS Woman's World is more flexible than OCBC Robinsons Card, both in terms of merchant eligibility and utility outside of shopping spend.


DBS Woman's World does not, however, come with as many store-specific perks. Cardholders receive e-commerce protection, have access to 0% interest instalment plans (with no processing fee), and can take advantage of promotional discounts offered by rotating vendors. These deals may not prove especially helpful to consumers who find themselves mostly shopping at just one store. Additionally, DBS Woman's World has a harder-to-achieve fee waiver, requiring S$25k spend to earn exemption. As a result, while DBS Woman's World is more flexible and earns higher rates on general spend, OCBC Robinsons Card is a better option for department store shoppers looking for a low-maintenance, complementary card.

OCBC Robinsons v. DBS Takashimaya
DBS Takashimaya American Express Card
DBS Takashimaya American Express Card
  • Annual Fee: S$192.60
  • Stand-Out: Rebates & perks for Takashiyama shoppers
DBS Takashimaya Card offers shoppers 0.167 Takashimaya Bonus Points per S$1 spend at the store, which can be redeemed for store vouchers at a rate of S$30 per 100 Points (equal to 5% cashback). This rate aligns with that offered by OCBC Robinsons Card, without the potential 10% boost for very high spenders. DBS Takashimaya Card is also slightly less flexible, as Bonus Points are credited to customers' individual accounts and cannot be combined across principal and supplementary cardholders. Finally, DBS Takashimaya Card's S$192.6 annual fee is waived just the 1st year, without a spend-based waiver option.


Nonetheless, DBS Takashimaya Card is inevitably more attractive for people who frequently shop at the store, even across multiple countries. Cardholders earn rebates at outlets in Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam, and enjoy perks like +10% off during store sales, free delivery service with at least S$100 Takashimaya spend, and rebates for parking with S$250+ in-store purchases. Ultimately, DBS Takashimaya is a better option for store loyalists who rarely shop at Robinsons Group stores.

OCBC Robinsons v. Citi Lazada
Citi Lazada Card
Citi Lazada Card
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Up to 4 miles per S$1 spend on Lazada
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
Citi Lazada Card is the best option on the market for Lazada loyalists, especially those with meaningful local social budgets. Cardholders earn 4 miles (10 pts) per S$1 spend with Lazada, 2 miles (5pts) for local dining, entertainment (including Netflix & Spotify) and travel & transport (including Grab & Gojek), and 0.4 miles (1 pt) on all else. Cardholders can earn up to 4,000 miles per month, which can be maxed out with as little as S$1k Lazada spend.


Citi Lazada is also a great pick for shoppers because of its exclusive perks, including up to four S$1.99 shipping rebates on S$50+ Lazada orders per month and card-specific Lazada discounts. There is a S$192.6 annual fee, however, which is waived just 1 year. Consumers who prefer shopping at Robinsons stores and who'd like to avoid an annual fee might prefer OCBC Robinsons Credit Card.

OCBC Robinsons v. DBS Woman's World
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Get up to 10X DBS Points (or 20 miles) for online purchases, 3X DBS Point (or 6 miles) for overseas purchases and 1X DBS Point (or 2 miles) for other purchases
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
DBS Woman's World Mastercard offers shoppers with online budgets of about S$2,100/month an easy way to earn at competitive rates without worrying about an annual fee. Cardholders earn 4 miles per S$1 on all online shopping, regardless of merchant type. This rate is roughly equivalent to 4% cashback in value, which slightly lower than OCBC Robinsons's store-specific rebate. General spend, however, earns a higher 0.4 miles per S$1 locally (equal to about 0.4%) and 1.2 miles (about 1.2%) overseas. Therefore, DBS Woman's World is more flexible than OCBC Robinsons Card, both in terms of merchant eligibility and utility outside of shopping spend.


DBS Woman's World does not, however, come with as many store-specific perks. Cardholders receive e-commerce protection, have access to 0% interest instalment plans (with no processing fee), and can take advantage of promotional discounts offered by rotating vendors. These deals may not prove especially helpful to consumers who find themselves mostly shopping at just one store. Additionally, DBS Woman's World has a harder-to-achieve fee waiver, requiring S$25k spend to earn exemption. As a result, while DBS Woman's World is more flexible and earns higher rates on general spend, OCBC Robinsons Card is a better option for department store shoppers looking for a low-maintenance, complementary card.

Zoryana Melesh

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.

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