The New GrabUnlimited Plan: Everything You Need To Know

7th June 2022 - 7 min read

Frequent users of Grab would surely have seen or heard about GrabUnlimited – a subscription plan that supposedly offers over RM300 in savings at the introductory price of just RM0.01 (RM4.90 per month subsequently). Launched at the end of 2021 in a beta run, it was initially offered in three cities – Penang, Johor Bahru, and Kuching – before eventually being expanded to other parts of the country.

Now, Grab has announced that it is taking GrabUnlimited to the next level. Offering new perks beyond just monthly promotions and vouchers for GrabFood, GrabMart, and Grab Ride, it promises more value and better accessibility to Grab’s best features. In fact, GrabUnlimited will now function more like a membership programme than a voucher subscription plan – we’ll explain why in this article.

Previously, On GrabUnlimited

In its current form, GrabUnlimited subscribers will get two types of vouchers: promotions of the month, and a list of standard vouchers. The monthly promotions changes from month to month, and for June 2022, subscribers are offered 10x GrabFood Hot Deals vouchers:

4x 50% off GrabFood and free delivery (capped at RM8.50 with RM20 minimum spend; free delivery up to RM3, but not applicable from 4.30pm to 7.59pm)
6x 38% off GrabFood and free delivery (capped at RM7.50 with RM25 minimum spend; free delivery up to RM3, but not applicable from 4.30pm to 7.59pm)

Meanwhile, the subscription vouchers will stay the same throughout all months:

50x RM3 off GrabFood delivery
10x RM3 off GrabMart delivery
10x 15% GrabFood self-pickup (capped at RM12 per order, no minimum spend)
1x RM5 off Grab ride from any Malaysian airport

So if you do maximise all of the vouchers provided, GrabUnlimited would have helped you to save over RM300. More importantly, you save money from your very first GrabFood order with GrabUnlimited as we shared in our previous piece.

Now, what’s coming in the new GrabUnlimited plan?

Breaking Down The Benefits Of The New GrabUnlimited

The new GrabUnlimited plan will see a similar set of vouchers offered to members, which refreshes every month as long as you are subscribed. What’s intriguing is what else Grab is offering in the new plan.

On top of the voucher set, GrabUnlimited is integrating GrabRewards as part of an expansive membership programme that unlocks the best of Grab. As a GrabUnlimited member, you gain perks like better GrabRewards redemption rates and exclusive services.

1) A simplified and improved GrabRewards experience

As part of this upgrade, the Silver, Gold, and Platinum membership tiers will no longer earn GrabRewards – moving forward, these tiers will offer perks like preferential rates for airport lounge access, priority allocation, and a few others. Users will earn GrabRewards based on whether they are GrabUnlimited members or not. This change may seem like a major one – but it’s not as bad as it sounds.

First off, this simplifies the entire GrabRewards programme. There’s no more complicated tier-based multipliers – it’s now streamlined to 1.5 GrabRewards earned for every RM1 spent for GrabUnlimited members, and 0.75 GrabRewards for non-members.

At the same time, Grab has also revised the redemption rates for GrabRewards, which is currently set at 800 GrabRewards = RM5. GrabUnlimited members enjoy a significantly improved rate of 500 GrabRewards = RM5, while non-members also get a slightly improved rate of 750 GrabRewards = RM5.

Finally, GrabRewards are now (almost) evergreen. Your total GrabRewards balance refreshes its expiry to the last day of the third month after every GrabPay Wallet transaction. This means your GrabRewards points will not expire as long as you use GrabPay regularly.

2) Unlimited 1.5% value back

From 1 July 2022, the new GrabUnlimited lets members earn up to 1.5% “value back” (this phrase was coined mainly because you earn the value in GrabRewards) whenever you spend. Based on our calculations, this claim (surprisingly) holds true. Members enjoy a rate of return of 1.5%, while non-members will only earn 0.5% value back.

In contrast to the old membership tiers, GrabUnlimited’s 1.5% value back isn’t too big a downgrade to the Platinum tier which has a rate of return of 1.875%. Meanwhile, the Gold and Silver tiers have rates of return of 1.41% and 0.938%, respectively – which means they will earn more by being a GrabUnlimited member.

The table below compares the changes in terms of points accumulation and rates of return between the old GrabRewards membership tiers as well as the new GrabUnlimited member versus non-members:

	GrabRewards (Platinum tier)	GrabUnlimited member	GrabUnlimited non-member
Earning rate	3 GrabRewards for every RM1	1.5 GrabRewards for every RM1	0.75 GrabRewards for every RM1
Redemption rate	800 GrabRewards for RM5 voucher	500 GrabRewards for RM5 voucher	750 GrabRewards for RM5 voucher
Effective return rate	1.875%	1.5%	0.5%

From the table above, we can see that Platinum members will lose out a little in terms of rates of return (from 1.875% to 1.5%). Grab makes up for this with the wide array of GrabUnlimited vouchers, as well as a much better redemption rate (which also has a side effect of increasing the value of your already-accumulated GrabRewards!)

As for Silver and Gold members, being a GrabUnlimited member is a net benefit all around. Even when we take into account the RM4.90 monthly subscription rate, the free vouchers alone already mean you start saving from your first GrabFood order. The improved earnings and redemption rates are nice bonuses that make Grab transactions a little more rewarding.

One final detail: there are no limits to the amount of GrabRewards you can earn per month, nor are there any minimum spend requirements to earn GrabRewards. These may seem like small perks, but they actually make it quite rewarding for heavier Grab users – especially when you consider various cashback credit cards always have a cap on how much cashback cardholders can earn per month.

3) Additional perks for members

In addition to the GrabRewards perks, the new version of GrabUnlimited will also roll out selected privileges that enable members to unlock the best quality that is on offer for all Grab services. For example, on GrabFood you’ll now be able to stack vouchers (i.e. free delivery and discount vouchers) to increase your savings, as well as enjoy GrabFood’s premium delivery service at a discounted price of RM2.50 instead of the usual RM3.50 (on top of the actual delivery fee).

GrabUnlimited members who use GrabCar or JustGrab services will also enjoy a new feature called “Top-Rated Driver”. This feature, which will roll out on 9 June 2022, will ensure members get matched with experienced drivers who maintain a high driver rating. Of course, this doesn’t mean that non-members are bound to get subpar rides; it just means that GrabUnlimited members will have the certainty of getting experienced Grab drivers with a guaranteed good track record whenever they use Grab’s ride services.

Grab also promises that more of such privileges will be introduced in the future, with a goal to make it easier for its users to access the best of Grab via one comprehensive membership plan.

Unlocking The Best Of Grab In One Simple Plan

Ultimately, the new and upgraded GrabUnlimited plan is a surprisingly positive revision, and one that will benefit more Grab users – both casual and heavy ones.

The integration of GrabUnlimited with GrabRewards elevates the plan to a new level as it doesn’t just stop with voucher savings (as was the case previously), but also rewards users with better GrabRewards redemptions. With the incessantly rising cost of living, these little savings will add up in the long run.

It is also worth noting how this contributes to the overall Grab ecosystem. The savings members get on GrabUnlimited will encourage greater spending on Grab’s services, which then benefits Grab’s various partners including merchants, riders, and drivers who will all enjoy more income generating opportunities. In 2021, Grab’s partners earned a whopping US$8.9 billion through the platform – so it’s fair to say that GrabUnlimited will have a positive effect on the Grab ecosystem, too.

Now, if you’re already a GrabUnlimited subscriber, then continuing as a member is a no-brainer decision – you’ll unlock the best of Grab in one simple plan. And as mentioned earlier, even when the monthly RM4.90 fee is considered, the potential net savings is far greater than the upfront cost.

If you haven’t tried GrabUnlimited, the introductory rate of just 1 sen means it’s practically free to try GrabUnlimited for the first month and see if it fits your needs. Plus, cancellations and resubscriptions can also be performed without any penalty fees, so why not give it a try?

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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