Ever since the DBS yuu Card received a mega-buff back in April 2023, I’ve had to begrudgingly refer to it as “the only cashback card I’d use” (though, at the risk of winning the gold medal for mental gymnastics, it technically earns points).
After all, it’s hard to say no to 18% rebates which, unless you have an astronomical valuation for miles, easily trumps even 4 mpd alternatives.
But I can finally sleep easy at night, because next month, yuu is adding KrisFlyer as a transfer partner with conversions at a rate of 3.6 points = 1 mile. This means the DBS yuu Card now earns a whopping 10 mpd at Cold Storage, Giant, Guardian, foodpanda, Gojek, and the rest of the yuu ecosystem.
That’s a twist I certainly didn’t see coming, and almost makes all those PCK jingles worth it.
Almost.
yuu Rewards Club adds transfers to KrisFlyer miles
From October 2024 (the exact date is yet to be confirmed), yuu Rewards Club will add Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer as a transfer partner.
 |
|
| yuu Points | KrisFlyer miles |
| 3.6 points | 1 mile |
| Min conversion block: 200 yuu Points | |
Here’s the key points to note:
- Conversions are free of charge
- Conversions are processed instantly
- A minimum conversion block of 200 yuu Points (55 miles) applies, after which conversions are in blocks of 1 mile
- No annual cap on conversions from yuu Points to KrisFlyer miles
This all looks good to me, and the fact that conversions are both free and instant makes it a very useful tool for topping up a KrisFlyer account when you’re just shy of the miles necessary for a redemption. The relatively small conversion block also means you won’t be forced to transfer more points than you need.
| โก Instant Ways To Top-Up KrisFlyer Account | ||
| Method | Minimum Block | Conversion Fees |
| Kris+ | 1 mile | None |
| LinkPoints | 50 miles | None |
| yuu points | 55 miles | None |
| CapitaStars | 380 miles | None |
| HighFlyer points | 1,000 miles | None |
| HSBC points | 10,000 miles* | Waived till 31 Jan 25 |
| *Subsequent conversions can be as small as 2 miles | ||
More details on account linkage and how to make transfers will be provided in due course.
Earn 10 mpd with the DBS yuu card
 DBS yuu Card |
||
| Apply (AMEX) | ||
| Apply (Visa) | ||
| Earn Rate | Remarks | |
| Non-yuu merchants | Base: 1 pt/S$1 0.5% rebate |
No min. spend or cap |
| yuu merchants |
Base: 10 pts/S$1 5% rebate |
No min. spend or cap |
| Bonus: 26 pts/S$1 13% rebate |
Min. S$600 spend per c. month, cap at 15,600 points per c. month | |
| Base points credited when transaction posts, bonus points credited within 60 days after the end of each month | ||
When spending at yuu merchants, the DBS yuu Card earns:
- A base of 10 yuu Points per S$1 (5% rebate/2.78 mpd), with no minimum spend or cap
- A bonus of 26 yuu Points per S$1 (13% rebate/7.22 mpd), subject to a min. monthly spend of S$600 and capped at 15,600 points per month
| โ ๏ธ Remember to scan the yuu app! |
| Out of the base reward of 10 yuu Points per S$1, 9 come from the DBS yuu Card, the remaining 1 from scanning the yuu app at the cashier. Don’t forget to do it! |
This means a combined return of 36 yuu Points per S$1, or 10 mpd, which is simply unbeatable.
| ๐ณ yuu Merchants | |
| Group | Merchants |
| ๐ DFI Retail Group (DFI) |
|
| ๐ BreadTalk Group (BTG) |
|
| ๐ Mandai Wildlife Group |
|
| ๐ฑ Singtel |
|
| ๐ Gojek |
|
| ๐ฝ๏ธ foodpanda |
|
| *Selected outlets only | |
A minimum spend of S$600 per calendar month is required to unlock the 10 mpd rate, which also happens to be the cap. In other words, the magic number to hit here is S$600, because every dollar beyond this earns 2.78 mpd- not terrible, but not as good as 4 mpd alternatives.
As a reminder, the DBS yuu AMEX and DBS yuu Visa each have their own points cap, so if you have both cards, the 10 mpd will be capped at S$1,200 per calendar month instead (you’ll still need to meet the S$600 minimum spend on both cards though).
Over the course of a year, you could earn up to 72,000 miles per yuu Card, enough for a one-way Business Class ticket to Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Osaka, Tokyo or Sydney. Get a second card and you would have just enough for a one-way Suites ticket to London.
Is it worth it?
While yuu’s predecessor TapForMore also offered conversions to KrisFlyer miles (until July 2021 at least), it was never this generous. At best, you were looking at 2.6 mpd with the PAssion POSB Debit Card, or an incremental 0.43 mpd if you wanted to pay with a different payment method.
Needless to say, a 10 mpd earn rate blows it out of the water, and the upshot is that the DBS yuu Card is now the most generous miles card for supermarket, pharmacy, ridesharing and food delivery- provided you stick within the yuu ecosystem.
| โ What about the opportunity cost? |
|
If it’s a choice between 18% rebates or 10 mpd, then isn’t your implicit cost per mile 1.8 cents, and still on the high side? Not exactly. First, it’s important to remember that even though the yuu Card is often referred to as a cashback card, yuu Points aren’t the same as unrestricted cashback- they can only be spent within the yuu ecosystem. To the extent that you don’t have anything else to buy with your points, then conversions to KrisFlyer miles at least give you an outlet you’ll (hopefully) never grow tired of. Second, if you used your points to offset spending at yuu merchants, that would also incur an opportunity cost in terms of foregone miles. For example, if you spend S$600 and use the 21,600 yuu Points as S$108 cashback, you will miss the opportunity to earn a further 1,080 miles (S$108 @ 10 mpd). Therefore, you are sacrificing 7,080 miles for S$108, not 6,000 miles, and the opportunity cost drops to 1.52 cents. |
As I’ve said from the start, there is no way this can continue forever. yuu is being turbocharged by the largesse of its backers (thanks, Temasek!) and there will come a day when the tap is turned off.
In fact, I think it’s no coincidence that the regular, non-boosted earn rate of 10x yuu Points per S$1 at yuu merchants works out to 2.78 mpd- very close to what you’d earn with the POSB PAssion Debit Card under TapForMore, and a better reflection of what’s sustainable in the long run.
Your guess is as good as mine as to how long this can last, but what’s that old chestnut about making hay?
DBS yuu Card welcome offer
If you want to hop onboard the 10 mpd train, there’s currently a couple of welcome offers for the DBS yuu Card, which are available to both new and existing DBS customers who sign up by 30 September 2024.
| Card | New | Existing |
 DBS yuu AMEXApply |
S$150 Code: 150CASH |
S$60 No code required |
 DBS yuu VisaApply |
S$150 Code: 150CASH |
N/A |
| โ New customers are defined as those who do not currently hold a principal DBS/POSB card, and have not cancelled one in the past 12 months |
||
A minimum spend of S$800 (new) or S$300 (existing) within 30 days of approval is required. You’ll obviously want to spend this entire amount at yuu merchants for the biggest possible rebate.
Refer to the following links for the T&Cs:
If you’re a new DBS customer, however, my advice would be to sign up for a different card first through SingSaver to enjoy welcome gifts worth up to S$599, then apply for the DBS yuu AMEX as an existing customer for an extra S$60.
DBS x SingSaver welcome offers: Enjoy gifts worth up to S$599 for new cardholders
Conclusion
From October 2024, yuu Points will be convertible to KrisFlyer miles at a rate of 3.6:1, which turns the DBS yuu Card into a 10 mpd earner at yuu merchants. This is by far the best option for spending at Cold Storage, Giant, Guardian, Gojek, foodpanda, or any other merchant in the yuu ecosystem.
If you haven’t hopped on the yuu-wagon just yet, you should really give it some serious thought, as this kind of generosity can’t last forever. And if you’ve already built up a stash of yuu Points, I can’t think of a better time to start cashing them out.
Does billing my singtel bill to the card count as a yuu merchant?
I would like to know tok
nope.bottom of the T&C. Buying an iphone there might
The first $600 is 2.78mpd?
From $600 then 10mpd?
Or if spend exceed $600, all will be 10mpd
No. $600 for 10mpd assuming all $600 is charged to yuu merchants. Above $600, it will be 2.78mpd.
Will buying $600 CS or Guardian vouchers work ?
recent data points say yes, but since it’s unofficial it can be nerfed at any time
Hi Aaron, does buying Cold Storage voucher considered for eligible bonus point purchase if monthly $600 spending is met? Thanks
Did you read the comment above?
From the Yuu app it seems like there are more yuu merchants not listed above, like JD sports and Shien. Do these merchants qualify for the 600 dollar cap too?
Guardian online qualifies too?
would love to know about this too..
The emphasis should be minimum $600 monthly. Would not get on the boat.
The $600 min/max spend is easy because of Cold Storage and Guardian. Depends on needs, probably easier for families than singles. More for the rest of us, long may it last.