Top 4 Jewellers in Dubai, UAE | UAE’s Best Credit Cards to Buy Gold Jewellery

Posted on March 16, 2023March 16, 2023 by admin

Top Jewellers in Dubai, UAE to Buy Gold Jewellery

Throughout the ages, gold has stood as a valuable commodity, drawing the attention of millions of buyers across the globe. This precious metal’s glistening yellow hue exudes an aura of class and luxury while simultaneously serving as a beacon of financial stability. Dubai, the glittering city of the United Arab Emirates, has established itself as a hub for gold enthusiasts worldwide. Famously called the “City of Gold” and “The Jewellery Destination of the World,” the gold and jewellery market in Dubai is a thriving industry and attracts visitors from all over the world.

With its bustling Gold Souk, a plethora of jewellery shops, and competitive prices, the city has become a premier destination for those seeking premium gold products. The Dubai government’s unwavering commitment to maintaining the quality of gold sold in the country is reflected in its rigorous quality control measures, mandating that all gold jewellery be hallmarked by the Dubai Municipality. Furthermore, due to the tax-free status of gold in Dubai and the relatively lower gold prices in the UAE compared to other parts of the world, it has become an economical option for those seeking to acquire exquisite jewellery pieces. From traditional Arabic designs to modern and contemporary works, the jewellery industry in Dubai offers an expansive range of products. In essence, Dubai’s gold and jewellery market is a veritable hub for both buyers and sellers, persistently captivating visitors from across the globe.

Best Gold Shops to Buy Gold in the UAE

The UAE is widely considered an ideal destination for purchasing gold, thanks to the plethora of places where one can go shopping for gold jewellery. However, the multitude of options available can lead to confusion, especially when it comes to expensive and sentimental products like gold ornaments and jewellery. It is always advisable to purchase gold from reliable and reputable dealers. To assist in this endeavour, we have compiled a list of the top gold shops in the UAE, known for their exceptional reputation in the market and commitment to selling only the highest quality gold. With this list, you can confidently purchase gold for yourself or a loved one, knowing exactly where to find this precious metal.

Kalyan Jewellers

Kalyan Jewellers is a well-known and reputable brand in the gold and jewellery market of the UAE. The company originated in India in 1993 and has since then expanded globally, establishing a significant presence in the UAE. Kalyan Jewellers boasts an extensive collection of high-quality jewellery, including gold, diamond, pearls, platinum, white gold, and gemstone pieces. Their range encompasses traditional Indian designs as well as modern and contemporary creations, with a broad selection of necklaces, bangles, rings, earrings, and more, all crafted with exceptional attention to detail.

The company has several showrooms in Dubai, including one in Gold Souk, Deira, and another in Meena Bazaar. Kalyan Jewellers prides itself on its commitment to quality and craftsmanship, with all their products undergoing rigorous quality control measures to ensure that customers receive only the finest pieces of jewellery.

In addition to its impressive collection of jewellery, Kalyan Jewellers also provides excellent customer service. The staff at their showrooms are knowledgeable and helpful, and the company offers various services such as customisation, repair, and maintenance of jewellery. Moreover, Kalyan Jewellers is known for its competitive prices and transparent pricing policy, ensuring that customers get the best value for their money. They have a dedicated team that constantly monitors gold prices and adjusts their prices accordingly, ensuring that their customers get fair prices for their purchases. Overall, Kalyan Jewellers is a popular choice for those seeking premium quality jewellery in Dubai, and its reputation for excellence has made it a household name in the UAE’s gold and jewellery industry.

Top reasons to consider buying from Kalyan Jewellers in Dubai:

A Well-established brand known for its commitment to quality and craftsmanship
Wide range of jewellery for every taste and occasion
Team of expert designers and artisans who create exquisite jewellery
Transparent pricing policy
Excellent customer services provided by friendly and knowledgeable staff
After-sales services such as cleaning, polishing, resizing, and repair services are also offered

Location

Shop No: 5, Al Sherouq Building, Al Karama,

Opp Karama Park, Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Contact number

+971 – 4396 4133,

+971 – 43964233

Check Kalyan Gold Rate Today

Damas Jewellers

Damas is a well-established luxury jewellery brand in Dubai with a history spanning over 100 years. The company was founded in Syria in 1907 and has since expanded its presence to several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, where it opened its first store in 1959. Today, Damas has over 40 stores in the UAE and is recognised as one of the leading luxury jewellery retailers in the Middle East.

Damas offers a wide range of high-end jewellery pieces, including diamond, gold, and pearl collections. The brand is known for its exquisite designs and fine craftsmanship, and its collections cater to a diverse clientele with traditional to modern tastes. Skilled artisans craft the products using high-quality materials, ensuring that they are both beautiful and durable. In addition to its own collections, Damas also features pieces from several well-known international brands such as Mikimoto, Roberto Coin, and Fope. The company also offers custom design services for clients who want unique, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces.

Damas is committed to providing exceptional customer service, and its knowledgeable and friendly staff is always on hand to help clients select the perfect piece of jewellery. The brand also offers a variety of after-sales services, including resizing, cleaning, and polishing of jewellery, as well as repair and maintenance services. To make it easier for customers to purchase their desired jewellery pieces, the brand offers a variety of payment options, including instalments plans.

Top reasons to consider buying from Damas Jewellers in Dubai:

It is an established jewellery brand with over 100 years of experience.
They offer a wide range of collections catering to both traditional and modern tastes.
The brand is known for its exquisite designs and exceptional craftsmanship.
They offer custom design services for unique, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces.
They provide exceptional customer service.
They offer a variety of after-sale services, including resizing, cleaning, polishing, and repairing.
They provide a variety of payment options, including instalments.

Location

Dubai Mall3, Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Za’abeel 2, Za’abeel, Dubai

The Gold Center7, 103 Road, Al Ras, Deira, Dubai

Contact number

Dubai Mall – +971 561888253,

Gold Center – +971 6 5661446

Check Damas Gold Rate Today

Malabar Gold and Diamond

Malabar Gold & Diamonds is an established and renowned jewellery brand in Dubai that has its roots in India, dating back to 1993. Since then, it has expanded its global footprint, and today it has a significant presence in the UAE. With a vast collection of high-quality jewellery, Malabar Gold & Diamonds is a one-stop shop for gold, diamond, platinum, and gemstone pieces. Their range of jewellery pieces includes traditional Indian designs as well as modern and contemporary creations, with a wide selection of necklaces, bangles, rings, earrings, and more, all crafted with meticulous attention to detail.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds has several showrooms in Dubai, including one in Gold Souk, Deira, and another in Meena Bazaar. The company prides itself on its commitment to quality and craftsmanship, with all its products undergoing rigorous quality control measures to ensure that customers receive only the finest pieces of jewellery. They also provide excellent customer service, with staff at their showrooms being knowledgeable and helpful. The company offers various services such as customisation, repair, and maintenance of jewellery.

Moreover, Malabar Gold & Diamonds is known for its competitive prices and transparent pricing policy, ensuring that customers get the best value for their money. They have a dedicated team that constantly monitors gold prices and adjusts their prices accordingly, ensuring that their customers get fair prices for their purchases. The company also offers a variety of payment options, including instalment plans, to make it easier for customers to purchase their desired jewellery pieces.

In addition to its impressive collection of jewellery, Malabar Gold & Diamonds is also involved in philanthropic activities through the Malabar Gold & Diamonds Foundation, which provides educational and healthcare assistance to underprivileged communities. Overall, Malabar Gold & Diamonds is a popular choice for those seeking premium quality jewellery in Dubai, and its reputation for excellence has made it a household name in the UAE’s gold and jewellery industry.

Top reasons to consider buying from Malabar Gold and Diamond in Dubai:

Well-established and reputable brand in the UAE
Customisation options for unique one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces
Great prices on diamonds, procured directly without intermediaries’ costs
I.S Hallmarked gold and P.G.I certified platinum
Diamonds certified by G.I.A, I.G.I, A.G.S, and H.R.D
Fair value on buy-back, calculated according to international standards
After-sales services offered, including resizing, cleaning, polishing, and repair of jewellery

Location

Shop no: B66, Karama Centre, Al Karama

Meena Bazar, Cosmos Lane, Near Dubai Museum, Bur Dubai

Contact number

Al Karama: +971-4-358-4916

Bur Dubai: +971-4-388-7916

Check Malabar Gold Rate Today

Tanishq Jewellers

Tanishq is a popular jewellery brand in Dubai that originated in India. It was established in 1994 and has since grown to become one of the most recognised jewellery brands globally, offering a wide range of high-quality jewellery pieces. Tanishq is known for its exquisite designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and use of high-quality materials.

In Dubai, Tanishq has several stores located in prominent areas. Their collections range from traditional to modern designs, catering to a diverse clientele. Tanishq’s products include gold, diamond, platinum, and gemstone jewellery, with a selection of necklaces, bangles, rings, earrings, and more. Tanishq has won several awards for its innovative designs and commitment to customer service. They also offer customisation services, allowing customers to design their own unique pieces of jewellery. In addition, they have a team of skilled artisans who can repair, resize, clean, and polish jewellery, ensuring that they maintain their beauty and shine for years to come.

Another unique aspect of Tanishq is their “Karigar” program, which highlights the importance of craftsmanship in their designs. The Karigars are skilled craftsmen who create each piece of jewellery by hand, ensuring that each piece is unique and of the highest quality. Overall, Tanishq is an excellent choice for those looking for high-quality, unique, and well-crafted jewellery in Dubai.

Top reasons to consider buying from Tanishq Jewellers in Dubai:

The Karatmeter technology allows customers to verify the purity of the gold jewellery they purchase.
Use of high-quality materials and excellent craftsmanship in their jewellery making.
All jewellery is certified by independent third-party organisations, ensuring the highest quality of gold, diamonds, and other precious stones used.
Offers a wide range of jewellery made from high-quality materials with excellent craftsmanship.
Recognised for providing exceptional customer service.

Location

57XJ+259 – La Maison Du Luxe, The Dubai Mall – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Contact number

+971-54-445-8649

Check Tanishq Gold Rate Today

Best Credit Cards for Buying Gold Jewellery in the UAE

It is important to choose a credit card that offers rewards or cashback for your purchases when you buy gold jewellery in the UAE. This can help offset some of the costs associated with buying gold with a credit card.

Listed below are some of the best credit cards for buying gold jewellery in the UAE:

Emirates NBD Gold Card:

This credit card offers a cashback of up to 10% on gold purchases made at select jewellery stores in the UAE.
Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature Card:

This credit card offers up to 3 Skywards Miles for every AED 1 spent on gold jewellery purchases at selected outlets in the UAE. It also comes with a host of other benefits, such as complimentary travel insurance, airport lounge access, and discounts at select restaurants and retailers.
FAB Gold Credit Card:

The FAB Gold Credit Card provides a 1% cashback on gold purchases made anywhere in the world, as well as a range of other lifestyle benefits.
ADIB Gold Card:

This card offers a 2% cashback on gold purchases made in the UAE, as well as other benefits such as airport lounge access and discounts on dining and shopping.
CBD Gold Mastercard:

The CBD Gold Mastercard offers a range of benefits, including a 2% cashback on gold purchases made in the UAE, complimentary travel insurance, and discounts on dining and entertainment.
RAKBANK Kalyan Jewellers Credit Card:

The RAKBANK Kalyan Jewellers Credit Card is the first and only Credit Card to offer Goldback on all spending, earn up to 7% Goldback on all international spending and up to 4.5% Goldback on all domestic spending.
Citibank Ultima Credit Card:

This credit card provides exclusive privileges such as discounts on gold jewellery purchases, complimentary access to select golf courses, and discounts at select luxury hotels and restaurants. It also offers travel insurance and airport lounge access.

It is important to note that each credit card comes with different terms and conditions, including minimum spend requirements, cashback limits, and reward caps. It is always advisable to review the terms and conditions of a credit card before applying for one to ensure that it meets your specific needs and requirements.

Soulwallet is a unique personal finance aggregator. Soulwallet’s algorithm-based tool “Best Fit Credit Cards” simulator, helps customers identify which credit cards can help maximise reward savings based on the customer’s unique spending patterns. By using this, customers can optimise the benefits available on specific credit cards. Soulwallet offers comparisons across all personal finance products, such as credit cards, personal loans, home loans, auto loans as well as bank accounts. Soulwallet’s recommendations are based on detailed research and are aimed at providing customers with quality information to make well-informed decisions before they sign up for a personal finance facility.

Which are the best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards to earn Skywards miles?

Posted on November 29, 2022December 14, 2022 by admin

List of best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards to earn Skywards miles.

Emirates Airlines is one of the most popular airlines in the world and THE most popular airline in the UAE.

As residents we are very lucky to travel with Emirates Airlines and enjoy all the great benefits including the latest aircrafts, extensive travel routes, the best airport lounges, amazing on demand entertainment options, an entire terminal dedicated to just one airline and so on. In addition to these benefits Emirates airlines also offers one of the best airlines miles reward programs offered anywhere in the world – the Emirates Skywards miles program. As with most airline miles programs Emirates Skywards miles can be used to purchase tickets, to upgrade tickets already purchased as well as to make other retail purchases.

While one can earn miles by simply buying tickets for Emirates airlines flights another very popular way to earn Skywards miles is by using specific credit cards which offer Emirates Skywards miles as rewards against purchases made on the credit card. This is a very popular way to earn additional Skywards miles and almost all leading banks in the UAE offer Skywards credit cards which can be used for this purpose. But now comes the question – how do you decide which of these credit cards is the best option for you? This is an important consideration as a credit card is not something you keep applying for and change very often, so it’s important you try and get it right the first time. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you make that choice and this particular article is focused on which Emirates Skywards credit cards offer the maximum Skywards miles for purchases made on the card.

All these Emirates Skywards credit cards also offer other benefits in addition to earning Skywards miles and you can find all the details for each of these cards at www.soulwallet.com in addition to finding our take on the best Skywards credit cards for specific criterion including bonus miles, Skywards tier levels and so on which you can read here.

When it comes to figuring out which Emirates Skywards credit cards are the best for earning Skywards Miles it is important to keep the below in mind:

Which card is the “best for maximum Skywards miles” depends on what type of transactions the card is used for. This is because different credit cards offer different amounts of Skywards miles for different type of purchases. And this can vary not just from bank to bank but within the different Emirates Skywards cards offered by the same bank as well. Hence, while one credit card may earn 1 Skyward mile for every AED spent at supermarkets another may only earn 0.25 Skyward miles for every AED spent at supermarkets. This is why identifying the best credit card to maximise Skywards miles depends on how much YOU as an individual spend on different types of purchases.
Some Emirates Skywards credit cards do not offer ANY rewards for certain types of spends made on the credit card. This could be relevant depending on the typical spends made in that specific category.
Almost all Skywards credit cards offered by banks in the UAE offer more Skywards Miles for spends made at Emirates Airlines (and Flydubai) and more for purchases made internationally (i.e. in a foreign currency). If you make significant purchases at these airlines each year this could have a considerable impact on the amount of Skywards miles earned.
Only some Emirates Skywards credit cards offer card holders the option to earn Skywards “Tier” miles on spends made on the credit card. Tier miles are different from regular Skywards miles and go towards earning the specific “tier” of membership within the Emirates Skywards program – Silver, Gold and Platinum. These tier miles are different from regular miles which can be used to make flight ticket or retail purchases and be used to upgrade flight tickets.
Many of the Emirates Skywards credit cards also offer some “welcome” or joining bonus Skywards miles which in some cases can be a very attractive offer to consider. Almost always these offers will be based on certain criterion being met including payment of the joining or annual membership fee and meeting certain spend levels on the card within specific time frames. For e.g. Dubai Islamic bank current has an offer on their Emirates Skywards Infinite credit card where 120,000 Skywards miless will be awarded to the card holder if an amount of AED 120,000 is spent on the card by April 30^th
In some instances, certain categories of payments such as utilities (DEWA) or telecom (Du or Etisalat) which are made via the bank’s online channels either do not earn or earn lower Skywards miles.
The final decision on Emirates Skywards miles awarded for each category of spends is always with the bank issuing the credit card and it is always advisable to clarify these before applying for the credit card.

The below tables have details of the Emirates Skywards miles one can earn based on the specific transaction types for every Skywards credit card offered in the UAE.

PREMIUM EMIRATES SKYWARDS CREDIT CARDS (minimum required salary > AED 15,000)	ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card	Citibank Emirates Ultima Credit Card	Citibank Emirates Ultimate Credit Card	Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card	Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card	Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit Card	Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card	RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card
EXPENSE CATEGORY	Emirates Skywards Miles Awarded For Every 1 USD (or AED Equivalent i.e. ~per AED 3.68 of spend)
Emirates & (flydubai) spends	3	2.5		2	3.5	2	2	Spends Based Tiers
Foreign currency (non AED) spends	2	1.5	1.25	1.5	2*	1.50*	1.5	Spends Based Tiers
Local (AED) currency spends	1.5	1	1	1	1.5	1	1	Spends Based Tiers
Specific Spends Categories:
Grocery / Supermarket	0.25	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.25	0.50**
Government Services	0.25	0	0	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.1	0.50**
Utilities	0.25	0	0	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.1	-
Education	0.25	1	1	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.1	0.50**
Fuel / Petrol Station	0.25	1	1	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.1	0.50**
Real Estate Related	0.25	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.1	0.50**
Public Transportation	0.25	1	1	1	1.5	1	0.1	0.50**
Charities / Religious Organizations	0.25	1	1	1	1.5	1	1	0.50**
Insurance / Car Dealership	1.5	1	1	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.25	0.50**
Telecommunication	1.5	0	0	0.3	0.15	0.15	0.1	0.50**
Quick Service Restaurant	1.5	1	1	1	0.15	0.15	0.25	-
Duty Free	1.5	1	1	1	1.5	1	2	-
Online Food Delivery, Car Booking Apps	1.5	1	1	1	1.5	1	2	-
Health & Beauty / Club Membership	1.5	1	1	1	1.5	1	1	0.50**
Cinema	1.5	1	1	1	1.5	1	1	0.50**

* European Economic Area transactions will only earn 0.375 Skywards miles per USD of spend.
** these categories earn only 50% of the Skywards Miles If the total spend in these categories is LESS THAN 50% of the total spend on the card.

EMIRATES SKYWARDS CREDIT CARDS (minimum required salary AED 15,000 or below)	ADIB Emirates Skywards World Card	Citibank Emirates World	Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Signature Credit Card	Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Platinum Credit Card	Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature Credit Card	Emirates Islamic Skywards NBD Credit Card
EXPENSE CATEGORY	Emirates Skywards Miles for every 1 USD (or AED equivalent ~ AED 3.68 of spend)
Emirates & (flydubai) spends	2.5	0.75	1.5	1	1.5	1.5
Foreign currency spends	1.5	1	1	0.75	1.1*	1*
Local currency spends	1	0.75	0.75	0.5	0.75	0.75
Specific Spends Categories:
Grocery / Supermarket	0.25	0.5	0.2	0.15	0.375	0.1875
Government Services	0.25	0	0.2	0.15	0.1125	0.075
Utilities	0.25	0	0.2	0.15	0.1125	0.075
Education	0.25	0.75	0.2	0.15	0.1125	0.075
Fuel / Petrol Station	0.25	0.75	0.2	0.15	0.1875	0.075
Real Estate	0.25	0.5	0.2	0.15	0.1875	0.075
Public Transportation	0.25	0.75	0.75	.50	0.75	0.075
Charities / Religious Organizations	0.25	0.75	0.75	.50	0.75	0.75
Insurance / Car Dealership	1	0.75	0.2	0.15	0.1125	0.1875
Telecommunication	1	0	0.2	0.15	0.19	0.075
Quick Service Restaurant	1	0.75	0.75	.50	0.19	0.1875
Duty Free	1	0.75	0.75	.50	0.75	1.5
Online Food Delivery, Car Booking Apps	1	0.75	0.75	.50	0.75	1.5
Health & Beauty / Club Membership	1	0.75	0.75	.50	0.75	0.75
Cinema	1	0.75	0.75	.50	0.75	0.75

Digital Banking In UAE

Posted on May 20, 2022May 20, 2022 by admin

Digitization is defined as the conversion of data into a digital format with the implementation of technology. The world has become more and more digital in every. Banking is one of the first sectors to witness the impact of digitalization. Many transactions have been taken over by machine learning to not only have a more efficient transaction but also in detecting fraud and keeping banks and its customers data safe.

In the last two decades, the advancement in technology and the era of smartphones have unleashed new forms of banking solutions on mobile apps. The stiff competition from other financial technology providers made it imperative for traditional banks to quickly adapt to the changing times and transform digitally.

Thanks to the era of digital banking, many customers haven’t set foot inside a bank branch. During the turbulent time of the pandemic, digitalization has opened many new doors for both the banking sector as well as the customers. Customers are able to access everyday banking functions via a mobile app or over the internet on their personal computers and mobile phones. Many businesses went cashless during the pandemic as well, thus encouraging more cashless transactions at a wide swath of stores from grocery shops to high-end brands.

What is digital banking?

In simple terms, digital banking refers to banking services carried out through an online digital platform without involving any paperwork. This includes combining online banking services and mobile banking services under one umbrella.

Online Banking:

Online banking is having access to all bank features and services via the bank’s website from your computer. You can log into your account to view your balance and make payments like rent or electricity bills. You can also access additional banking features such as applying for credit cards or loans at many banks via your online banking portal. With online banking, you do not need to physically go to the bank and can access many of your financial services on your personal computer from the comfort of your home.

Mobile banking:

Mobile banking is using the mobile banking app of your bank on your mobile device and having access to the features and services on your mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet. The apps are proprietarily issued by your bank, and you can log into your account on your online banking portal. Mobile banking was designed for people on the go who would like to have access to their banking services even when they do not have access to a computer. Banking apps have features such as mobile check deposits, bill payments, and fund transfers and convenient features like peer-to-peer payments. Banks also use mobile apps to send notification alerts such as deposit received or low balance or fraud detection.

Online banking and mobile banking together create the digital banking umbrella, giving customers access to banking services wherever they may be. Or in some cases wherever the customers are graced with a secure and strong Wi-Fi signal.

Who offers Digital Banking?

Digital Banking in the UAE is different from the traditional form of banking. Digital banking as implied can be availed online without having to physically visit the bank, however, digital banking offers even more features and services online. Services like opening an online account, deposits, fund transfers, online payments, tackling insurances, paying loans and much more services are offered without the necessity to visit the bank in person.

Digital banking in the UAE is offered through two primary sources:

Brick-and -Mortar banks
Digital online only banks

Customers may choose a mode of banking that caters to their needs best.

The difference between Digital Banking and Online Banking

Even though they sound similar, online banking and digital banking are not the same. Both of them are forms of banking as online banking falls under the category of digital banking. Online banking is defined a bit more narrowly than digital banking.

With online banking, a customer can avail of some of the banking services like bill payments, fund transfers, access to account statements and account summary online on the bank portal accessed by a computer or on the mobile app of the bank without having to visit the bank. For services like opening a bank account or applying for banking services, the customer would have to visit their bank branch.

In digital banking, the customer does not need to visit the bank for any services, including opening a new account and applying for bank services. Customers can also avail of other services like making payments, transferring funds, and several other services. The customer can avail of these banking services from anywhere and at any time using the bank website or the bank mobile app. The process of banking is completely automated and paperless.

Digital Product Services

With access to a stable internet connection and an internet enabled smart device, digital banking has a lot to offer:

Obtain bank statements:

- View and download your bank statements for any specific period

Transfer of funds:

- UAEFTS hosted by central bank provides Real Time Gross Settlements RTGS, , the need to issue cheques and DDs have been eradicated

Mobile banking:

- Mobile banking is digital banking through an application optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Cash withdrawals:

- ATMs facilitate cash withdrawals at any point in time.

Bill payments:

- The auto-debit feature for bill payment lets a user setup monthly debit in favour of regular utility payment

Finance:

- Invest, open fixed deposit accounts and raise loans through digital banking. Link your De-mat account to provide a seamless flow of funds to invest promptly.

Manage cheques:

- Intervene in the cheque clearing process using digital banking to stop the cheque if the need arises

Monitor transaction records:

- Receive alerts and notifications to the linked mobile number or email address. The notification arrives as soon as the transaction is executed. Digital banking also lets you monitor account balances or outstanding at the click of a button.

Types of digital banks

The following are some of the main types of digital banks:

Neobank

- They are digital banks operating online without any physical presence and provide remote access to their services via a mobile app. Many do not hold a bank license and partner with an existing bank for bank licensed operations.

Challenger bank

- Refers to a recently launched bank that challenges the traditional banking institutions. Being more user friendly and cost effective, challenger banks focus on the audience segments that are underserved by the big financial institutions.

New bank

- They are fully licensed neobanks that provide a full range of banking services and the only difference from brick and mortar banks is the mode of operation, which is completely online.

Nonbank

- They are non banking institutions that provide financial services like streamlined loans or mortgages but they do not simultaneously accept deposits or offer checking and savings accounts.

Advantages of Digital banking

With the number of services provided and the client as well as bank convenience factor taken into consideration, many advantages are offered to both the banks as well as the clients.

Some of these advantages are:

Increased customers
Enhanced efficiency
User friendly experience
Data driven decisions
Cost efficiency
Improved usability
Greater personalization
Client and bank convenience
Anytime anywhere availability of access
Automatic payment features
Services to remote areas
Reducing the risk of counterfeit currency
Strengthens privacy
Time saving

Digital banking tips

Even though digital banking is safe and secure, it is always advisable to remain cautious with one’s private information

Do not write down your login details with credentials and password anywhere
Do not share your credentials with anyone including banking officials
Do not tell your banking card pin to anyone
If your card is lost, report it on the bank website and immediately block it
Call your bank and ask for clarification if you have any doubts about payment or pin requests received.

Digital transformation in the banking sector of the UAE

With the advancement seen in technology, innovation, and futuristic outlook, UAE is at the forefront of the digitalization of the banking industry. The digitalisation of the banking sector, in general, can be traced back to the 1960s when ATMs and payment cards were introduced to the people. With the popularity of the internet in 1980, banks began offering internet-based services to their customers to make transactions quicker and easier.

Keeping pace with global developments in the digitalisation of banking, the banks in UAE are quickly adapting to digital only solutions and joining the digital banking fray. The banks in UAE realised the opportunity and challenges in the financial technology revolution and began changing to fit the need and demands of the market. In the second half of the previous decade, a number of banks launched digital banking initiatives. These initiatives include a separate digital only banking platform, strengthening the existing mobile banking platforms, refocusing services on digital platforms as compared to services in branches and catering to customers’ lifestyles and the younger generation.

The top leading banks in the UAE such as Emirates NBD, Mashreq, and Commercial Bank of Dubai were the first to commit large resources to the digital transformation of the banking system in the UAE. Emirates NBD’s Liv., Mashreq’s Neo and CBD’s CBD.Now are all digital banking propositions focused on branchless delivery of banking services to their customers through mobile banking technology.

Top Digital Banks in the UAE

The UAE has always kept pace with the global trends in financial technologies. Currently, UAE is home to a number of digital banks and the number keeps increasing. From personal banking to banking optimised for businesses and youth there are a number of options available in the UAE.

EMIRATES NBD LIV

Launched in 2017 by Emirates NBD, the bank is geared toward the youth in the UAE. After digitally enrolling with Liv, customers can do banking via Liv’s Apple or Android app.

EMIRATES NBD E20

Due to the popularity of Liv, Emirates NBD launched another digital banking platform in 2019 called the E20 to cater for digital business banking.

MASHREQ NEO

Launched in 2017 by Mashreq Bank, Neo offers a wide range of services via a mobile banking app to suit modern banking needs. Named as Middle East’s best mobile banking app in 2020 by World Finance, you can also invest in gold, forex, and stocks from the same digital app.

Yap is the digital banking app of RakBank that is completely paperless. With the latest security and technological features, YAP users can bank safely from anywhere. You can also track your financial decisions along with the YAP app’s financial analytic tools.

ADIB SMARTBANKING

Created by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), SmartBanking offers its users many benefits. Get your card delivered to your doorstep and have access to savings account across the Middle East and free ATM withdrawals at ADIB ATMs across the UAE.

ADIB AMWALI

Created by the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Amwali is a digital only bank created to cater to the UAE’s youth. Children can learn financial management lessons on the app and track their savings and spending from the money sent by their parents. The advance parental control abilities allow parents to track the child’s account and set limits for them.

Digital banking services have seen a rapid surge in customer acceptance across the UAE. The younger generation was quicker to accept digital platforms and digital servicing, while the older generation was cautious at first, although now are fast adapting to the gaining digital banking traction.

How Digital Banking Systems Enhance Customer Experience?

Posted on March 24, 2022March 24, 2022 by admin

Technology is ever changing and continues to revolutionise the world in which we live. In less than a decade, the lives of every single person worldwide have changed from being digital second to digital first. As technology is developing towards providing a comfortable lifestyle, people’s preferences are changing with respect to living in this easily accessible digital world. The world has seen significant improvements and advancements digitally in the last few years alone. These advancements would only continue to grow and inspire people to adapt to the changes in their lifestyles. Gadgets like laptops, smartphones, tablets, and computers have become an integral part of almost everyone’s daily life. Internet and online preferences have seen a significant rise, adding to the comfortable lifestyle of an individual.

The Continuous evolving landscape, cutting-edge competition, along with rising customer expectations have become a general thumb rule to adapt to in almost every industry. The banking sector is no exception and is one of the first industries to adapt to digital advancements. The banking and financial sector being the backbone of any economy is understandably on the frontline for digitalisation and advancement. This is also why many insurances, banking services, and financial institutions and providers have to keep up with the new trends to tend to their customers promptly.

SoulWallet helps you compare and find the best credit card across various banks, that are suited for your needs for you 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.

Digitalisation in Banking

With the digitalisation of the banking sector, more and more people prefer to manage their financial activities from making payments, transactions like transferring of funds, checking their bank account statements to applying for loans and credit cards by simply logging into their digital banking portals and conducting these activities from the comfort of their homes or from on the move without having to visit the bank. Digital banking is a system that helps banks and financial institutions to digitalise their banking services and make them convenient to use for the customers as per their convenience. Digital banking services can include activities like money deposits, withdrawals, management of the customer’s bank account, application for financial products, like credit or debit cards, management of loans and other transactions.

Digitalising the banking sector has also helped grow their customer base and transactions can be carried out easily from any area of the world. In order to incorporate this, various digital platforms have established easier links between people from different remote corners, connecting them to the banking and financial institutions and providing them with the service they need. That is why the preference for digital banking for both customers and bankers is thriving.

In many cases, physical restrictions and complications lead to a sharp surge in a demand for an online platform for financial activities and digital banking services. A study by Mastercard revealed that 62% of the respondents in Europe expressed a keen desire and interest in moving from the physical banking aspect to banking using digital platforms in the year 2020. With the complications arising due to the pandemic, over half of the world’s population prefers using online facilities and banking apps more than ever and have expressed a more positive interest in digital banking overall. Customers have switched banks for banks that offer banking features that provide safe, quick, and convenient access to their finances online. Fast, simple, and effortless digital experiences have now become the default mode for consumers throughout their lives, and it’s becoming increasingly important for banking too, particularly as all the big techs have upped their involvement in their respective sectors.

Digital banking authorizes its customer’s personalization at the scale that drives between 5 and 15% revenue growth for the corporations in the financial service sectors. Banks functioning digitally have also witnessed a reduction in costs and streamlined processes. This end-to-end integration has also helped provide an engaging customer experience in financial services that allow business transformation with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Customer Experience in Banking

In the year 1999, when the world was steadily digitalising, Dell’s then Chief Information Officer Jerry Gregoire proclaimed, “the customer experience is the next competitive battleground.” The two decades since have shown this to be a very accurate prediction in all sectors of business.

All the efforts a bank puts in making each and every one of their individual clients feel important while interacting and transacting with the bank is referred to as the customer experience (CX). The cumulation of all the interactions that a customer perceives along the entire journey is also a part of the customer experience. Customer experience is the most important aspect in the banking and financial sector. Every strategic approach taken by the banks is to meet the demands of their customer and to satisfy their customer needs. In this day and age, it is crucial for banks and financial institutions to digitally transform themselves to deliver a consistent banking experience online for their customers.

A study by the digital banking report has concluded that improving the customer experience in banking should be the first goal for all banking institutions and financial service providers. The banks that invest in the customer experience trends have a higher rate of recommendation, greater wallet share and are more likely to up and sell or cross-sell products and services to existing customers.

In the financial service industry, customer experience carries equal weightage, if not more. Addressing customer suggestions and preferences is much more impactful in the long term and forms a loyal customer base. Banks and financial institutions that adopt new trends and strategies to revamp the banking and financial service experiences are steady in the market and have a loyal and expanding customer base. Banks and financial institutions that have used digitalisation and technology to create seamless, convenient, and intuitive customer experiences have dominated their markets.

What are the Customer Expectations from Digital Banking Experience?

Customers expect their banks should focus on creating an experience culture that would nurture all their needs, build trust, and offer personalised experience as per their convenience.

The key customer expectations when it comes to digitised banking experience are:

Easy accessibility – Banks and financial institutions need to provide quick and easy to use digital platforms that are accessible across multiple devices, mainly smartphones and computers. Various features and banking transactions should be carried out easily on these platforms without any wait time. The high quality banking experience along with easily connecting with the bank directly is a must.

Real time assistance – Often customers need real time assistance and prefer instant support. This not only builds confidence in the customers but also encourages loyalty and recurring customers. Using live assistance tools like co-browsing and video chats, banks can provide real time support and help to their customers. Chatbots also help scale their support and customer interactions.

Personalised services – Customers almost always prefer personalised services and relevance as per their needs. They would look for products and services that match their needs and provides subsidies that would be beneficial to their needs and usage. Banks can identify the key business drivers and deliver personalised support that would help shape the customer experience in banking.

Data security – Many customers are sceptical about their financial and important personal information being misused or taken advantage of. Data security is the most crucial point for any banking and financial sector. Customers need to feel safe sharing their finance and personal information with the bank. A healthy relationship between banks and customers is only created with a secure network and when a bank can guarantee security to the data of their customers.

Multifunctionality – Customers prefer banks that offer them options and solutions to any of their problems immediately. The banks need to keep pace with the latest developments of the market and technology and offer services across different channels simultaneously.

Design – Many traditional banking institutions often do not concentrate on their interfaces and fail to attract new clients. A customer today will prefer banks to have an exceptional UI along with easy to use website or mobile apps. Investing in improving digital channels attracts more customers.

Three ways Banks can conquer Customer Experience in Digital Banking

Banks hold enjoy strong customer relationships and trust since their establishment. Even with the services and products becoming available digitally, most of the customers trust their banks and banks that offer superior and personalised services. To further thrive in this digital era, banks need to harness the available advanced banking technology. This will allow the banks to match with the seamless and intuitive customer experiences offered by other big tech and their competitors.

To conquer customer experience in digital banking, banks need to focus on three key areas:

Transform the business models and mindset to a customer first approach – The customer first mindset requires banks and financial institutions to think about customer needs relentlessly and make things easy and accessible for the customers.

Leverage advanced banking technology – All banks require advanced digital banking solutions that help them manage their customers worldwide. Using technologies like application programming interfaces (APIs), cloud, and artificial intelligence allows banks to analyse and manage their vast amounts of data and large customer base.

Maintain and extend your trust advantage – Trust being the most important factor, offers a valuable advantage to build close and personal relationships with customers. Combing technology with customer experiences, banks can enhance customer experience and develop stronger trust with their clients.

Tips to Improve Digital Transformation

For banks to succeed in digital transformation and to avoid outdated assumptions while creating exceptional services that focus on their customers, banks should follow the following customer experience tips:

Serve more instead of selling
Make emotional connections with customers instead of overloading them with lots of information
Provide actionable solutions to customers instead of just focusing on features
Create an integrated flow for the customers instead of disintegrated experiences
Become disruptive instead of being protective

Ways to Improve Digital Customer Experience in Banking

The adoption of digital enablement technologies by banks that are able to function together smoothly is required to orchestrate a connected and enhance customer experience.

The following strategies are options for banks to achieve this state:

Proactive engagement for improved financial management – Financial institutions have various means and innovative methods to collect data, analyse and channel strategies to diversify the means of engaging customers and building better and stronger relationships in real time. By educating customers, notifying customers without delays, and conducting surveys help banks in conducting proactive customer engagement.

Offering live assistance – Mapping a consumer banking journey is an excellent way to gain a detailed understanding of the customer’s experience. This can help banks discover common customer complaints, gain insights into improving the consumer journey, help in identifying the touchpoints customers have with the bank and understand their expectations better. This also helps in improving customer resolution time, reducing sale cycle and number of touchpoints for the customer.

Using chatbots as Financial Concierge – Artificial intelligence has played a significant role in technological development. Using AI chatbots is a common practice for customer interactions. This helps in providing faster and more accurate solutions to customers in real time and help in connecting with the right department and bank personnel without much response delay. The chatbots also provide customer information to the banks to help them identify the customer and the problem quicker and thus provide accurate solutions.

Prioritise a seamless omnichannel customer experience – Modern customers prefer to connect with the bank across various different channels according to their convenience. Banks need to provide the same time of services across all channels, both online and offline.

Understand the customer journey – Creating an unrivalled customer experience is an aspiration of all banks and this can be achieved by following the end to end customer journey. Customer needs, actions, barriers, and motivation can be considered at every stage of the customer journey and any shortcomings can be dealt with immediately without wasting time.

Make use of big data and analytics – Understanding customers is the foundation for sustainable competitive advantage in the digital banking and financial sector. With the help of analytics and data, banks can gain valuable insights to segment customers, evaluate opportunities, and predict models to strengthen engagements and increase the customer experience of digitalised banking services.

Using a personalised customer experience approach – Personalisation is imperative, and every customer demands it. These elements help banks to put customers first, leverage this customer data and deliver multi channel customer experience, thus improving the customer experience overall worldwide

Transparency, Security, Trust as customer experience tools – Forbes says that customers want to feel valued, appreciated, and confident, and customers who feel this, will advocate the brand. Using these tools builds deep trust and cultivates loyalty in customers who in turn recommend the bank or financial institution to others, thus providing more value to the banks.

Trends Reshaping Customer Experience in Banking for 2022

Enhancing Products & Services with Mobile App Data – In this age and time many mobile banking applications aren’t so much as nice to have rather than on a need to have basis. Banks without this capability are at a severe disadvantage, as customers have come to expect convenient and easy to use a mobile app as a basic necessity. These apps and software enable the banks and financial institutions to analyse the data collected and the machine learning algorithms can help the banks to extract valuable information in return from this customer data, which can then be leveraged to develop new products, optimise the existing processes, better empower customers, and improve the overall customer experience.

The Branch of the Future – Customers do not prefer to visit the physical branches as frequently as they once did and pecks like complimentary coffee and free Wi-Fi aren’t enough to draw modern customers to their physical branches. Physical branches see themselves competing with their own online platforms for customer attention. With the need to reimagine the physical branches to a branch of the future many banks are taking steps in modernising their physical branches to offer more technological services. For example, some branches display mobile, and tablets loaded with their banking apps on display, while some banks have capitalised on the value of one on one, face to face interactions with customers to help them utilise their money better and offer consultative services for the same.

Advising Services – As customers look for ways to grow their money in a safe and secure manner, usually find themselves in a whirlpool of information on the internet and random financial advice, which may or may not be practical for them or may be too broad to be of any real use. Banks can use this opportunity to improve their financial services and pair their customers with in-house financial advisors who can provide tailored advice as per their customers’ needs. This will not only help build trust and better relationships between the banks and the customer but will also offer a competitive advantage. With the help of customer relationship management (CRM) technology, banks can collect and analyse data and build detailed customer profiles which in turn, the in-house advisors can use to gain overall knowledge of their customers thus being able to offer personalised services.

Artificial Intelligence – A customer these days would prefer to reduce human interaction and would prefer to have automated services. This is also apt with the situation where the customer is put on hold while calling the bank’s customer service helpline to report an issue. With the volume of incoming calls steadily increasing and having a limited number of bank representatives on hand to field them, banks have to find innovative ways to tackle this situation without losing the trust of their customers. With the help of artificial intelligence, banks stand to save a substantial amount of resources and help customers more accurately while also improving customer experience in banking. Using artificial intelligence in an innovative manner, banks can also provide virtual assistants to provide money management tips and tricks to customers.

Automated Onboarding – For most banking customers, a quality customer experience hinges on their first impression with bank interaction. This first impression takes place during customer onboarding in the bank. Traditionally, a lot of paperwork and documents were required along with multiple visits to the banks. Digitalisation and making onboarding an electronic process has made it easier for customers as well as for banks. Customers can do it as per their convenience and from the comfort of their homes, whereas banks can use the automated process to compile the data with ease and accuracy, further enhancing the overall customer experience.

Support for Digitalization & Remote Service – In the last year alone, the importance and need for digital channels and remote services have been highlighted quite a bit. Making this transaction digital has been proven to be difficult for many banking customers, more specifically customers from older generations and customers who do not have access to digital platforms. In the coming years, banks need to double their efforts to smooth this transition for their customers. Providing additional support in terms of educating customers, to providing step by step tutorials and interactive videos would help increase customer knowledge and thus improve the overall customer experience. The more comfortable and confident a customer would feel while interacting on the digital platforms and remote services, the better their overall financial services customer experience will be.

“Humanizing” Digital – Even though artificial intelligence and digital platforms are leading banking customer experience; trust is always built on human interaction. To make this a comfortable union, a growing number of banks are offering a mix of artificial intelligence and live support for customer services, generating efficiency gains while still providing customers with the kind of personal touch they need. As technology advances, artificial intelligence and chatbots can be made more personal and be given personalities to have a more customised conversation with the customer and be able to leverage sentiments to detect emotions and respond appropriately.

Hyper-personalisation – Personalisation has been topping the customer experience list for years and the advancements made are tailored around that. The next frontier of personalisation is hyper-personalisation. When compared to standard personalisation that uses data analytics to deliver targeted marketing and sales messaging to different customer segments, hyper-personalisation is using a combination of predictive analytics like artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor individual customers’ real time usage data and provide services and suggestions accordingly. Armed with this technology, banks can queue more targeted and one on one marketing campaigns and offers.

Proactive Engagement – One of the best things about advanced analytics is that it provides financial institutions with a level of insight into their customers that once seemed impossible. Today, banks can monitor customers’ financial health and proactively offer assistance with financial management or suggest opportunities to grow their wealth. Depending on customers’ preferences, this service can be offered over digital platforms or in person. Watching out for their customers’ interest to demonstrate the value added enhances the overall financial services customer experience.

Doing the Right Thing – The past two years have been challenging and has placed a significant financial strain on individuals as well as businesses. Banks can help their customers by being transparent about their process, data management and being honest about their policies and practices. Sustainability, honest and transparent business models go a long way in ensuring trust between a customer and the financial institution. Offering financial advising services to help their customers regain their footing shows concern and helps build a long term relationship between banks and their customers. Ultimately, doing the right thing by the customer is about demonstrating to customers that you intend to put their best interests first.

Tips for banks on Improving the Customer Experience

Assemble a dedicated customer experience team solely for that purpose
Establish strong feedback loops to gain valuable insight
Take an iterative aspect to optimization
Keep the customer at the centre of the business
Be honest and promise only what they can deliver
Enhance the mobility of products & services
Be a financial advisor throughout the customer’s journey
Mirror customer experience of branch to internet banking
Leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate routine tasks to save time and optimise value

Popularity of Digital Banking in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates has always been keeping a steady pace with global developments, especially in the era of digitalisation of banking. From the year 1960, with the introduction of ATMs and later internet banking and mobile banking, banks and financial institutions in the UAE have always been in the now. Today, banks propose digital only solutions; and lately, non-bank entrants are also joining this digital banking fray.

The banks and financial institutions in the UAE began to realise the challenges and opportunities of the financial technology revolution that had begun sweeping across all the industries in the second half of the previous decade. This prompted a number of banks and financial institutions to launch digital banking initiatives. These initiatives ranged from separate digital only banking platforms to strengthening of existing mobile banking platforms, rationalising branch based services, and refocusing staff on value-added services rather than repetitive and less-profitable branch operations.

Top Digital Banks in the UAE

Currently, UAE is home to more than a dozen digital banks with the numbers expanding rapidly. From personal banking to banking optimised for businesses and youth, there are a number of options currently available in the UAE.

Emirates NBD LIV
Mashreq Neo
Yap
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB)
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)

Banks and Financial Institutions Driving Customer Engagement for Banking in the UAE

Here are some of the customer engagement strategies used by the big players in the UAE’s banking and finance sector

RAKBANK

Is relentlessly focusing on user education reflections in the surge in adoption and usage
RAKBANK is one of the largest and most prominent banks in the UAE. They have prioritized user education in their strategy. The Bank is focused on informing and educating customers about contactless and digital wallet payments via various digital channels such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, Fitbit Pay, and SwatchPAY. RAKBANK communicated about the safety and convenience offered by the digital payment options to nudge a habit formation among customers.

Commercial Bank of Dubai

Is prioritising financial inclusion and is optimising customer onboarding process
The customer’s shopping preferences are changing from physical stores to predominantly online channels, thus changing the mode of payment and banking in general. Digitization of services has accelerated in the last two years by the pandemic and thus resulted in a phenomenal uptick in digital adoption. Commercial Bank of Dubai has introduced end-to-end seamless onboarding, to make the process easier and faster for customers. Consumers can now open an account from the comfort of their homes in under two minutes and less than ten clicks using their Emirates ID.

Mashreq Bank:

Is unlocking meaningful engagement with customers by deep diving and extensively studying customer behaviour and personalization

Banks and fintech have had a tremendous opportunity to deepen their relationships with their customers in the last two years. These relationships need not be limited to transactions but can span multiple other use cases like school fee payment, food order, and other services the Bank can facilitate. Banks need to make the customer’s life easy across all digital touchpoints and provide relevant and personalized experiences for various age groups and segments. Mashreq Bank analyses customer behaviour understands it and makes proactive decisions to personalize communication using AI-enabled optimization.

Banks by understanding the different areas of customer experiences can come up with an extensive customer engagement strategy to reduce the gaps between customers and the bank. The significance of the digital banking experience can be attributed to the various benefits offered like reduced operational costs, retaining customers, and the ability to stay ahead of competitors by using the latest technologies. The customer experience in the banking ecosphere holds massive untapped potential for growth, from meeting the day-to-day needs of consumers and focusing on preparing for disruptive future technologies.

list of best emirates skywards credit cards in UAE

Best Skywards Credit Card in UAE

Posted on March 22, 2022November 21, 2023 by admin

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 Card	Minimum Salary
Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Platinum Credit Card	AED 5,000
Citi Emirates World Card	AED 12,000
Emirates Islamic Skywards Signature Credit Card	AED 12,000
ADIB Emirates Skywards World Card	AED 15,000
Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Signature Credit Card	AED 15,000
Emirates NBD Skywards Signature Credit Card	AED 15,000
Citi Emirates Ultimate	AED 18,000
RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card	AED 20,000
ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Card	AED 25,000
Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card	AED 25,000
Emirates Islamic Skywards Infinite Credit Card	AED 25,000
Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card	AED 30,000
Dubai Islamic Emirates Skywards Infinite Credit Card	AED 35,000
Citi Emirates Ultima Card	AED 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 you” based 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

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

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

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

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.

Buy Now, Pay Later” here to stay | Credit Card schemes - Soulwallet

See it, like it, want it? – “Buy Now, Pay Later” here to stay.

Posted on December 6, 2021December 14, 2021 by admin

What is “Buy now, pay later”?

If you have been hearing the term “BNPL” quite often in the recent days and have been wondering what it is it all about, this article is for you.

Why pay upfront when you have an option to spread the purchase over a few instalments, and without interest? Sounds like an absolute no-brainer, isn’t it?

“Buy Now and Pay Later” is a type of “Point-of-Sale” financing, which is growing in popularity exponentially, especially among millennials. BNPL is a form of unsecured lending in small ticket sizes that allows consumers to make purchases and pay for them later through a few interest-free instalments. Borrowers can utilize these short-term credit schemes on purchases both online and offline even without any credit checks. A first-time buyer will have to complete KYC formalities on the provider’s platform. BNPL providers use analytics to get insights on buyers’ purchase behaviour and determine their credit worthiness. Typically, this option targets millennials offering them easy access to credit for small-ticket purchases.

Why is there so much of buzz around BPNL in recent times?

BNPL has been consistently gaining traction and is radically changing payment behaviour in e-commerce sales over the last few years globally. Consumers are quite excited with this service which is evident from its rapid adoption. They clearly envisage BNPL as a convenient and easy solution. It is no wonder that we hear investments and acquisitions happening in this space every day. Below are a few BNPL investments which made news recently.

India based “Simpl” raises $40 million
Switzerland based “ZoodPay” raises #38 million in their latest round
Australia’s “Openpay” raises $271.4 million
Mexico based “Alpazo” raises $27 million
UAE based Taby raises $50 million in its series B round

While BNPL companies are surging on with valuations even higher than 50+ revenue multiples, many are yet to be profitable in global markets. This once again drives the point that BNPL companies are after customer acquisition, simple as that!

Interestingly, there are global payment solution providers such as PayPal and Square who have integrated this offering as part of their existing solutions. Stand-alone BNPL players will require to up their game in wooing customers with rewards and freebees in the future…just like traditional credit cards.

While there are several views around the pros and cons of BNPL, one thing we are sure of is that these fintech solutions are certainly going to eat into the spend and revenues of traditional banks credit products. Point of Sale financing is growing at a much faster rate than any other unsecured lending products (source Federal Reserve, TransUnion, Mckinsey Finance consumer pools).

How do BNPL services make money?

BNPL companies incur costs in the form of interchange, network fees, issuer processing fees and credit losses. These elements squeeze their margins constantly. It is pivotal for these organizations to explore revenue opportunities in the form of affiliate marketing etc.,

BNPL services make money from both retailers and consumers. Retailers pay BPNL a percentage of 2 to 8% of the purchasing amount if the customer uses the BNPL facility. While the retailers can realize a 20 to 30% increase in conversions and average ticket size.

Consumers pay BNPL through late fees which range from AED 10 and are capped around 25% of the purchase order on the higher side in most cases.

How does “Buy now, pay later” work?

Buy now, pay later arrangements are point-of-sale instalment loans that allow consumers to make purchases and pay for them at a future date. One needs to sign up with a BNPL facility provider who will make the payment to the merchant while the purchase is being made.

Make a purchase at a participating retailer store (online or offline) and choose “Buy Now Pay Later” at checkout.
The store seeks approval from the BNBP provider within seconds
Consumers typically make an upfront payment toward the purchase, then pay the remainder off in a predetermined number of instalments.
Remaining amounts are paid off in interest- free instalments
Payments can be made via bank transfers, credit cards, debit cards or checks automatically.

Does BNPL affect your credit score?

Most of the BNPL solutions approve a transaction based on a “soft” check or a bureau score-based check. This may not impact your credit score.

What are the eligibility criteria for BNPL schemes in the UAE?

UAE resident with a valid Emirates ID
At least 18 years of age
Hold a valid UAE mobile number and email id
Must have a payment option either a debit or a credit card

BNPL players in the UAE

Name	Taby	Spotti	Postpay	Tamara
Solution	BNPL partnered with Telr payment gateway as well	BNPL	BNPL	BNPL
Eligibility	UAE Resident 18 years and above Valid Emirates ID Valid Phone number Valid Credit or Debit Card	UAE Resident 18 years and above Valid Emirates ID Valid Phone number Valid Credit or Debit Card	UAE Resident 18 years and above Valid Emirates ID Valid Phone number Valid Credit or Debit Card	UAE Resident 18 years and above Valid Emirates ID Valid Phone number Valid Credit or Debit Card
Instalments	4	4	3	3
Upfront	25% of none if payment in 14 days	25%	25%	1/3rd of purchase value
Late fees	AED 15 on day one after payment due date and AED 30 after 2 weeks of payment due date	AED 20 with a maximum of two late fees per order.	AED25 the first time AED30 if not settled within 10 days after the Due Date.	25 AED on the first day of delay, then it will increase every 15 days by the same amount.
Late Fees Cap	AED 105	25% of total order or AED 40 whichever is lower	25% of total order	AED 150 or 25% of order value or whichever is lower
Payments	Visa or Master	All major debit and credit cards.	Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards.	Visa, Mastercard, or even ApplePay and Amex
Reward	Shoppers create an account on tabby's website or app to earn up to 20% cashback, after making purchases at tabby's partner retailers. Shoppers may then choose to withdraw the cash they have earned or settle upcoming payments on tabby	NA	NA	NA

Conclusion:

BNPL has disrupted the payments industry and has created an impact on credit card companies. Retailers cannot shy away from this new reality and if they do, they will be missing the opportunity BNPL brings in. Retailers must also be aware that customers who are accustomed to BNPL services will look out for retailers with similar service offerings.

While credit cards do carry a much stronger value proposition in the form of loyalty rewards, product features and global acceptance, BNPL services will evolve in the future with such functionalities and create better stickiness with customers.

In conclusion, BNPL is certainly an appealing proposition for consumers. However, one must exercise caution and must not go overboard.

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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.

Best Cashback Credit Cards in May 2022

Posted on November 17, 2021May 18, 2022 by admin

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.

Bank	Card Name	Joining offer	Annual Fee	Sal required
Citi	Citi Cashback	AED 500 Cashback as joining bonus	0	8000
FAB	FAB Cashback	AED 300 Welcome bonus	AED 315	5000
Mashreq	Mashreq Cashback	AED 500 Joining bonus (AED 100 for existing card holders)	0	5000
Rakbank	Rakbank Titanium	None	0	5000
CBD	CBD Super Saver Credit Card	None	1st year free 2nd year AMF AED 420	8000
HSBC	Cashback Credit Card	AED 300 cashback gets you started	1st year free AED 313.95 with VAT from second year	10000
Dubai First	Cashback Credit Card	AED 250 bonus cashback Complimentary 1 year Amazon	AED 400	10000
Emirates Islamic	Cashback Plus Credit Card	None	0	12000
Standard Chartered Bank	Cashback Credit Card	None	1st year free AED 525 from 2nd year	8000

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%.

Bank	Citi	FAB	Mashreq	Rakbank	CBD	HSBC	Dubai First	Emirates Islamic	Standard Chartered Bank
Card Name	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Titanium	Super Saver Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Plus Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card
International spend	3%	2%	2%	1% for <15K 2% for >15K Spend Max Cap AED1500	1% on AED 2 spend	1%	1%	NA	2%

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.

Bank	Citi	FAB	Mashreq	Rakbank	CBD	HSBC	Dubai First	Emirates Islamic	Standard Chartered Bank
Card Name	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Titanium	Super Saver Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Plus Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card
Groceries / supermarket	2%	5% - MC AED 500	1%	5% - AED 150 and MS 1500	MS >3<10K 3% 75 MS <20K 5% 100 MS >20K 10% 150	3% MC 200	5%	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.

Bank	Citi	FAB	Mashreq	Rakbank	CBD	HSBC	Dubai First	Emirates Islamic	Standard Chartered Bank
Card Name	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Titanium	Super Saver Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Plus Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card
Fuel	1%	5% - MC AED 250	0.33%	0.25%	1% on AED 2 spend	10% MC 100	1%	NA	1%

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

Bank	Citi	FAB	Mashreq	Rakbank	CBD	HSBC	Dubai First	Emirates Islamic	Standard Chartered Bank
Card Name	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Titanium	Super Saver Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Plus Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card
Utilities	1%	5% - MC AED 250	0.33%	0.25%	MS >3<10K 3% 75 MS <20K 5% 100 MS >20K 10% 150	1%	1%	NA	1%

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.

Bank	Citi	FAB	Mashreq	Rakbank	CBD	HSBC	Dubai First	Emirates Islamic	Standard Chartered Bank
Card Name	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Titanium	Super Saver Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Plus Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card
Online	1%	1%	1%	1% for <15K 2% for >15K Spend Max Cap AED1500	1% on AED 2 spend	1%	5%	NA	1%

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.

Bank	Citi	FAB	Mashreq	Rakbank	CBD	HSBC	Dubai First	Emirates Islamic	Standard Chartered Bank
Card Name	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Titanium	Super Saver Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card	Cashback Plus Credit Card	Cashback Credit Card
Dining	1%	1%	5%	1% for <15K 2% for >15K Spend Max Cap AED1500	1% on AED 2 spend	1%	1%	MS >3<10K 3%	1%

Best for other categories

Bank	Card Name	Telecom	Govt	Cinema	Education	Transport
Citi	Cashback Credit Card	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%
FAB	Cashback Credit Card	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%
Mashreq	Cashback Credit Card	0.33%	0.33%	1%	1%	1%
Rakbank	Titanium	0.25%	0.25%	50% - AED 70 MS 5000	0.25%	0.25%
CBD	Super Saver Credit Card	MS >3<10K 3% AED 75 MS <20K 5% AED 100 MS >20K 10% AED 150	1% on AED 2 spend	1% on AED 2 spend	MS >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
HSBC	Cashback Credit Card	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%
Dubai First	Cashback Credit Card	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%
Emirates Islamic	Cashback Plus Credit Card	MS >3<10K 3% MS <17.5K 5% MS >17.5K 10% MC 200 per category	NA	NA	MS >3<10K 3% MS <17.5K 5% MS >17.5K 10% MC 200 per category	NA
Standard Chartered Bank	Cashback Credit Card	1%	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.

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redit Cards for Small Business in 2021 - Soulwallet

Credit Cards for Small Business in 2021

Posted on November 9, 2021November 9, 2021 by admin

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.

Expo 2020 Dubai is all about opportunities and positivity. Find out why we say this!

Posted on October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 by admin

Celebrating human brilliance and accomplishments across various platforms, Expo 2020 Dubai is the largest event taking place in the UAE. Scheduled between 1^st October 2021 to 31^st March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai is bringing in exciting new opportunities, innovation, technology, knowledge, and ideas unlocking the potential to shape the future. With 60+ daily shows, 200+ restaurants, and 200+ pavilions, Expo 2020 Dubai is a chance for people from all over the world to connect and experience an immersive cultural experience. Explore each of the 191 participating countries and meet people who are making our world brighter and setting a global stage for business worldwide to thrive together. Addressing global challenges, the subtheme of Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability open doors to help preserve the planet and create a better world. Expo 2020 is a chance for people from all over the world to connect and experience the best of science, inventions, art, and culture and to set into motion concepts and ideas to make a permanent impression on the world.

For the duration of the Expo, Dubai as the host of Expo 2020 will be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events and amazing exploratory experiences happening. Get your tickets online and choose either from Season Pass, Multi-Day Pass, or 1-Day Ticket that adults ages 18 to 59 can purchase at the official site of Dubai Expo 2020 or from one of their authorised ticket resellers. Kids and youth under 18, tertiary and higher education students, seniors 60 years and above, and people of determination can get free tickets for the entire duration of Expo 2020 Dubai. Be a part the greatest global gathering and explore Dubai as you visit the World Expo 2020 to find excitement and adventures in this modern-day Oasis.

To get the best experience of Expo 2020 Dubai Emirates NBD introduces Expo 2020 Dubai account

As the Official Premier Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Emirates NBD is offering a special, tailor-made banking package for SMEs registered on the Expo 2020 Dubai Online Marketplace. The package will help meet the needs of these small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that would like to participate in the next World Expo and give them the boost they need to accelerate towards a brighter future.

Features and Benefits of Emirates NBD’s Expo 2020 Dubai account:

For the first 12 months, no minimum average monthly fees
After the first 12 months, one of the lowest minimum average balance requirements in UAE (AED 10,000)
Unlimited free cheque books
Preferential pricing for your banking transaction, foreign exchange, and telegraphic transfer (TT)
To cover all your banking needs, a dedicated team of Relationship Managers at your service
A team of experienced Trade Specialists and Wealth Advisors to cater to your trade and insurance-related banking requirements
Trade Finance support for short term financing requirements
Working capital support and commercial loans at attractive terms

The world’s biggest cultural gathering the Expo 2020 Dubai, calls for world-class payment solutions for their guests and enthusiasts. As a premier partner and the official banking partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Emirates NBD Group has joined with Mastercard, which is the official payment technology partner of Expo 2020 Dubai and created two exclusive new card programmes. These limited-edition cards are designed to enhance the Expo 2020 Dubai experience for both the residents of UAE and the visitors that come to enjoy Expo 2020 Dubai from across the globe. Emirates presents Emirates Islamic Expo Mastercard Credit Card and the Emirates NBD Expo Mastercard Prepaid Card.

Emirates Islamic introduces Exclusive Expo Credit Card Limited edition.

As the Official Islamic Banking Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, Emirates Islamic, part of the Emirates NBD Group, along with Mastercard and Expo 2020 Dubai have created an exclusive, limited edition, co-branded credit card that offers a wide range of specially designed benefits and privileges catering to the lifestyle and travel needs in the UAE for this iconic event.

Features and Benefits of Exclusive Expo Credit Card Limited edition:

No annual fee
50% cashback on first Expo 2020 Dubai ticket
10% cashback on fuel spends
Complimentary valet parking service at the Expo 2020 Dubai site
Complimentary golf sessions, exclusive dining offers, and access to more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide
Access to exclusive travel, hotels and lifestyle privileges offered by Mastercard
Up to 5,500 bonus Upoints by Emaar
EI SmartMiles on all spends with multiple redemption options
Accelerated EI SmartMiles on Expo 2020 Dubai & Emaar Spends
Gain U By Emaar Gold Tier Status

Emirates NBD Expo Mastercard Prepaid Card

The Emirates NBD Expo Mastercard Prepaid Card is a digital-first offering that is issued via a dedicated mobile App called Joyn which is officially from Emirates NBD. This card is available to both UAE residents and international visitors for use while in the UAE. The card provides a hassle-free and fully digital payments experience.

Features and Benefits of Emirates NBD Expo Mastercard Prepaid Card:

Offers from Emirates NBD’s Bon Appétit, LiveWell and Good Times programmes
Offers from Mastercard’s Priceless Platform
Access to privileges, deals and discounts of up to 50% at more than 2,000 shopping, dining, wellness, and entertainment touchpoints.
Access to exclusive and personalised Expo-related offers.
Make online purchases as well as contactless in-store payments by adding their card to their preferred digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay).
Customers can also receive a linked physical card if needed.

SoulWallet helps you compare and find the best credit card suited for your needs to have an easy and hassle-free experience. 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.

The well-researched, solidly structured, unbiased content along with unique tools at SoulWallet help you make well informed personal finance decisions. In the process, SoulWallet helps you identify the options that will let you save money and enjoy the best perks.

At Expo 2020 be a part of the action. Whether you are looking for business opportunities, unleashing your inner techie, channelling your creativity, diving into a world of flavours, or splurging to your hearts content.

How to Effectively Manage Credit Card Transactions during COVID-19

Posted on July 25, 2021July 27, 2021 by admin

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:

A letter from your employer stating that COVID-19 is the reason behind your termination.
A document showing COVID-19 restrictions have affected repayments of your credit card bills.
An attested letter from the Ministry of Health saying you were infected by COVID-19.
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.

Top Jewellers in Dubai, UAE to Buy Gold Jewellery

Best Gold Shops to Buy Gold in the UAE

Kalyan Jewellers

Top reasons to consider buying from Kalyan Jewellers in Dubai:

Location

Contact number

Damas Jewellers

Top reasons to consider buying from Damas Jewellers in Dubai:

Location

Contact number

Malabar Gold and Diamond

Top reasons to consider buying from Malabar Gold and Diamond in Dubai:

Location

Contact number

Tanishq Jewellers

Top reasons to consider buying from Tanishq Jewellers in Dubai:

Location

Contact number

Best Credit Cards for Buying Gold Jewellery in the UAE

Listed below are some of the best credit cards for buying gold jewellery in the UAE:

Emirates NBD Gold Card:

FAB Gold Credit Card:

CBD Gold Mastercard:

List of best Emirates Skywards Credit Cards to earn Skywards miles.

When it comes to figuring out which Emirates Skywards credit cards are the best for earning Skywards Miles it is important to keep the below in mind:

The below tables have details of the Emirates Skywards miles one can earn based on the specific transaction types for every Skywards credit card offered in the UAE.

* European Economic Area transactions will only earn 0.375 Skywards miles per USD of spend. ** these categories earn only 50% of the Skywards Miles If the total spend in these categories is LESS THAN 50% of the total spend on the card.

What is digital banking?

Online Banking:

Mobile banking:

Who offers Digital Banking?

The difference between Digital Banking and Online Banking

Types of digital banks

Advantages of Digital banking

Digital banking tips

Digital transformation in the banking sector of the UAE

Top Digital Banks in the UAE

Digitalisation in Banking

Customer Experience in Banking

What are the Customer Expectations from Digital Banking Experience?

Three ways Banks can conquer Customer Experience in Digital Banking

Tips to Improve Digital Transformation

Trends Reshaping Customer Experience in Banking for 2022

Popularity of Digital Banking in the UAE

Banks and Financial Institutions Driving Customer Engagement for Banking in the UAE

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

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

Best “PREMIUM” Emirates Skywards Credit cards

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

RAKBANK Emirates Skywards World Elite Mastercard Credit Card

Best credit cards to “EARN SKYWARDS MILES FROM REGULAR SPENDS”:

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Emirates Islamic Skywards Black Credit Card

Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

Best for “BONUS SKWARDS MILES”:

ADIB Emirates Skywards World Elite Credit Card

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card

Emirates Skywards Dubai Islamic Bank Infinite Credit Card

Best for “JOINING OFFERS”:

Citibank Emirates Ultima credit card

Citibank Emirates Ultimate credit card

Best for “EMIRATES SKYWARDS MEMBERSHIP TIERS”:

Best for “ASSOCIATION FEATURES AND BENEFITS”:

Unique benefits available through various Emirates Skywards credit cards:

What is “Buy now, pay later”?

Why is there so much of buzz around BPNL in recent times?

How do BNPL services make money?

How does “Buy now, pay later” work?

Does BNPL affect your credit score?

What are the eligibility criteria for BNPL schemes in the UAE?

BNPL players in the UAE

Conclusion:

What is a cashback credit card?

Best for “International” transactions

Best for “Groceries / Supermarket” related transactions

Best for “Fuel” related transactions

* European Economic Area transactions will only earn 0.375 Skywards miles per USD of spend.
** these categories earn only 50% of the Skywards Miles If the total spend in these categories is LESS THAN 50% of the total spend on the card.