UBS does not have a particularly strong presence in the U.S. consumer finance space, but it is making a move with the launch of the UBS Visa Infinite credit card on May 27. This is a premium travel credit card on the Visa Infinite platform, clearly aimed at high-income customers. The card carries a $495 annual fee. Points can be worth up to 1.8 cents per point, or 1 cent per point if redeemed for cash.

[Application Link] Call (888)762-1232 or contact your UBS Financial Advisor to apply.
[Welcome Bonus] Earn 25,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
[Annual Fee] $495.

UBS Visa Infinite: Pros

  • Earn 3x points on airfare, 2x points at gas stations and grocery stores, and 1x points on all other purchases.
  • Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with unlimited guests.
  • Visa Infinite benefit: $100 off a round-trip companion airfare ticket.
  • Up to $250 in annual airline incidental fee reimbursement (excluding airfare). You must call (888)762-1232 to select one U.S. airline, and reimbursement is limited to that airline only.
  • Receive 12 Gogo inflight WiFi passes each year. Register here.
  • If you spend $50,000 in a calendar year, you can get up to $500 reimbursed for any airline lounge purchases (membership or day passes).
  • No annual fee for authorized users, and you can add up to 24 cards.
  • For U.S. permanent residents or citizens: reimbursement for the TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry application fee.

UBS Visa Infinite: Cons

  • The annual fee is very high and hard to offset through the statement credits.

How to Use the Points

The UBS points on this card are somewhat unusual. There are several ways to use them, but the best-value option is redeeming for airfare. 25,000 points can be used for a ticket worth up to $350. 50,000 points can be used for a ticket worth up to $900. For amounts above that, every additional $50 costs 5,000 more points, and there is no residual value returned. So to maximize point value, you need to choose ticket prices carefully. One potentially workable strategy is to book Southwest flights and then change them later. At best, points can be worth 1.8 cents per point. If you redeem points for cash, the value is 1 cent per point.

Should You Apply?

The lounge reimbursement benefit on this card is really not very compelling. If you genuinely want lounge access, applying for a co-branded airline credit card will usually be the better deal. Putting $50,000 of spend on this card is not especially attractive unless most of that spending is on airfare. This card makes the most sense for people who can frequently use the $100 Visa Infinite companion airfare discount—use it a few times and you can come out ahead on the annual fee.

[Application Link] Call (888)762-1232 or contact your UBS Financial Advisor to apply. Have you applied for this UBS Visa Infinite credit card? Share your thoughts below.