Credit Card Comparison: UOB One vs HSBC Visa Platinum vs Citi Cash Back

Denise Bay

Denise Bay

Last updated 18 November, 2021

Choices are never easy. That’s why, we do the math, so you don’t have to. Compare This, a SingSaver series, is here to help make decisions a little easier for you.


UOB One, HSBC Visa Platinum and Citi Cash Back let you enjoy over 20% in petrol savings. Learn how to maximise your cashback with these rewarding credit cards.

 

UOB One, HSBC Visa Platinum and Citi Cash Back credit cards aren’t immediately comparable at first glance, but there’s more than meets the eye. For starters, all of them let you enjoy over 20% in petrol savings.

That’s not all they have to offer. Below, we break down their similarities and differences, pros and cons all in the name of helping you discover which one could be the best fit for you, your lifestyle and spending habits. 

UOB One vs HSBC Visa Platinum vs Citi Cash Back

Credit card  Key benefits
UOB One Up to 5% cash rebate on all eligible spend

Up to 24% fuel savings at SPC
HSBC Visa Platinum 5% rebate on local dining, fuel and groceries (including online groceries)

Up to 21.15% fuel savings at Caltex
Citi Cash Back 8% cashback on petrol and groceries, 6% on dining

Up to 20.88% fuel savings at Esso and Shell 

What these cashback credit cards have in common 

UOB One, HSBC Visa Platinum and Citi Cash Back require cardmembers to make a minimum monthly spend in order to earn high cashback on their purchases. They are all fantastic options for fuel savings, dining, grocery shopping and more. 

Another similarity these three cashback credit cards share? The S$30,000 minimum annual income requirement.

How these cashback credit cards differ

Comparison #1: Cashback workings

  UOB One HSBC Visa Platinum Citi Cash Back
Cashback workings Up to 5% cash rebate on all eligible spend 

Extra 5% cash rebate on Dairy Farm Singapore, Grab, Shopee Singapore and UOB Travel transactions when you qualify for your quarterly cash rebate, capped at S$100 per month

Up to 24% fuel savings at SPC

Extra 1% cash rebate on SP Group utilities bills when you qualify for your quarterly cash rebate, excluding payments via AXS  
5% rebate on local dining, fuel and groceries (including online groceries)

Up to 21.15% fuel savings at Caltex

8% cashback on petrol and grocery shopping, both online and at major supermarkets

6% cashback on dining at restaurants, cafes, fast food eateries, and caterers

Up to 20.88% fuel savings at Esso and Shell 

Unlimited 0.25% cashback on other spend

UOB One, HSBC Visa Platinum and Citi Cash Back are good options for those looking to earn considerably high cashback on their purchases. Car owners and ride-hailing drivers should definitely look into them too, as all three cards offer significant fuel savings, making them worthy contenders for shaving monthly fuel bills. 

To maximise your fuel savings, be sure to: 

  • Use the SPC&U Card discount along with UOB One to get up to 24% savings at SPC 
  • Use the CaltexGO Payment discount or Indoor & Outdoor Fuel Payment discount along with HSBC Visa Platinum to enjoy up to 21.15% fuel savings at Caltex 
  • Pair Citi Cash Back with the Esso station or Shell site discount and Esso Smiles Card or Shell Escape discount to enjoy up to 20.88% fuel savings at Esso and Shell 

Comparison #2: Minimum spend required to earn high cashback

  UOB One HSBC Visa Platinum Citi Cash Back
Minimum spend required to earn high cashback $2,000 per statement month for each qualifying quarter to earn 5% cash rebate

S$1,000 or S$500 per statement month for each qualifying quarter to earn 3.33% cash rebate
S$600 monthly in a calendar quarter  S$800 in a statement month

UOB One gives you more flexibility in determining your minimum spend hence cashback you can expect to earn on your expenses. However, take note that you’ll need to make a minimum of five transactions per statement month, in addition to hitting the minimum spend, if you want to bag the quarterly cash rebate. 

Comparison #3: Cashback cap

  UOB One HSBC Visa Platinum Citi Cash Back
Cashback cap Quarterly cash rebate cap of S$300, S$100 or S$50 depending on spend tier 

Extra 5% and 1% cash rebate capped at S$100 per month 
Quarterly rebate cap of S$250  S$80 per statement month

Take your spending habits into consideration when picking the right card for yourself. Keep in mind UOB One lets you earn cashback on all eligible purchases you make while HSBC Visa Platinum and Citi Cash Back dole out high cashback on specific categories. 

UOB One’s 3.33% or 5% rebate on all eligible spending — including petrol — forms part of the up to 24% fuel savings you can enjoy at SPC. The 3.33% or 5% rebate earned on your fuel purchases counts towards the S$50, S$100 or S$300 quarterly cash rebate. 

HSBC Visa Platinum’s 5% rebate on fuel forms part of the up to 21.15% fuel savings you can enjoy at Caltex. The 5% rebate earned on fuel purchases count towards the S$250 quarterly rebate cap. 

For Citi Cash Back, the 8% cashback you can earn on petrol spending forms part of the up to 20.88% fuel savings you can enjoy at Esso and Shell. This 8% cashback counts towards the S$80 Citi Cash Back cap that applies across categories per statement month.

For all three credit cards, you’ll still get to enjoy the other discounts available even if you’ve hit the cashback cap associated with your card’s rewards programme. These include: 

  • SPC&U and UOB debit/credit card discounts
  • CaltexGO Payment and Indoor & Outdoor Fuel Payment discounts
  • Esso station, Shell site, Esso Smiles Card, Shell Escape and Citi card discounts

Comparison #4: Annual fee waiver

  UOB One HSBC Visa Platinum Citi Cash Back
Annual fee waiver First year waiver Two years waiver First year waiver

HSBC Visa Platinum is more generous than UOB One and Citi Cash Back on the annual fee waiver front.

Comparison #5: Extra perks

  UOB One HSBC Visa Platinum Citi Cash Back
Extra perks  Up to 2.5% p.a. interest on your UOB One savings account 

Up to 10% SMART$ rebate at over 300 participating outlets across 3 categories islandwide: dining, shopping, and groceries

Exclusive Visa Signature dining, lifestyle and shopping privileges 

UOB dining, retail, travel privileges and more
Exclusive dining, leisure and retail offers for your family

Free ENTERTAINER with HSBC access, with 1-for-1 dining, lifestyle and hotel deals




Up to S$1 million coverage when you charge your travel tickets to the card

Citi World Privileges: Get dining, lifestyle, travel and shopping deals locally and in 95 other countries

Be it UOB One, HSBC Visa Platinum or Citi Cash Back, you have access to plenty of dining, retail, and lifestyle privileges. Citi Cash Back offers complimentary insurance coverage while UOB One lets you earn higher interest on your savings when paired with the UOB One Account

Conclusion: Which one should you choose?

It is apparent these three cashback credit cards aren’t created equal. UOB One rewards cardmembers on all eligible purchases whereas HSBC Visa Platinum and Citi Cash Back offer rewards mainly on specific types of spending.

It really boils down to your own unique spending habits and preference when it comes to deciding on the right card for yourself.  

Back to top

Choose UOB One: UOB One is ideal if you do a lot of your shopping at Cold Storage, Giant, Guardian, 7-Eleven, Marketplace, Jasons, Jasons Deli and Shopee, or if you spend frequently on Grab rides and Grab food deliveries. The extra 5% rebate you can earn is generously capped at S$100 per month! If you drive, be sure to pump at SPC as this card lets you save up to 24%.

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🪙SingSaver Cash Quest🪙: Get 10x chances to win S$50,000 when you apply for participating Credit Cards. Applying for multiple products means more Cash Quest Chances! Plus, download the SingSaver App and log in with the same email used during product application to earn 20 additional chances! Valid till 22 December 2024. T&Cs apply.

UOB Credit Card Welcome Offer: Receive a Samsonite EVOA Z Spinner 25” Exp (worth S$730) or up to 58,000 miles or 20% cashback when you apply for select UOB credit cards and fulfil the minimum spend requirements. Valid till 31 December 2024. T&Cs apply.

Choose HSBC Visa Platinum: HSBC Visa Platinum is for you if you appreciate having access to ENTERTAINER with HSBC 1-for-1 dining, lifestyle and hotel deals on top of the 5% rebate you can earn monthly on essentials. This card lets you enjoy up to 21.15% fuel savings at Caltex, too. 

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SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy the following rewards when you sign up for an HSBC credit card.

Get a Dyson SSHD 15 (worth S$699), a Dyson Micro 1.5kg Vacuum (worth S$599), S$199 Cash + S$200 eCapitaVoucher, S$400 eCapitaVoucher, a FLUJO SmarTrax Standing Desk (worth S$739), or 20,000 Heymax Miles upon activating and spending min. S$500 by end of the following calendar month from the card account opening date. HSBC TravelOne Card applicants must also pay the annual fee of S$196.20 (incl. GST). Valid till 2 January 2025. T&Cs apply.

Choose Citi Cash Back: Citi Cash Back is a great choice if the S$800 minimum monthly spend requirement is not an issue for you. Besides letting you enjoy fuel savings of up to 20.88% at Esso and Shell, this card throws in complimentary coverage of up to S$1 million when you charge your travel tickets to the card — a nice perk for those who usually don’t prioritise buying travel insurance for their trips abroad.

SINGSAVE_SUPERSAVER_AUG-CAMPAIGN_IN-BLOG-ARTICLE_800x250

🪙SingSaver Cash Quest🪙: Get 10x chances to win S$50,000 when you apply for participating Credit Cards. Applying for multiple products means more Cash Quest Chances! Plus, download the SingSaver App and log in with the same email used during product application to earn 20 additional chances! Valid till 22 December 2024. T&Cs apply.

SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Receive the following rewards when you sign up for a Citi Credit Card:

🚀Fastest Rewards Fulfilment🚀: Get the cash rewards within four (4) weeks after successful application — the fastest rewards fulfilment yet! T&Cs apply

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For Citi PremierMiles Card and Citi Prestige Card: Receive a Samsonite Straren Spinner 67/24 + 2X AirTag (worth S$690.80), an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$508.30), 18K Heymax Miles, 50,000 Yuu Points or S$370 Cash upon activating and spending a minimum of S$500 within 30 days of card approval. This card offer is exclusively available on SingSaver. Valid until 2 January 2025T&Cs apply.

Get an additional S$100 eCapitaVoucher when you simultaneously open a Citi Citigold Account. Valid until 2 January 2025. T&Cs apply.

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Citi SMRT and M1 Cards: Receive a Dyson Micro 1.5kg Vacuum (worth S$599), an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$508.30), an Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 + Magsafe Charger (worth S$408), 50,000 Yuu Points, or S$370 Cash upon activating and spending a minimum of S$500 within 30 days of card approval. Valid until 2 January 2025. T&Cs apply.

Other Citi Credit Cards: Receive a Hinomi H1 Classic V3 Ergonomic Office Chair (With Headrest) (worth S$659), an Apple iPad 9th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$508.30), an Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 + Magsafe Charger (worth S$408), 50,000 Yuu Points, or S$370 Cash upon activating and spending a minimum of S$500 within 30 days of card approval. Valid until 2 January 2025. T&Cs apply.

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⬆️Reward Upgrade Campaign⬆️: Upgrade your rewards when you top specific amounts. Valid until 2 January 2025. T&Cs apply.

  • S$100 for an Apple iPad 10th Gen 10.9 wifi 64GB (worth S$499)
  • S$1,080 for a MacBook Air 13" 256GB M3 (worth S$1,599.00)
  • S$1,200 for an Apple iPhone 16 Pro 256GB (worth S$1,1,749.00)
  • S$1,586 for a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Titanium Gray 12+512GB 5G (worth S$2,128.00)


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While Denise has a thing for travel, K-dramas, 0% sugar bbt (with boba!), Japanese cuisine and flat white, her curious nature means all sorts of random tabs are open on her phone 24/7. She doesn’t like to pay full price for anything, too.

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