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Review: UOB PRVI Miles Card

Competitive earn rates, lounge access and an excellent airport limo benefit make the UOB PRVI Miles Card a great pick for a general spending card- assuming UOB's gotchas don't bother you.

Hereโ€™s The MileLionโ€™s review of the UOB PRVI Miles Card, which UOB proudly markets as โ€œthe highest limitless miles cardโ€ in Singapore.

  โ€œHighest limitless miles cardโ€ refers to the highest miles earn rate on general eligible spending in comparison with other comparable entry-level non-premium miles credit cards in Singapore that award miles with no minimum spend and no cap on miles earned, as of 1 October 2024. 

That claim does come with littered with caveats, but even so, it really is one of the better general spending miles cards in Singapore. Cardholders enjoy periodic bonuses on overseas spending, and one of the best airport limo benefits on the market with the AMEX version of the card. In October 2024, the value proposition was enhanced further with the addition of four airport lounge visits, as well as an uncapped โ€œregional bonusโ€ of 3 mpd on IDR, MYR, THB and VND transactions.

Itโ€™s not all smooth sailing. Youโ€™ll need to get used to UOBโ€™s quirks, like punitive rounding policies and the automatic deduction of UNI$ for annual fees. But if thatโ€™s not a deal-breaker, then the UOB PRVI Miles Card can form the anchor of a UOB-centric strategy, complemented by high-earning options like the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, UOB Visa Signature, and UOB Ladyโ€™s Card.

UOB PRVI Miles Card
๐Ÿฆ MileLion Verdict
โ˜ Take It
โ˜‘ Take It Or Leave It
โ˜ Leave It

What do these ratings mean?
Competitive earn rates, lounge access and an excellent airport limo benefit make the UOB PRVI Miles Card a great pick for a general spending card- assuming UOBโ€™s gotchas donโ€™t bother you.
๐Ÿ‘ The good ๐Ÿ‘Ž The bad
  • Highest earn rates of any entry-level general spending card
  • Occasional overseas spending promos 
  • AMEX version offers the best airport limo benefit on the market
  • 4x airport lounge visits
  • UNI$ pool across cards
  • S$5 earn blocks, automatic UNI$ deductions for annual fees, and the rest of UOBโ€™s usual gotchas
  • 2-year points expiry
  • No miles with annual fee payment
  • Lounge visits cannot be shared with guests
  • Limited transfer partners
๐Ÿ’ณ Full List of Credit Card Reviews

Overview: UOB PRVI Miles Card

Letโ€™s start this review by looking at the key features of the UOB PRVI Miles Card. 

Apply (AMEX)
Apply (MC)
Apply (Visa)
Income Req. S$30,000 p.a. Points Validity 2 years
Annual Fee S$261.60
(FYF Option)
Min.
Transfer
5,000 UNI$
(10,000 miles)
Miles with
Annual Fee
N/A Transfer
Partners
3
FCY Fee 3.25% Transfer Fee S$25
Local Earn 1.4 mpd Points Pool? Yes
FCY Earn 2.4 mpd
(3 mpd for IDR, MYR, THB, VND)
Lounge Access? Yes: 4x Priority Pass
Special Earn 8 mpd on Agoda, 6 mpd on Expedia Airport Limo? Yes 
(AMEX only)
Cardholder Terms and Conditions

The UOB PRVI Miles Card is issued across all three card networks: American Express, Mastercard, and Visa.

Income requirements, annual fees, earn rates and benefits are the same for all, though the American Express version has two unique features:

  • 20,000 bonus miles for spending at least S$50,000 in a membership year
  • Complimentary airport limo transfers

Iโ€™ll discuss these in more detail below. 

How much must I earn to qualify for a UOB PRVI Miles Card?

Once upon a time, the UOB PRVI Miles Card had an annual income requirement of S$80,000. However, the requirement was gradually lowered, and today the card has been repositioned at the S$30,000 entry-level segment.

If you donโ€™t meet the income requirement, you can place a S$10,000 fixed deposit with UOB and get a secured version of the card. Visit any UOB branch for further information. 

How much is the UOB PRVI Miles Cardโ€™s annual fee?

  Principal Card Supp. Card
First Year Free First 1 free, S$130.80 after
Subsequent S$261.60 First 1 free, S$130.80 after

While other general spending cards like the Citi PremierMiles and DBS Altitude carry annual fees of S$196,20, the UOB PRVI Miles Card is slightly more expensive. 

Principal cardholders are charged S$261.60 per year, with the first year waived (you will need to pay the first yearโ€™s annual fee if you want to enjoy the welcome offer though- see below). 

There is a perpetual fee waiver for the first supplementary card, and a S$130.80 annual fee for the second card onwards.

Most general spending cards charge you an annual fee if you donโ€™t hit a minimum annual spend, but award some miles in return. With UOB, itโ€™s the opposite:

  • If you spend at least S$50,000 in a membership year on the UOB PRVI Miles AMEX, your annual fee will be waived and youโ€™ll receive 20,000 miles. This will be credited in the form of 10,000 UNI$ within two statement periods from the cardโ€™s anniversary date
  • If you fall short of the threshold, or if you hold the UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard or UOB PRVI Miles Visa, youโ€™ll be billed the annual fee at the start of the second year with no miles to show for it

Thankfully, itโ€™s not too difficult to get an annual fee waiver. However, be warned that UOBโ€™s default behaviour is to automatically deduct your UNI$ to cover the annual fee.

How do UOBโ€™s automatic UNI$ deductions for annual fees work?

When the time comes for renewal, you will either be charged: 

  1. 6,500 UNI$ for a full waiver
  2. 3,250 UNI$ + S$130.80 for a half waiver
  • If you have at least 6,500 UNI$ in your account, you will be charged (i)
  • If you have less than 6,500 UNI$ but more than 3,250 UNI$, you will be charged (ii)
  • If you donโ€™t have at least 3,250 UNI$, youโ€™ll be charged the S$261.60 annual fee in cash.

Itโ€™s up to you to monitor your statement and request a waiver when this happens. Look at the expiry date on your credit card; the month corresponds to the month your annual fee will be charged. 

For what itโ€™s worth, if UOB subsequently grants you a fee waiver, the reinstated UNI$ will have a fresh 2-year validity.

What welcome offers are available?

Apply (AMEX)
Apply (MC)
Apply (Visa)
T&Cs

New-to-bank customers who apply for a UOB PRVI Miles AMEX, Mastercard or Visa will enjoy up to 46,000 bonus miles, split into:

  • 20,000 miles for paying the first yearโ€™s S$261.60 annual fee
  • 26,000 miles for spending S$2,000 per month for two consecutive months

This works out to a cost of 0.57 cents per mile, and one of the better offers youโ€™ll see for a UOB card.

โ“ New-to-bank

New-to-bank customers are defined as those who:

  • do not currently hold any principal UOB credit card, and
  • have not cancelled a principal UOB credit card within the past 6 months

There is no cap on the maximum customers eligible for either component. However, you must be approved by the end of the month in which you apply, so donโ€™t leave your application till the last minute.

The S$4,000 minimum spend will earn:

  • 5,600 base miles, if spent in SGD @ 1.4 mpd
  • 9,600 base miles, if spent in FCY @ 2.4 mpd
  • 12,000 base miles, if spent in IDR, MYR, THB or VND @ 3 mpd

UOB assumes the third scenario in its marketing, which is why youโ€™ll see this advertised as a 58,000 miles welcome offer (46,000 bonus + 12,000 base) on its website.

How many miles do I earn?

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ SGD Spend ๐ŸŒŽ FCY Spend โญ Bonus Spend
1.4 mpd 3 mpd (IDR, MR, THB, VND)
2.4 mpd (Others)
8 mpd on Agoda,
6 mpd on Expedia

SGD/FCY Spend

UOB PRVI Miles Card members earn:

  • UNI$3.5 for every S$5 spent in Singapore Dollars
  • UNI$6 for every S$5 spent in foreign currency (FCY)
  • UNI$7.5 for every S$5 spent in IDR, MYR, THB and VND

1 UNI$ is worth 2 airline miles, so thatโ€™s an equivalent earn rate of 1.4 mpd for local spending, 2.4 mpd for FCY spending, and 3 mpd for IDR, MYR, THB and VND spending.

These are the highest earn rates for any general spending card at the S$30,000 income level, though you need to be careful with smaller transactions, where UOBโ€™s punitive rounding policy starts to bite (more on that below).

๐Ÿ’ณ Earn Rates for General Spending Cards
(income req.: S$30K)
Cards Local Spend FCY Spend
UOB PRVI Miles Card 1.4 mpd 3 mpd
IDR, MR, THB, VND
2.4 mpd
All Others
HSBC TravelOne Card 1.2 mpd 2.4 mpd
DBS Altitude Card 1.3 mpd 2.2 mpd
OCBC 90ยฐN Card 1.3 mpd 2.1 mpd
Citi PremierMiles Card 1.2 mpd 2.2 mpd
StanChart Journey Card 1.2 mpd 2 mpd
BOC Elite Miles Card 1 mpd 2 mpd
KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card 1.2 mpd 1.2 mpd
AMEX KrisFlyer Ascend 1.2 mpd 1.2 mpd
AMEX KrisFlyer Credit Card 1.1 mpd 1.1 mpd

All FCY transactions are subject to a 3.25% fee, which is par the course for the market.

๐Ÿ’ณ FCY Fees by Issuer and Card Network
Issuer โ†“ MC & Visa AMEX
Standard Chartered 3.5% N/A
American Express N/A 3.25%
Citibank 3.25% N/A
DBS 3.25% 3%
HSBC 3.25% N/A
Maybank 3.25% N/A
OCBC 3.25% N/A
UOB 3.25% 3.25%
BOC 3% N/A
CIMB 3% N/A

With a 3.25% fee, using your UOB PRVI Miles Card overseas means buying miles at:

  • 1.08 cents each, for IDR, MYR, THB and VND
  • 1.35 cents each, in other currencies

Unfortunately, thereโ€™s another UOB quirk here. While other banks define overseas transactions simply as those charged in currencies other than Singapore Dollars, UOB further requires that the payment gateway be overseas. As per the T&Cs:

For the avoidance of doubt, card transactions made overseas but effected/charged in Singapore dollars and online transactions effected in Singapore dollars or in foreign currencies at merchants with payment gateway in Singapore will not be treated as overseas transactions and will earn UNI$3.5 per S$5 spend

In other words, if youโ€™re shopping on an online website which bills you US$100 (~S$140), but processes the payment within Singapore (Hotels.com is an example), youโ€™ll earn miles at the local spending rate of 1.4 mpd.

How do you know where the payment processing is done? You donโ€™t. This is something youโ€™ll just have to learn as you go along, by tracking your points carefully.

UOB$ merchants

In the past, UOB cardholders had to be careful about UOB$ merchants, where UOB$ cashback would be awarded in lieu of UNI$ points.

However, from 1 November 2024, UOB cardholders can double dip on both UOB$ and UNI$  at UOB$ merchants, a reversal of the previous either-or policy. This means that UOB$ merchants are now something to be welcomed rather than feared, because itโ€™s extra cashback on top of your miles. 

I publish a monthly roundup of UOB$ merchants, which can be found here. 

OTA bonuses

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders can enjoy 8 mpd on hotel bookings with Agoda, and 6 mpd on hotels and flight bookings with Expedia.

One caveat: all bookings must be made through special landing pages, which tend to charge higher prices than publicly-available rates for hotels. This doesnโ€™t necessarily mean itโ€™s a bad deal โ€” you see it as an opportunity to buy miles โ€” but it does mean you should comparison shop and ensure the premium you pay is worth it

Fortunately, the same rule doesnโ€™t apply for airline tickets, which will usually be around the same price as the official website- though it doesnโ€™t hurt to check!

8 mpd with Agoda

UOB x Agoda
T&Cs

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders will earn 8 mpd on hotel bookings with Agoda, when they book via the special UOB x Agoda landing page.

Bookings and stays must be made and completed by 31 May 2026, and all stays must be prepaid. Bookings where payment is made at the hotel will not be eligible for bonus miles.

Bonus UNI$ will be credited within 2-8 weeks after the stay is completed. 

6 mpd with Expedia

UOB x Expedia
T&Cs

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders will earn 6 mpd on bookings with selected airlines and hotels, when they book via the special UOB x Expedia landing page.

The following airlines are participating.

  • Cambodia Airways
  • China Eastern 
  • China Southern
  • EVA Air
  • Finnair
  • Garuda Indonesia
  • Gulf Air
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • Korean Air
  • Myanmar Intl Airways
  • Qatar Airways
  • Royal Brunei Airlines
  • Sichuan Airlines
  • Sri Lankan Airlines
  • THAI
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Xiamen Airlines

You wonโ€™t find Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific here, but THAI, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways might be useful for someone based in Singapore.

Bookings and stays made by 31 December 2025, and all stays must be prepaid. Bookings where payment is made at the hotel will not be eligible for bonus miles.

When are UNI$ credited?

UNI$ are credited when your transaction posts, which generally takes 1-3 working days. 

How are UNI$ calculated?

Hereโ€™s how you can work out the UNI$ earned on your UOB PRVI Miles Card.

Local Spend Round down transaction to nearest S$5, then divide by 5 and multiply by 3.5. Round down to the nearest whole number
FCY Spend
Round down transaction to nearest S$5, then divide by 5 and multiply by 6. Round down to the nearest whole number
FCY Spend
(IDR, MYR, THB, VND)
Round down transaction to nearest S$5, then divide by 5 and multiply by 7.5. Round down to the nearest whole number

Unfortunately, UOB has one of the most punitive rounding policies in the market, which can adversely affect your earn rates especially on smaller transactions.

UOB first rounds your transaction down to the nearest S$5, divides it by 5, then multiplies the amount by 3.5 UNI$ (assuming itโ€™s a Singapore Dollar transaction). This UNI$ figure is then rounded down again to the nearest whole number. 

So imagine you spent S$9.99 on your UOB PRVI Miles Card. You might figure thatโ€™s 14 miles (S$9.99 @ 1.4 mpd), butโ€ฆ

  • The S$9.99 is rounded down to S$5
  • S$5 is awarded 3.5 UNI$
  • 3.5 UNI$ is rounded down to 3 UNI$

You actually earn 3 UNI$ (6 miles), an effective rate of just 0.6 mpd!

This is an extreme example, of course, and the effect of rounding gets smaller as your transaction size increases. But itโ€™s exactly why you should think twice about using your UOB PRVI Miles Card for small transactions that arenโ€™t in S$5 blocks- in fact, the minimum spend required to earn miles is S$5.

๐Ÿš† What about SimplyGo?

If the minimum transaction to earn miles is S$5, is there any point in using the UOB PRVI Miles Card for bus/MRT rides with SimplyGo? Donโ€™t worry:

  • For Mastercard, SimplyGo transactions are batched and posted every 5 days, 21 transactions, or S$15, whichever comes first
  • For Visa, UNI$ are awarded based on the accumulated SimplyGo spending per calendar month.

So with the exception of extreme circumstances (e.g. where you take just 1-2 rides a month), youโ€™ll definitely earn some miles at least.

This means that despite having a higher headline rate, you may actually earn fewer miles on the UOB PRVI Miles Card than the Citi PremierMiles Card depending on transaction size. Consider the following:

  UOB PRVI Miles
Earn rate: 1.4 mpd
citi premiermiles card reviewCiti PremierMiles
Earn rate: 1.2 mpd
S$5 6 miles 6 miles
S$9.99 6 miles 11 miles
S$15 20 miles 18 miles
S$19.99 20 miles 23 miles
S$25 34 miles 30 miles
S$29.99 34 miles 35 miles
S$35 48 miles 42 miles
S$39.99 48 miles 47 miles

If youโ€™re an Excel geek, hereโ€™s the formulas you need to calculate points: 

Local Spend =ROUNDDOWN (ROUNDDOWN (X/5,0) * 3.5,0)
FCY Spend
(All Others)
=ROUNDDOWN (ROUNDDOWN (X/5,0) * 6,0)
FCY Spend
(IDR, MYR, THB, VND)
=ROUNDDOWN (ROUNDDOWN (X/5,0) * 7.5,0)
Where X= Amount Spent

For the full list of formulas that banks use to calculate credit card points, do refer to these articles:

What transactions arenโ€™t eligible for UNI$?

A full list of transactions that do not earn UNI$ can be found in the T&Cs at Point 1(ii).

Iโ€™ve highlighted a few noteworthy categories below:

  • Amaze
  • Charitable Donations
  • Education
  • Government Services 
  • Insurance
  • Prepaid account top-ups (e.g. GrabPay, YouTrip)
  • Real Estate Agents & Managers
  • Utilities

UNI$ will be awarded for CardUp transactions, but not ipaymy.

What do I need to know about UNI$?

โŒ Expiry โ†”๏ธ Pooling โœˆ๏ธ Transfer Fee
2 years Yes S$25
โฌ†๏ธ Min. Transfer โœˆ๏ธ No. of Partners โฑ๏ธ Transfer Time
5,000 UNI$
(10,000 miles)
3 48 hours (KF)

Expiry

UNI$ expire 2 years from the last day of each periodic quarter in which the UNI$ was earned.

For example, if any UNI$ earned in January 2024 will expire on 31 March 2026. This means that the validity could be technically be up to 2 years 3 months in some cases, but itโ€™s probably better to think of it as 2 years to avoid confusion.

Pooling

UNI$ pool across cards. If you have 10,000 UNI$ on the UOB Ladyโ€™s Card, and 5,000 UNI$ on the UOB PRVI Miles Card, you can redeem 15,000 UNI$ in a single conversion and pay a single fee.

It also means that you donโ€™t need to transfer your UNI$ out before cancelling the UOB PRVI Miles Card, assuming itโ€™s not your last UNI$-earning card. 

Transfer Partners & Fees

UNI$ can be transferred to three frequent flyer programmes (though itโ€™s really two, because converting points to AirAsia is like throwing them away) at the following ratio:

Frequent Flyer Programme Conversion Ratio
(UNI$: Partner)
krisflyer logo 5,000 : 10,000
asia miles logo 5,000 : 10,000
2,500 : 4,500

Transfers cost S$25 each, regardless of how many points are transferred. However, if you hold a UOB Reserve, UOB Visa Infinite Metal, UOB Visa Infinite or UOB Privilege Banking Card, you will enjoy free conversions of all UNI$, including those earned on the UOB PRVI Miles Card. 

UOB also has an auto-conversion option for KrisFlyer, which costs S$50 per year. Customers who opt in will have their UNI$ automatically converted on the last day of the calendar month, in blocks of UNI$2,500 (half the regular conversion block).

FAQs
T&Cs
Read Point 53-55

However, youโ€™ll need to keep a minimum balance of UNI$15,000 (30,000 miles) in your account at all times. This is a hefty working capital balance! Make what you will of UOBโ€™s reason for this policyโ€ฆ

 

Why must a minimum balance of UNI$15,000 be kept KrisFlyer auto conversion programme?

This is to give card members the flexibility to convert the UNI$ to other items from UOB Rewards Catalogue. Card members can still choose to convert this UNI$15,000 to KrisFlyer miles by the one time miles redemption process through UOB Rewards Catalogue, subjected to S$25 conversion fee and must be in blocks of 10,000 miles.

Cardmembers who wish to make ad-hoc conversions can still do so, subject to the payment of the usual S$25 fee per conversion, in standard blocks of 5,000 UNI$ (10,000 miles).

Hereโ€™s the pros and cons of the automatic transfer scheme:

Pros

  • Pay a single fee for 12 automatic conversions a year
  • Reduces the minimum conversion block from 5,000 UNI$ (10,000 KrisFlyer miles) to 2,500 UNI$ (5,000 KrisFlyer miles)

Cons

  • The 3-year expiry on your KrisFlyer miles starts as soon as they are converted. Had you kept your UNI$ on the UOB side, youโ€™d enjoy two extra years of validity
  • Ad-hoc conversions still cost you S$25
  • Only balances in excess of 15,000 UNI$ are converted
  • Effectively locks you into KrisFlyer, as opposed to UOBโ€™s other transfer partners (you can still make ad-hoc conversions to Asia Miles between quarters, but itโ€™s likely youโ€™ll need to end participation in the Automatic Conversion Programme to acquire a critical mass)

Transfer Times

UOB transfers to KrisFlyer are typically completed within 48 hours.

If you need your points credited instantly, you can move them via Kris+ at a rate of 1,000 UNI$ = 1,700 KrisPay miles. KrisPay miles can then be instantly converted to KrisFlyer miles at a 1:1 ratio.

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

However, those 1,000 UNI$ would normally have earned you 2,000 KrisFlyer miles, so you effectively take a 15% haircut. Therefore I wouldnโ€™t recommend taking this option, unless you need a small top-up to redeem a flight, or have an orphan UNI$ balance (<5,000 points). 

If you choose to do so nonetheless, do remember that itโ€™s a two-step process:

  1. Transfer UNI$ to KrisPay miles
  2. Transfer KrisPay miles to KrisFlyer miles

Do not forget the second step! If you wait more than 21 days, or spend any of the converted KrisPay miles via Kris+, the entire balance will be stuck in the Kris+ app. KrisPay miles expire after six months, and can only be spent at a poor ratio of 150 miles = S$1. 

Other card perks

Four free lounge visits

Benefit Registration

Principal UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders enjoy 4x complimentary airport lounge visits per calendar year, via Priority Pass. These lounge visits are for the principal cardholder only, and cannot be shared with guests. Any guests will be charged at US$35 per visit. 

To enjoy this benefit, simply visit this link to register for your membership. After this, you can access lounges either via the Priority Pass app, or by presenting your physical UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard or Visa at the lounge (AMEX cardholders must use the app). If youโ€™re using your physical card, access is available as soon as 12 hours after registration, which is a nice touch.

Do note that the visits are allocated per calendar year, which means that you can enjoy eight visits in your first membership year. For example, if my UOB PRVI Miles Card is approved in October 2024:

  • Upon approval, I receive 4x lounge visits to be used by 31 December 2024
  • On 1 January 2025, I receive another 4x lounge visits to be used by 31 December 2025

Also note that if you hold multiple UOB PRVI Miles Cards (e.g. UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard and UOB PRVI Miles Visa), your free visits are still capped at four per year overall.

Hereโ€™s how this compares to other cards in its segment.

๐Ÿ’ณ Credit Cards with Airport Lounge Access
(Income Req.: S$30K p.a.)

Card Network Free Lounge Visits
(per year)
HSBC TravelOne Card DragonPass 4X
Share
UOB PRVI Miles Priority Pass 4X
Citi PremierMiles Priority Pass 2X
Share
DBS Altitude Visa Priority Pass 2X
Share
StanChart Journey Card Priority Pass 2X
Share

Buy miles with UOB Payment Facility

UOB Payment Facility

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders have access to a โ€œno questions askedโ€ Payment Facility that lets them buy unlimited miles at 2.3 cents each, subject to their credit limit.

How it works is that cardholders fill out an online form and specify how much theyโ€™d like to charge to the facility, e.g. S$5,000. UOB will then:

  • Deposit S$5,000 into their designated bank account
  • Charge S$5,115 to their card (S$5,000 + 2.3% fee)
  • Award UNI$ at a rate of UNI$2.5 per S$5, or 2,500 UNI$ in total (5,000 miles; the payment facility fee doesnโ€™t earn miles)

Cardholders are then out of pocket S$115, for which they purchased 5,000 miles. This works out to 2.3 cents per mile.

Frankly speaking, 2.3 cents per mile is way above what you should be paying, when you can find cheaper alternatives with services like CardUp and Citi PayAll. The only situation where the UOB Payment Facility would make sense is to top off your UNI$ balance to the next 5,000 UNI$ block needed for a transfer.

UOB runs periodic promotions for the UOB Payment Facility which reduce the fee for UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders to 2.1%, but even at that price itโ€™s not really worth considering.

Complimentary airport limo (AMEX only)

UOB PRVI Miles AMEX cardholders enjoy complimentary airport limo transfers

Not only is the UOB PRVI Miles AMEX the only S$30,000 credit card to feature a limo benefit, it also has the lowest spending requirement on the market.

By spending S$1,000 in foreign currency (excluding phone, mail or online transactions) in a calendar quarter, cardholders receive two complimentary airport limo transfers to Changi Airport.

This is the lowest spending requirement of any card in Singapore, and even more generous than cards in the $120K segment.

Card Qualifying Spend
Cap
Income Req. โ‰ฅS$30K
UOB PRVI Miles AMEX
(T&C)
S$1K (FCY) per quarter for 2 rides 2 per quarter
SG
Booking
Book at Maxicab.sg 2 days prior to departure
HSBC Premier Mastercard
(T&C)
S$12K per quarter for 1 (Premier) or 2 (Premier Elite) rides 1 (Premier) or 2 (Premier Elite) per quarter
SG
Booking
Book via link sent to email at least 24h in advance

Income Req. โ‰ฅS$120K
UOB Ladyโ€™s Solitaire Metal Card
(T&C)
None 1 per year
SG Overseas
Booking
Register at travelwithus.mastercard.com and book at least 48h in advance
HSBC Visa Infinite
(T&C)
S$2K per month for 1 ride
First 2 [Regular] or 4 [Premier] per year are free
24 per year
Includes free rides
SG
Booking
Book via Ten Concierge website at least 24h in advance 

Maybank Visa Infinite
(T&C)
S$3K per month for 1 ride 8 per year
SG
Booking
Call Maybank Cards Priority Customer Service at least 72h in advance
OCBC VOYAGE
(T&C)
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides
2 per quarter
SG
Booking
Book via STACK, or call 6593 9999 at least 48h in advance

Citi Prestige
(T&C)
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides 2 per quarter
SG
Booking
Book via Citi Prestige Digital Concierge on Citi Mobile app at least 48h in advance
StanChart Beyond Card
(T&C)
None 2 per year*
Priority Banking & Priority Private only
SG Overseas
Booking
Book via Teleport.sg at least 48h in advance
*StanChart advertises 10 rides per year for Priority Private Beyond Cardholders. However, this figure already includes the 8 rides that Priority Private customers normally enjoy, without having to hold the Beyond Card.

Limo services need to be booked at least 2 days in advance of travel. Your card will initially be charged S$45, which will be automatically reimbursed within two months after quarter ends, if the spending criteria is met. In other words, you can ride first, spend later, provided both riding and spending take place in the same quarter.

A maximum of two free rides can be booked per quarter. 

Complimentary travel insurance

Coverage Amount
Accidental Death S$500,000
Medical Benefits S$50,000
Travel Delay S$200
Policy Wording

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders who charge air tickets to their credit card will be eligible for complimentary travel insurance. However, coverage does not kick in automatically; they must register via this link at least five working days before departure. 

S$500,000 coverage for accidental death is included, as is S$50,000 coverage for emergency medical assistance, evacuation and repatriation (including due to COVID-19). While there is some token coverage for travel delays as well, there is no coverage for overseas medical expenses, lost or damaged bags, lost personal belongings, trip cancellation or personal liability.

Therefore, Iโ€™d highly recommend getting a comprehensive travel insurance policy instead. 

Bonus miles offers

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders can look forward to periodic bonus miles offers, which can boost the earn rates significantly. While a minimum spend is usually required, the resulting earn rate can outperform even specialised spending cards.

Hereโ€™s a snapshot of what weโ€™ve seen recently:

Bonus miles with KrisFlyer UOB Account

UOB PRVI Miles Cardholders can earn bonus miles on their spending with a KrisFlyer UOB Account.

For example, if I spend on my UOB PRVI Miles AMEX in SGD, I will earn:

  1. A base reward of 1.4 mpd from my UOB PRVI Miles AMEX
  2. A bonus reward of 5-6 mpd from my KrisFlyer UOB Account
  Without Salary Crediting With Salary Crediting
UOB PRVI Miles AMEX 1.4 mpd 1.4 mpd
KrisFlyer UOB Account 5 mpd 6 mpd
Total 6.4 mpd 7.4 mpd
To unlock the salary crediting bonus, you must credit a minimum salary of S$1,600 to the KrisFlyer UOB Account

However, Iโ€™d strongly advise against this, because the opportunity cost of the funds you need to deposit in the account would almost certainly outweigh the value of any miles earned. Thatโ€™s mainly because the maximum miles you can earn each month are capped at 5% of your Monthly Average Balance (MAB).

For example, if your MAB is S$1,000 (the minimum required to earn miles), you can earn at most 50 miles (5% of S$1,000) from the KrisFlyer UOB Account each month. Assuming you donโ€™t credit a salary (5 mpd), the account would stop rewarding you after spending just S$10 (50/5 mpd) on your cards!

To learn more about the KrisFlyer UOB Account, and why itโ€™s such a raw deal, refer to the post below.

KrisFlyer UOB Account Review: Do not resuscitate

Terms and Conditions

Summary Review: UOB PRVI Miles Card

Apply (AMEX)
Apply (MC)
Apply (Visa)
๐Ÿฆ MileLion Verdict
โ˜ Take It
โ˜‘ Take It Or Leave It
โ˜ Leave It

If youโ€™re looking for a general spending option, you could do far worse than the UOB PRVI Miles Card.

The earn rates obviously wonโ€™t beat those of specialised spending cards, but they are the highest among the entry-level segment- with reliable boosts during the June and December peak travel periods. Four lounge visits and complimentary airport limo rides are perks that no other competitor offers, and if youโ€™re a new cardholder, the welcome offer lets you buy miles at just 0.57 cents each.

The transfer partners are limited, and there are annoying things like S$5 earning blocks and automatic UNI$ deductions for annual fees, but if you can live with that, then the UOB PRVI Miles Card can be the foundation around which you layer other higher-earning options like the UOB Ladyโ€™s Card, UOB Preferred Platinum Visa and UOB Visa Signature too.

So thatโ€™s my review of the UOB PRVI Miles Card. What do you think?

Aaron Wong
Aaron Wong
Aaron founded The Milelion to help people travel better for less and impress chiobu. He was 50% successful.

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SQ Flyer

This has come down a long way. Back in the day before all the various category multipliers came about, the PRVI Miles Amex was a leading 1.6/2.8mpd for local and overseas spend respectively.

Wei zong

I wonder what card would be given a 5*

Adam

Maybe a card that has a decent general spend rate, along with a range of 4 mpd bonus categories, uncapped. Something like the UOB krisflyer card without the delayed miles caveat.

Adam

1 star card candidates:
BOC Elite Miles
Krisflyer UOB debit card
UOB Preferred Platinum Mastercard
OCBC Platinum Card

Last edited 4 years ago by Adam
Wilfred

Timely reminder to check my statement for that annual fee and it looks like June is when my annual fee is due, for which theyโ€™ve quietly deducted 6000 UNI$

Is UOB worth your time?

Theyโ€™ve updated the list of merchants on UOB$ programme again. Seems like King Koil and some merchants have been removed and others added

Hawaii

For me, this is a very decent card. If you can hit $50k spend in 1 year, thatโ€™s effectively 1.8 miles per dollar for spending $50,000. Forget about all the other โ€œperksโ€ (for me, I never use UOB for them) and just make I donโ€™t use the card for things like utilities or insurance, then it works well for me. No annual fees after $50k spend, so that is the magic number to make this card worth it.

Hawaii

i would say, zero to minimal

CY Lee

But Amex Highflyer limits conversion of 30K miles a year for each Krisflyer account. Spending $50K will take me 3 years to convert to miles.

intransitmostlikely

Looks poor. OCBC Voyage next, please! ๐Ÿ™

Frustrated

Have a very unpleasant experienced with UOB Prvi Miles card. They could not recongised one overseas transaction due to special characters in the merchant name (it is in Swiss) hence no UNI$ rewarded. Have called UOB CS numerous times but they just kept saying have raised this up to their relevant department and no follow up at all. Standard reply is โ€œplease allow 5 to 7 working days to get back to youโ€ and when there is no SMS, you called CS and then the cycle repeats. End of the story: Think twice when you decide to use this cardโ€ฆ Read more ยป

Frustrated

Have a very unpleasant experience with UOB Prvi Miles card. They could not recognised one overseas transaction due to special characters in the merchant name (it is in Swiss) hence no UNI$ rewarded. Have called UOB CS numerous times but they just kept saying have raised this up to their relevant department and no follow up at all. Standard reply is โ€œplease allow 5 to 7 working days to get back to youโ€ and when there is no SMS, you called CS and then the cycle repeats. It has been 2 months and it have not been resolved. So youโ€ฆ Read more ยป

Jem

The limo service is only TO Changi and not from? If itโ€™s to and fro then every trip per quarter is going to be free rides with 1k FCY spent. Since itโ€™s โ€˜pre-chargedโ€™ I book the ride for my trip and then meet the 1k FCY on the trip itself after I am back UOB waives the ride charge?

Evelyn

I read that pairing the card with UOB KrisFlyer account, there will be bonus miles at 5mpd. Is it something new as it was not mentioned here?

Miles and miles

Pretty bad experience. The 3.25% fcy is misleading. They also charge an extra 1.5% or so on the underlying FX. So off market Fx rate and then fee on top. Youโ€™re not getting the miles rate you expect. Anyone else found this? This was confirmed to me on the phone by UOB when I put a NZD transaction through.

yup

Yes there is a 3.25% foreign exchange fee and a 1% cross-border fee for overseas transactions. Amex is the only network that does not charge the 1% cross-border fee.

Aaron Wong

can I apply for all 3 cards and get the sign up bonuses?

Bryan

they are lying on the miles earn rate with Agoda btw, you never get the actual mentioned miles, just a fraction of it. Agoda support as expected try to act blur when you question them on it, or refer you to UOB, basically both point fingers at each other and you donโ€™t actually earn miles at the advertised rate, just a fraction of it!

Jonas

Hi there! Is this card a good choice to use to pay for gym membership packages? My gym doesnโ€™t have contactless payment so the physical card has to be used. That renders my UOB Preferred Platinum useless. My DBS Womenโ€™s World wonโ€™t help either.

Esther Tan

Is it correct never to use Amaze with UOB PRVI Miles Mastercard for overseas spending because the cost per mile without Amaze is lower, if you include the forex charge when using Amaze in the computation?

Dennis C

Whatโ€™s the simplest way to predict the total foreign currency transaction cost when using UOB PRVI Miles overseas? Is it right that if this total cost is less than 4%, you might still get the cost per mile of the 2.4 mpd below 1.5 cpm? The problem is, this total cost can go to 5.0-5.5% sometimes, sending cpm to 1.8-2.2. Is it safer to just use Wise overseas where you can see the actual mid-market rate being used to fund your Wise card? Using Amaze with a general spend card is not a solution because Amaze total transaction cost canโ€ฆ Read more ยป

Robochon

The limo service is grab like but cant really complain since its free. It basic and the cars come with ang-kong and the like.

Damien

Just received sms that this card will have lounge privileges. 4 times a year apparently!

Ben Jamin

If you use PRVI make sure you track the bonus uni$ for FX and Agoda campaigns. Each time I need to persistently chase them until they finally credit the missing uni$. Unsure if itโ€™s just me or if others donโ€™t keep track and just miss out on all the bonus uni$ which are their due.

Darryl

Hi Aaron, for the UOB x Expedia landing page to earn 6 mpd for flights, are the flights strictly for the airlines stated in your table only? I do see Scoot & Airasia flights in the landing page.

Thank you!

Kirby

Between the MC and VISA, which is preferred? Is this the only card with no spending cap and still allows you to earn miles? because i see most cards have a S$1000 cap then thereafter would be .4 miles for local spending.

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