Unveiling the UOB Lady's Cards: A Comprehensive Guide for Rewards Seekers
The Ultimate Rewards Card for the Discerning Spender
The UOB Lady's Cards are a trio of versatile rewards cards, offering an impressive 4 mpd (miles per dollar) on up to two customizable bonus categories. This makes them a powerful tool in any credit card strategy, especially when paired with the UOB Lady's Savings Account for an additional 2-6 mpd boost.
While they might not be as user-friendly as blacklist cards like the DBS Woman's World Card, the UOB Lady's Solitaire Card still holds a special place in my overall credit card arsenal. In this guide, we'll uncover everything you need to know to make the most of these cards.
UOB Lady's Cards FAQs
- Applying for the UOB Lady's Cards
- Annual Fees and Waivers
- Earning 4 mpd: The Key to Maximizing Rewards
- Bonus Categories: Customizing Your Spending
- UOB's Unique Policies and Strategies
- UOB One Account: Boosting Your Savings
- UOB Lady's Savings Account: The Ultimate Pairing
Applying for the UOB Lady's Cards
Can Men Apply? Absolutely! The UOB Lady's Cards, once exclusive to females, now welcome male applicants too, a policy change that took effect in July 2023.
Sign-up Offers: UOB often provides 'first X' offers, which can be a gamble due to applicant caps. However, SingSaver occasionally offers an uncapped S$60 cash gift for new-to-bank applications. Stay tuned to MileLion Roars for the latest updates.
Income Requirements: Historically, UOB has been lenient with the S$120,000 minimum income requirement, especially for existing UOB cardholders. But recent data suggests a stricter approach. If you don't meet the income criteria, consider opening a fixed deposit with UOB for S$30,000 to secure a version of the card.
Can I Hold Both Cards? Officially, you can only hold one. UOB's T&Cs state that upgrading or downgrading will result in the termination of your existing card within a month. However, some customers manage to hold both, but there's no additional benefit, as the terms of the more recently approved card take precedence.
Getting Started: You can apply instantly via the UOB TMRW app. Simply add your card to Google Pay or Apple Pay, and you're ready to use it for contactless payments.
The UOB Lady's Solitaire Metal Card: This card is by invitation only, and you need to spend at least S$45,000 on the UOB Lady's Solitaire Card within 3 months to be considered. I'd argue that there are better $120K cards offering more benefits.
Annual Fees and Waivers: Both the UOB Lady's Card and Solitaire Card offer a waiver for the first year's annual fee. Subsequent years' fees can also be waived, but it's not guaranteed. Keep an eye on your UNI$ balance around your card's anniversary and request a waiver.
Earning 4 mpd: This is where the magic happens. UOB Lady's Cardholders earn 1 base UNI$ and 9 bonus UNI$ for every S$5 spent on their bonus categories. The bonus UNI$ are awarded at the start of the following month, and you can check your breakdown via the UOB TMRW app.
Bonus Categories: UOB Lady's Cardholders can choose from seven categories, defined by specific Merchant Category Codes (MCCs). These categories apply to both local and foreign currency spending, online or offline. 'Travel', for example, includes airlines, cruise liners, duty-free stores, hotels, and travel agencies, but excludes bus liners, rental cars, trains, and private hire cars.
Selecting and Changing Bonus Categories: You can select your bonus categories via a dedicated webpage. The first selection is effective immediately, but any changes will take effect from the first day of the following quarter. You can change your selection at any time, but the new categories will only apply from the start of the next quarter. If you don't manually change, the previous quarter's choices are automatically carried over.
UOB's Unique Policies: UOB has a points rounding policy that ensures you don't lose out on miles due to S$5 earning blocks. Additionally, since November 2024, UOB cardholders can double dip on UNI$ and UOB$ at UOB$ merchants, making it a great option for earning rewards.
UOB One Account: The UOB Lady's Cards are eligible to earn bonus interest on the UOB One Account. By crediting your salary of at least S$1,600 and spending S$500 per month, you can earn up to 2.5% p.a. on the first S$150,000 in your account.
UOB Lady's Savings Account: Pairing the UOB Lady's Cards with this account can earn you an extra 2-6 mpd. It's a powerful combination, but most find the 2 mpd band to be the optimal balance, as anything higher might incur an opportunity cost in terms of interest on the funds in the account.
The UOB Lady's Cards are a flexible and rewarding option for Singaporeans, especially with the ability to change bonus categories every quarter. When paired with the UOB Lady's Savings Account, the rewards can be truly exceptional.
And there you have it! A comprehensive guide to the UOB Lady's Cards. I hope this helps you make the most of these powerful rewards cards. Feel free to ask any questions below, and let's discuss the best strategies for maximizing your rewards!
