Warning: UOB expands instant UNI$ redemptions to Johor Bahru

One of UOB’s more dubious “benefits” is its instant UNI$ redemptions programme, which allows cardholders to directly offset purchases with UNI$ at participating merchants.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this is a terrible way to redeem your UNI$. The value is so poor that you might as well have spent on a cashback-earning card in the first place!

Even if you’re fully aware of this gotcha, there’s still the risk of a “helpful” cashier deciding to autopilot through the redemption process, deducting your UNI$ without even asking. Believe me, this happens more often than you think, and as far as I know, there’s no mechanism to undo an instant UNI$ redemption.

While this problem was previously confined to Singapore, the bad news is that UOB has now introduced instant UNI$ redemptions in Johor Bahru as part of its new cross-border card rewards initiative.

UOB introduces instant UNI$ redemptions in JB

Details

With UOB’s new cross-border card rewards programme, UOB cardholders can “save” on their purchases by instantly offsetting the bill with their UNI$, at more than 150 participating merchant locations in Johor Bahru.

Enjoy instant savings at over 150 participating merchant outlets with the first instant cross-border UNI$ rewards redemption at point of sale, for Singapore cardmembers in JB.​

-UOB

The current list of participating merchants can be found in the table below. To keep things tidy, I’ve not shown the specific participating locations, but you can find them here (scroll down to “Instant UNI$ Rewards Redemption in JB”, click on “Participating Merchants”, then click on the info icon next to each one).

It’s probably safer to assume that every location is participating unless you know otherwise!

My guess is that the participating merchants list will further expand in the months to come, so you should bookmark this page and check it regularly for updates.

Unlike Singapore, where the redemption rate ranges from UNI$270-UNI$880 = S$5 (0.28 to 0.93 cents per mile), the redemption rate in Johor is fixed at UNI$500 = S$5 (0.5 cents per mile).

Mind you, that’s still dismal compared to redeeming your UNI$ for airline miles, and it’s even worse once you factor in the opportunity cost (because of the miles you won’t earn when UNI$ are used for payment).

As I’ve said many times before, there is absolutely no reason to consider this. Even if you had an orphan UNI$ balance, it would be far better to convert them into KrisPay miles (a minimum of 1,000 UNI$ is required), and spend them at participating merchants for 1 cent per mile.

If it’s any consolation, instant UNI$ redemptions in Johor are only possible if the physical card is used for payment, unlike in Singapore, where redemptions are possible via mobile wallet payments too.

Therefore, you can protect yourself by digitising your cards and tapping your phone to pay instead. Hopefully you’re already doing this, since it’s the only way of earning bonus miles with the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa!

Which Singapore merchants offer instant UNI$ redemptions?

If you’re using your UOB credit cards back home in Singapore, here are the instant UNI$ redemption merchants you need to be careful of.

Don’t confuse this with UOB$!

While UOB has launched instant UNI$ redemptions in Johor, it hasn’t introduced its UOB$ rebates scheme.

Don’t get confused. Despite their similar-sounding names, UNI$ and UOB$ are 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 has brought instant UNI$ redemptions to Johor Bahru, and just like in Singapore, the value is absolutely dismal. Make no mistake: the only party who benefits from instant UNI$ redemptions is UOB!

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. You may also want to consider using digitised cards in Johor, since they’re not susceptible to instant UNI$ redemptions.