PSA: Protect your UNI$ from instant redemptions!

In addition to KrisFlyer and Asia Miles, UOB cardholders can also redeem UNI$ for merchandise, vouchers and cash rebates.

Let me be clear: these are terrible, terrible ideas, and if that’s your plan, you might as well have spent on a cashback card in the first place!

But even if you’d never consider such redemptions, there’s one especially dangerous option you need to beware of: instant UNI$ redemptions. These  involve very little effort, and could even be done without your knowledge!

Which merchants offer instant UNI$ redemptions?

With instant UNI$ redemptions, UOB cardholders can use UNI$ to immediately offset their in-store bill at participating merchants, directly at the cashier.

As you can see, the value is simply abysmal. Depending on the merchant, you could be getting as little as 0.28 cents per mile (e.g. 880 UNI$ could be worth 1,760 KrisFlyer miles or a S$5 WE Cinema voucher)!

Even in a best case scenario, you’re getting just 0.93 cents per mile— and the figure is actually worse once you factor in the opportunity cost (because of the miles you won’t earn when a voucher is used for payment).

I just don’t see any benefit of the instant redemption option. Even if you had an orphan UNI$ balance, it would be far better to convert them into KrisPay miles (minimum 1,000 UNI$), and spend them at participating merchants for 1 cent per mile.

Make no mistake: the only party who benefits from instant UNI$ redemptions is UOB!

How can you protect yourself?

Knowing is half the battle, so the next time the cashier asks you whether you wish to “save” by redeeming points, scream DO NOT REDEEM like you’re talking to Kitboga. 

But sometimes, cashiers might not know what UNI$ are, and simply ask something to the tune of “do you want a UOB discount (who wouldn’t?)” And sometimes, they don’t even ask. I once encountered a situation at SPC where the cashier just autopiloted through the process, deducting a chunk of UNI$ in the process. Multiple phone calls and appeals to UOB were unsuccessful at getting those UNI$ reinstated.

Usually, however, the problem arises in situations where cardholders pass their card to a miles-illiterate family member, and said family member, hearing the magic word “discount”, blindly assents.

So if you really need a family member’s help to clock spending, then give them a supplementary card, because the supplementary cardholder cannot redeem any of the principal cardholder’s UNI$.

Here are a few more important things to know about instant UNI$ redemptions.

Digitisation doesn’t work

You might think that digitising your card into Apple or Google Pay might help avoid the problem, because your actual card number is masked. 

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The redeem UNI$ option will still pop up on the cashier’s terminal, so you have to be alert.

Pairing with Amaze works (but don’t do it!)

A guaranteed way of keeping your UNI$ safe is to pay with Amaze, instead of your UOB card directly.

However, it’d be really silly to do this because UOB cards no longer earn UNI$ for Amaze transactions, ever since October 2024. 

Be careful even with non-UNI$ earning cards

You might assume that using a non-UNI$ earning card like the UOB EVOL or One Card would be safe, since there’s no UNI$ to deduct.

Apparently not. Members of The MileLion Community have flagged that so long as you have a UNI$-earning card, those UNI$ can be accessed even when paying with a non-UNI$ earning card, so be careful!

UOB AMEX cards are safe

Instant UNI$ redemption is not available with UOB American Express cards, so you won’t have to worry about this when paying with a UOB PRVI Miles AMEX, for example.

Don’t confuse this with UOB$!

Because of their similar naming, UNI$ and UOB$ can be easily confused. But in reality, they’re worlds apart.

UOB$ is a form of return cashback that can be spent on the next bill with the same merchant. It is earned in addition to UNI$ (ever since November 2024).

UOB$ can be earned by both principal and supplementary cardholders, and each card holds its own UOB$ balance (in contrast, UNI$ earned by supplementary cards are automatically transferred to the principal cardholder). Therefore, a supplementary cardholder can spend UOB$, but they’ll be spending their own UOB$. 

There is nothing wrong with redeeming UOB$ at merchants. In fact, you should be looking to do this whenever possible, because that’s the only thing that UOB$ are good for. 

The danger arises when a merchant offers both UNI$ and UOB$ redemptions, as is the case for:

• Bee Cheng Hiang
• Club 21
• Crystal Jade
• Famous Kitchen
• Famous Treasure
• JD Sports
• House of White Beehoon
• Kids 21
• Paris Miki
• Si Chuan Dou Hua
• Stella McCartney
• Trapeze Rec. Club

In these situations, you need to be crystal clear to the cashier as to which rewards currency you want to redeem. Don’t assume they know the difference between UOB$ and UNI$!

Conclusion

UOB offers instant UNI$ redemptions at selected merchants in Singapore, but they represent universally poor value. The problem is that redemptions can be made by cashiers, who may ask for consent in less-than-clear terms, or worse, make the decision for you!

Protecting yourself begins with knowing which merchants offer instant UNI$ redemptions, and being extra careful when using your UOB cards at such places. And instead of passing a family member your card to use, “air gap” your UNI$ by giving them a supplementary card instead.

How else can you avoid the dreaded UNI$ instant redemptions?