list of best emirates skywards credit cards in UAE

Best Skywards Credit Card in UAE

What are the best Emirates Skywards credit cards for UAE residents?

As the world’s populace fervently hopes, we are all finally putting the nightmare of Covid 19 behind us and hopefully getting back to our pre-pandemic lives. Here in the UAE life has pretty much gone back to normal and one can’t help but notice the air of optimism of all the possibilities that now lie ahead which were a distant dream for the last two years. One of the biggies of course is that travel is back on the menu again folks! Whether it is to just go back and visit our families and loved ones or to be able to travel again as tourists and visit new destinations which was, let us admit, a favorite indulgence but almost cruelly denied to us these past 2 years.

As UAE residents we are so fortunate to have access to Emirates Airlines which is easily one of the best airlines in the world and is the obvious airline of choice when considering any international travel for us. How often do we find ourselves looking for reasons to stretch our budgets a bit to justify any price differences travelling with Emirates versus other budget airlines? Deep down we know that traveling with Emirates is quite simply the best option in terms of the entire experience – right from the dedicated terminal, class leading on demand in-flight entertainment options, direct routes saving us the hassle of multiple stops and of course for the well-heeled travelers amongst us, the Emirates business class lounge experience which is second to none!

A great option for residents and citizens to enjoy the many benefits of flying with Emirates Airlines is to use an Emirates Skywards credit card which is offered by some of the leading banks in the UAE. These credit cards are offered as a partnership between Emirates Airlines and the bank and offer a multitude of benefits to customers who have these credit cards. These benefits can vary from earning Emirates Skywards miles on purchases made with the credit cards, gaining membership to exclusive Emirates Airlines membership tiers including Skywards Silver status, and in some cases, even the coveted Skywards Gold Tier membership status. These tiers bring their own significant benefits to customers and ‘earning’ them by getting a credit card is a quick and easy way to gain entry into these exclusive membership categories. But these are just a couple of examples and as you will find out these credit cards offer a wide array of benefits to suit every individual profile.

Given the popularity and demand for flying with Emirates it is no wonder that several leading banks offer co-branded Emirates Skywards credit cards as part of their credit card portfolio offerings. And as can be expected, not all of these cards offer the same level of benefits or are indeed even offered to the same profile of customers. There are no fewer than 14 different Emirates Skywards co-branded credit cards currently available in the UAE and it is no easy task to identify which of them is best suited to you. But fret not, our team here at Soulwallet.com has done the heavy lifting to help you find the best ones suited to your specific needs.

 Banks in UAE that currently offer Emirates Skywards co-branded credit cards are –

  • Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
  • Citibank
  • Dubai Islamic Bank
  • Emirates Islamic Bank
  • Emirate NBD
  • RAKBANK

Across these 6 banks there are currently a total of 14 different Emirates Skywards credit cards offered. These are broadly categorised based on the minimum income required to be eligible for each credit card, the features and benefits offered, annual fees charged and so on.

Income Eligibility

The monthly minimum income requirement for Emirates Skywards credit cards are as below:

Credit CardMinimum Salary
Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Platinum Credit CardAED 5,000
Citi Emirates World CardAED 12,000
Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature Credit CardAED 12,000
ADIB Emirates Skywards World CardAED 15,000
Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Signature Credit CardAED 15,000
Emirates NBD Skywards Signature Credit CardAED 15,000
Citi Emirates UltimateAED 18,000
RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit CardAED 20,000
ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite CardAED 25,000
Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit CardAED 25,000
Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit CardAED 25,000
Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit CardAED 30,000
Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit CardAED 35,000
Citi Emirates Ultima CardAED 36,750

As can be seen from the table above, there is an Emirates Skywards credit card option available for customers with income segments starting from as low as AED 5,000, which incidentally is also the minimum monthly salary required as per UAE Central bank regulations for a credit card.

Which is “The Best Emirates Skywards credit card” in the UAE?

While many readers would want to scroll directly to this section to find out the ‘winner’, the reality as is often the case, is that among the multitude of options available there is no single “Best Emirates Skywards credit card” for everyone. Different Emirates Skywards credit cards offer different benefits. In the sections below we will help you identify which one is the “the best Skywards credit card for youbased on your specific needs, spend patterns and priorities as an individual.

Best “PREMIUM” Emirates Skywards Credit cards

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

Best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards to EARN SKYWARDS MILES FROM REGULAR SPENDS

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

Best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards for BONUS SKYWARDS MILES

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card

Best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards for BEST JOINING OFFERS

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

Citibank Emirates Ultimate credit card

Citibank Emirates World credit card

Best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards for EMIRATES SKYWARDS MEMBERSHIP TIERS

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Credit Card

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

Best for COMPLIMENTARY EMIRATES AIRLINES HOME CHECK-IN SERVICES:

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Credit Card

Best for HEALTH & FITNESS BENEFITS:

Dubai Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit Card

Best for EMIRATES SKYWARDS MILES PURCHASE DISCOUNTS

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Best for CINEMA OFFERS & DISCOUNTS

Citibank Emirate Ultima credit card

Citibank Emirates Ultimate credit card

Citibank Emirates World credit card

Best for COMPLIMENTARY AIRPORT DROPS & TRANSFERS

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card & ADIB Emirates Skywards World Credit Card

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

Best to EARN EMIRATES SKYWARDS TIER MILES

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black credit card & Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite credit card

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

 

Best “PREMIUM” Emirates Skywards Credit cards

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

The ADIB Emirates Skywards credit card is arguably the best premium Skywards credit card available not just for the range of benefits it offers but also being the most competitive in several key aspects. This card offers very generous Emirates Skywards miles for spends at Emirates Airlines, for international spends as well as for domestic retail spends in the UAE. In addition to the excellent Skywards miles rewards offered, this card also offers:

  • 3 Emirates Skywards miles per USD of spend at Emirates Airlines, up to 2 & 1.5 Skywards miles per USD for international and domestic spends respectively
  • Fast track to Skywards Gold tier membership for BOTH the primary as well as a supplementary card holder
  • Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership
  • Up to 120,000 Bonus Emirates Skywards miles (highest amongst all credit cards)
  • Complimentary Emirates home check-in services (only credit card to offer this benefit)
  • Complimentary airport transfers across UAE (up to 4 per year)
  • Complimentary valet parking benefits at Dubai & Abu Dhabi
  • Unlimited complimentary airport lounge access for each cardholder plus a guest
  • Highest category of Mastercard credit cards – ‘Mastercard World Elite’ benefits & offers

Minimum Salary requirement: AED 25,000

Annual Membership Fee: AED 4,500

All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

The Citibank Ultima credit card is an exclusive premium credit card offering from Citi which is well known to be one of the leading credit card issuers in the world. Among other benefits this card offers the card holder the unique opportunity to hold a metal credit card. The Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card offers an extremely well-rounded feature set of good Skywards miles rewards across most categories, an excellent joining offer for customers applying online, and many other significant benefits including:

  • 5 Emirates Skywards miles per USD of spend at Emirates Airlines, up to 1.5 & 1 Skywards mile(s) per USD for international and domestic spends respectively
  • Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership
  • AED 2,000 statement credit for online applications
  • Credit card is made of metal (only one among all Skywards credit cards)
  • Complimentary cinema offers at both VOX & Reel cinemas
  • Unlimited complimentary airport lounge access for each cardholder plus a guest
  • Highest category of Mastercard credit cards – ‘Mastercard World Elite’ benefits & offers

Minimum Salary requirement: AED 36,750

Annual Membership Fee: AED 3,000

All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

The Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card offers premium features comparable with any other Skywards credit card offered by any bank in the UAE currently. It has the distinction of offering the highest Skywards miles earn rates across all Skywards credit cards in the UAE and also offers a host of excellent benefits including:

  • 5 Emirates Skywards mile per USD of spend at Emirates Airlines, up to 2 & 1.5 Skywards miles per USD for international and domestic spends respectively
  • Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership
  • Fast track to Skywards Gold tier membership for BOTH the primary as well as a supplementary card holder
  • Complimentary airport transfers across UAE (up to 4 per year)
  • Complimentary valet parking benefits at Dubai & Abu Dhabi
  • Unlimited complimentary airport lounge access for each cardholder plus a guest
  • Highest category of Visa credit cards – ‘Visa Infinite’ benefits & offers including purchase protection, travel insurance & medical cover and so on
  • 25% discount on purchase of Emirates Skywards miles
  • Option to earn 1 Skywards Tier mile for every 4 Skywards miles earned

Minimum Salary requirement: AED 25,000

Annual Membership Fee: AED 4,200

All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

The RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard is a premium credit card offering from RAKBANK that offers several unique benefits to card holders including:

  • Opportunity to earn Skywards miles across all spend categories with a unique tier-based rewards system
  • Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier membership
  • Fast track to Skywards Gold tier membership by maintaining an AED 500,000 deposit in an Emirates Islamic Skywards Savings account
  • Complimentary airport transfers across UAE and in India (up to 6 per year)
  • Unlimited complimentary airport lounge access for each cardholder plus a guest
  • Complimentary cinema offers at VOX cinemas (50% off for up to 4 tickets each month)
  • 15% discount on purchase of Emirates Skywards miles
  • Option to earn 1 Skywards Tier mile for every 4 Skywards miles earned
  • Highest category of Mastercard credit cards – ‘Mastercard World Elite’ benefits & offers
  • Complimentary Discovery Black membership
  • Free petrol delivery via CAFU

Minimum Salary requirement: AED 20,000

Annual Membership Fee: AED 1,499

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Best credit cards to EARN SKYWARDS MILES FROM REGULAR SPENDS:

This is perhaps the most important feature to be considered for any Emirates Skywards co-branded credit card as the main purpose for a cardholder is to maximize the Skywards miles earned during regular purchases made using their credit card.

This is also an aspect where there are significant differences in earning rates and eligibility requirements between the different Emirates Skywards credit card options available. Readers are advised to review these conditions carefully before arriving at a decision on which card is best suited to their specific spend patterns.

Please note that the best credit cards identified in this category tend to be ‘premium’ credit cards as they understandably have the best rewards as well as features and benefits that the bank can offer. As such, these credit cards are likely to have higher annual membership fees. However, the benefits offered by these credit cards most often can easily justify the annual fees charged. This is especially true if the cardholder takes advantage of the specific features and benefits on offer – another reason to ensure they apply for credit cards most suited to their specific needs.

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

The ADIB Emirates Skywards credit card is arguably the best premium Skywards credit card available not just for the range of benefits it offers but also being the most competitive in several key aspects. This card offers very generous Emirates Skywards miles for spends at Emirates Airlines, for international spends as well as for domestic retail spends in the UAE. This credit card would easily have been the only choice for earning miles but for the fact that it offers lower miles earning rates on several categories.

The ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card awards miles per USD (equivalent) spent on the credit card as below:

  • 3 Skywards miles for purchases made at Emirates online or at Emirates sales offices
  • 2 Skyward miles for purchases made in foreign currencies
  • 5 Skyward miles for all other local purchases
  • 25 Skywards miles for these categories – supermarkets, government transactions, utilities, education, petrol stations, real estate, public transportation, Salik and charities.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

The Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card has the distinction of offering the highest Skywards miles earn rates across all Skywards credit cards in the UAE on spends at Emirates airlines and on international spends and domestic spends offers almost as many Skywards miles as the ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite credit card. While it appears that all categories are covered under these 3 segments, there are certain categories of spends where this credit card offers much lower earn rates.

The Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card awards miles per USD (equivalent) spent on the credit card as below:

  • 5 Skywards miles for purchases made at Emirates online or at Emirates sales offices
  • 2 Skyward miles for purchases made in foreign currencies
  • 1.5 Skyward miles for all other local purchases
  • 15 Skywards miles for spends on these categories – supermarkets, government services, utilities, education, petrol stations, real estate, insurance, car dealership, telecommunications, and quick service restaurants

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card

The Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card is arguably the best credit card to maximise Emirates Skywards miles earnings as it offers an excellent combination of high earn rates on specific categories as well as no excluded spend categories. This is indeed a rarity as almost all other Emirates Skywards credit cards have restrictions on some segments of spend (such as groceries, utilities and so on) that have a lower earning rate.

The Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card awards miles per USD (equivalent) spent on the credit card as below:

  • 2 Skywards miles for purchases made at Emirates online or at Emirates sales offices
  • 5 Skyward miles for purchases made in foreign currencies
  • 1 Skyward mile for all other local purchases
  • A cap of AED 25,000 on government spends per statement (which we believe is quite generous!)

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

The Citibank Ultima credit card offers an attractive combination of a high earn rate along with minimal spend category restrictions. This credit card offers an even better earning rate on purchases made at Emirates as compared to the DIB Skywards Infinite above, however, it also pays a lower earnings rate on two specific categories and awards no miles on a few categories.

Emirates Skywards miles earned per USD (equivalent) spent on the card:

  • 5 Skywards miles for purchases made at Emirates online or at Emirates sales offices
  • 5 Skyward miles for purchases made in foreign currencies
  • 1 Skyward mile for all other local purchases
  • Spends at groceries/supermarkets and related to real estate will earn 0.5 Skywards miles per USD of spend.
  • Spends on government services, utilities, and telecommunications do not earn any Skywards miles.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

The Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card is also a good option for earning Skywards Miles on regular purchases. However, this card has a few categories on which earning rates are much lower than the base rate.

Emirates Skywards miles earned per USD (equivalent) spent on the card:

  • 5 Skywards miles for purchases made at Emirates online or at Emirates sales offices
  • 5 Skyward miles for purchases made in foreign currencies
  • 1 Skyward mile for all other local purchases
  • 2 Skywards miles for spends at duty free, online food delivery and car booking apps
  • 25 Skywards miles for domestic purchases relating to groceries, supermarkets, insurance, car dealership and quick service restaurants
  • 1 Skywards miles for domestic purchases relating to government services, utilities, education, petrol stations, real estate, transit and telecommunication

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Best for BONUS SKWARDS MILES:

Several credit cards award “bonus” Emirates Skywards miles based on specific criteria, such as a minimum spend levels achieved on the credit card within a specific time period. In this category, there can be varying opinions on which is the “best” option as some cards award higher total maximum bonus miles but at the same time require higher spend levels and over shorter time periods as well. The “best” option here would be determined by the individual’s specific spend patterns.

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Cardholders will be awarded a total of 120,000 bonus Emirates Skywards miles with this credit card which is the maximum offered by any Emirates Skywards credit card in the UAE. 50,000 welcome bonus miles are offered on payment of the membership fee, and another 70,000 Skywards miles are awarded if a total spend of AED 140,000 is met within the first 6 months of card issuance.

This credit card was chosen the winner as it has the best combination of the total bonus miles awarded and the overall minimum spend requirement over a period of 6 months. In addition, there are no specific spend category restrictions.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

The Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite credit card offers the next best Skywards bonus miles after the ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite credit card. Cardholders can earn up to 100,000 bonus Emirates Skywards miles:

  • 35,000 “Welcome Joining Miles” on payment of the joining fee
  • 40,000 additional “spend based miles” if cumulative retail spend of USD 25,000 is achieved within 3 months
  • “Annual miles”: 25,000 miles will be credited if USD 7,500 is spent at Emirates (online or at sales offices) within the first 12 months

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card

This credit card offers cardholders 75,000 bonus Skywards miles but requires a balance transfer of at least AED 50,000 to earn 25,000 of the total miles. Earn up to 75,000 bonus Emirates Skywards miles:

  • 25,000 miles on card activation
  • 25,000 miles if spend of USD 20,000 is achieved in the first 4 statements
  • 25,000 on balance transfer (minimum balance transfer of AED 50,000)

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

 Best for JOINING OFFERS:

While it is usually not advisable to apply for a credit only to take advantage of a specific joining offer by the bank, it is worthwhile considering the joining offers in addition to all other benefits and features offered by the credit card.

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

Customers that apply online can get AED 2,000 back as a statement credit if a minimum retail spend of AED 25,000 is made within 90 days of the credit card being approved.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

 Citibank Emirates Ultimate credit card

Customers that apply online on Citibank UAE can get AED 800 as a statement credit if a minimum retail spend of AED 20,000 is made within 90 days of the credit card being approved.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Citibank Emirates World credit card

Customers that apply online on Citibank UAE can get AED 400 as a statement credit if a minimum retail spend of AED 10,000 is made within 90 days of the credit card being approved.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Best for EMIRATES SKYWARDS MEMBERSHIP TIERS:

As most readers are probably aware the Emirates Skywards Miles programme offers different “Tiers” of membership – Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each of these tiers offer different benefits to members, with the type and number of benefits increasing in that order – starting with Blue and ending with Platinum which offers the maximum benefits.

An important feature offered by some Emirates Skywards co-branded credit cards is automatic membership for the cardholder into a higher tier of the Emirates Skywards programme simply by virtue of having the credit card. This saves cardholders from having to ‘earn’ the minimum tie” miles required to be eligible for the specific tier level, obtained normally through purchase of tickets on Emirates airlines.

In this aspect as well, there are a few differences in the options available among the various Emirates Skywards credit cards. Most of these credit cards offer direct membership to the Silver Tier for the primary cardholder. A few credit cards also provide supplementary card holders the opportunity to enjoy Silver status, subject to a few conditions being met. However, only 3 credit cards offer cardholders the option to upgrade to the Gold Tier Skywards membership. This can be considered to be a significant perk of having the card by people who value the Gold membership tier in the Emirates Skywards program.

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

The Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card offers card holders the opportunity to fast track to Emirates Skywards Gold tier membership by simply spending AED 5,500 at Emirates Airlines within 12 months from the card issuance date. This credit card also offers one supplementary card holder the option to get Gold tier membership status by spending AED 5,500 at Emirates Airlines and payment of an annual membership fee of AED 4,000. This is the quickest option to gain Emirates Skywards Gold tier membership amongst all Skywards credit cards offered in the UAE.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

 

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card & ADIB Emirates Skywards World Credit Card

Both Emirates Skywards credit cards offered by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) offer cardholders Skywards Silver Tier membership as a basic feature of the card. However, in addition they both also offer cardholders the option to upgrade their Silver Skywards membership tier to the Gold tier if specific spend based criteria are met. Additionally, both these cards also offer the supplementary cardholder with the opportunity to upgrade to Gold tier status.

  • With the ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite credit card cardholders can get Skywards Gold Tier membership by simply spending AED 5,500 at Emirates airlines within 12 months. For the supplementary card holder, a spend of AED 200,000 (+ AED 5,500 at Emirates Airlines) within the first 12 months is required to get fast tracked to Emirates Skywards Gold Tier membership status.
  • For the ADIB Emirates Skywards World credit card the primary cardholder can get Gold tier membership with a total spend of AED 150,000 and spend of AED 5,500 on Emirates within 12 months
  • For the supplementary cardholder: total spend of AED 300,000 and spend of AED 5,500 on Emirates within 12 months

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

The RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard offers cardholders Silver tier membership as a default offering. Additionally, it also offers the opportunity to fast-track to Skywards Gold tier membership based on the below criteria being met:

  • Minimum spend of AED 5,500 at Emirates
  • On maintenance of an average quarterly balance of AED 500,000 in the customer’s RAKBANK savings account

This credit card also offers supplementary cardholders the option to enroll in the Skywards Silver Tier membership at a fee of AED 900 per year.

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

The below Emirates Skywards credit cards all offer the primary cardholder complimentary Skywards Silver Tier membership as a benefit:

  • Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card
  • Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Infinite credit card
  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite credit card
  • Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite credit card

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Best for ASSOCIATION FEATURES AND BENEFITS:

Credit card associations refer to organizations that set common transaction terms for merchants, issuing banks and acquiring banks. The associations we are referring to in our context here are Visa and Mastercard. All the Emirates Skywards credit cards issued in the UAE are either associated with Visa or Mastercard.

The relevance of this for a cardholder is that there are specific benefits and features offered by these associations to the cardholder by virtue of the partnership between the bank and the association. Similar to the different tier levels available in the Emirates Skywards miles programme, both Visa and Mastercard offer different “tiers” or levels of benefits for different credit card types.

Please note that these association features are offered in partnership with the banks and are for the most part a standard offering for the specific credit card type across all banks. Examples of these include VIP airport lounge access, travel insurance cover, car rental offers and so on. Please note that the type of benefits offered vary significantly between Visa and Mastercard.

These (Visa/Mastercard) features must not be confused with specific features offered by banks directly to their cardholders which are not part of the Visa or Mastercard benefits. Examples of such bank-specific features include complimentary valet parking, cinema tickets, airport transfer offers and so on.

Customers are advised to review closely all the features offered for each credit card to understand all the benefits available before arriving at the best credit suited to them.

Below is a categorization of the available Emirates Skywards options based on their Visa or Mastercard credit card association type:

Mastercard

  1. Mastercard World Elite:

This is the top-of-the-line tier of credit card benefits offered by Mastercard and are available in the following credit cards:

  • ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite credit card
  • Citibank Emirates Ultimate credit card
  • RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard credit card
  1. Mastercard World:

This is the second highest tier of credit card benefits offered by Mastercard and are available in the following credit cards:

  • ADIB Emirates Skywards World credit card
  • Citibank Emirates World credit card

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

 Visa

  1. Visa Infinite:

This is the top-of-the-line tier of credit card benefits offered by Visa and are available in the following credit cards:

  • Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card
  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Black credit card
  • Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Infinite credit card
  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite credit card
  • Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite credit card
  1. Visa Signature:

This is the second highest tier of credit card benefits offered by Visa and are available in the following credit cards:

  • Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Signature credit card
  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature credit card
  • Emirates NBD Skywards Signature credit card

 Visa Platinum:

This is the third highest tier of credit card benefits offered by Visa and are available in the following credit cards:

  • Dubai Islamic Emirates Platinum credit card

 All relevant features of this credit card, along with side-by-side comparisons can be seen at: www.soulwallet.com

Unique benefits available through various Emirates Skywards credit cards:

Complimentary Airport Transfers

  • RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card
    • Enjoy chauffeured airport pick-up or drop off service complimentary 6 times each year in the UAE or avail of this service a maximum of 3 times in India (Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi – within city limits).
  • ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card & ADIB Emirates Skywards World Credit Card
    • 4 complimentary per year anywhere in the UAE. Value of rides capped at AED 150 in Dubai and Sharjah and AED 350 in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and other Emirates
  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Black credit card
    • Take advantage of up to 4 complimentary airport transfers per calendar year to or from Dubai airport. 
  • Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card
    • Up to 4 complimentary airport transfers per calendar year in UAE. Only transfers within city limits, i.e. no intra-city transfers. 

Cinema Discounts & Offers

  • Citibank Emirate Ultima credit card, Citibank Emirates Ultimate credit card & Citibank Emirates World credit card
    • Enjoy up to 4 “Buy-1-Get-1” complimentary movie tickets with VOX Cinemas each month on any day of the week.
    • Up to 2 “Buy-1-Get-1” complimentary movie tickets plus 20% off food & beverage with REEL cinemas each month on any day of the week.
    • (Please note both the above benefits are available only for bookings made on the Primary credit card)
  • RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card
    • 50% off at VOX cinemas at all times, up to 4 times each month
  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite credit card, Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature credit card
    • Enjoy up to 3 “Buy-1-Get-1” complimentary movie tickets at REEL Cinemas each month on any day of the week.
    • (Please note both the above benefits require a minimum spend of AED 3,000 per month)

Complimentary Emirates home check-in:

  • ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card – 4 times per year for passengers traveling from Dubai.
  • ADIB Emirates Skywards World Credit Card – 2 times per year for passengers traveling from Dubai.

Health & Fitness Benefits:

  • Dubai Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit Card
    • complimentary access to the Emirates Towers health club (and swimming pool) at any time, any day of the week.

Discounts on Emirates Skywards Miles

  • RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card
    • 15% discount on buying Skywards miles for self or as a gift (minimum purchase of 2,000 miles required)

Earn Emirates Skywards Tier Miles

  • Emirates Islamic Skywards Black credit card, Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite credit card & Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature credit card
    • Earn 1 Skywards Tier Mile for every 4 Emirates Skywards
  • RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card
    • 15% discount on buying Skywards miles for self or as a gift (minimum purchase of 2,000 miles required)

We hope this article has been useful in giving you a better understanding of the various Emirates Skywards miles credit card options available in the UAE. While we have highlighted the best options for specific benefits offered by these credit cards we highly recommend that you review all the features in detail before deciding which is the best credit card for you. After all, the process of identifying the best option and applying for a credit card is not something undertaken regularly and therefore getting it right will not only help you maximise potential saves but will also help you enjoy the unique benefits most relevant to your individual preferences.

Detailed features and benefits along with side-by-side comparisons of all these credit cards and more can be found at www.soulwallet.com.

Best Cashback Credit Cards in UAE

Best Cashback Credit Cards in May 2022

Cashback credit cards are quite popular among credit card customers in the UAE. It is not easy for one to compare and identify which card offers the highest cashback on specific categories. The purpose of this article is to help customers get an overview of popular cashback credit cards available in the UAE.

Soulwallet’s analysts have done the heavy lifting to review  all  popular credit cards available in the UAE and provide relevant and useful information which can help you understand the key differences between each card and help one make a better-informed decision while signing up for a credit card.

What is a cashback credit card?

Cashback credit cards are credit cards that offer customers a benefit of earning back a percentage of his or her spend on the card through a direct cash back credit.  For example, if a card offers you cashback of 5% on all supermarket spends and you use this card in a supermarket for AED 1,000 in a particular month, the bank will give you a credit of AED 50 (5% of AED 1,000) in your next credit card statement.  This means that you have effectively saved AED 50 and your supermarket spend only actually cost you AED 950. Cashback credit cards can be very useful in helping you maximize your savings by simply using your credit card.

You must always be aware of the specific conditions associated with the cash back credit card.  Almost all cash back credit cards have very specific conditions on what type of purchases allow you to earn cash back credits.  These could be based on categories such as grocery or supermarket purchases, fuel purchases, retail purchase, dining and restaurant purchases and so on.  In addition to the specific category of spend almost all cash back credit cards will have limits on how much cash back you can earn. This could be based on a maximum spend per category type, for example, cash back credit on grocery purchases could be capped at grocery spends of AED 3,000 per month.  In such a scenario, if the cash back percentage was 5% then the maximum amount you can save each month on grocery spends would be AED 150 (5% of AED 3,000).

Certain banks could also set minimum spend requirements to be eligible to earn cash back credits.  Usually, this is based on minimum spends on a specific category of purchases or on the overall total spend on the credit card for the month.  For example, a bank could specify that cash back credits can be earned if a minimum spend of AED 1,000 is reached during the month.

The form of cash back given to you can also vary.  Some credit cards offer you direct statement credits for the value of cashback earned.  These can then be considered as good as a cash payment. Some cashback credit cards offer gift vouchers at specific stores or malls for the value of cashback earned.  Some banks may require customers to contact them to redeem cashback miles while others may simply credit the cashback earned to customers without any request having to be placed (automatic cashback).

As you can see, there are a lot of aspects to keep in mind in trying to ascertain the most suitable cashback credit card for you.  Having a sound understanding of the cashback conditions of any credit card and your specific spend patterns will help you make an informed decision on the cashback credit card to choose for you.  However, since there are more than 200 credit cards in the UAE market and a lot of them offering some form of cashback, it is almost impossible for one to understand which card is most suitable to them.  Therefore, a cash back simulator as provided by SoulWallet can be invaluable in saving you the trouble of hours of research in identifying the right credit card for you.

FAB Cashback Credit Card, Mashreq Cashback Credit Card and Rakbank Titanium Credit card are available for customers earning a fixed salary of AED 5000 per month.

BankCard NameJoining offerAnnual FeeSal required
CitiCiti CashbackAED 500 Cashback as joining bonus08000
FABFAB CashbackAED 300 Welcome bonusAED 3155000
MashreqMashreq CashbackAED 500 Joining bonus (AED 100 for existing card holders)05000
RakbankRakbank TitaniumNone05000
CBDCBD Super Saver Credit CardNone1st year free
2nd year AMF AED 420
8000
HSBCCashback Credit CardAED 300 cashback gets you started1st year free
AED 313.95 with VAT from second year
10000
Dubai FirstCashback Credit CardAED 250 bonus cashback
Complimentary 1 year Amazon
AED 40010000
Emirates IslamicCashback Plus Credit CardNone012000
Standard Chartered BankCashback Credit CardNone 1st year free AED 525 from 2nd year8000

Best for “International” transactions

Citibank Cashback Credit Cards has the best cashback rate of 3% unlimited on international transactions. This is followed by FAB Cashback Credit Card and Mashreq Cashback Credit Card at 2%.

BankCitiFABMashreqRakbankCBDHSBCDubai FirstEmirates IslamicStandard Chartered Bank
Card NameCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardTitaniumSuper Saver Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Plus Credit CardCashback Credit Card
International spend3%2%2%1% for <15K
2% for >15K Spend
Max Cap AED1500
1% on AED 2 spend1%1%NA2%

Best for “Groceries / Supermarket” related transactions

Fab cashback credit card offers 5% on this category however with a cap of AED 500 in a month. HSBC Cashback credit card offers 3% on this category but with a cap of AED 200 a month. These cards do not have a minimum spend requirement for earning the cashback on these categories.

BankCitiFABMashreqRakbankCBDHSBCDubai FirstEmirates IslamicStandard Chartered Bank
Card NameCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardTitaniumSuper Saver Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Plus Credit CardCashback Credit Card
Groceries / supermarket2%5% - MC AED 5001%5% - AED 150 and MS 1500MS >3<10K 3% 75
MS <20K 5% 100
MS >20K 10% 150
3% MC 2005%MS >3<10K 3%1%

MS: Minimum Spend : This  is the minimum spend required to earn cashback in this category

MC: Maximum Cap: This is the maximum cashback one could earn in this category

Best for “Fuel” related transactions

FAB Cashback credit card offers 5% on this category with a maximum cap of AED 250 a month. HSBC offers 10% however on a maximum cap of AED 100 a month.

BankCitiFABMashreqRakbankCBDHSBCDubai FirstEmirates IslamicStandard Chartered Bank
Card NameCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardTitaniumSuper Saver Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Plus Credit CardCashback Credit Card
Fuel1%5% - MC AED 2500.33%0.25%1% on AED 2 spend10% MC 1001%NA1%

Best for “Utility” (Electricity, water) transactions

FAB cashback credit card clearly the best on this category with a 5% cashback and a maximum cap of AED 250

BankCitiFABMashreqRakbankCBDHSBCDubai FirstEmirates IslamicStandard Chartered Bank
Card NameCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardTitaniumSuper Saver Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Plus Credit CardCashback Credit Card
Utilities1%5% - MC AED 2500.33%0.25%MS >3<10K 3% 75
MS <20K 5% 100
MS >20K 10% 150
1%1%NA1%

Best for “Online” transactions

Dubai First Cashback card is a clear winner on this category. With no caps and no spend requirement this card offers 5% which is the best among all competitors.

BankCitiFABMashreqRakbankCBDHSBCDubai FirstEmirates IslamicStandard Chartered Bank
Card NameCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardTitaniumSuper Saver Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Plus Credit CardCashback Credit Card
Online1%1%1%1% for <15K
2% for >15K Spend
Max Cap AED1500
1% on AED 2 spend1%5%NA1%

Best for “Dining” transactions

Mashreq cashback card offers 5% on this category followed by which can go up to 2%, however with a spend requirement to be met. Emirates Islamic Offers up to 5, however with a cap of AED 200. EIB requires AED 3000 of minimum spend for cashback. ADIB Edge card offers 10% cashback on dining. Since it is a reward point card we have not included the same in the comparison.

BankCitiFABMashreqRakbankCBDHSBCDubai FirstEmirates IslamicStandard Chartered Bank
Card NameCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardTitaniumSuper Saver Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Credit CardCashback Plus Credit CardCashback Credit Card
Dining1%1%5%1% for <15K
2% for >15K Spend
Max Cap AED1500
1% on AED 2 spend1%1%MS >3<10K 3%1%

Best for other categories

BankCard NameTelecomGovtCinemaEducationTransport
CitiCashback Credit Card1%1%1%1%1%
FABCashback Credit Card1%1%1%1%1%
MashreqCashback Credit Card0.33%0.33%1%1%1%
RakbankTitanium0.25%0.25%50% - AED 70 MS 50000.25%0.25%
CBDSuper Saver Credit CardMS >3<10K 3% AED 75
MS <20K 5% AED 100
MS >20K 10% AED 150
1% on AED 2 spend1% on AED 2 spendMS >3<10K 3% AED 75
MS >20K 10% AED 150
MS >20K 10% AED 150
MS >3<10K 3% AED 75
MS <20K 5% AED 100
HSBCCashback Credit Card1%1%1%1%1%
Dubai FirstCashback Credit Card1%1%1%1%1%
Emirates IslamicCashback Plus Credit CardMS >3<10K 3%
MS <17.5K 5%
MS >17.5K 10%
MC 200 per category
NANAMS >3<10K 3%
MS <17.5K 5%
MS >17.5K 10%
MC 200 per category
NA
Standard Chartered BankCashback Credit Card1%1%1%1%1%

Few important points to consider on the below cards

CBD Supersaver Card

  • Maximum cap of AED 3000 across all categories.
  • Spend based earning of rewards per category.
  • Maximum cashback of AED 600 across 4 BEST categories.
  • Minimum spend of AED 3K required

Rakbank Titanium Credit Card

All domestic and international transactions under the category of Charities, Government Services, Bill Payments, Schools, Education, Transits, Transport, Telecommunication, Real Estate, Petrol/Gas stations, Health & Beauty, Club Membership, Computer Services, Automobiles & Vehicles and Insurance Services will earn 0.25% cashback for every AED 1 spent.

all domestic and international transactions under the category of Charities, Government Services, Bill Payments, Schools, Education, Transits, Transport, Telecommunication, Real Estate, Petrol/Gas stations, will earn 0.25% cashback for every AED 1 spent.

Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card

A minimum spend of AED 3000 is required for earning cashback.

FAB Cashback Credit Card

  • Telecom excluded in utilities category
  • Caps for Groceries, Fuel and Utilities and no caps on other categories.

Above review is based on analysis done during the month of February 2021. The product features such as category rates, caps, spend requirement, AMF or joining offers can change. Readers are requested to validate the specifics with the banks at the time of application.

The editorial team at Soulwallet is committed to accurate and relevant content intended to assist our readers while making personal finance decisions. We are glad to get feedback on the article and make necessary corrections if required. You can email the editorial team at support@soulwallet.com.  Our editorial advice, recommendations and product assessments are not influenced by business partners.

redit Cards for Small Business in 2021 - Soulwallet

Credit Cards for Small Business in 2021

Small business owners have to manage a lot of responsibility especially in the first few years of operation. Owners of small business operations have to closely monitor their finances and manage their cash flow as finances are a huge consideration. Hence, a steady cash flow of money is essential, and people depend on credit cards to fund or finance their business.

For a business owner to use their own personal credit card for the purpose of business transactions can carry increased risk for the owner. Due to this, the dependency of business owners on small business credit cards to finance a small-scale business has increased through the years. Opening a small business credit card is a great way to streamline day-to-day business expenses as well as purchasing the essential goods and services required for the business without delaying critical payments to the vendors while enjoying some of the added perks, such as rewards and purchase protection offered.

How can a Credit Card be used for Small Businesses?

For a business owner, it is not advisable to start his business using a personal credit card as for the initial few years, debt keeps accumulating and it gets difficult for one person to pay back the bills amounting in full. Also mixing personal and business credit purchases makes it difficult to organize the business expenses while doing taxes, Hence a business credit card is more appropriate for setting up a small business.

Business credit cards come with a higher credit limit as compared to private credit cards which will help the business owner in purchasing goods and services required to start and run the business. Since these costs are usually high and continuous, a business credit card is more feasible. Since the business credit cards are offered by banks, it helps the business owner in managing all the business expenses. Having a business credit card also helps in keeping track of the purchases and the quarterly and annual statements provided by your credit card company, help you break down your expenses into categories and that can be very helpful for creating budgets and tracking expenses.

Benefits of having a Small Business Credit Card:

A small business credit card can be a great tool when used strategically and with restraint. Some of the advantages of having a small business credit card are:

  • Increase the cash flow of your business
  • Helps you build your credit history and credit score.
  • Access a large credit limit
  • Business credit cards offer short-term spending flexibility
  • Keep your business and personal expenses separate
  • Enjoy loyalty points, rewards, cash-back and other perks
  • Stay organised with business expenses
  • Keep tabs on employee spending
  • Enabled with a chip which makes all transactions secure
  • Business cards are not subject to personal card limits
  • Easy application procedure

Check out our Best Small Business Credit Cards

ADIB Business Gold Covered Card – by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)

ADIB offers the first Islamic Visa Card in the UAE to help business owners better manage their day-to-day business.

Features:

  • Minimum Salary – AED 8,000
  • Rate – 3.00%
  • Annual Fee – AED 400
  • Non-AED Transaction Fee – 3.10%
  • Cash Advance Fee – 3.00 % / Min 99

Reward Features:

  • Covered Card limit up to AED 150,000
  • Advanced Chip & Pin​ Technology
  • Free Road-Side Assistance
  • Free for the first year
  • 4 Free Supplementary Cards
  • No fee for replacement of damaged cards when cardholder delivers damaged card to the branch
  • Includes the fee of ADIB as an agent of the Cardholder.
  • 8% discount on hotel bookings made at Hotels.com
  • 12% discount over 985,000 hotels & vacation rentals worldwide with Agoda

ADIB Business Platinum Covered Card – by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)

ADIB offers the first Islamic Visa Card in the UAE that provides extra flexibility and secure alternative to cash payments.

Features:

  • Minimum Salary – AED 8,000
  • Annual Fee – AED 800
  • Rate – 3.00%
  • Cash Advance – 3% / Min 99
  • Non-AED Transaction Fee – 3.1%

Reward Features:

  • Covered Card limit up to AED 250,000
  • Golf offers
  • Cinema Tickets
  • Purchase Protection
  • Extended Warranty
  • Free Road-Side Assistance
  • Free for the first year
  • 4 Free Supplementary Cards
  • No fee for replacement of damaged cards when cardholder delivers damaged card to the branch
  • Includes the fee of ADIB as an agent of the Cardholder
  • Discount of up to 30% off retail rates at over 450 destinations globally
  • 8% discount on hotel bookings made at Hotels.com
  • 12% discount over 985,000 hotels & vacation rentals worldwide with Agoda
  • Access to over 200 airport restaurant offers globally

Emirates Islamic Business Card – by Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB)

Emirates Islamic Business Credit Card offers a wide range of exclusive rewards and benefits to grow your business. It combines high levels of security, value, convenience, and flexibility, to ensure your business expenses are controlled and your card spends are rewarded.

Features:

  • Minimum Salary – AED 10,000
  • Annual Fee – AED 0
  • Rate – 3.25%
  • Cash Advance – 3% / Min 199
  • Non-AED Transaction Fee – 3.49%

Reward Features:

  • Free for life
  • Earn EI Smart-Miles on all your purchases
  • Multiple cards for partners & employees
  • Unlimited complimentary airport lounge access
  • Multiple cards for your partners and your employees
  • Better control on business expenses such as business travel, dining, utility bill payments
  • Wide range of redemption options – flights, hotels, and other retail transactions
  • Cash-On-Call facility through 24/7 phone banking service
  • Easy payment plans for better cash flow management
  • Balance transfer facility on existing business credit cards from other banks
  • Provides a comprehensive suite of privileges that help reduce business expenses on hotels, rentals, courier services, restaurants, gifts
  • Golf offers
  • Cinema Tickets
  • Up to 30% at restaurants across the UAE
  • 8% discount on hotel bookings made at Hotels.com
  • 12% discount over 985,000 hotels & vacation rentals worldwide with Agoda

RAKBANK Titanium Business Credit Card – by RAKBANK

The RAKBANK Titanium Business Credit Card is ideal for all your business transactions worldwide. You can use it to pay for purchase of goods such as new stock, raw materials, or equipment as well as for services rendered by your local or overseas suppliers.

 Features:

  • Minimum Salary – AED 10,000
  • Annual Fee – AED 0
  • Rate – 3.45%
  • Cash Advance – 3.45% / 2%
  • Non-AEE Transaction Fee – 2.2%

Reward Features:

  • Exclusive card for business owners and no annual fee ever
  • High Cash advance Limits with 1% cashback on Cash Advance
  • Easy Credit Card Cheque (CCC) facility
  • No minimum spend criteria for earning cashback
  • Additional Business Credit Cards for your key employees
  • Enjoy 1% Cashback on all domestic and international retail, internet, cash transactions
  • Up to 50% discounts, Buy 1 Get 1 free offers and fantastic bargains
  • Exclusive office & business insurance offers
  • Complimentary Insurance Benefits like Purchase Protection and Travel Accident Insurance benefits
  • Unlimited airport lounge access at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Kuwait, and Jordan airports
  • Personal Accident Insurance up to USD 150,000
  • Enjoy great dinning offers from RAKfeast
  • Up to a 10% discount off the price of your booking for selected properties on Hotels.com
  • AVIS Car Rental Offers

United Arab Bank Business Credit Card – by United Arab Bank (UAB)

The UAB Business MasterCard caters to the self-employed segment in the UAE providing them with a host of privileges and benefits unmatched by any other Business Card.

Features:

  • Minimum Salary – AED 6,000
  • Annual Fee – AED 0
  • Rate – 2.99%
  • Cash Advance – 3% / Min 200
  • Non-AED Transaction Fee – 3%

Reward Features:

  • Earn UAB rewards on all spends
  • 1 points for every 1 USD spent domestically
  • 2 points for every 1 USD spent internationally
  • Redeem points for flight tickets & hotels, car rentals, electronic and lifestyle products
  • Brand the credit card with your company name
  • Complimentary Airport Lounge Access at over 10 lounges across MENA
  • Exclusive benefits with Avis
  • Mastercard Priceless Cities Offers
  • Up to a 10% discount off the price of your booking for selected properties on Hotels.com
  • Discounts of up to 15% at prime luxury serviced apartments
  • Buy 1 Get 1 Free Offers on downloaded Mastercard with 900+ offers across 90+ destinations and 600+ merchants
  • Careem Chauffeur Offers with 20% off three rides every month

Business credit cards aren’t just for people with storefronts or offices, but also freelancers and people who have side hustles or for people who do gig work. Having a dedicated card for your money-making enterprise helps you keep business and personal finances separate and you can benefit from the many offer rewards and perks that are offered by various banks.

SoulWallet helps you compare and find the best credit card suited for your needs to have an easy and hassle-free experience. The well-researched, solidly structured, unbiased content along with unique tools at SoulWallet help you make well informed financial decisions for your personal and business transactions. In the process, SoulWallet helps you identify the options that will let you save money and enjoy the best perks.

SoulWallet grants their users services that would help them make the most of a wide range of personal finance solutions, from credit card reward cards in the UAE, to personal loans, to Islamic credit cards, to air miles credit card application and a lot more.

How to Effectively Manage Credit Card Transactions during COVID-19

How to Effectively Manage Credit Card Transactions during COVID-19

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating, and it has made keeping up with monthly bills and payments a huge challenge. To ease the tension, banks and credit card companies have come up with offers & policies to provide financial relief to their customers.

If you have credit card debt and are finding it difficult to manage the payments during the coronavirus pandemic, this article will guide you on how you can manage your credit card bill payments. These Credit card companies in UAE are offering the following relief measures:

Most banks, financial institutions, and credit card companies are offering help during these uncertain times, but it can vary depending on the credit card issuer.

Here are some offers by UAE banks, you can check with your card issuer for offers other than these:

HSBC Bank: Customers who are stressed about making their credit card payments during COVID-19 pandemic can have a payment holiday for up to 3 months. HSBC credit card holders can delay their bill payments including the minimum payment for up to 3 months, but during this time interest will be incurred as usual on the outstanding balance and to all the new transactions made during the payment holiday period. However, the credit card limit will be reduced to AED 5,000. Once the payment holiday is over, the card holders will be expected to resume the payments.

Contact information to get help:

  • Write an email at contactus.me@hsbc.com
  • Call their help centre at 800 5233/ 800 4320/ 800 4420

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank: ADIB has increased the temporary limit o ADIB cards and, they have also introduced 5% cashback on utility & grocery bills for 3 months. ADIB has been active & responsive to the needs of their customers. They have also come up with no cost instalments schemes for card expenditures for a period of 6 months.

Contact information to get help:

  • Contact their help centre at 600503033

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB): FAB is one of the largest banks in the UAE and has declared some COVID relief measures for its customers. FAB has decided to cover the interest charges of all the customers along with relief on fees as well as repayments since April 2021. The bank has also waived off FX fees on cancel hotels and airline bookings along with temporary 50 percent reduction on late payment fees for 3 months.

Contact information to get help:

  • Use the registered email id to seek help by writing to here2help@bankfab.com
  • Request help using their Mobile App

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB): ADCB has deferred payments up to 6 months for their customers along with other relief measures for people who fall under COVID- 19 Targeted Economic Support Scheme category.

Contact information to get help:
  • Write an email seeking help at contactus@adcb.com
  • Call the contact centre at 600 50 2030 or 600 56 2626 (Islamic Banking)

Standard Chartered Bank (SCB): SCB has reduced cash advance fee by 50% with zero percent interest rates on EMI and zero processing fee. If you have made travel bookings with your Standard Chartered Bank, you can get a refund. Card holders have to submit the below documents to avail the benefits of the bank:

  1. A letter from your employer stating that COVID-19 is the reason behind your termination.
  2. A document showing COVID-19 restrictions have affected repayments of your credit card bills.
  3. An attested letter from the Ministry of Health saying you were infected by COVID-19.
  4. Bank statement showing a loss of up to 20% monthly revenue of those who are self-employed.

Contact information to get help:

  • Write at covid.19relief@sc.com for help

Here are some tips to help you manage your credit card bills and help you survive in the uncertain times.

  • Set up a budget and stick to it to avoid late and excess payments.
  • Lower your non-essential expenses to reduce the burden of debt, managing a credit card is easy if you maintain your expenses.
  • If you have more than one credit card and are in a financial situation, try clearing the card by paying minimum dues on each card starting from the one with higher interest rates.
  • Avoid withdrawing cash from credit card to prevent high interest rates and high fees.
  • If you are shopping on monthly instalments try to opt for 0% EMI plan.
  • If you have higher interest rates on a bank you can transfer the balance to a card with lower interest rates to avoid hassle later.
  • To avoid credit card debt, decrease your expenses instead of increasing your credit limit.
To Conclude

If you have credit card from banks other than the ones we have mentioned then, please reach out to your banks and understand the benefits they are offering to provide you with a financial relief during COVID-19 pandemic. Follow and stay updated with the COVID-19 relief measures given by banks. We also strongly recommend that you check out our article on how credit cards can come in handy in such situations. Click here to find out more.

Smart Money Moves for a Financially Healthy 2020

Planning to set your financial goals right at the beginning of the year is a great way to start in 2020.

Review your financial position, check where your money goes, review your debt, cut down on extra expenses and plan efficiently. This will help you stay on savings course and prevents you from getting into any money hurdles.

Here are a few ways to help you do that:

1: Revisit your mortgage loans.

Home loans are one of the biggest financial responsibilities that require regular revisits. Look for better options to save your money or get other benefits when there is a change in your financial situations, bank’s loan terms or interest rates.

Check if refinancing can help you save money. Compare your loan interest rates with the current rates because even half of a percentage point drop will give you substantial savings.

Lower interest rates help in reducing your mortgage term because here you can raise your monthly payments and prepare to clear the loan early. For example, paying off the loan in 10 years instead of 20 years offers great savings incentive to the homebuyer.

2.  Get a personal loan

A personal loan is a viable money-saving solution in many situations when you borrow it for the right reasons. With personal loans, you can settle higher interest loans, create a good credit score, pay off credit cards or consolidate debts with more manageable fixed EMIs.

For instance, when you want to consolidate debts on your different credit cards, taking a personal loan can help pay off all the charges in one monthly payment. You benefit from lower loan interest rate compared to the annual percentage rates (APRs) on your credit cards.

However, before taking a loan, calculate your repayment capacity using an online app, select repayment tenure that is within your reach and carefully review all the fine print.

3.  Select the right credit card

A properly selected card can help you make savings on purchases, but the choice of the card should be based on your use and habits.

For instance, a frequent traveler will make savings when his card offers discounts and rewards on air tickets, hotels or lounge access.

The choice of the card also depends on whether you carry a balance each month or pay off dues before time. When you take forward a balance on credit, select a card that has a low annual percentage rate (APR).

Knowing your credit scores always helps you to apply for a card that is more likely to get approved. Lastly, compare the annual savings you make on the card against the card’s annual fee to see if it is right for you.

4. Find a balance transfer scheme

A balance transfer can help you make substantial money savings. Transferring high-interest debt from credit cards or loan to a card with a lower interest rate gives saving on interest and helps in clearing off the debt faster.

However, check if any balance transfer fee is levied to carry the balance to your new card. Another critical factor is the new card APR rate; check the introductory APR offer and price after the promotional period ends.

Always evaluate the terms carefully and put a debt repayment plan in place. Remember your debt doesn’t disappear when you do a balance transfer, but effective planning can help make good money savings.

5. Work out your monthly budget

Make a note of your cash flows to curb all unnecessary spending. Different apps come as a handy tool to do all the calculations for you.

Feed-in your monthly income and your expenses and the app will give you a clear picture of how to plan yourself well.

These tools help you consolidate all your bills, track the spending pattern and get an alert message when the due date of any statement is nearby to avoid late fees. Money management is a vital step to rein spending and get finances under control.

6. Review your subscriptions

If you are a Netflix and Amazon Prime addict, ask yourself if you need all these subscriptions and if you have the time to watch them?

Most people pay more on subscribing too many services but hardly use that entertainment and reading channels they have.

It’s the time to evaluate the spare time you have at hand to use these services and the cost you are spending monthly on subscribing to these. This helps you track the service you can do without and make money savings.

Besides entertainment, your current telephone and mobile plan also needs to be reviewed. Check your bills to study your usage patterns. If you are not using the full service, try considering another package. And if you are paying extra after the service amount, see if you can sign up to a new scheme that serves best to your needs.

 

1 Simple Way to Relax in Luxury and Style Before You Board Your Next Flight

UAE airports are always buzzing with traffic. The very make of the country’s population mix drives travel and in many cases frequent travel. So, let it be travel to home country, leisure tours or even business travel, there is a significant amount of travel residents undertake.

Gone are the days where one must wait near the crowded gates with limited access to essentials such as internet access or even a seat. Lounges are a boon to travelers, a place where they can relax with their families and have a nice meal or even work without any hassles.

Access to most of these lounges is free through business class tickets or memberships. Having said that there are options available for folks who travel in lesser space as well. After spending hours on saving money on the best possible rates for your flights and bookings, it does not really make sense to spend the saves on lounge. But wait! What if it is free? All the luxury and bliss at no cost.

Most of us carry credit cards and these cards in UAE offer airport lounge access free of cost. This is seen as a favourite and useful feature which gives absolute value to customers. It does not matter which airline one flies or even which class, the free lounge access feature is available on most of the credit cards.

This article elaborates on the Airport lounge feature and the different bands and respective benefits UAE credit cards offer.

What exactly do I get free with my credit card when it comes to Airport lounge access?

Free Access to Airport Lounge

Depending on the specific credit type that one may have, free access can be availed at Airport lounges. Airport lounge offers complimentary snacks, drinks, wi-fi and glossy magazines along with a peaceful place to relax before you board.

 Supplementary Card holders

If your family has supplementary cards, they can also avail the facility free of cost. It is important to note that not all card types allow supplementary cards holders. Do refer to the table below to identify which card allows supplementary card holders

 Guests

In addition to supplementary card holders, some of the credit cards allow guests accompanying primary card holders as well.

Number of visits

Some of these card types have a limitation on number of visits in a calendar year, post which the bank will apply a charge in case of any usage.

It is always wise to find out which airport lounge allows free access to the credit card you hold prior to your trip. This can save a lot of unnecessary walking within the terminals and most importantly disappointment at the lounge check in counters which sometimes can have a lengthy wait line.

 

Note: While the above is a standard offering from the associations (Visa and Mastercard), some banks might have customized the lounge offer on their respective cards. Hence it is advisable to refer to their product features section for more details click here.

 

Takeaway

Travel can be more enjoyable if planned well. While complimentary Airport lounge access offered by a credit card is a no-brainer one must be aware of all the other travel related benefits credit card offers. After all, why would one say no to a free feature which could be worth thousands of dirhams otherwise.

As a personal finance aggregator Soulwallet has analysed various credit card features and rated them based on an apple to apple comparison. Let it be Golf, Airport Transfers, Valet or even Cinema offers, one can easily refer to the ratings. For more details visit us on www.soulwallet.com.

Leave your worry behind and enjoy every bit of your travel. Bon voyage!

 

Good Credit Score Means Good Financial Health – Understanding How Credit Score Works can Help You Save Thousands of Dirhams

Credit reports and scores are essential to financial health of any economy. Its primary use is to help financial institutions use the information provided in the report to assess the credit standing of an individual prior to issuing individuals any credit products (credit cards, personal loans and so on).

Al Etihad Credit Bureau is the entity which provides credit reports to consumers and financial institutions in the UAE.

As an individual it is beneficial to have a good credit score as this will not only ensure that your chances of getting a credit card or loan (personal loan, auto loan, home loan) etc. are increased but, almost more importantly can help you save money as banks frequently give better terms (lower interest rates, higher loan amounts etc.) to individuals with better credit scores.

In this article we will help you better understand credit reports.

Components of a Credit Report

Financial Liabilities – Financial institutions are required to provide details of credit facilities such as credit cards, personal loans, mortgage loans etc., to the UAE Credit Bureau. Details such as assigned credit limits, utilized limits on credit cards, payments made, delayed payments, returned/bounced checks, loan amounts issued, outstanding balances, age of the loan/credit card, active status, police case history and so on are some of the key data points shared. In addition, the below details are also shared with the credit bureau:

Employment Details: Employer Name, Income, Date of Employment are a few details pertaining to employment

Addresses: Residence address, emirate, contact details including mobile numbers and email ids.

Personal Identification – Emirates Id number, Passport Number, Date of Birth etc.,

The Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) manages the process of collating the information received from all financial institutions (as well as some other non-financial entities such as telecom and utilities providers) and summarizing this at an individual customer level.

These details are structured in a systematic and easily readable format which the financial institutions can access in assessing the credit worthiness of potential customers.

What is a credit score and why is it important?

Credit score is a three- digit number which is assigned by the credit bureau based on various variables such as number of loans, repayments, delayed payments, credit utilization and so on. Credit scores range from 300 to 900, higher the better from a financial health perspective.

The credit score is an indicator of a customer’s financial profile and it is important to note that quite a few banks have moved to offer credit score-based features (interest rate, loan amounts etc.) to their customers. This means you will get more beneficial terms the higher your credit score .

So, what is the mantra to maintain a healthy credit score?

Below are some simple disciplined practices one needs to follow:

  • Do not hold too many credit cards. Find out the best credit cards for “You” and stick with it. Close the ones which are not suitable for you or you carry but don’t use too often. Use Soulwallet’s “Best Fit Credit Cards Tool” to find out how good your credit card isyou’re your individual spend patterns and other requirements.
  • Ensure payments are made on time. And whenever possible, in full. This is the most important aspect and has a significant weightage in one’s score. Missing payments is a huge no-no and will definitely adversely impact your credit score. Remember the golden rule – “only borrow what you can afford to repay”!
  • Avoid going over the credit limiton your credit card.
  • Try and stay below 40% of your credit utilization. If you have a credit limit of AED 10,000 and your current credit card balance outstanding is AED 4,000, your utilization rate is 40%. The lower the better.
  • Keep copies of your bank clearance letters for records, there are possibilities that one might have to provide them to have the details amended (if they still show up on the credit report).

Please note – credit scores are not carved in stone, it is a dynamic and ever-changing variable, updated periodically when inputs are received from banks and financial institutions.

Credit scores take a significant time and effort to improve and, in this case, we would clearly recommend that prevention is better than cure.

How and where can I get my credit report?

For individuals the best recommended option is to download the AECB (Al Etihad credit bureau) app on the mobile phone via Google play or the IOS App store and download the report or score. Note, the charges are much lower to download the report online rather than by visiting an AECB branch. Click here  to find more details.

Takeaway

Soulwallet strongly recommends you to compare products through a neutral and unbiased comparison site before you make a financial decision which can be as simple as signing up for a credit card in UAE.

Most UAE residents at some point or the other will need to explore options to avail credit facilities from a financial institution. The reasons could be as simple as managing to pay an annual school fee or to cover an unexpected medical expense. Having a good credit score can not only make the process of getting a loan much simpler but can also potentially help one save thousands of dirhams (a simple example is the money saved through a lower interest rate offered on your personal loan in UAE based on a good credit score).

possible reasons why your credit card application has been rejected

Top 3 possible reasons why your credit card application has been rejected

 

Credit cards are popular and convenient payment tools. It is a well-known fact that banks offer several attractive features on their best credit cards such as Cinema offers, Airport lounge access, Valet service, Golf offers and many more.

Banks are constantly looking to acquire customers who have a good track record of payments and credit history. In a country like UAE,  where in 80% of the bankable population is made up of expats, it is important that banks do their due diligence prior to approving any credit facility such as credit cards or personal loans. 

Banks have different under writing policies which decides the fate of one’s application? Now, Let me try and simplify the top three reasons why credit card applications get rejected. 

1. Income Criteria Not Met

This is generally the first eligibility criteria that is checked. It is important to note that UAE’s central bank circular 28/2010 “Regulations for Classification of Loans and their Provisions” dictates that banks must ensure that personal loans must be given to people who earn a minimum of AED 60,000 annual income. Note, credit cards in UAE are considered as a form of personal loans and hence this applies to both credit cards and personal loans.

While the interpretation of this regulation might differ bank to bank from an implementation perspective, this criterion ensures that banks do not lend to those who earn less than AED 5000 per month considering living expenses, affordability etc.,

Over the last couple of years, banks have built a system to verify income information from each other in an automated way. This is done by reading Salary credits from your bank statements through a central system. This has relaxed banks policies on documentation requirement in the recent years. 

So, in short it is important to know that one must be earning a minimum income of AED 5000 per month to avail a credit cards or personal loans in UAE

Banks also offer cards for customers based on their income . For e.g., a Prime Infinite Credit Card from Dubai Islamic Bank is offered to a customer who has a minimum income of AED 50,000 per month.

2. Weak or Poor Credit History 

In UAE, Al Etihad Credit Bureau receives financial information from all providers and provides credit reports to residents and financial institutions. The report contains records of an individual’s liabilities such as credit cards, loans etc., Banks evaluate the credit report for repayment history prior to approving applications.  It is imperative that one maintains a clean credit history in order to avail any loan/credit card facility in UAE. Level of debt, payment history, credit history age has an impact on your credit score.

Below needs to be taken care to ensure a clean history.

  • Always pay dues on time.
  • On cards better to pay the entire outstanding. If not, minimum due to be met. Note, full payments may result in a higher credit score.
  • Avoid going over limit on your cards.
  • It may take more than 5 years for a credit record to be cleared hence utmost care to be taken to ensure all the above points.
  • One can avail their credit report online from AECB for a fee. Visit the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) for more information. 

3.Debt Burden Exceeded 

In UAE, banks have been regulated to ensure that financial liabilities of an individual do not exceed 50% of the monthly income. While Banks follow different processes to ascertain debt burden the general logic is explained below for simple understanding

Monthly Income: AED 10,000

Monthly financial payments (Credit card minimum dues, Loan EMIs): AED3000

Debt burden:30%

Ensure all unused credit cards are closed. Receive and maintain closure or clearance certificates from respective banks for documentation purposes. Consolidate debt as a loan so that the instalment is affordable and within the debt burden. Stay financially fit!

Takeaway

While the above 3 are the top reasons for rejections. There are 90% chances one can get their card or loan approved if the above 3 conditions are met.  Roughly 10% of applications stay rejected for reasons such as verifications and other policies.

Picking the perfect credit cards in UAE for your specific needs should always be based on how you plan to spend and what your current lifestyle is like. Traditionally one signs up for a card based on sales pitch by a bank’s sales executive.  Take advantage of Soulwallet’s credit card comparison platform to make sure you make an informed decision. 

 

How to get the best dining deals out of cashback credit cards?

The more you spend, the more you save! Unbelievable yet holds true and here is how you do that if you are smart enough. Enter Cashback.

Cashback is an offering from Credit Card companies that rewards you instantly for making purchases.

How does it work?

Cashback credit cards benefit the user by paying a percentage of the purchase you make. Not just purchases, using them in your favorite hotels, restaurants or any other experience centers in UAE can also save you some dirhams. So, the next time, you are swiping your card in a restaurant or purchasing the latest mobile phone, look out for the exciting cashback offers and maximize it.

Lookout before you Swipe!

Though it is exciting and absolutely fantastic to get some hard earned money back do note a few pointers that needs a closer look before you swipe.

Like any credit card, these credit cards are entitled with pre-determined limits which many people fail to notice. It is for the simple fact that these are in fine print and easy to ignore or miss out.

If you are a frequent visitor to restaurants, here are some credit cards that offer the best dining deals which could save you from spending more.

Citi Cashback Card:

With a minimum salary of AED 8000, you can avail this card which can provide a lot of cashback benefits while dining at your favorite restaurants. You can enjoy up to 20% discount at over 400+ dining outlets in the UAE. The redemption is automatic as well. No calls, no emails!

Dunia Finance Platinum Credit Card:

The minimum salary requirement is the same as that of the Citi Cashback Card. But Dunia finance offers free Zomato Gold Annual Membership when you opt for this credit card. It also offers hundreds of Buy 1 Get 1 (BOGO) offers from MasterCard throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Najm One Cashback Card:

This cash back credit card from Majid Al Futtaim Finance offers a lot of discounts on dining and entertainment. With this card, you can avail up to 30% discount at selected restaurants. They also make payments easy by providing card-less solutions i.e., Samsung pay.

CBD Visa Infinity Card:

The Commercial Bank of Dubai offers great deals on dining with this visa card. It has great dining privileges which include Dragon Pass, the World’s 1st all-in-one Digital Airport platform which lets people enjoy food at restaurants within the Airport. In addition to this, dining discounts in Premium Hotels in UAE can also be availed with this card.

Standard Chartered Platinum Credit Card:

The Platinum credit card from Standard Chartered lets people enjoy a wide variety of offers that includes offers up to 50% in popular cafes and restaurants. To be even more specific, it offers a Buy 1 Get 1 offer (BOGO) at all outlets of Costa Coffee.