UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Credit Card Review: Accelerated Miles On All Things Online & Entertainment

The age-old question of "Which is the best miles credit card to use?" is a tricky one to answer because the definition of "best" is subjective. We have to consider: What are your spending habits and preferences? Do you prefer to make in-person, online, or contactless payments? Do you have a specific category (like dining, groceries, transport, entertainment, etc.) that you spend significantly on each month? 

While there's no fixed answer, there are a few crème de la crème miles credit cards that stand out – one of them being the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa (PPV) Card.

This UOB PPV Card review aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the card's features and benefits. We will delve into its earning rates, bonus categories, miles you can earn, and key exclusions, and even take a look at the UOB Visa Signature vs Preferred Platinum so you can make an informed decision about which card best suits your needs and spending habits.

Keep reading to discover how to earn 4 miles per dollar on your favourite everyday merchants.

UOB Preferred Platinum Visa (PPV) Credit Card product summary:

• Up to UNI$10 per S$5 spend / 4 miles per S$1 (mpd) spend on online shopping and entertainment spend

• Up to UNI$10 per S$5 spend / 4 mpd on mobile contactless spend

• UNI$1 per S$5 spend / 0.4 mpd on all other spending

• Earn instant cashback from participating merchants under the UOB$ programme

• Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year waived)

• Minimum annual income requirement: S$30,000 for Singaporeans, S$40,000 for foreigners

In this digital age, online shopping has become synonymous with, or almost, superseded in-person shopping as the norm. After all, who could blame us for preferring the comfort of our homes to browse through products and make purchases with a few clicks?

The UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card earns up to UNI$10 per S$5 spend (4 miles per S$1) on select online and entertainment transactions. These online purchases cover a wide range of transactions. On one hand, it rewards a bonus of 4 mpd for online shopping for apparel, bags, shoes, accessories, and electronics. On the other hand, it also rewards a bonus of 4 mpd on online groceries, food delivery, and even pharmacy expenses! 

And, of course, entertainment and ticketing purchases also net you that sweet bonus of 4 mpd.

💡 Pro-tip: Online transactions with the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card don't discriminate between local or overseas transactions!

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Fed up with lugging around a bulky wallet? Well, the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card actively encourages cardless payments! For each mobile contactless transaction, you'll earn up to UNI$10 per S$5 spend (4 mpd) from tapping your phone on payment terminals.

Essentially, once added to your mobile wallet, you can confidently leave your physical card behind in the drawer and embrace a wallet-free lifestyle!

If you're a miles enthusiast but can't quite let go of cashback completely, don't fret! The UOB$ programme rewards instant cashback on all eligible UOB card spend across 900 participating merchants.

Featuring up to 10% cashback on all in-store purchases at participating outlets, you can easily redeem your earned UOB$ to offset your returning bill at the same merchant.

• Dining

• Retail

• Groceries

• Travel & entertainment

For the full list of eligible UOB$ merchants, refer here.

As stated above, the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card earns up to UNI$10 per S$5 or 4 mpd on its bonus categories – online, mobile contactless, and entertainment transactions. These earning rates can be broken down as follows:

• Bonus rate = 9 UNI$ per S$5 (or 3.6 mpd)

• Base rate = 1 UNI$ per S$5 (or 0.4 mpd)

However, since the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Credit Card isn't a travel credit card, it comes with a monthly cap on its bonus UNI$ rate. Therefore, the bonus UNI$9 per S$5 is capped at UNI$2,000 per calendar month – which is equivalent to S$1,110 spend per month.

Thereafter, subsequent spend will earn the base UNI$1 per S$5 or 0.4 mpd only.

Since the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card prioritises online and mobile contactless transactions, it comes as no surprise that physically tapping the card only nets you 0.4 mpd.

That said, what does come as a surprise is that SimplyGo rides aren't considered mobile contactless spend, even if tapped with your phone. So, it wouldn't be the best choice to make the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa your dedicated public transport credit card.

In general, UOB credit cards don't earn any UNI$ (and hence, no miles) on participating UOB$ merchants. Instead, they earn instant rebates in the form of UOB$ cashback, which can be redeemed to offset your bill upon your next visit.

Despite being a UOB miles credit card, the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card doesn't offer complimentary travel insurance coverage. While this isn't a huge disadvantage, it does mean you'll have to remember to purchase travel insurance separately after securing your travel tickets. 

However, if this is a major concern for you, you can consider these other UOB credit cards:

Up to US$100,000 complimentary travel insurance coverage

Up to S$500,000 complimentary travel insurance coverage 

Up to S$500,000  complimentary personal accident coverage and up to S$50,000 complimentary emergency medical evacuation & repatriation

The UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card offers a variety of opportunities to accumulate miles. However, the specific earning rate varies depending on the spending category. Let's review the earning potential of the UOB PPV card in detail:

With the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, you'll earn:

• UNI$1 for every S$5 spent in Singapore Dollars - 0.4 mpd

• UNI$1 for every S$5 spent in foreign currencies (FCY) - 0.4 mpd

It's important to note that all foreign currency transactions incur a 3.25% fee. Therefore, while cardholders can earn UOB Preferred Platinum miles with overseas spending, this fee could diminish the overall value of the rewards.

Cardholders can benefit from an accelerated earn rate of 10X UNI$ per S$5 (4 mpd) on mobile contactless payments, applicable to both Singapore Dollar and FCY transactions. This enhanced rate is available without any minimum spend requirement. However, a monthly cap of S$1,110 applies, and any spending exceeding this cap will earn the base rate of 0.4 mpd.

According to UOB's terms and conditions, "The total bonus UNI$ awarded to you from qualifying spend on Selected Online Transactions and Mobile Contactless Transactions is capped at UNI$2,000 for each calendar month." Specifically, the bonus UNI$ component (UNI$9 per S$5) is capped, resulting in a maximum eligible spend of S$1,110 for the 4 mpd earn rate.   

UOB defines mobile contactless payments as in-store payments made using the following methods:

Do note that it is crucial to observe the "in-store" requirement. This means that utilising Apple Pay or Google Pay for in-app transactions will not qualify for the mobile contactless bonus.

However, such transactions might still be eligible for 4 mpd if the merchant category code (MCC) falls within the online whitelist and does not fall under UOB's rewards exclusion list, which will be discussed further in the following section of this UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card review.

If you’re planning to use the UOB PPV Card for your contactless payments, here are some more key points to note:

• Tapping the physical UOB PPV Card at a contactless terminal will only earn 0.4 mpd instead of 4 mpd, a change implemented in May 2020. Therefore, it is advisable to add the card to a mobile wallet for contactless payments.   

• SimplyGo transactions (i.e., bus/MRT rides) will only earn 0.4 mpd as they are not classified as mobile contactless transactions, even when paid with a mobile device.

• The UOB PPV Card does not earn UNI$ at UOB$ merchants. UOB$ is UOB's card-wide cashback programme, encompassing establishments such as Cold Storage, Crystal Jade, Giant, Guardian, Starbucks, and Toast Box, among others. Cardholders should be mindful of this exclusion when making purchases at these merchants.

UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Cardholders can earn 10X UNI$ per S$5 (4 mpd) on online shopping and entertainment transactions, irrespective of currency.

This bonus is subject to a monthly cap of S$1,110, shared with mobile contactless payments. Any spending beyond this limit earns the standard 0.4 mpd.

The online shopping and entertainment category encompasses the following MCCs:

The UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card allows cardholders to earn UNI$ on a wide array of transactions. A comprehensive list is available in the terms and conditions, but here are some common eligible spending categories:

• Dining

• Travel

• Shopping (both online and in-store)

• Entertainment

• Groceries

It's important to be aware of specific transaction categories that are excluded from UNI$ accumulation with the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card:

• Charitable Donations

• Education

• Government Services 

• Insurance

• Prepaid account top-ups (e.g. GrabPay, YouTrip)

• Real Estate Agents & Managers

• Utilities

• Annual fee: S$196.20 (First year waived)

• Late payment fee: S$60 if minimum payment is not received by due date

• Minimum monthly payment: 3% of current balance or S$50, whichever is higher, plus any overdue amounts

• Overlimit fee: S$40 

• Cash advance fee: 6% of cash advance amount, subject to a minimum S$15 fee

• Interest on cash advances: 28% p.a. on all outstanding amounts

• Interest on purchases: 25.9% p.a. subject to a minimum S$3 charge on outstanding, unpaid amounts (including late payment charges)

• Foreign currency transaction fee: 3.5% (inclusive of 1% processing fee imposed by Visa)

• At least 21 years old

• Annual income requirement: S$30,000 (Singaporeans/PRs), S$40,000 (Foreigners)

Click on any "Compare the best UOB credit cards" button on this page and complete the application form on the SingSaver site. You will need to prepare the following documents for the application process:

• Front and back of NRIC/Passport/Employment Pass/Proof of billing address

• Salaried employees (Singaporeans/PRs):

• Fixed monthly salary ≥ S$2,500:

• Last 12 months' CPF statement

• Latest original computerised payslip

• Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment and last 12 months' CPF statement or latest original computerised payslip

• Fixed monthly salary < S$2,500:

• Past 12 months' CPF statement

• Latest 3 months' computerised payslip

• Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment and last 12 months' CPF statement or latest original computerised payslip

• Length of employment < 3 months: Last computerised payslip, company Letter certifying employment, and monthly salary

• Self-employed: Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment
  

Yes, you should sign up for the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card if you're on the hunt for a good, all-rounded miles credit card. Since it rewards a bonus of 4 mpd on online, mobile contactless, and entertainment transactions, that covers a generous range of eligible transactions.

The only caveat you'd have to be wary of is whether or not your purchases fall under the UOB$ merchant programme. But even then, earning up to 10% instant UOB$ cashback isn't half-bad either.

So all things considered, this miles card is a keeper in our books.

Looking for the best credit cards to complement your spending patterns and expenditure in 2025? Check out our Ultimate Credit Card Guide that covers all things credit cards in Singapore – from choosing between a cashback, miles, or rewards credit card to planning your credit card strategy.

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