UOB Preferred Platinum Card: Easy Miles for Modern Spenders

Boosted Miles for Online & Mobile Contactless Spend
UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card
UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card

UOB Preferred Platinum Card: Easy Miles for Modern Spenders

Boosted Miles for Online & Mobile Contactless Spend

4.4/5.0

ValueChampion Rating ValueChampion Icon

Rewards
Perks
Fees

Pros

  • Great fit for smaller budgets seeking miles rewards
  • Rewards online shopping

Cons

  • Lacks luxury perks for frequent travellers
  • Doesn't fit traditional spenders uncomfortable w/ digital wallets
  • Annual fee
UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card
UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card is a great option for modern spenders looking for a convenient way to earn miles from everyday purchases–especially those with limited budgets. Cardholders earn 4 miles (2 UNI$) per S$1 online and mobile contactless spend (Visa paywave transactions are not eligible) and 0.4 miles (1 UNI$) per S$1 general spend. As there are no vendor restrictions and an increasing number of merchants in Singapore accept payments via mobile digital wallets, cardholders can easily earn miles on nearly all of their spend. This flexibility–and the corresponding high rates–are impressive. However, there is a "catch." Rewards are capped at the equivalent of 4k miles/month (2k UNI$), which have an approximate S$40 value-to-consumer and can be maxed out with just S$1k spend. As a result, UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card is best for consumers with slightly lower budgets.

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card Features and Benefits

  • Annual Fee: S$192.60, Waived for 1 year
  • Income Requirement: S$30,000 for citizens & PRs, S$80,000 for foreigners
Key Features:
  • Annual fee: S$192.60 (first year- waived)
  • 4 miles (2 UNI$) per S$1 online & mobile contactless spend
  • UOB SMART$ Rebate Programme
  • UOB Dining & Year-Round Privileges
Promotions:
Promotions:

What Makes UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card Stand Out

If you're a modern spender with a limited budget, you can rapidly earn miles on your everyday purchases with UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card. Cardholders earn an impressive 4 miles (2 UNI$) per S$1 spend online, as well as on mobile contactless transactions. These categories are quite comprehensive. In fact, consumers who frequently shop online and are comfortable using a mobile digital wallet can earn rewards for nearly all of their purchases. It is important to point out that payments made via Visa payWave are ineligible, however, so not all contactless purchases qualify.

Details of Transactions Eligible for Boosted Rewards

CategoryDetails
Online TransactionsDepartment & Retail Stores, Supermarkets, Dining, Food Delivery, Entertainment & Ticketing
Mobile Contactless TransactionsCard transactions via Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and UOB Mighty (excludes payments via Visa paywave, Magnetic Secure Transmission Transactions and SimplyGo/ABT transactions performed on public bus & train readers)
Category & Details
Online Transactions
  • Department & Retail Stores
  • Supermarkets, Dining, Food Delivery
  • Entertainment & Ticketing
Mobile Contactless
  • Card transactions via Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and UOB Mighty
  • Excludes payments via VisapayWave, Magnetic Secure Transmission Transactions and SimplyGo/ABT transactions performed on public bus & train readers)

While UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card's rewards categories are quite flexible, there is one significant drawback. Monthly earnings are capped at just 4k miles (2k UNI$), which is approximately equal in value to S$40. This amount can be maxed out with as little as S$1k spend, which is quite limiting given the average consumer spends about S$2k/month. However, modern spenders with smaller budgets may find that UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card is a perfect match for their needs. Finally, competitor cards with similar rates have equivalent caps, but with more restrictive categories.

Rate, Category & Cap Comparison of Similar Rewards Cards

Credit CardBoosted RateEligible CategoriesCap
UOB Preferred Platinum4 mi/S$1
  • Online transactions
  • Mobile contactless transactions
4k mi/mo
Citi Rewards
  • Online transactions
  • Fashion retail
OCBC Titanium
  • Online transactions w/ select merchants
  • Fashion retail
Featured cards technically earn in points, which can be converted to miles. Table shows miles value to allow for standardised comparison

Beyond its rewards rates, UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card also comes with a few perks. Cardholders earn special cash rebates at varying rates for spend with select merchants, via the UOB SMART$ Rebate Programme. While spend with these merchants is not eligible for miles/UNI$, cardholders can still earn cashback of up to 10% in unique categories like wellness, petrol, insurance & more. Other perks include access to UOB Dining & Year-Round Offers, which provide discounts on select food, travel, shopping and more. While there is a S$192.6 fee, waived just 1 year, these benefits as well as its competitive rates make UOB Preferred Platinum Card a great option for modern spenders.

How Does UOB Preferred Platinum Card's Rewards Program Work?

Use our quick guide below to learn how you can redeem UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card's rewards.

  • Spend earns in UNI$ (points)
  • Spend incurred by supplementary cardmembers accrues to principal cardmember's account (therefore contributing towards maxing out the rewards cap)
  • UNI$ can be redeemed for merchant vouchers, cash credit or air miles
  • Miles are redeemed in blocks of UNI$5,000 for 10,000 air miles (KrisFlyer or Asia)
  • Cardholders must pay S$25 fee/miles redemption or a S$50 fee for 1 year of auto-conversion
  • UNI$ expire 2 years after the periodic quarter in which they were earned
  • UNI$ cannot be replaced or reinstated

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card's Rewards Exclusions

The following credit card expenditures are ineligible for rewards.

0% Instalment Payment Plans; SmartPay; personal loan; balance/funds transfers; cash advances; fees; interests; finance charges; late payment charges; annual fee charges; reversals; any fees payable to UOB (or any third party) for transfer of any debit balance on any other credit card; any credit card transaction that was charged to the Card Account but was subsequently cancelled, void or reversed for any reason
NETS and NETS-related transactions; any transactions or payments made at, via or to AXS; any payment via SmoovPay; stored Grab mobile wallet top-ups (though all other Grab transactions will continue to be eligible for awarding of UNI$); stored value card purchase/load; remote stored value load for financial institute rentals and/or merchant rentals (quasi-cash); payment of funds to prepaid accounts including Banc de Binary, EZ Link, FlashPay, MoneyBookers, OANDA Asia PAC, Paypal, Saxo Cap Mkts, Skrill, SkyFX, Transit Link, IG Markets (and others)
Payments to member financial institutions (merchandise & services, including quasi-cash) and non-financial institutions (foreign currency, non-fiat currency, cryptocurrency, including quasi-cash); securities brokers and dealers; wire transfer/remittance; remote money transfers (quasi-cash); insurance services (direct marketing, sales, underwriting); court costs (including alimony and child support) fines, bail and bond payments; tax payments; government services including postal services and intra-government purchases; payments to educational institutions (including elementary, secondary, colleges, universities, professional schools, junior colleges, correspondence schools, business and secretarial schools, trade and vocational schools & all other educational services); religious, political, charitable and social service organisations; gambling and betting (including lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, off-track betting, and wagers at race tracks)
Nondurable goods; real estate agents & managers (rentals); cleaning/maintenance/janitorial services (aka property management); truck stop transactions (quasi-cash); any spending deemed to be for commercial and/or non-personal purchases; any transactions at SMART$ merchants where SMART$ are issued. Note: SimplyGo transactions performed on public bus and train readers are eligible for boosted rewards rate

How does UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card Compare to Other Cards?

Read our comparisons of UOB Preferred Platinum 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 credit cards in terms of value-to-consumer after two years, based on an average monthly spend of S$2,000
UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card v. Citi Rewards Card
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Up to 4 miles per S$1 for fashion & online spend
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
Citi Rewards Card is a great option for miles-seeking shoppers who make a great deal of their purchases online. Cardholders earn 10 points–the equivalent of 4 miles–for each S$1 of online spend. This includes everything from typical shopping to online food delivery and even Grab bookings, though online travel and mobile wallet pay are excluded. This clearly deviates from UOB Preferred Platinum Card, which offers a boosted rate for mobile contactless purchases. However, Citi Rewards Card also offers 4 miles per S$1 for all fashion retail; UOB Preferred Platinum Card does not reward offline purchases.


Beyond this, the two cards are quite similar. General spend earns the equivalent of 0.4 miles per S$1 and both have a total monthly earnings cap equal to 4k miles. Both cards also have a S$192.6 annual fee, waived the 1st year. As a result, Citi Rewards Card is simply a better option for those with higher fashion spend while UOB Preferred Platinum may be better for modern generalist spenders.

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card v. OCBC Titanium Card
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: 4 miles per S$1 on fashion & select retail
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
If you're a frequent shopper but would like to avoid paying an annual fee, you may want to consider OCBC Titanium Rewards Card. Cardholders earn the equivalent of 4 miles per S$1 on all fashion spend–online, offline, locally and overseas–plus 4 miles per S$1 with a wide variety of online vendors. These vendors include Amazon, Lazada, Qoo10, Shopee and many more, making it fairly easy to earn higher rates on a variety of purchases.


Nonetheless, this online boost is far more restrictive than that offered by UOB Preferred Platinum. OCBC Titanium cardholders must manage their purchases based on merchant restrictions and are unlikely to earn higher rewards for online food delivery or transport bookings. Nonetheless, OCBC Titanium has one key positive differentiator from UOB Preferred Platinum–consumers who spend just S$10k/year (about S$833/month) are completely exempt from the S$192.6 annual fee. As such, individuals who are willing to track vendors as a trade-off to avoiding fees may prefer OCBC Titanium Card.

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card v. DBS Live Fresh Card
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Get up to 10% cashback w/ S$600 min. spend - 5% cashback on Online and Visa Contactless Spend, 5% green cashback at selected eco-eateries, retailers and transport services. Additional 0.3% cashback on all other spend
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
If you don't mind earning cashback instead of miles, DBS Live Fresh Card might be right for you. Just as with UOB Preferred Platinum Card, DBS Live Fresh cardholders earn elevated rewards for online and contactless spend (5% rebate in each category). However, DBS Live Fresh's contactless rate applies to Visa payWave purchases, which are expressly excluded by UOB Preferred Platinum Card (which only rewards mobile pay transactions). Additionally, the value of 5% cashback is slightly higher than the average redemption value of 4 miles per S$1, which translates to about 4%.


Another key difference between these cards is their respective earnings caps. While UOB Preferred Platinum's cap is set at 4k miles overall (equal to about S$40 in redemption value), DBS Live Fresh Card has an earnings cap of S$60/month, which is substantially higher. However, this cap is also quite misleading–each of DBS Live Fresh Card's respective categories (online, Visa payWave and general spend) are individually capped at S$20/month. Given general spend earns just 0.3% cashback, it's incredibly difficult for consumers to max out this rewards category. In fact, it's far more likely that DBS Live Fresh cardholders will earn about S$40/month at most, which ultimately aligns with UOB Preferred Platinum's cap.

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card v. Citi Rewards
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Up to 4 miles per S$1 for fashion & online spend
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
Citi Rewards Card is a great option for miles-seeking shoppers who make a great deal of their purchases online. Cardholders earn 10 points–the equivalent of 4 miles–for each S$1 of online spend. This includes everything from typical shopping to online food delivery and even Grab bookings, though online travel and mobile wallet pay are excluded. This clearly deviates from UOB Preferred Platinum Card, which offers a boosted rate for mobile contactless purchases. However, Citi Rewards Card also offers 4 miles per S$1 for all fashion retail; UOB Preferred Platinum Card does not reward offline purchases.


Beyond this, the two cards are quite similar. General spend earns the equivalent of 0.4 miles per S$1 and both have a total monthly earnings cap equal to 4k miles. Both cards also have a S$192.6 annual fee, waived the 1st year. As a result, Citi Rewards Card is simply a better option for those with higher fashion spend while UOB Preferred Platinum may be better for modern generalist spenders.

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card v. OCBC Titanium
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: 4 miles per S$1 on fashion & select retail
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
If you're a frequent shopper but would like to avoid paying an annual fee, you may want to consider OCBC Titanium Rewards Card. Cardholders earn the equivalent of 4 miles per S$1 on all fashion spend–online, offline, locally and overseas–plus 4 miles per S$1 with a wide variety of online vendors. These vendors include Amazon, Lazada, Qoo10, Shopee and many more, making it fairly easy to earn higher rates on a variety of purchases.


Nonetheless, this online boost is far more restrictive than that offered by UOB Preferred Platinum. OCBC Titanium cardholders must manage their purchases based on merchant restrictions and are unlikely to earn higher rewards for online food delivery or transport bookings. Nonetheless, OCBC Titanium has one key positive differentiator from UOB Preferred Platinum–consumers who spend just S$10k/year (about S$833/month) are completely exempt from the S$192.6 annual fee. As such, individuals who are willing to track vendors as a trade-off to avoiding fees may prefer OCBC Titanium Card.

UOB Preferred Platinum Credit Card v. DBS Live Fresh
  • Annual Fee: S$194.40
  • Stand-Out: Get up to 10% cashback w/ S$600 min. spend - 5% cashback on Online and Visa Contactless Spend, 5% green cashback at selected eco-eateries, retailers and transport services. Additional 0.3% cashback on all other spend
  • Promotion:
  • Read Our Full Review
If you don't mind earning cashback instead of miles, DBS Live Fresh Card might be right for you. Just as with UOB Preferred Platinum Card, DBS Live Fresh cardholders earn elevated rewards for online and contactless spend (5% rebate in each category). However, DBS Live Fresh's contactless rate applies to Visa payWave purchases, which are expressly excluded by UOB Preferred Platinum Card (which only rewards mobile pay transactions). Additionally, the value of 5% cashback is slightly higher than the average redemption value of 4 miles per S$1, which translates to about 4%.


Another key difference between these cards is their respective earnings caps. While UOB Preferred Platinum's cap is set at 4k miles overall (equal to about S$40 in redemption value), DBS Live Fresh Card has an earnings cap of S$60/month, which is substantially higher. However, this cap is also quite misleading–each of DBS Live Fresh Card's respective categories (online, Visa payWave and general spend) are individually capped at S$20/month. Given general spend earns just 0.3% cashback, it's incredibly difficult for consumers to max out this rewards category. In fact, it's far more likely that DBS Live Fresh cardholders will earn about S$40/month at most, which ultimately aligns with UOB Preferred Platinum's cap.

Read Also:

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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