On July 20, 2018 — about two months after the Uber app stopped operations — Grab reinvented its reward system in such a way that it has become more difficult for riders to accumulate points, as well as redeem rewards.

Here are the main changes that will affect users.

1. GrabPay for rides: x16 points redemption reduced to x4.5

GrabPay is a system where one tops up money into the app and use it to pay for rides (much like an EZ-Link card).

Points earned can be used to redeem various rewards, such as cash rebates off F&B shops, retail brands, and future Grab rides.

Where it once netted 16 points for every S$1 spent, the same amount spent will only earn you 4.5 points now — if you're a gold member.

Here's a look at the revised rewards scheme for all four membership tiers:

Side note: Members are divided into tiers depending on how many points they have accumulated.

The previous point exchange rate was 16 times across all tiers for GrabPay, and eight times across all tiers with cash payment.

This sees a 13 times reduction in rewards exchange for lower-tiered members.

However, the exchange rate is apparently higher than previously for GrabPay in-store purchases and GrabFood for gold and platinum members:

2) More points needed to redeem rewards

In addition to the revision in exchange rates, the points needed to redeem a S$5 cash rebate on the next Grab ride has also increased for higher-tiered members.

Now, one needs 2,200 points to redeem the S$5 off, regardless of membership tier.

Previously, the points needed to redeem the same thing differed from tier to tier, starting with 2,200 for regular members, 2,100 for silver members, 2,000 for gold members, and 1,900 for platinum members.

Users unhappy, Grab pacifies

Ever since Uber pulled out of the Southeast Asia market and was acquired by Grab, both commuters and drivers had little choice but to switch over to the latter.

This effectively gives them near monopoly over the private hire transport industry in Singapore.

As it is, the change has been met with disappointment and unhappiness by app users:

Low-key announcement made

While there's yet to be an official post on their Facebook and Instagram at time of writing, an announcement was made over the revision of GrabReward tiers and the earning of points in the app.

If you click on the "Notifications" tab on the side menu in the Grab app, you should see this announcement published under the title "New updates on GrabRewards":

However, the announcement did not state explicitly the exact changes put in place, although it leads to a page where the changes are reflected.

Users also reportedly received a notification informing them about the policy updates.

[related_story]

Grab's statement

In response to Mothership queries, Grab confirms it has updated the policy for earning and redeeming points on the app.

The spokesperson added that the number of points required to qualify for Silver, Gold, and Platinum membership tiers have been revised accordingly.

A quick check reveals that it is now easier to ascend membership tiers.

This is their statement in full:

On 20 July we updated our GrabRewards membership tiers and our policy for earning and redeeming GrabRewards points on the Grab app. The changes reflect all the different ways you can use Grab as your everyday app: you can earn points not only on rides but also when ordering a meal on GrabFood or paying with GrabPay.

As a result, more than ever, spending through GrabPay (via credit card, debit card or GrabPay Credits) instead of cash, is rewarded with more value. Users in higher tiers will now enjoy higher earning rates, as well as exclusive benefits such as cheaper partner rewards, a dedicated support line, and priority bookings. The number of points required to qualify for Silver, Gold and Platinum membership tiers have been revised accordingly. Grab will roll out additional tiered membership benefits in the near future.

For more information on our new GrabRewards policy, please refer to the GrabRewards website.

More tiered benefits will also be added in the near future, according to the statement.

Their website is here for those who wish to check it out.

Top image via Grab's app