UOB cardholders should know that of all the potential gotchas they need to contend with, there’s no bigger minefield than UOB$ merchants (formerly known as SMART$ merchants).
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| UOB$ Programme |
Once upon a time, the UOB$ merchant list was relatively small, with less than two dozen partners. However, in recent years the network has grown and now numbers more than 100, including popular F&B outlets and retailers like Aburi-EN, BreadTalk, Cathay Cineplexes, Cold Storage, Crystal Jade, Guardian, Miniso, Sakae Sushi, Starbucks, Tanuki Raw and Toast Box. To further complicate matters, not all locations within a given chain participate. For example, Starbucks at Plaza Singapura is a UOB$ merchant, but Starbucks at Changi Jewel isn’t.
As the UX of the UOB website does not make it easy to check the list of UOB$ merchants on the fly, this article serves to consolidate everything into one place. I’ll be publishing an update each month or quarter, depending on how often the list changes.
If you’ve stumbled upon this article via a search engine and want to ensure you’re reading the most up-to-date version, click this link and look for the topmost article.
| โ ๏ธ UOB $ Merchants |
What’s the problem with UOB$ merchants?
UOB$ is UOB’s card-wide cashback rewards scheme. Transactions made with UOB cards at UOB$ merchants earn UOB$, which can be redeemed on the next bill with the same merchant.
However, this comes at the expense of earning UNI$.
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UNI$ will not be awarded for: … 20.4 any transactions at UOB$ merchants where UOB$ are issued |
Don’t get confused by the similar naming; UNI$ can be redeemed for airline miles, while UOB$ cannot!
For example, suppose you visit UOB$ merchant Miniso (4% rebates) and use your UOB Preferred Platinum Visa to pay for a S$20 transaction (via mobile contactless).
Instead of the usual 80 miles (40 UNI$, based on 10 UNI$ per S$5), you’ll earn S$0.80 in UOB$. This S$0.80 is not used to offset your bill; instead, it can only be spent at a future transaction at Miniso.
It should go without saying that 80 miles, worth S$1.20 by my conservative valuation, are a much better return than S$0.80 which remember, can only be spent at the same merchant.
UOB$ can be tracked via the UOB TMRW app. Tap on Rewards+ > My rewards > UOB$.
This shows a summary of the UOB$ you’ve earned at various merchants, as well as the expiry date. If nothing else, let this screen remind you of all the miles you lost by not choosing another card!
Latest UOB$ merchant summary
New UOB$ merchants
No new UOB$ merchants have been added for the month of September 2024.
Removed UOB$ merchants
The following merchants have been removed in the month of September 2024.
| โ Removed UOB$ Merchants: September 2024 | ||
| Category | Merchant | Rebate |
| Dining | Dirty Supper | 3% |
| Dining | PastaGo | 2% |
| Gourmet Dining | Hortus | 3% |
| Gourmet Dining | Kotuwa | 3% |
| Gourmet Dining | Meatsmith Little India | 3% |
| Gourmet Dining | Meatsmith Telok Ayer | 3% |
| Gourmet Dining | Restaurant Majestic | 3% |
| Gourmet Dining | The Market Grill & Wine 90 | 3% |
| Gourmet Dining | Yuan Cuisine Group | 15% |
Full list of UOB$ merchants
Here’s the latest list of UOB$ merchants, current as of 23 September 2024 (you can on sections to collapse them for easier navigation).
Dining
Dining
| Merchant | Rebate | Remarks |
| 8 Degrees Taiwanese Bistro | 5% |
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| A&A Bistro & Cafรฉ | 3% |
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| Aburi-EN | 3% |
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| Bee Cheng Hiang | 2% |
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| Bonchon | 5% | |
| BreadTalk | 3% |
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| Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza | 5% |
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| Canteen by Trapeze Rec. Club | 3% |
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| Carl’s Jr | 3% |
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| Cellarbration | 3% | |
| Cinnabon | 5% | |
| Co Chung | 10% |
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| Crystal Jade Group | 3% |
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| Famous Kitchen | 5% |
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| Famous Palace | 5% |
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| Famous Treasure | 5% |
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| Feng Tian Xiao Chu | 5% |
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| Francesca’s | 5% |
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| Hang Heung | 5% |
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| Hard Rock Cafe | 3% | |
| Hei Sushi | 3% | |
| House of Seafood | 3% (cap S$60) |
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| House of White Beehoon | 3% |
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| I.N.U Cafe and Boutique | 5% |
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| Ivins | 3% (cap S$50) |
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| Jia He Xing | 3% | |
| Kinara Contemporary Indian Cuisine | 10% |
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| Kinara North West | 10% |
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| Kyojo Dining | 5% |
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| Little Italy | 10% |
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| MOA Restrobar | 3% (min. S$40) |
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| Mr Biryani | 3% |
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| Mr. Coconut | 2% |
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| Mun Zuk | 5% |
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| Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant | 5% |
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| Nong Geng Ji | 5% |
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| Orchid Live Seafood | 3% (cap S$30) |
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| OSO Ristorante | 5% |
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| Patisserie G | 5% |
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| Pearl Hill Garden Restaurant | 5% |
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| Polar Puffs and Cakes | 2% |
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| Potato Corner | 3% | |
| Sakae Sushi | 3% | |
| Salmon Samurai | 3% |
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| Secret Mermaid | 3% | |
| Standing Sushi Bar | 3% | |
| Starbucks | 2% (min. S$10) |
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| Sushiro | 5% | |
| Swatow Seafood Restaurant | 5% |
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| Tangmen Restaurant | 5% |
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| Tanuki Raw | 3% | |
| Tarte by Cheryl Koh | 5% | |
| Taste of India | 5% (cap S$8) |
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| Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ Restaurant | 5% |
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| Tian Tian You Yu | 10% |
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| Toast Box | 3% |
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| Yole | 10% |
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Gourmet Dining
Gourmet Dining
| Merchant | Rebate | Remarks |
| Kappou Miyako | 5% (cap S$100) |
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Groceries
Groceries
| Merchant | Rebate | Remarks |
| Cold Storage | 1% (min. S$50) |
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| Giant | 1% (min. S$50) |
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| Jasons Deli | 1% (min. S$50) |
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Lux Retail
Lux Retail
| Merchant | Rebate | Remarks |
| CDG | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Club21 | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| DKNY | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Jil Sander | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Mulberry | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Paul Smith | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| PLAY CDG | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Sacai | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Stella McCartney | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
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| Thom Browne | 10% (min. S$1.5K) |
Do note that the earn rate for all of the above merchants will be cut to 5% from 26 October to 31 December 2024, before reverting to 10% from 1 January to 25 April 2025.
Retail and Services
Retail and Services
| Merchant | Rebate | Remarks |
| Aesthetic Works MediSpa | 3% (min. S$500) |
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| agnรจs B | 5% |
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| Buff’d Nail Spa | 3% | |
| CASA | 3% |
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| Code Bright Academy | 3% | |
| COSLAB | 3% |
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| Crocodile | 3% |
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| Delta Dental Surgeons | 3% |
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| Fortune Supermarket | 2% | |
| Gordon Max | 3% |
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| G-Star Raw | 5% |
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| Guardian | 1% (min. S$50) |
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| Hall of Fame | 6% |
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| Hang Ten | 3% |
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| HoneyWorld | 3% | |
| iRun | 6% |
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| Le Coq Sportif | 5% |
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| LFC | 6% |
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| Limited Edt Underground | 6% |
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| M)phosis | 3% |
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| Maco Nail Spa | 3% | |
| Miniso | 4% |
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| Mr Jeff | 5% |
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| New Era | 6% | |
| Nitori | 3% |
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| Optique Paris Miki | 2% |
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| OZARA | 3% |
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| Picota Nail Spa | 3% | |
| Pixie Nail Spa | 3% | |
| Qoosh Nail Spa | 3% | |
| Replay | 5% |
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| Salivan Beauty Clinic | 5% |
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| Sports Fashion | 6% |
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| Surferโs Paradise | 3% |
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| The Stretch Clinic | 5% |
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| Under Armour | 6% |
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| Weston Corp | 6% |
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| Winter Time | 2% |
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Travel and Entertainment
Travel and Entertainment
| Merchant | Rebate | Remarks |
| Cathay Cineplexes | 2% | |
| City Tours | 10% |
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Exceptions
But here’s one important caveat: using a UOB credit card at a UOB$ merchant is not an automatic death sentence.
While some cardholders will walk away with no UNI$ at all, others will earn some due to a quirk of the UOB system.
| ๐ณ Transactions at UOB$ merchants | |
| No UNI$/KrisFlyer miles awarded | No base UNI$ awarded, but bonus UNI$ awarded |
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| Note: UOB PRVI Miles AMEX does not participate in the UOB$ programme, and will earn UNI$ at UOB$ merchants as per normal | |
If you use a KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card, UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, UOB PRVI Miles Visa/Mastercard, UOB Reserve or UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card, you will not earn any UNI$ (or KrisFlyer miles in the case of the KrisFlyer UOB) at UOB$ merchants, period.
If you use a UOB Lady’s Card, UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card, or UOB Visa Signature:
- You will not earn the 1X base UNI$ (0.4 mpd) on a transaction at a UOB$ merchant
- However, you will still earn the 9X bonus UNI$ (3.6 mpd), assuming all the other eligibility conditions are met. This will be awarded at the end of the calendar month (UOB Lady’s Card/Lady’s Solitaire Card) or statement month (UOB Visa Signature)
For more on why this is the case, refer to the post below.
Confirmed: UOB$ merchants qualify for bonus miles with UOB cards
To illustrate, suppose I use my UOB Lady’s Card to make 3x transactions at Cold Storage in a given calendar month:
- Transaction 1: S$15
- Transaction 2: S$30
- Transaction 3: S$45
I will initially receive 0 base UNI$, because this is a UOB$ merchant.
However, the following calendar month, I will receive 162 bonus UNI$, attributable as follows:
- Transaction 1: 0 base UNI$, 27 bonus UNI$
- Transaction 2: 0 base UNI$, 54 bonus UNI$
- Transaction 3: 0 base UNI$, 81 bonus UNI$
162 UNI$= 324 miles, which given a total spend of S$90 works out to 3.6 mpd. While it’s annoying to earn 0.4 mpd less than what you “rightfully” should, it’s still a lot better than nothing!
Do note that the UOB PRVI Miles AMEX does not participate in the UOB$ programme, and will earn UNI$ as per normal at UOB$ merchants.
UOB$ merchant workarounds
If you still wish to use UOB cards at UOB$ merchants, there’s a couple of workarounds you can consider to circumvent the UOB$ issue.
(1) Pair your card with Amaze
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| Apply here |
| Use code 7HK2A2 for 225 bonus InstaPoints |
If you have the UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard, UOB Lady’s Card or UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card, you can pair it with Amaze to earn UNI$ instead of UOB$.
For instance, I can pair my UOB Lady’s Card to Amaze and pay at Cold Storage with Amaze. I’ll earn the full 4 mpd, subject to selecting “Family” as my quarterly 10X category. That’s because the merchant name becomes AMAZE*Cold Storage (as opposed to Cold Storage), yet the MCC remains the same at 5411 (Supermarkets), which triggers the bonus UNI$.
As a reminder:
- All Amaze transactions code as online
- All Amaze transactions will be billed in SGD (converted at Amaze’s FCY rates if necessary)
- All Amaze transactions retain the original MCC of the underlying transaction
- Amaze can be paired with any Mastercard credit or debit card
- Any domestic SGD transactions over S$1,000 per calendar month will be subject to a 1% fee
Take note of the last point in particular, especially if you’re also using Amaze with the Citi Rewards Card for its offline-to-online ability.
Do note that UOB will exclude Amaze transactions from 1 October 2024, and this method will no longer be possible.
(2) Pay using Kris+
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| S$5 for new Kris+ Users |
| Get S$5 (in the form of 750 KrisPay miles) when you sign-up with code W644363 and make your first transaction |
Some UOB$ merchants are also available through Kris+, such as Aburi-EN, Bee Cheng Hiang, Patisserie G and Polar Puffs and Cakes.
If you want to use your UOB cards, paying via Kris+ will let you earn UNI$ (and KrisPay miles, of course), notwithstanding the fact the merchant participates in the UOB$ programme. It’s similar to the Amaze scenario, where the merchant name changes but the MCC stays the same.
Here’s the best UOB cards to use for Kris+ dining and Kris+ shopping.
| ๐ณ Best UOB Cards for Kris+ Dining & Shopping | ||
| Card | Earn Rate | Remarks |
 UOB Lady’s CardApply |
4 mpd | Max. S$1K per c. month. Must choose dining/fashion as bonus category |
 UOB Lady’s SolitaireApply |
4 mpd | Max. S$2K per c. month. Must choose dining/fashion as bonus category |
 UOB Pref. Plat. VisaApply |
4 mpd | Max. S$1.1K per c. month |
 KrisFlyer UOB CardApply |
3 mpd | No cap |
As a reminder:
- All Kris+ payments must be made in-app via Apple Pay or Google Pay
- All Kris+ transactions code as online
- Kris+ transactions retain the original MCC of the underlying transaction
(3) Shop online
If online shopping is an option, then paying with your UOB cards will earn UNI$ as per normal, at least at some UOB$ merchants.
However, this isn’t foolproof because I’ve seen other reports of Guardian and Cathay Cineplexes not awarding UNI$ for online transactions (here’s where more data points would be helpful, so chip in if you have them!).
Conclusion
September 2024 sees the virtual disappearance of UOB$’s gourmet dining category, with Hortus, Kotuwa, Meatsmith (both locations), Restaurant Majestic, The Market Grill & Wine 90 and Yuan Cuisine Group dropping off the list.
Fortunately, there are no new additions to worry about.
UOB$ merchants are an annoying feature of UOB cards, but given how useful they are otherwise (they’re all fixtures of my credit card strategy), I don’t think that’s sufficient reason to give up on them altogether. You’ll just need to be on your toes, especially if you’re using the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa!
“While itโs annoying to earn 0.4 mpd less than what you โrightfullyโ should, itโs still a lot better than nothing!”
Isn’t earning 3.6mpd + UOB$ rebate far better than 4mpd?
really depends on the merchant. keep in mind some have min. spend to earn UOB$ like supermarkets. also keep in mind the cashback is captive and can only be spent at the same merchant, so it’s useless if you’re only visiting them once.
UOB always put such tricks, including limited number of spending / signups offers. With Amaze no longer works with UOB Krisflyer card, I think i would just stay away from UOB.