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UOB has expanded its controversial instant UNI$ redemptions programme to Johor Bahru, allowing Singapore cardholders to offset purchases at over 150 participating outlets. While marketed as a benefit, the value is poor: redemptions in JB are fixed at UNI$500 = S$5, or 0.5 cents per mile, far below the 1.8–2 cents per mile you’d get by converting to airline miles. Worse, cashiers can sometimes trigger redemptions without explicit consent, and once done, they can’t be reversed.
Participating JB merchants include popular retailers (Courts, Decathlon, Samsung), clinics, beauty services, and F&B outlets like Subway, with more expected to join. Redemptions are tied to prevailing foreign exchange rates, but UOB waives its usual 3.25% FX fee. Still, the opportunity cost makes this unattractive—you lose both the chance to earn miles and the superior redemption value miles provide. Even if you hold a small UNI$ balance, converting them to KrisPay miles (minimum 1,000 UNI$), where they’re worth 1 cent per mile, is a better deal.
Unlike in Singapore, where mobile wallet payments can also trigger UNI$ redemptions, JB transactions require the physical card. This means digitising your card on Apple Pay or Google Pay provides protection, while still earning bonus miles with cards like the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa. UOB AMEX cards are immune to instant UNI$ redemptions, so using a PRVI Miles AMEX, for instance, avoids the risk.
Confusion can arise because UOB also offers UOB$, a cashback currency that should be redeemed at merchants. Both UNI$ and UOB$ may appear at the same outlets, so customers must be clear which currency they want to use.
Bottom line: UOB’s instant UNI$ redemption in Johor offers terrible value. Treat it not as a perk, but as a pitfall to avoid.
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