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UOB: 1-for-1 Dining Deals for Cardmembers (1 Nov 2015 – 31 Jan 2016)

Own a UOB Credit or Debit Card? You are in for a treat!

Starting from 1 November 2015, you can enjoy 1-for-1 dining deals at more than 40 restaurants across Singapore.

Look out for buffets deals at Marriott Cafe and Cafe Mosaic and other attractive dining offers exclusive to you.

Valid till 31 January 2016. (or 31 December 2015 for some)

For all UOB Cards

Mitzo Restaurant & Bar

Burlamacco Ristorante

The Black Swan

Marriott Cafe, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

Café Mosaic, Carlton Hotel Singapore

Furama RiverFront, Singapore

Flavours At Zhongshan Park

Sakae Sushi

Billy Bombers American Diner

Cold Stone Creamery

Zen Japanese Cuisine

Bottura

Haha Thai

OPPA Chicken

Siam Society

The King Louis Grill & Bar

Pick Me Up Cafe

House of Seafood

Home of Seafood

OverEasy Fullerton

BWB – Burger, Wings, Bar

Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan Zoisl

The Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill

Pepenero

JIN Fine Dining

Lime House

High Society Café & Restaurant

Senor Taco

63Celsius

Hombre Cantina

Motorino Singapore

Luxe

The Pump Room

Tawandang Microbrewery

Tree Lizard

Laugen Restaurant

Berlin

CATO

Little Saigon

Highlander Asia

Exclusively for UOB Reserve, Visa Infinite and Privilege Banking Cards

Senso Ristorante & Bar

La Nonna

CATO

Alati

Long Chim

Don’t forget to share these offers with your friends and family members! Not a UOBCardmember?

Share it with someone you know and tag along.

Terms & Conditions

Offers are not valid on eve of and on Public Holidays and special occasions. Offers are not valid in conjunction with other offers, discounts, privileges, promotions, sets or vouchers. Offers are valid for dine-in only and is not applicable for takeaways. Offers are limited to one redemption per card, per table, per bill. Complimentary item must be of equal or lesser value than the item purchased. No splitting of table/bill is allowed. All prices are subjected to service charge and prevailing government taxes. All above-mentioned terms and conditions apply unless otherwise stated. Payment must be made with UOB Credit/Debit Card. UOB general dining terms and conditions apply. Images are for illustrative purposes and not representative of food served at restaurant.

All UOB Credit and Debit Cardmembers are eligible for UOB Dining Privileges at all participating outlets, unless otherwise stated. To ensure the Dining Privilege is being extended to you, please state UOB Dining Privileges prior to reservation or ordering. Please present your UOB Credit or Debit Card prior to ordering. All offers are not valid with accumulated receipts. All 1-for-1 offers are limited to one redemption per visit, per bill, per Cardmember unless otherwise stated. Offers listed may be subject to prevailing government taxes and service charges where applicable. All prices are subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes, unless otherwise stated. All participating outlets reserve the right to replace complimentary items with another item of similar value. Discounts, vouchers and privileges are not exchangeable for cash, or other goods and services. All prices listed are in Singapore Dollars. UOB shall not be responsible for the quality, merchantability or fitness for any purpose or any other aspect of the offers. UOB and the participating outlets reserve the right to vary/amend the privileges or terms and conditions without prior notice. UOB’s decision on all matters relating to the privileges or terms and conditions will be at its absolute discretion and will be final and binding on all participants. For more information, please call our UOB Call Centre Service (24 hours) at 1800 222 2121.

Must Read: 5 Tips On Using Credit Cards While Traveling Overseas

If you are traveling soon, arming yourself with sufficient cash and credit cards can conveniently cover all your expenses. When using your plastic card in fancy restaurants or tourist destinations, you would not have to worry about converting the currency (through the nearest money converter) or whether you converted the right amount. The credit card company will automatically do that for you. This process not only comes with simplicity but also extra costs.

Aside from choosing a credit card that is widely accepted across the globe such as MasterCard or Visa, here are 5 tips on getting the most of using your credit cards while traveling overseas…

1. KNOW THE EXTRA FEES

Even if your credit card is widely accepted, you must expect foreign exchange fees and ATM transaction charges. This is why it is recommended to contact your card issuer or bank to inquire about any extra fees or interest while traveling overseas. Through this, you can maintain your travel budget.

2. KNOW THE CREDIT LIMIT AND CARD’S EXPIRATION DATE

Nothing greatly ruins a glorious trip than suddenly discovering that you are unable to pay for your expenses. It is a shameful mess you do not want to get caught on! So, you must know and double confirm your credit limit and credit card’s expiration date with your card issuer or bank.

3. KNOW THE PROTOCOL FOR STOLEN CARDS

Although pick pocketing happens less when you conceal your credit card well, you must be familiar with the protocol for stolen cards. Firstly, you must check all your pockets and bags in case you just misplaced it. Then, report that your card is missing so you will not be charged for unauthorized purchases.

4. KNOW IF THE MERCHANT OR RESTAURANT ACCEPTS CARDS

Before deciding to indulge in the services of a merchant or a restaurant, it pays to know if they accept credit cards first. While some proudly display their credit card partnerships on the walls, others may hide it. You must still carry cash in case you found out that you couldn’t pay via credit card due to unforeseen events.

5. KNOW THE CARD’S TRAVEL BENEFITS

Most credit cards come with travel benefits such as discounted accommodations or dining. Take advantage of these rewards to help fund your vacation. If you want to know the best travel credit cards in Singapore, check this out.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Sources:1 & 2

A Safer Way to Shop Online

You can’t deny that shopping is one of Singapore’s favourite pastimes. With online retail giants setting up basecamp on our shores including the likes of Zalora, Lazada and Rakuten among others, consumers are spoiled for choice when it comes to the goods and services we can purchase from the comfort of our own homes.

But are you aware of the security risks involved when using your credit or debit card to shop online?

Getting the facts

Singapore’s online shopping industry is projected to reach US$3.45 billion in 2015. While this is only a tiny fraction of the US$525 billion for the entire Asia Pacific region, the average Singaporean spends around US$1,800 annually. The yearly increase in online spending is also a healthy sign of the rapidly growing popularity of e-commerce in Singapore.

However, in tandem with the meteoric rise of online shopping in Asia over the last few years, authorities have also reported a surge in online scams and credit card fraud. Last year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore claimed that businesses lost an estimated US$1.6 billion due to cybercrimes, a marginal sum when compared to the global losses of over US$400 billion.

But it has never happened to me before.. so I’m safe, right?

Well, not exactly. Do you know whether the website you are buying from is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)? Have you ever let a website save your credit card information for the sake of convenience and a faster checkout?

In 2014, less than a third (28.6%) of online merchants managed to remain fully PCI compliant less than a year after getting their certification. This means that even though a website’s security may have been validated before, this doesn’t mean their current business processes or newly adopted systems are PCI compliant.

One of the largest global online retailers, eBay, fell victim to a security breach last year when a handful of their employee accounts were compromised and used to gain access to their customer database. Just last month, Google found a vulnerability in the Android operating system that allows hackers to access the phone’s data remotely via a multimedia message.

With the rise in cybercrime, consumers need to find a way to protect themselves when shopping online.

Preventing online fraud

You can take precautionary measures to minimise the risk of fraud, but there is only one guaranteed way to prevent it – that is to stop using your credit or debit card to shop online altogether. Sounds impossible? Well, there are many other methods you can pay for goods online that don’t necessarily require you to use your credit card.

MatchMove Pay is one such solution that lets consumers shop online using a virtual MasterCard or American Express® Virtual Pay prepaid card. The concept of a prepaid credit card is commonplace in the USA but seldom talked about here in Singapore. MatchMove Pay takes it one step further by enabling anyone to get their own virtual prepaid card online or on mobile instantly.

How does it work?

Consumers top-up their MatchMove card only when they have something to buy. This can be done via secured top-up channels including the ATM, your bank’s online banking website and others. After adding funds, simply use the prepaid card to checkout your online purchases. It’s safer than a debit card because it is not linked to your bank account and works just like any credit card.

So even if a hacker manages to gain access to your MatchMove card details, they wouldn’t be able to use it without any funds. What’s more, MatchMove provides an additional layer of security through a dynamic card verification code (CVC) feature which generates a unique code every time you checkout a purchase.

There are also other benefits for using MatchMove Pay including monthly cash rebates of up to 50%, attractive lifestyle and travel offers, and a soon-to-be-launched loyalty rewards programme.

Is MatchMove reliable?

The company is invested in by Japan’s third largest credit card issuer, Credit Saison, an affiliate of the Mizuho Financial Group. MatchMove is also an official card issuer for MasterCard and American Express® and work closely with these financial institution to ensure the customer’s lifestyle needs and security are well taken care of. But don’t just take our word for it, find out what MatchMove users have to say:

Register Now to Receive Free $5 Credit!

Signup for a free MatchMove MasterCard wallet by clicking on this link to receive a $5 credit in your account. Limited to the first 100 Money Digest readers who register before 31 August 2015. All eligible signups will receive the $5 credit directly into your MatchMove wallet account by 7 September 2015.

(This article is brought to you by MatchMove Singapore)

Smartest and Dumbest Ways to Use Credit Cards

Here’s the truth: whether you like it or not, we are living a life that has been accustomed to using credit cards. They seem to be rampant everywhere. There are even some places that only take payments via credit or debit cards. And it is also a given fact that most of us have at least one credit card in our wallets.

But take note that accessing credit cards is not a right but a privilege. If you make mistakes, you might just end up in a sea of debt that you’ll find very hard to clear.

With the advent of credit cards comes the dumbest and smartest ways to use it. Here’s a quick list of the dumbest moves that will surely leave you with a lot of credit debt.

Making late payments

Never mistake a due date as a guideline. It is your responsibility to execute timely payments for your credit use. Remember that although there are rules that must be followed, credit card issuers remain to have the right to raise rates when it comes to late payments. When you pay late, the following will apply to you:

You will be obliged to pay a late fee, and
Higher interest rates may apply to your future purchases. In some cases there may be an interest rate adjustment, but this is not an absolute fact.

Paying minimum for your credit card use

If you are paying the minimum in your credit debt now and then, it’s not actually a big deal, but it won’t be good at all anymore if you make it a habit. Paying only the minimum can dramatically increase your credit debt.

Abusing credit card cash advances

While there may be emergencies where your only option is to take cash advances, always remember that it is not a cheap deal. In general, licensed moneylenders can be a quick fix for your financial needs but it can incur up to 48% interest per annum. You can consider a personal loan before considering cash advance. There are several free personal loan calculators that can help you assess which will help you save more.

If there are dumb ways to use your credit cards, there are also considerably smart ways to utilise them. Credit cards offer valuable rewards when utilised properly. Here are the smartest ways you can utilise your credit card.

Earn credit rewards for spending

When you use rewards credit cards, it can earn valuable points, air miles and even cashback for up to 6% of your purchases. This might be a meager amount but some card holders earn a few hundred dollars with cashback rewards on a yearly basis. The best cashback credit cards in Singapore are usually just within reach.

Credit cards as a payment method

Paying your credit card statements within the grace period will help you avoid credit charges. When your credit cards are used as a payment method, it will allow you to enjoy a handful of benefits at no cost to you.

As your protection from devious merchants

When the merchant fails to deliver the services or items you have purchased, you can get help from your credit card provider during this dispute. If your credit card provider can verify your claim and block your payment, you just might be able to get your money back. However, keep in mind that this is only applicable with certain products. Always check the terms and conditions before applying for a credit card.

As a way to build your credit

Building your credit score is the best way you can do to qualify for the most affordable rates when doing big purchases. Observing how your credit card score affects your chances of getting a loan approval. If your credit score is bad, you don’t get approval on a loan. At most you will get a higher loan quantum with a good credit score. The best way still to improve your credit score is to get a personal instalment loan and pay it back consistently.

(This article is brought to you by SingSaver.)

How rewards could be the cash card for the financial services industry

Loyalty That Counts

James Berry, e-Commerce Director from Collinson Latitude explains how for banks and credit card providers, it’s time to make rewards add up, or risk losing out.

Consumers are keener than ever to shop around for a good deal when it comes to their finances, you just need to look at the rise of personal finance sites like Money Digest to see that. Armed with smartphones and 4G, they compare everything from the cheapest travel insurance to the best credit card rate, and are not afraid to do their research in order to get the best return for their hard earned cash.

In a new report, ‘Taking Account: The consumer perspective on loyalty programmes in financial services’ it was highlighted that nearly two thirds (63%) of consumers globally are now swayed by rewards on offer when choosing a new bank and credit card. In Singapore, stronger sentiments are expressed with nearly three quarters (73%) indicating that rewards have an influence on their choices, exceeding that of the global average. This actually ranked rewards on offer above customer reviews and almost on a par with brand reputation in terms of their sway in consumers’ decision making process.

But, it seems the financial service (FS) providers are playing catch-up when it comes to customer satisfaction. Many remain lulled by the false sense of security created by years of stable loyalty, as only 1 in 10 Singapore consumers said their rewards programme offers an excellent service.

The fact is the rules of engagement are changing.

Making Rewards Add Up

So we know loyalty programmes have a significant impact on consumers purchasing decisions when choosing a new bank or credit card, and that a positive rewards experience can evoke loyalty – but if it was that easy wouldn’t everyone be doing it?

The simple answer is yes, but it’s not that simple. Availability of a programme is one thing, matching it with increasingly high customer expectations is quite another.

Consumers today expect rewards that are suited to them and their lifestyle. Over eight in ten of respondents globally said that their reward programme would be better if it offered more choice and allowed them to choose the categories of reward they wanted. The point is, customers have come to expect value, flexibility and choice when it comes to rewards. With more than one in two preferring to engage with their programme online, offering a single channel package will no longer suffice. Using customer data to pinpoint their preferred touch-points and fitting the redemption process around these will encourage conversion, beneficial to customer and financial providers alike.

Cashing In On Loyalty

Unfortunately many companies in the FS industry continue to look towards reward programmes as an ‘add on’ rather than as an integrated part of their business offering; this undoubtedly has a knock on effect for customer satisfaction.

What’s important for programme managers and marketing professionals in the sector to realise is that consumer expectations have changed; they expect to be rewarded for their custom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on the device of their choice. Banks and credit providers need to start investing in more personalised reward programmes that offer consumers greater choice and accessibility.

In an era where online banking, live chats, mobile banking and remote account management are considered a necessity rather than a value add for ‘connected customers’ – rewards and incentives are helping differentiate providers. In fact, around three quarters said they would like better access to rewards online and the ability to redeem their rewards more easily.

The Forecast for Loyalty in Financial Services

Over the past ten years and during the midst of a world-wide economic crisis, the financial services industry had a shake-up – one that has thrown up new ways of doing things and ultimately changing the way consumers interact with them. So far, many have managed to keep hold of their customer base, but how many of that base have already taken a loan or a credit card with another provider?

It’s hard to say, but what is clear is that with smartphones in their pockets and information at their fingertips, it’s easier than ever for your customers to look elsewhere. And when they do, a decent reward programme will be towards the top of their priority list.

If you’re unsure how to go about ensuring your reward programme meets these needs our tops tips below are a good place to start:

For all UOB Cards

Exclusively for UOB Reserve, Visa Infinite and Privilege Banking Cards

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