As discussed in Suitesmile Chat last night, the latest UOB Preferred Platinum Visa nerf was announced by the bank, and we’ll see category caps on bonus spending categories, like what we saw with the UOB Visa Signature and UOB Lady’s Solitaire cards just last month.
As a card that earns 4 miles per dollar on (almost) all mobile contactless payments and some online transactions up to S$1,110 per month, I currently see the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card as one of the top Miles cards in Singapore, and it’s an important part of my Miles and Credit Card Strategy.
But things are changing soon.
NERF: Bonus category split
From 1 October 2025, UOB Preferred Platinum cardholders can continue to earn 4 mpd on the same bonus categories, but with sub-caps of just S$600 per calendar month.
- Mobile Contactless (broad): Earn 4 mpd, capped S$600 per month
- Online Spending (MCC-restricted): Earn 4 mpd, capped S$600 per month
In summary, cardholders can earn 4 mpd on a slightly larger total amount monthly (S$1,110 vs S$1,200) but the more-useful spending category, Mobile Contactless, will now be capped at just S$600 per month.
Here’s a quick look at the whitelisted Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) of the less-useful Online Spending category on the UOB Preferred Platinum Card:
| Category | MCC |
|---|---|
| Department Stores and Retail Stores | 4816, 5262, 5306, 5309, 5310, 5311, 5331, 5399, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5641, 5651, 5661, 5691, 5699, 5732-5735, 5912, 5942, 5944-5949, 5964, 5966-5970, 5992, 5999 |
| Supermarkets, Dining and Food Delivery | 5811,5812,5814, 5333, 5411, 5441, 5462, 5499, 8012, 9751 |
| Entertainment and Ticketing | 7278, 7832, 7841, 7922, 7991, 7996, 7998-7999 |
NEW: Earn 4 mpd on Public Transportation
It’s not all bad news though.
From 28 Aug 2025, UOB Preferred Platinum Cardholders will be able to earn 4 mpd on SimplyGo transactions (public buses/MRT). The monthly cap for SimplyGo transactions will be implemented in 2 phases:
- 28 Aug till 30 Sep 2025: Earn 4 mpd on SimplyGo, up to S$1,110 per month
- 1 Oct 2025 onwards: Earn 4 mpd on SimplyGo, up to S$600 per month (shared limit with Mobile Contactless category)
Related: Best Credit Cards for Public Transportation
Wait, what about UOB’s S$5 earning block?
One of many UOB credit card annoyances is the S$5 earning block; cardholders only earn miles in blocks of S$5 and zero miles on any transaction under S$5. Given the low spending on public transportation in Singapore, it’s rare for one to accumulate at least S$5 in a single journey.
The good news is that UOB will accumulate all SimplyGo transactions on this card for the entire calendar month, and award the miles (in UNI$) by the 7th calendar day of the following month.
Example: If your total SimplyGo spending for Sep 2025 is S$144.30, you’ll receive 4 mpd on S$140, for a total haul of 560 miles (UNI$ 280).
Here’s the excerpt from the updated terms and conditions:
You will earn UNI$1 for every S$5 charged to your Card Account for SimplyGo (ABT) Transactions. UNI$ for SimplyGo (ABT) Transactions are accumulated based on each calendar month and awarded to you on the 7th calendar day of the following month. With effect from 28 Aug 2025, SimplyGo (ABT) Transactions will be treated as Mobile Contactless Transactions. Accordingly, you will earn UNI$10 per S$5 spend on the accumulated spend on SimplyGo (ABT) Transactions subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to Mobile Contactless Transactions. UNI$ for eligible SimplyGo (ABT) Transactions are accumulated based on each calendar month and awarded to you on the 7th calendar day of the following month.
Should you still use the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card?
The most impactful change is unquestionably the new S$600 monthly cap on the broad Mobile Contactless category, which was the main reason why the UOB Preferred Platinum Card was rated highly in the first place.
This is the second time in 2 months that UOB is introducing a sub-S$1,000 monthly category cap on a 4 mpd card, after the announcement regarding the UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card.
Related: Best UOB Credit Cards in Singapore
I’ll need some time to compare the post-nerf benefits against alternative cards, before updating my lists of the best Miles credit cards and credit card strategy.
Is this card still attractive after the category split? Share your thoughts about this nerf in Suitesmile Chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
UOB shared the following set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding this nerf:
preferred-platinum-card-faqTerms and conditions
UOB has updated the terms and conditions of the UOB Preferred Platinum Card to reflect this nerf:
terms-and-conditions-for-preferred-plat-visa