You might have thought it’s common knowledge: the UOB Lady’s Card, a unique and specialized credit card service by UOB, has always been a product catered exclusively to women. But in a surprising twist, it seems men are now welcome to apply too.
Before you start guessing if it’s a ripple effect of some kind, say Taylor Swift’s influence, allow me to burst your bubble: it’s probably not related to her in any way.
A Surprising U-Turn: UOB Lady’s Card Opens Its Doors to Male Applicants
The UOB Lady’s Card isn’t a monolith, but rather, a collection of three different types of cards tailored to different financial capabilities:
First, there’s the UOB Lady’s Debit Card, which is accessible to anyone with an existing UOB bank account. You probably didn’t know about this as websites promoting credit cards don’t usually write about this (as they won’t earn any commission when you apply for this).
Secondly, there’s the UOB Lady’s Credit Card. This one requires you to have an annual income exceeding $30,000 to be eligible to apply.
Lastly, we have the UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card. This card is at the top end of the spectrum, with three different versions to choose from, provided your annual income surpasses $120,000.
The cards are adorned with a floral design, adding a feminine touch that certainly complements the female-oriented benefits like Beauty and Wellness and Fashion, among others.
Their slogan even leans into this gender-specific marketing:
It left most men wondering: “We don’t quite get it.”
But, it seems the tides have turned, and now the men do get it.
A recent visit to the UOB Lady’s Card website revealed a subtle yet significant change—all mentions of the previous “Female Only” stipulation have been discreetly removed.
With the help of Wayback Machine, a digital time-capsule that takes snapshots of web pages at different points in history, we can confirm this change. It used to explicitly state “Female Only” as a requirement:
However, as of now, this requirement has been removed:
Apart from this gender-related amendment and some varied promotions, everything else about the UOB Lady’s Card remains the same.
Shocking? Unexpected?
Perhaps not entirely.
For those taken aback by this, take note: the DBS Woman’s Card, a similar gender-targeted credit card, has been open to both genders for an undefined period, quite possibly forever.
Women’s credit cards typically offer promotions and benefits primarily targeted towards the female demographic, but it’s increasingly clear that banks have started to recognize the shifting consumer habits. Men, too, enjoy a good spree at Sephora every now and then.
This news gained traction primarily because the UOB Lady’s Card enjoys considerable popularity as one of the top women’s credit cards in Singapore. Now, its exclusive club seems to have broadened its membership criteria, and it will be interesting to see how this evolves in the future.