Compared: UOB Preferred Platinum Visa vs UOB Visa Signature
Last Updated: 7th March 2026
UOB cards have long been a mainstay for miles chasers, thanks to their 4 miles per dollar offerings, the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa and UOB Visa Signature. Both cards have been quite similar in functionality and the recent nerf to UOB Visa Signature has brought them even closer in terms of overlap.
Which is the better choice? Let’s find out.
Summary Table
 UOB Preferred Platinum Visa |  UOB Visa Signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Spend | None 🏆 | S$1,000 per month |
| Spend Cap | S$600 per category S$1,200 (combined) | S$1,200 per category 🏆 S$2,400 (combined) |
| Cap Resets | Calendar month | Statement month |
| S$5 Spend Blocks | Affected | Less affected 🏆 |
| Bonus Points | Awarded when transaction posts | Awarded when statement is generated |
| Contactless Payment | Yes, mobile phone only | Yes, card or mobile phone |
| Online Payment | Yes if within selected MCCs 🏆 | Yes if foreign currency |
| Foreign Currency Payment | Yes (via mobile contactless payment or selected online MCCs) | Yes (via card, mobile contactless, or online) |
| Full Review | Tap Here | Tap Here |
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Minimum Spend and Spend Caps
The main distinction between both cards has to be the lack of minimum spend requirement for UOB Preferred Platinum Visa versus the S$1,000 minimum monthly spend for UOB Visa Signature. While UOB Preferred Platinum Visa gives its 4 miles per dollar earn rate right away, UOB Visa Signature requires its minimum spend to be met or it will just give a paltry 0.4 miles per dollar earn rate.
If you’re a small spender, there probably isn’t much of a debate here — UOB Visa Signature is simply not useful for those who can’t reach at least S$1,000 of spend each month.
In return for meeting the minimum spend, UOB Visa Signature has a larger spend cap of S$1,200 per category (contactless and foreign currency transactions) for 4 miles per dollar. UOB Preferred Platinum Visa has a spend cap of S$600 per category (mobile contactless and online transactions) for its 4 miles per dollar earn rate.
Calendar vs Statement Month
For its spend cap, UOB Preferred Platinum Visa goes by calendar months. This means that you can max out the card’s 4 miles per dollar within July and your cap is reset once the clock strikes midnight and it is 1st August.
UOB Visa Signature goes by statement months instead.
For example, my statement was generated on 8th June 2025, which means that transactions before 8th June belongs to June 2025 statement while transactions posted from 8th June onwards belong to my July 2025 statement. So despite being in the same calendar month, the 3rd June and 22nd June transactions count towards different statement months for the purpose of calculating things like minimum spend and spend cap.
Points Crediting
Both UOB Preferred Platinum Visa and UOB Visa Signature credit the base points of UNI$1 per S$5 (or 0.4 miles per dollar) when the transaction posts to your card account.
For UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, bonus points of UNI$9 per S$5 (or 3.6 miles per dollar) are also credited when the transaction posts. UOB Visa Signature, however, credits bonus points at the end of the statement month.
Not only do you get your bonus points faster with UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, it is also easier to track your bonus points on a per-transaction basis. In the screenshot below, I can see that my MOS Burger transaction has gained me 18 UNI$ (or 36 miles) just days after making the spend. Meanwhile, UOB Visa Signature credited its bonus miles for my entire statement month in one lump sum, so I’m not able to see which transaction (if any) hasn’t given me bonus points:
S$5 Spend Blocks
There is a downside to the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa crediting points as soon as the transaction posts — UOB Preferred Platinum Visa is more affected by S$5 spend blocks. If you make a S$9.90 transaction with UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, you get base points and bonus points as if your transaction were S$5. (SimplyGo transactions, however, are totalled up within a month before rounded for S$5 blocks.)
For UOB Visa Signature, the same S$9.90 transaction gets treated as a S$5 transaction for the base points (0.4 miles per dollar). However, the entire statement month’s spending is added up for the calculation of bonus points (3.6 miles per dollar) and so UOB Visa Signature is a lot less affected by how UOB awards points on a S$5 basis. This is elaborated upon in this article so check it out for more details:
Contactless Payment
Both cards offer their 4 miles per dollar rate on contactless payments with a slight difference.
For UOB Preferred Platinum Visa, you must add the card to your phone’s mobile wallet and pay with that to qualify for the 4 miles per dollar earn rate. The physical card should not be used for payments at all.
UOB Visa Signature will offer its 4 miles per dollar earn rate regardless if you added the card to your phone’s mobile wallet or if you used the physical card itself. If using the physical card, you do need to tap the card against the payment terminal. Make sure not to swipe or insert the card into the payment terminal as this will not count as a contactless payment.
Online Payments
Beyond contactless payments, UOB Preferred Platinum Visa also offers its 4 miles per dollar earn rate on online transactions provided they belong to one of the following MCCs:
| Category | Merchant Category Codes (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 |
UOB Visa Signature will only give bonus miles on online transactions if they are charged in foreign currency with payment processing outside of Singapore.
Conclusion
I think the choice between the both is pretty clear based on the minimum spend. Those who can’t hit S$1,000 per month would find the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa their only viable choice between the two. If you can hit the S$1,000 minimum spend each month without issue, UOB Visa Signature can help sidestep UOB’s S$5 spending blocks as well as provide a slightly higher spend cap each month.
For those who can spend well in excess of S$1,000, using both is a viable option since the UNI$ earned by both cards are pooled in the same account. I would spend on my UOB Visa Signature until S$1,200 is reached before switching over to the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa to catch any excess spend within the month.
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Seth Wee was a licensed financial adviser representative from 2009 to 2025, with over 16 years of experience in Singapore’s financial advisory industry.
He started Sethisfy.com in 2019 to share practical insights on credit cards, banking products, and miles strategies, helping readers identify financial products that deliver the best value. Seth has been featured in CNA, Channel 8, Today, and a host of other publications. In 2025, he was also part of a panel at CPF’s Ready For Life festival.
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