Most of us are still pouting from the announcement that the UOB One Account will be dropping its interest rates come 1 May 2024. But with every door that closes (well, not totally), another one opens. Just so happens, this door is in the same house.
In celebration of its 35th anniversary this year, the UOB Lady’s Card went for a makeover. Apart from the obvious face lift, the card also adjusted its key offering from 6 miles per dollar (which had all the men flocking to apply last year) to 4 miles per dollar.
We heard the sigh. But don’t be disheartened just yet. In this review, we go through all the new bits and bobs with the Lady’s Card and see if it’s still a worthy contender in the rewards arena.
UOB Lady’s Card Review—Is it MoneySmart? |
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Overall: ★★★★☆ Best for: Both ladies and gentlemen who spend largely on 1 category (Beauty & Wellness, Dining, Entertainment, Family, Fashion, Transport and Travel) and enjoy the flexibility of a rewards system |
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Category | Our rating | Before 1 April 2024 | From 1 April 2024 |
Earn rates: UNI$ | ★★★★☆ | S$5 = 1X UNI$ (or 2 miles)
S$5 = 15X UNI$ (or 30 miles) on a preferred category of your choice with no min. spend: Beauty & Wellness, Dining, Entertainment, Family, Fashion, Transport and Travel. Capped at 2,800 UNI$/month (S$1,000 spend). You can change your preferred category every quarter. Convert your UNI$ into air miles at the conversion rate of UNI$1 = 2 miles |
S$5 = 10X UNI$ (or 4 miles per S$1) when you spend on a preferred category of your choice with no min. spend: Beauty & Wellness, Dining, Entertainment, Family, Fashion, Transport and Travel. Capped at 1,800 UNI$ per month (S$1,000 spent)You can change your preferred category every quarter.Earn up to 25X UNI$ per S$5 spend (or 10 miles per S$1) when you save with UOB Lady’s Savings AccountConvert your UNI$ into air miles at the conversion rate of UNI$1 = 2 miles. |
Earn categories | ★★★★☆ | ||
Annual fees and charges | ★★★★☆ | S$194.40 annual fee (first year waived)
First Supplementary Card free, $97.20 for subsequent Supplementary Cards. |
S$196.20 annual fee from 1 Jan 2024 (first year waived)
First Supplementary Card free, $98.10 for subsequent Supplementary Cards. |
Accessibility | ★★★★☆ | Minimum income requirement: $30,000 (Singaporeans and PRs, salaried workers) / $40,000 (Singaporeans and PRs who are self-employed or commission-based; non-Singaporeans) | Minimum income requirement: $30,000 (Singaporeans and PRs, salaried workers) / $40,000 (Singaporeans and PRs who are self-employed or commission-based; non-Singaporeans) |
Extras/periphery rewards | ★★★★☆ | UOB Lady’s LuxePay Plan 6 or 12-month installment plan with no interest or processing fees.
Free e-Commerce protection for online purchases up to USD$200 High female cancer coverage of up to S$200,000 sum assured with UOB Lady’s Savings Account |
Earn up to 25X UNI$ per S$5 spend when you combine UOB Lady’s Savings Account + UOB Lady’s Credit Card
Enjoy specially curated dental treatments. Get free coverage of up to S$200,000 for 6 female cancers from the first dollar you save. No medical assessment required. |
Sign-up bonus | ★★★☆☆ | Get up to S$350 Grab Vouchers from UOB when you are the first 200 new-to-UOB customers who successfully apply and spend a min. of S$1,000 per month, for 2 consecutive months from the card approval date. Valid till 31 Oct 2023. | Jo Malone Cologne 30ml
Dining experience for 2 at Michelin-starred restaurants (worth over S$900) Find out more about these promos below. |
See our credit card ranking rubric to find out how we rank credit cards. Don’t forget to check out all our Singapore credit card reviews.
UOB Lady’s Card terms & conditions
UOB Lady’s Card | |
Annual fee & waiver | $196.20 (waived for 1st year) |
Supplementary annual fee | First supp card free, subsequently $98.10 |
Interest-free period | 21 days |
Annual interest rate | 27.8% |
Late payment fee | $100 |
Minimum monthly repayment | 3% or $50, whichever is higher |
Foreign currency transaction fee | 3.25% |
Cash advance transaction fee | 8% |
Overlimit fee | $40 |
Card association | MasterCard |
Wireless payment | MasterCard PayPass, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay, UOB Mighty Pay |
There’s a higher tier version of the UOB Lady’s Card called the UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card which comes with better perks, such as 2 preferred spending categories. Expectedly, it is less accessible and only open to those who earn a minimum income of S$120,000.
What’s new with the UOB Lady’s Card?
The UOB Lady’s Card has entered a new era. We’re talking about a whole new fit and a refreshed personality. Shelving her iconic Priscilla Shunmugam getup, she’s now wearing the works of Sunny Chyun—the multimedia artist who won the 2017 UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) competition.
If you’re a fan of the card’s classic rose motif, you’d be happy to see that it’s still standing and very much blooming. But if you’re not a flower person and have ever confused the Lady’s card with the Takashimaya card…then this abstract style might not be the one to change your mind.
But looks aren’t everything, especially when it comes to cards. So, on to the more important part—what is the new UOB Lady’s Card offering?
As mentioned above, the UOB Lady’s Card is a rewards credit card that lets you earn 10x UNI$ (UOB rewards points) for every $5 spent on any one spending category of your choosing. That’s equivalent to 4 miles per S$1.
Psst…What in the world is UNI$?UNI$ is the currency used in UOB’s loyalty rewards programme. UOB Cardmembers earn UNI$1 for every S$5 spent on their eligible cards. Cardmembers can redeem UNI$ for reward items, such as dining vouchers and movie tickets, that are available in the UOB Rewards Catalogue. UNI$ are calculated per transaction and rounded down to the nearest whole number. UNI$ can be converted into air miles at the conversion rate of UNI$1 = 2 miles. UNI$ expire 2 years from the last day of each periodic quarter in which the UNI$ was earned. |
Off the bat, the new rate might sound like a downgrade from its previous offering of 15X UNI$ which is equivalent to $1 per 6 miles. However, UOB is now giving you the option to earn up to 25X UNI$ per S$5 spent (that’s 10 miles per S$1!) IF you save with the UOB Lady’s Savings Account.
There are 3 tiers of bonus UNI$ you can earn when you park your money in the UOB Lady’s Savings Account. At the highest tier, which requires you to stash at least $100,000 with them, you’ll qualify for 15X UNI$ on top of the base 10X UNI$. That comes up to a sweet sweet rate of 10 miles for every dollar you spend. That’s a pretty impressive rate in the market right now.
Spending on UOB Lady’s Credit Card | Saving with UOB Lady’s Savings Account | Total bonus UNI$ | |
Monthly Average Balance | Bonus UNI$ | ||
10X UNI$ for every $5 spent | <$10,000 | – | 10X UNI$ (4 miles per $1) |
$10,000 to $49,999 | 5X | 15X UNI$ (6 miles per $1) |
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$50,000 to $99,999 | 10X | 20X UNI$ (8 miles per $1) |
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$100,000 & above | 15X | 25X UNI$ (10 miles per $1) |
Source: UOB
What are the UOB Lady’s Card reward categories?
If this card isn’t your first rodeo in the rewards world, then you might be familiar with UOB’s thing with spending category requirements.
Every quarter, the UOB Lady’s Card lets you choose 1 spending category to earn from:
- Beauty & Wellness
- Fashion
- Dining
- Family (including groceries)
- Travel
- Transport (including petrol)
- Entertainment (nightlife, movies)
Honestly, it will take some commitment and planning from you to manage your spending accordingly for 3 straight months. That’s why this card is great for those who already typically spend in one category, such as frequent travellers, foodies (it pays to get the bill first), or those who live with family. We’d always advise to get a card that suits your life, not change your life to suit a card. It’s less of a headache that way.
Thankfully, you can change your selected category every quarter. If you don’t select something new, whatever you chose the previous round will carry forward.
Like most rewards cards in the market, there’s no minimum spend. What they typically have instead are caps. The maximum amount of Bonus UNI$ that you can earn in a calendar month will be capped at UNI$1,800, which is equivalent to S$1,000 spent.
From 1 April 2024, the maximum amount of Bonus UNI$ that you can earn in a calendar month with your UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card or UOB Lady’s Solitaire Metal Card will be revised from 5,400 UNI$ (which is equivalent to S$3,000 spent) to 3,600 UNI$ (which is equivalent to S$2,000 spent).
If you spend more than that on your bonus category, you won’t earn bonus points.
Are there any other UOB Lady’s Card promotions?
If you’re new to UOB, here are two treats that might entice you to get on board.
How to redeem a Jo Malone Cologne (30ml) (worth $120)
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- Be the first 150 new-to-UOB deposit customers to apply for UOB Lady’s Saving Account online
- Deposit at least S$10,000 in new funds from 1 April 2024 to 30 April 2024. Maintain the fresh funds till 31 May 2024 to qualify.
- Valid till 30 April 2024. Only for Singapore customers.
There are 3 scents available: Red Roses (of course), English Pear & Freesia (cult classic!), and Peony & Blush Suede. Even if you’re a Jo Malone kinda folk, I’m not sure that a 30ml bottle of eau de toilette is necessarily going to push you to make a decision. But if you’ve already got your sights set on the UOB Lady’s Card, then it only makes scents that you hurry.
How to redeem a dining experience for two at Michelin-starred restaurants (worth over S$900)
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- Be the first 150 new-to-UOB credit card customers per calendar month to successfully apply for an eligible UOB Lady’s Credit Card from 1 April 2024 to 30 June 2024 (both dates inclusive)
- Spend a min. of S$1,500 per month for 2 consecutive months from your card approval date.
- The redemption period is from Jul 2024 onwards.
Okay, now we’re talking. UOB has partnered with 3 Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore for this sign up promo: Neo Italian rooftop restaurant and bar Art di Daniele Sperindio, Nua Irish restaurant Cure and modern European spot Restaurant Rêve.
The cool thing is that UOB has linked up with other award-winning restaurants in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia so cardmembers around the region can get in on this too. See the full list here:
Singapore | Malaysia | Thailand | Indonesia |
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*Michelin-starred restaurant
If you’re about to clock some big purchases soon, like executing some wedding or travel plans, the S$1,500 spending requirement should be easy peasy. And then you can look forward to treating yourself to a hearty meal after all that hard work.
Is the UOB Lady’s Card and UOB Lady’s Savings Account open to men?
Guys, we know what you’re thinking. You want a slice of this pie too. Well, good news—the UOB Lady’s Card continues to be available for men. The UOB Lady’s Savings Account, however, isn’t open to men just yet, but word from UOB is that it will be open to all sometime in May. Watch this space to stay updated.
Alternatives to UOB Lady’s Card
If rewards are your thing, here are some other cards which also offer you 10x points on every dollar you spend.
HSBC Revolution Credit Card – It’s the magic number 10. Earn 10X Points (equivalent to 4 Miles per S$1) on dining, travel, online, and contactless Visa PayWave and Apple Pay purchases. Benefits include no annual fees, attractive online rewards redemption catalogue, and travel insurance. Read our in-depth review here.
Citi Rewards Card – If you’re a digital native who can’t do without Grab rides, relies heavily on online delivery services, and has become besties with the courier who delivers your online shopping, you’ll enjoy the Citi Rewards Card. Earn up to 10X Points (equivalent to 4 Miles per S$1) on up to S$1,00o worth of purchases per month and enjoy the flexibility on how you want to redeem the points. You can offset your purchases with the points earned, redeem for vouchers, and more.
DBS Woman’s World Card – Don’t be deceived by its name, just like the UOB Lady’s Card, the DBS Woman’s World Card is also open to both ladies and men. Benefits include an attractive 10X Points program (equivalent to 4 Miles per S$1) for online spend, annual fee waiver, Agoda staycation deals, and other promotions.
P.S. Here’s our MoneySmart credit card ranking rubric
Is that credit card MoneySmart? Our MoneySmart credit card ranking rubric | |
Category | Our rating |
Overall | The average rating for the credit card on the whole, calculated from the ratings for the individual categories below. Plus, we’ll give you a one-liner on who we think the credit card is best suited for. |
Earn rates: Air miles / Cashback / Rewards points | Air miles ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ / Cashback / Rewards points . This category looks at the depth rather than breadth of earn rates.
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Earn categories | This category looks at the breadth rather than depth of your earnings.
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Annual fees and charges |
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Accessibility | Minimum income requirements:
Exclusivity: We dock 1-2 stars if there is/are another category/categories that make the card exclusive and very specific to a certain clientele. |
Extras/periphery rewards | These include:
We count the number of benefits and award between 0.5 to 2 stars for each, depending on how good the perk is. |
Sign-up bonus |
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Check out all our MoneySmart credit card reviews: The Ultimate List of Credit Card Reviews in Singapore.
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