Santander raises spending thresholds for VIP lounge access on Unique and Unlimited cards

Santander Brazil announced new eligibility rules for its premium credit cards. Holders of the Santander Unique card must now maintain an average monthly spend of at least R$ 5,000 over the three most recent statements to keep their two free annual accesses to VIP lounges (via Visa Airport Companion or LoungeKey). For the Santander Unlimited card, the minimum monthly spend required to retain free lounge benefits is being increased from R$ 1,000 to R$ 10,000, a nine‑fold rise.

The bank also lifted income‑minimum thresholds: Unique applicants need a monthly income of R$ 15,000 (R$ 20,000 for non‑account‑holders), while Unlimited applicants must earn R$ 40,000 per month, up from the previously reported R$ 30,000. At the same time, reward‑point rates were improved – Unique now earns 2.2 points per US dollar spent, Unlimited 3 points per dollar, and Private‑segment cards 3.5 points.

The changes, slated to take effect on 1 July, aim to make the cards more profitable and to target higher‑spending customers, but they may prompt some users to consider alternative premium cards.