Let’s be real, nobody has the time to play the cashback game—like categorising expenses and getting a different credit card for each activity. But, we still want to maximise the cashback earned on our credit card statements (just without the effort).
The challenge is that many cards offer a flat cashback rate of less than 2%, while some provide enticing cashback for specific partners but disappointingly low returns (less than 0.5%) on other spends.
Not to mention, it’s often difficult to redeem cashback for rewards or cash vouchers and keep track of the expiry dates of the points/cashback.
So you end up juggling multiple cards with different spending categories and expiry dates of rewards—which can get confusing. Are there any cards out there that seamlessly combine accelerated cashback for our daily go-to brands with a consistently high cashback rate for all other expenses?
Good news, there is! The UOB One Credit Card cuts through the complicated mechanics to deliver a simple, fuss-free solution for you to get up to 15% cashback on daily spend and up to 3.33% cashback on all retail spend.
How the typical Singaporean can use the UOB One Credit Card to pay for expenses
Take Mike, a typical 38-year-old Singaporean dad with two young kids. He is an IT specialist and is pretty much a workaholic. He buys McDonald’s for the family twice a week, mainly to give his kids a treat (and himself as well).
He also uses food delivery services around 3 – 4 days a week because his wife, who’s a working mum, has no time to cook. On weekends, they’ll go out for meals or head to the beach or cinema for some entertainment.
Mike usually takes public transport to work, but when he’s late, he’ll end up taking Grab or other ride-sharing services. In his downtime, the regular bro just chills out with Netflix.
Being like any other Singaporean, Mike loves a good deal too.
So just how much can Mike save using the UOB One Credit Card?
Firstly, the UOB One Credit Card offers up to 15% cashback, and the highest tier of the cashback applies to things that Singaporeans usually spend on daily, such as public bus and train rides, grocery spend at DFI Retail Group, Grab, Shopee, and even McDonald’s!
Thankfully, the restaurants and stores that Mike frequents are eligible for the highest tier of cashback (and that’s the best thing about the UOB One Card).
Here’s how much cashback Mike earns by spending S$2,000 per month on his favourite partner merchants.
| Merchant | Amount spent with the UOB One Card per month | Quarterly cashback* (up to 3.33%) | Monthly Cashback earned (up to 6.67%)* | Bonus cashback (up to 5%)** | |
| McDonald’s | S$200 | S$200 cashback | S$13.34 | S$10 | |
| GrabFood | S$400 | S$26.68 | S$20 | ||
| GrabRides/ SimplyGo | S$400 | S$26.68 | S$20 | ||
| Giant | S$400 | S$26.68 | S$20 | ||
| 7-Eleven | S$100 | S$6.67 | S$5 | ||
| Shopee | S$400 | S$26.68 | S$20 | ||
| Cold Storage, CS Fresh, and Jasons Deli | S$100 | S$6.67 | S$5 | ||
| Total | S$2,000 | S$100 (cap at S$100) |
S$100 | ||
| Total cashback earned in a year | S$800 (Quarterly cashback) + S$1,200 (Bonus cashback) + S$1,200 (Enhanced new cardmember cashback) = S$3,200 | ||||
*To get the maximum cashback, you have to spend S$2,000 a month and make at least 5 transactions each month. Cashback is earned on a quarterly basis (every 3 months)
**Get enhanced cashback of 5% for new-to-UOB cardmembers who apply by 31 March 2024 (this makes the total cashback up to 15%)
The UOB One Credit Card doesn’t offer cashback on some of Mike’s other expenses, like insurance, his kids’ school fees, rent, etc., but that’s typical of most cashback credit cards. To learn more about how the cashback is calculated, check out our in-depth review.
Cashback offsets the next bill—just like real cash
One of the best features is the ease of getting your cashback—you don’t even have to do anything!
Your earned cashback offsets the next bill automatically. There’s none of the bells and whistles of conversions, redeeming cashback for gifts or rewards, or downloading a separate app to earn it.
Plus, the auto offset of your bill means you don’t have to worry about your cashback expiring. It’s basically like getting a big discount each quarter (as cashback is awarded quarterly)—perfect for busy or forgetful Singaporeans.
Earn Cashback on your travels—fuss-free
Singaporeans love travelling and it’s a bonus if we can earn cashback on travel spend. The UOB One Credit Card gives you that—up to 3.33% cashback, in fact.
The cashback applies to all other spending separate from the above-mentioned areas. This could be for dining or in-store retail spending, locally or overseas. Or if Mike decides to get a supplementary card for his wife, whatever she spends on that counts towards the cashback as well.
Don’t forget, you also get up to 10% cashback if you take a Grab ride to the airport and overseas too!
UOB One Card
- Cashback on McDonald’s, DFI Retail Group, Grab, Shopee, SP and more
- Up to 10%
- Cashback Cap per quarter
- S$500
- Min. Spend per month
- S$500
[UP TO S$15,000 WORTH OF REWARDS!]
Get up to 15% Cashback and S$350 Cash Credit from UOB when you successfully apply for an eligible UOB Credit Card and spend a min. of S$1,000 per month, for 2 consecutive months from the card approval date. T&Cs apply.
PLUS 2 other exclusive offers if you sign-up through MoneySmart. T&Cs apply.
- Get an extra S$50 Cash Bonus on top of UOB’s online promotion offer, when you are one of the first 300 customers to submit the MoneySmart claim form
- Stand a chance to also win a Rolex Explorer 124270 or a Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro 512GB or a Sony PlayStation®5 (SLIM) Digital Edition when you participate in the MoneySmart x UOB March Giveaway.
Valid until 31 Mar 2024
Earn Cashback easily with the UOB One Credit Card
When getting cashback is so easy and doesn’t require you to do anything except to use the card for your daily necessities, such as groceries, food, and rides, using the UOB One Credit Card is almost a no-brainer.
For a typical Singaporean with bills to pay and a family or household to buy things for, it’s easy to rack up the S$2,000 a month needed to earn the maximum amount of cashback.
Tailored to meet the needs of busy Singaporeans like Mike, who, much like the rest of us, just want to enjoy life without the headache, the UOB One Credit Card is a fuss-free and rewarding card if you’re looking for cashback.
Apply for the UOB One Credit Card by 31 March 2024 to enjoy the maximum cashback of up to 15% on McDonald’s, Grab, Shopee, and more (only for new-to-UOB cardmembers).
This post was written in collaboration with UOB. While we are financially compensated by them, we nonetheless strive to maintain our editorial integrity and review products with the same objective lens. We are committed to providing the best information in order for you to make personal financial decisions with confidence.
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Original article: Finally, a Credit Card for Singaporeans Who Love McDonald’s, Cold Storage, Shopee, GrabRides, and more.
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