UOB Malaysia Axes Rewards on Digital Ad Spend

UOB Malaysia has just enacted a sweeping change in its credit card rewards program — and it’s a harsh one.

Beginning 31 October 2025, all advertising-related transactions, including spending on platforms like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, TikTok, Instagram and similar, will no longer earn any UNIRM rewards.

UOB’s updated clause reads:

Professional services and transactions involving international companies such as advertising services provided on platforms like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, TikTok and Instagram and similar entities are excluded from 12X and 10X UNIRM.

Why This Hits Hard: Business & Online Spend

Among UOB’s top cards — Visa Infinite, PRVI Miles Elite, Privilege Banking Visa Infinite, Metal Visa Infinite — one of the most compelling perks was earning 10X or 12X UNIRM for foreign / online spending. You could treat many international online transactions as “overseas spend” and reap hefty rewards.

Recap: MPR Rates for UOB Visa Infinite and UOB PRVI MileS Elite

For instance, a UOB PRVI Miles Elite cardholder transacting in SGD online would historically enjoy 12X UNIRM for each RM spent. Many small enterprises and side hustlers routinely run digital ad campaigns, often spending thousands per month — in essence, this policy change wipes out a major incentive in their reward strategy.

Unsurprisingly, UOB appears to be trying to stem this “gaming” of reward multipliers. Other banks enforce stricter caps on professional services or limit bonus point accrual, but what UOB is doing is more drastic.

CIMB caps bonus points earned on Professional Services

As a comparison: CIMB’s Travel World / World Elite cards now cap bonus points from professional services at 50,000 points per statement cycle — but still allow earning overall, subject to MCC classifications.

What Counts as “Excluded”? The Ambiguity Problem

One of my main frustrations: UOB’s language is vague. They use broad phrases like “such as” and “similar entities,” which leaves significant room for interpretation.

Take your Microsoft 365 subscription (or your ChatGPT or Google Gemini subscription) — these are international providers, but do they count as “professional services” under UOB’s definition?

Are they grouped under “software / SaaS” MCCs or “digital services” or something else? The lack of clarity means many cardholders may unwittingly trigger exclusion without knowing.

Initial research on merchant category codes (MCCs) reveals that “Professional Services and Membership Organizations” typically fall under MCC 8000–8999, and “Business Services” under MCC 7300–7999. But whether UOB will treat all vendors in those ranges as excluded — or only specific ones — remains unconfirmed.

Could This Be a Fraud-Mitigation Move?

It’s worth speculating whether fraud risk played into this decision. Digital advertising platforms are notoriously targeted for fraud (fake clicks, chargebacks, etc.). Removing the handouts (i.e. UNIRM for ad spend) might reduce incentive for fraudulent card usage in that domain.

However, most legitimate advertisers will probably continue spending regardless. So while fraud control might be a factor, the change seems primarily punitive to high-volume reward accumulators.

Final Thoughts

Eliminating UNIRM rewards entirely for digital advertising spend feels like an overcorrection — and one unfairly punishes honest cardholders and businesses who rely on these channels. Rather than tweaking caps or tightening definitions, the total removal looks heavy-handed.

This move follows a string of recent devaluations from UOB Malaysia — including removing supplementary lounge access benefits and adjusting redemption ratios. Given that the end of the year is fast approaching, moves like these will be taken into consideration as I craft my 2026 airline miles strategy.