UOB Expands Retail Offerings Across ASEAN with Exclusive Partnerships with Leading Regional Brands


[Finance News]

UOB cardholders in Malaysia can anticipate interesting offers and deals on travel, shopping, and dining as the Bank broadens its alliances with premier businesses across the region. These partnerships are consistent with UOB’s refocused mission, which is to help serve and connect more than seven million clients throughout ASEAN after completing the acquisition of Citigroup’s consumer banking operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
They will also reinforce UOB’s existing strong position in ASEAN, with the Bank’s total year-to-date billings in the region growing by almost 30 per cent year-on-year in September 2022 as borders reopen region-wide. This is more than 10 per cent higher versus pre-COVID levels in 2019. UOB’s total year-to-date cross-border billings also experienced more than 80 per cent year-on-year growth during the same period. Given projections by Mastercard of an estimated 430 million more passengers flying into the Asia Pacific this year compared to 2021, UOB is well-positioned via these partnerships to capitalise on the resurgent travel outlook for the region.
By collaborating with well-known brands like Singapore Airlines (SIA), The MICHELIN Guide, Club21, and Shopee, UOB further enhances its rewards programme for regional UOB cardholders with cross-border savings, attractive rewards, and one-of-a-kind experiences. These offers are available through the UOB Mighty app and UOB’s the Travel Insider, a one-stop portal that aims to encourage clients to pick up ideas, guidance, and tips for their trips from prominent key opinion leaders and to personalise their vacation plans with the best offers for flights, lodging, packages, and activities.

“Every customer is unique, and at UOB, we are continuously expanding our catalogue of deals and rewards to ensure that there is an abundance of choices for every lifestyle, passion and need. We are honoured and excited about the strength of the brands that are coming on board, and the exclusive privileges they are extending to our customers across the region. Our partners share our ambition to serve consumers living in and connecting within ASEAN, and this is how we differentiate ourselves as a true regional bank, where geographical borders are not limiting factors to us providing the best rewards to our cardholders across the region.
Ms Jacquelyn Tan, Head, Group Personal Financial Services, UOB

Mr Ronnie Lim, Managing Director and Country Head of Personal Financial Services, UOB Malaysia

“We are excited to expand our partnership with these regional brands to ensure that we continue to offer a robust suite of regional and local deals that is relevant to our cardholders. This includes Citi cardholders, who have recently been transferred to UOB following the completion of our acquisition of Citigroup’s consumer banking business. All our cardholders can look forward to more benefits, a wider range of privileges and an enhanced rewards redemption programme as we leverage our expanded partner ecosystem.”
Mr Ronnie Lim, Managing Director and Country Head of Personal Financial Services
Ms Jacquelyn Tan (centre left), UOB Head of Group Personal Financial Services with Ms JoAnn Tan (centre right), SIA Senior Vice President, Marketing Planning at the signing of the UOB-SIA strategic regional partnership MOU
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2022, UOB and SIA will explore developing a co-branded credit card for customers in Thailand, where cardholders will be able to enjoy benefits such as earning KrisFlyer miles per dollar spend and travel-related privileges.
There are also plans to offer improved privileges to existing UOB customers in ASEAN, such as greater mileage rewards based on their banking sector tier and miles awards when they hit key banking milestones. The MOU will also broaden the range of benefits available to clients through interesting promotional offers that will be released in the coming months.
The UOB cardholders in Malaysia and Thailand are in for a treat because UOB will be the renowned The MICHELIN Guide’s exclusive partner in these two nations. UOB is honoured to serve as the official bank partner for Malaysia, where The MICHELIN Guide will launch in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. As the sole bank partner, UOB cardholders across ASEAN will receive exclusive invitations to private dinners and gala events at MICHELIN-starred restaurants in Malaysia. The MICHELIN Guide’s customised dining experiences are reflective of UOB’s commitment to personalization, where UOB recognises each customer’s distinctiveness by adjusting services to suit their individual needs and lifestyle.
“For over 100 years, The MICHELIN Guide has acted as a destination guide for travellers all over the world, creating memorable experiences for food lovers through our recommendations. Through this partnership with UOB, The MICHELIN Guide enables UOB the opportunity to offer their valued customers unique and delightful fine dining experiences in Thailand and Malaysia,” said Mr Chris Gledhill, Director of MICHELIN Guide Asia and Middle East.
UOB has teamed with Club21, the top retailer of luxury fashion, to provide all of its cardholders in the region with unique access to more than 150 renowned brands and specially curated seasonal events in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
“Club21 celebrates 50 years of fashion this year. Our cachet in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand complements the influence that UOB has over stylish, affluent consumers in these markets. This partnership crystallises the synergies between our two brands,” said Howe Chegne, Chief Operating Officer of Club21, which is under the COMO Group.
Beyond fashion, the COMO Group will begin offering UOB cardholders a variety of travel and eating perks from 14 November 2022. UOB cardholders can look forward to special privileges like discounts and a range of perks across the Group’s range of establishments, whether they are dining or shopping at COMO Dempsey in Singapore, staying at selected properties under COMO Hotels and Resorts in Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, and the Maldives, or starting a digital wellness journey with the Group’s wellness arm COMO Shambhala.
UOB will partner with eCommerce platform Shopee to offer its cardholders more exclusive deals and benefits as it works to increase its online retail presence throughout ASEAN. Customers in Singapore can receive up to a 10% cash rebate on Shopee purchases made with the flagship UOB One Card. The collaboration has developed steadily since it was first announced in 2020, with UOB Cards billings showing strong growth of over 500% and the total number of transactions increasing by 60% to date. 
“Shopee is honoured to be UOB’s partner of choice across Southeast Asia. We have a shared commitment of providing easy and secure transactions for customers’ daily needs. Through this partnership, we will be able to offer attractive rewards and greater choice to customers when they transact with us. We look forward to more of such meaningful partnerships with UOB to better serve our users across the region.” said Zhou Junjie, Chief Commercial Officer, Shopee.
With even more partnerships with significant malls, duty-free franchises, and restaurant chains around ASEAN, UOB’s one-stop online travel platform, the Travel Insider, will expand its selection of more than 1,000 handpicked deals internationally. In addition to its distinctive blend of local insider recommendations, exclusive offers, and the opportunity to personalise travel itineraries, the Travel Insider will now include mall-wide privileges at Singapore shopping destinations such as ION Orchard and Jewel Changi Airport, centralwOrld, The EmQuartier and The Emporium in Bangkok, Thailand as well as Pavilion Bukit Jalil and Sunway Malls in Malaysia. Discerning shoppers can enjoy deals at Thailand’s and Singapore’s foremost duty-free retailers King Power and The Shilla Duty Free respectively. Foodies can indulge in attractive discounts at regional restaurant chains Din Tai Fung, Crystal Jade and the TungLok Group of Restaurants, Malaysian franchises Dragon-i Restaurant and Grand Imperial Group, as well as Oversea Restaurant in Malaysia. 
As part of the Bank’s year-end regional campaign, UOB is also giving away a total of 32 pairs of SIA first-class tickets bound for anywhere in the world, to lucky winners from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. The weekly lucky draw in each country will commence on 14 November 2022.

Photo credits: UOB