UOB has launched a new promotion for its UOB Payment Facility, which allows cardholders to buy as many miles as they want for 1.6 to 1.8 cents each. This was originally set to lapse on 30 April 2025, but has now been extended till 31 May 2025.
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| UOB Payment Facility |
While there are certainly cheaper ways of buying miles through credit cards, such as Citi PayAll or CardUp, those platforms require you to have a genuine bill to pay. In contrast, the UOB Payment Facility is literally no questions askedโ so long as the amount youโre charging is within your credit limit, you can purchase as many miles as you wish.
UOB Payment Facility promotion
From 25 February to 31 May 2025, UOB cardholders can purchase miles at a flat rate of 1.8 cents each (1.6 cents for the UOB Reserve Card) through the UOB Payment Facility.
| ๐ณ UOB Payment Facility Rates (One-time payment) |
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| Old Promo (ended 24 Feb 25) |
New Promo (from 25 Feb 25) |
|
 UOB Reserve Card |
1.7% |
1.6% |
 UOB Privilege Banking Card |
2% |
1.8% |
 UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card |
2% |
1.8% |
 UOB PRVI Miles Card(all versions) |
2.1% |
1.8% |
 KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card |
2.1% |
1.8% |
 All Other UOB Cards |
2.1% |
1.8% |
Itโs important to note that the UOB Payment Facility runs almost perpetual discounts, making the regular rates largely theoretical. That said, the current promotional rates are still significantly lower than the previous promotional rates of 1.7 to 2.2%, which ended on 24 February 2025.
This promotion is only available for one-time payments, where the full amount is charged to your next monthly card billing statement, together with the admin fee. The associated UNI$ will also be credited in a single lump sum.
As a reminder, all payments made via the UOB Payment Facility earn a flat rate of UNI$2.5 for every S$5 approved, regardless of card. In other words, the UOB Payment Facility earns 1 mpd with all UOB cards, instead of the regular earn rate.
Given a 1 mpd earn rate, the cost per mile is basically the admin fee, e.g. 1.8% means 1.8 cents per mile.
To illustrate, letโs say you hold a UOB PRVI Miles Card and want to buy 5,000 miles with the one-time payment option. Hereโs how the process works:
| 1. Fill out the online application form for the UOB Payment Facility |
| โ |
| 2. UOB charges your card for S$5,000, plus an admin fee of 1.8% (i.e. S$5,090 total) |
| โ |
| 3. UOB deposits S$5,000 cash into your designated bank account. The bank account need not be with UOB; you can choose any bank in Singapore |
| โ |
| 4. UOB awards you UNI$2,500 (note that the admin fee does not earn UNI$), which is equal to 5,000 miles |
| โ |
| 5. Your net out of pocket cost is the admin fee of S$90, for which you received 5,000 miles. Your cost per mile is therefore 1.8 cents |
Applications are processed within six working days.
Terms and conditions
The T&Cs for this promotion can be found here.
There are cheaper alternatives!
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Is buying miles at 1.8 cents each a good deal?
Maybe, maybe not. While you can certainly get more than 1.8 cents per mile in value from redemptions, especially in First or Business Class, there are ways of buying miles for less through alternative bill payment platforms like CardUp or Citi PayAll.
For example, a UOB PRVI Miles Cardholder could buy miles from as little as 1.17 cents each with CardUp, depending on the type of payment.
| Category (Promo Code) |
Cost Per Mile (UOB PRVI Miles Card @ 1.4 mpd) |
| Tax MCTAX25 |
1.17ยข |
| Tax MLTAX25R |
1.23ยข |
| Recurring Payments REC185 |
1.30ยข |
| Other Payments OFF225 |
1.57ยข |
CardUpโs full list of 2025 promotions can be found in the article below.
Likewise, Citi PayAll is now offering 1.8 mpd on income tax payments, and 1.6 mpd on non-tax payments, with a minimum spend of S$6,000 on non-tax payments (waived for customers with a Citi banking relationship). This offers a cost per mile of 1.44 to 1.63 cents, depending on the overall mix of tax and non-tax payments.
Citi PayAll offering 1.8 mpd on tax & 1.6 mpd on non-tax payments
So why would anyone be willing to pay 1.8 cents per mile? Well, both CardUp and Citi PayAll require that payments be associated with a genuine economic transaction, such as rent or a helperโs salary. Transferring money to yourself does not count.
CardUp further requires documentation for most payments. Citi PayAll is more lax with the documentation requirement, but still has rules against paying yourself or overpaying taxes just to generate miles (Iโm sure there are people who get away with this, but if you get caught thatโs your problem).
Now, realistically speaking, most people should be able to find some sort of bill to pay through either platform, given their wide scope of coverage.
| ๐ฐ Citi PayAll: Supported Payments | |
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| ๐ณ CardUp Supported Payments | |
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But if youโre lucky enough to have no bills in your life, then the UOB Payment Facility would be the next best alternative.
Another scenario where the UOB Payment Facility could come in handy is topping up your account to the next transfer block of 5,000 UNI$. For example, if you have 23,500 UNI$ in your account, you could charge S$3,000 to the UOB Payment Facility to earn another 1,500 UNI$, allowing you to transfer out a total of 25,000 UNI$ and avoid orphan points.
What can you do with UNI$?
UNI$ can be transferred to three frequent flyer programmes (though itโs really two, because converting points to AirAsia is like throwing them away) at the following ratio:
| Frequent Flyer Programme | Conversion Ratio (UNI$: Partner) |
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5,000 : 10,000 |
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5,000 : 10,000 |
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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.
Conclusion
From now till 31 May 2025, UOB cardholders can purchase as many miles as they wish through the UOB Payment Facility at 1.6 to 1.8 cents apiece. While lower than the usual rates, this is not the cheapest way of buying miles, and those with legitimate bills to pay should be exploring CardUp and Citi PayAll instead.
Still, if you crave convenience, or if youโre dealing with an orphan block of UNI$, then this might be worth a look.
It is cheaper than 1.8. Because if you time the transaction at the start of your statement cycle, you can earn interest on the funds for ~50 days. Given there are options to be earning ~2.9% for this ~50 days it reduces the cost from 1.8c/mile to ~1.4c/mile.
100%
Unlimited? I thought you are constrained by your credit limit?
HSBC ega cash back should bring the cpm down to 0.8cpm?
Yes and Noโฆ.If your bill was already GIRO with HSBC EGA, you are not bring it down, since u get the 1% either way, it remains 1.8cpmโฆ. otherwise, if your bill canโt use GIRO or credit card payment, then you are bringing down to 0.8cpm.
I think the key here is no questions asked. So you would be putting on hypothetical expenses that canโt be put on giro
I need elite miles! I am just shy of 2500 elite miles before I lose my elite status by the end of next month ๐ญ!
Just appeal, either SQ will give you on goodwill or minimally they will give u some extra time (e.g. 1 month) to earn it.
UOB Payment Facility website still showing 2.1% for UOB Prvi card???
The UOB website still lists 2.1% in the UOB Payment Facility Fees dropdown menu
Where is option 1? I only see 2. 10% on approved amount! Why is it ten percent!
Maybe need to wait for UOB to update their system and reflect the discounted rate first before application to avoid being charged with the higher rate.
Why am i being asked to pay a 10% fee?!
hi Aaron, can i use uob one card to buy the miles? Thanks.
I think cannot as UOB one card unable to earn Uni$ for conversion to air miles.
I had an issue. No miles issued at all. Mine is the krisflyer card and it auto syncs the miles to my krisflyer acct by right! But nothing so far. More than a month.
Did you manage to solve this issue?