Then surely you've applied for the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card as it definitely offers a "larger than usual opportunity" with 4 miles/$ for PayWave transactions. :)

I'm a night owl. I'm synced to Europe time =)

Thanks for the clarification!
Seems like I'll be signing up for this card too then.

Sorry but I have a few more questions :p

a) What is the effective Mile per $ for the UOB PRVI Card at 5X Bonus at Cold Storage during weekends?

b) Is there a fee waiver limit for the Preferred Amex card? PRVI card seems to be 50K but nothing is mentioned for the Preferred Amex. If there is none is fee waiver easy to get via calling in?

c) Is it possible to transfer UNI$ to family member's mileage accounts?


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Wow I just saw the Preferred Visa has 10X UNI for Online purchases (Excl travel). I charged quite a many thousands to amazon last year. When did this card become available?

Really should have been more aware of the card options and not just left everything to my crappy Amex rewards card.

It's a hidden miles purchase trick. You may get higher 4.05 ROI for the fee paying card but as the ROI is 1.66 for the non fee paying card, this works out to a difference of 2.39 miles x $7,500 = 17,925 miles for $256.80 annual fee paid.

Not sure, but I only found out about it in recent months due to the 4 miles/$ Paywave earnings ratio. Not sure whether it was around earlier to be honest.

Which is worth it if you
1) do not intend to spend 12k but 7.5k
2) want the luggage

a) 10 miles for every S$5 spent. If you have AMEX Rewards card, you should charge to it. Because the rate is very high. S$1 = 5.5 MR points (incl Fav 5) = 3.4375 miles. 01 May onwards the rate will be 5.5/1.8 = 3.0556 miles. That's a lot of difference. Even AMEX Platinum credit card also cannot match. S$1 = 1.953125 miles. 01 May onwards it will be S$1 = 1.736111 miles
I'm not sure if 5x weekend bonus applies to UOB PRVI miles card. CS/MP/Jasons is not listed in the UOB PRVI miles extraordinary weekend website. http://www.uob.com.sg/personal/cards...amex_card.html
It is listed in the original AMEX 5x membership rewards website. https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p...ivetimes.shtml
The UOB T&C says: UOB PRVI Miles Platinum American Express Cardmembers also earn UNI$5 for very S$5 charged at Cold Storage, Market Place, Jasons, GNC, OG.
and Shaw every Friday to Sunday (American Express SelectsTM XtraOrdinary Weekends)..
• UOB PRVI American Express Cardmembers earn UNI$2 for every S$5 charged. UOB PRVI American Express Cardmembers also earn UNI$5 for every S$5 charged at Shaw Theatres, GNC and OG every Friday to Sunday.
(American Express SelectsTM XtraOrdinary Weekends).
• UOB Preferred Platinum American Express Cardmembers earn UNI$10 for every S$5 charged on local and.
overseas shopping, UNI$5 for every S$5 charged at Cold Storage, Market Place, Jasons, GNC, OG and Shaw
every Friday to Sunday (American Express SelectsTM XtraOrdinary Weekends) and UNI$2 for every S$5 charged on.
all other spend. https://uniservices.uobgroup.com/RUS...dsplus_tnc.pdf

b) Always waived. Even if don't use.

c) Don't know. The rules says to your own name only. Not sure if UOB will refuse. I know the original AMEX is very strict on this. They will write letter to inform you of the name not same for the frequent flyer program and refund you the points.
"Each transfer by the Eligible Person to his/her designated airline’s program will be subjected to a S$20 conversion fee
(or a conversion fee of such other amount as UOB may determine in its discretion); and must be to an account bearing
his/her own name. Each transfer must be in block of 10,000 miles." https://uniservices.uobgroup.com/RUS...dsplus_tnc.pdf

Most of my expenditure is overseas, and in Singapore I spend the most on food and beverage outlets so I use the Amex Card (the 4 miles per dollar) card. And yes, even when I go to Swensens (I just realized it isn't included), I will still use that card. Minor loss for overall significant benefit.

Overall I might lose out on some components, but overall I like my strategy. The 10,000 miles doesn't really bother me anyways

Yes I am going to use that, but I figured since I don't generally see PayWave greater than 5-6 bucks anyways, I plan on using that card exclusively for Amazon.

Why didn't you earn the 10x UNI$ at Swenson's?

It is 3.75 AFAIK. Amex Rewards earn 5 MR pts for every S$1 spend during Xtraordinary weekends, but you get 50% at 5 favourite places (50% applicable only to first $5k charged at favourite places per calendar year, so 5.5 MR effective) and 50% once you charge S$5k on anything to this card, so 6 MR.

Also if someone doesn't have this card yet, new members earn also 100% during first 3 months (S$1 = 4.375 miles) and get 24k MR pts (15k miles) if at least S$500 / month is charged to this card during first 3 months.

Newly launched, maybe about a month or so ago. But before that, there was the DBS Lady's card that earns 4 miles/$ for online transactions (only for first $2k per month).

Cold Storage is the main attraction here. But you may need to split up the bill to get below the $100 limit for paywave transactions.

The other place is Starbucks, where there is a current promotion of $1 off for using paywave. Given that most of their drinks are at about the $6 and above mark, it's just nice. Else, use paywave to top up a Starbucks card. To be fair, this would be a close call between this card and the Citi Clear Platinum card, which offers 2 miles/$ and 10% rebate at Starbucks.

The 0.5 miles for charging $5k comes only when you have completed $5k worth of transactions. For most of us, this won't happen this early in the year, so the 2,500 MR points will come later as a block, after the MR points/miles devaluation. So, it won't be 3.75 miles/$ anymore.

Amex Rewards is losing it's lustre. Main benefits were at SPC and Cold Storage, IMO, and there are better alternatives now. I've emptied my MR points and chucked the card into the drawer.

Exactly!! Last time in 2010 when the AMEX Rewards Card was launched, they used to round up the points anything above S$0.50. Now they round down and ignore the cents part just like Citibank.

Anyway, just to share.

5x points at Cold Storage/Marketplace/Jasons in 2013 is still on BUT once the charge is posted, only the basic 1x and extra 0.5x for Fav 5 is posted. You have to track and call up the AMEX card centre and explain to them. After that they will manually credit the balace 4x points on the same day or day after. It happened to me 2x already. At Jasons ION Orchard and Cold Storage Star Vista. For other merchants like SPC, once the charge is posted, the basic and bonus points is in straight away. *PLEASE TRACK YOUR POINTS*

https://www.americanexpress.com/sg/p...ivetimes.shtml

Hmm...very attractive. I will be relocating to SIN in 2 months time and I hope
the offer is still available in July 2013 (when I apply for the card). I intend to charge at least S$7.5k for an SQ ticket to LAX and this could come in handy!

More and more places are accepting Paywave. Even department stores like Takashimaya. But as you mentioned Cold Storage is going to be the "main attraction" here.

As for quick stuff, let's not forget Subway.

P.S. Haven't been to Starbucks in the last 6 mths, don't like coffee any more. Prefer beer. :)

Wow thanks very much for this!
a) I still have the Amex rewards card. Ok so perhaps I could buy cold storage vouchers for like $5K and sell then at 5% discount and keep the miles. Should still be a good value.

I have Cold Storage as a Fav 5, and I still have yet to hit the 50% bonus for 5K spending since I moved everything to my PRVI card.
So for $1.5K spending I'll get back 6718 Miles

Is it possible to buy cold storage vouchers at the outlets?



b) thats wonderful regarding the fee waiver. But getting 50K for the waiver + 20K miles is not too bad either

c) Regarding transfer of miles via AMEX. I managed to transfer from my brothers Amex to my KF account. We have the same last name so maybe that helps.

Yes, you can buy Cold Storage vouchers at CS/MP/Jasons on Fridays to Sundays to earn 5x points with AMEX Rewards Card.