If you currently hold the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, you’ll probably know that the card’s 4 miles per dollar earn rate currently applies for bonus category transactions including selected online shopping categories, but perhaps most usefully all contactless transactions made with the card.
This currently includes Visa payWave transactions performed by physically waving your card or mobile device on the Visa payWave reader.
What’s changing?
From 22nd May 2020, you won’t earn 4 miles per dollar for making contactless transactions by waving your physical card at a Visa payWave reader anymore.
“With effect from 22 May 2020, UOB will cease the awarding of 10X UNI$ for every S$5 charged to your card account for all contactless transactions…
“You will earn 10X UNI$ for every S$5 charged to your card account for mobile contactless transactions. For the avoidance of doubt, this will apply both prior to and with effect from 22 May 2020.” UOB
In other words this bonus miles category will become exclusive to mobile contactless transactions from 22nd May 2020, made via:
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Apple Pay |
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Android Pay |
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Fitbit Pay |
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Google Pay |
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Samsung Pay |
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UOB Mighty |
You’ll only achieve the bonus 4 mpd earn rate by waving your mobile device against the Visa payWave reader when making your purchase.
You can read instructions on how to add your UOB PPV card to these mobile wallets at the following links:
The monthly cap remains S$1,110
Remember the monthly limit to earn 4 miles for every S$1 spent (technically 10 UNI$ per whole S$5) on the bonus category transactions – selected online purchases and mobile contactless transactions – is S$1,110 spend per calendar month across both categories.
Why S$1,110? It’s the bonus UNI$ which are capped, not the total amount awarded. That means only the additional 9 UNI$ awarded in these categories are capped (at 2,000 UNI$). The maximum you therefore spend each calendar month is 2,000/9 = 222 ‘blocks’ of $5, which is $1,110 (222 x 5).
Be careful of SMART$ merchants
A timely reminder that UOB partners with some retailers to offer SMART$ rather than UNI$. This is effectively a ‘cashback’ scheme, offering a means to offset your next purchase with accumulated SMART$.
Unfortunately, it overrides the UNI$ scheme. That means if you make a mobile contactless in-store transaction at an otherwise valid retailer which is part of the SMART$ scheme (e.g. Apple Pay at Cold Storage), you won’t earn 4 miles per dollar for your transaction.
Pro Tip: Don’t worry about earning SMART$ instead of UNI$ online at the likes of Giant, Cold Storage and Jasons with your UOB PPV card. SMART$ only apply to in-store purchases, with online transactions excluded from that programme, so you’ll earn UNI$ as usual.
You can view a list of UOB SMART$ merchants here. Be careful of the following:
- Cathay Cineplexes
- Cold Storage
- Giant
- Guardian
- Jasons
- Marketplace
- Shell
Don’t use this card (i.e. using mobile payment) if you make an in-store purchase at a merchant on this list, as you’ll get SMART$ instead of 4 mpd in the form of UNI$.
What other transactions earn 4 mpd?
UOB includes selected online transactions in its 4 mpd earn rate, subject to the same shared monthly S$1,110 cap along with mobile contactless transactions.
That means you can continue to work towards your monthly cap by making online transactions under the following MCCs, which have changed slightly in the latest set of terms and conditions on 28th April 2020:
| Department Stores and Retail Stores | |||
| MCC | Description | MCC | Description |
| 4816 | Computer network/information services | 5732- 5735 |
Electronics sales, computer software, music stores |
| 5306 5309 5310 5311 |
Duty Free stores, discount stores, department stores | 5912 5942 |
Pharmacies, book stores |
| 5262 5331 5399 |
Online marketplaces, variety stores, miscellaneous general merchandise stores | 5964- 5970 |
Direct marketing (catalog / telemarketing) |
| 5611 5621 5641 5651 5699 |
Clothing stores | 5992 5999 |
Florists and miscellaneous / specialty retail Stores |
| 5631 5661 |
Accessory stores and shoe stores | ||
| Supermarkets, Dining and Food Delivery Entertainment and Ticketing |
|||
| MCC | Description | MCC | Description |
| 5811 5812 5814 |
Caterers, restaurants, fast food restaurants, | 7278 7832 7841 7922 |
Cinemas, DVD rental stores, theatres and ticket agencies |
| 5333 5411 5441 5462 5499 8012 9751 |
Supermarkets, confectionary stores, bakeries | 7991 7996 7998 7999 |
Tourist attractions / exhibits, amusement parks, aquariums, zoos |
Changes
With effect from 28th May 2020, you’ll no longer earn 4 mpd for online transactions in the following MCCs:
- 5691: Men’s and Women’s Clothing Stores
- 5944: Clock, Jewellery, Watch, and Silverware Stores
- 5945: Game, Toy, and Hobby Shops
- 5946: Camera and Photographic Supply Stores
- 5947: Card, Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Shops
- 5948: Leather Goods and Luggage Stores
- 5949: Fabric, Needlework, Piece Goods, and Sewing Stores
While the following MCCs have been added to the list:
- 5262: Online marketplaces
Note: MCC 5669 (an unknown MCC code) is a typo in the new Terms and Conditions document, and should actually read MCC 5699 (which has therefore not be removed and remains valid). UOB confirmed this to us earlier today.
“We received confirmation that [this] was indeed a typo error and we have earlier sent a request for the changes to be made. This is in the midst of being rectified. Meanwhile, please be assured that MCC 5699 is eligible.” UOB
This revised list still includes the following merchants in the Online Retail Stores category:
- ASOS (MCC 5651)
- Amazon (MCC 5964)
- Amazon Prime (MCC 5999)
- Courts (MCC 5732)
- Harvey Norman (MCC 5732)
- Lazada (MCC 5311)
- Qoo10 (MCC 5699)
- Shopee (MCC 5699)
- Uniqlo (MCC 5651)
Food delivery includes:
- Deliveroo (MCC 5499)
- Foodpanda (MCC 5499)
Ones to watch out for, which now look to be excluded are:
- Ezbuy (MCC 5691)
- Farfetch (MCC 5691)
- Style Theory (MCC 5691)
- ZALORA (MCC 5691)
- Blue Nile (MCC 5944)
- Daniel Wellington (MCC 5944)
- Gold Heart (MCC 5944)
- Pandora (MCC 5944)
- Action City (MCC 5945)
- Kickstarter.com (MCC 5945)
- Qisahn (MCC 5945)
- Rimowa (MCC 5948)
- Tumi (MCC 5948)
- Head Porter (MCC 5948)
Overseas online spend in foreign currency is included, within the correct MCC categories (e.g. a department store in Sydney).
Note: ipaymy, CardUp and RentHero payments do not earn UNI$ with this card, even at the basic earn rate.
Summary
Most of us have probably already switched to mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Android Pay for contactless payments with cards like the UOB PPV.
If you haven’t – don’t panic! Now’s the time to do so and get used to using the card this way, so you don’t get caught out come 22nd May.
Our advice – once the UOB PPV is stored in your mobile wallet, leave the physical card at home. That way you won’t mistakenly tap it, and now that it’s soon only good for selected online and mobile contactless transactions there should be no need to physically carry it in your wallet anyway.
Speaking of online transactions, do take note of some of the MCC changes in the latest terms and conditions for this card, which have already come into effect. Some clothing stores, watches, jewellery, camera shops and leather goods merchants are no longer on the list for earning 4 mpd.
Note that MCC 5699 is still a valid category, incorrectly listed in the T&Cs document as MCC 5669.
| Fast Facts
Annual fee: $192.60/yr (first year free) |
(Cover Photo: UOB)
Is this case are the ones excluded still able to earn 4mpd if payment is made via Apple Pay on the phone? I.e. Farfetch, Zalora etc.