If used wisely, the credit cards can prove to be very effective in taking care of your finances, maintaining the cash flow, and earning reward points on regular expenses. There are a few factors you should consider before you apply for a credit card in UAE.
Almost all credit cards in UAE have a minimum income requirement, that is, only the applicants having a certain amount of income or above per month (as predetermined by the credit card provider) are eligible to apply for credit card.
The credit cards offer various benefits and privileges such as cashback, air miles, access to airport lounge and discounts on shopping, dining, travel and more at partner outlets and companies. If you are selecting a reward-based card, you should check the benefits you are looking for and then apply for the credit card.
The interest rate charged may vary depending upon the factors like per month salary of the cardholders and the place of their employment. The interest rate should be carefully considered before selecting the credit card.
If you travel often, you might have to pay a lot of extra money on transactions done in foreign currency. Many of the credit card companies charge some fee on this, which is a certain percentage of the amount spent on international transactions.
It is advised that the applicant must go through the terms and conditions thoroughly in order to know the annual fee charged on the credit card. These days, many banks provide free credit cards, that is, credit cards that are free for life. Some credit cards do not charge an annual fee during the 1st year, however, will continue to charge the same in the subsequent years.
Apart from the interest rate and the annual fees, the applicant should take into consideration the other fees and charges levied on the cardholder such as over-limit, late payment, cash advance and many more.
The following are a top few credit cards available in UAE:
This credit card is ideal for those looking for travel benefits. It offers the cardholders 3 guest miles for each AED 4 spent on non-AED international transactions and 2.2 guest miles for each AED 4 spent on domestic AED transactions. As a welcome bonus, it offers 50,000 Etihad guest miles to the cardholders. It also offers them privileges including unlimited access to the airport lounge, free valet parking, roadside assistance and more.
This ENBD Titanium Card offers the cardholder a host of travel and lifestyle benefits which include discounts on tickets, access to golf courses across the globe, access to the airport lounge and many more. It also offers them the Emirates NBD Plus Points Program under which the cardholders can earn 1 plus point and redeemable vouchers for every AED 100 retail spent.
This credit card is partnered with GEMS Group of Education and offers up to 4.25% off on yearly school fee when the payment is done advance at any GEMS school. The cardholders can also earn redeemable stars worth NBAD 1.5 for every AED 1 spent. It also offers privileges and benefits like access to an airport lounge, discount on a movie ticket and many more.
This titanium card is a free credit card which offers various privileges and benefits which include travel, dining, entertainment and more. This credit card also offers cashback on movie tickets, fuel, shopping at supermarkets and more. It also offers cashback on domestic and international retail purchase transactions, international cash advances, and internet transactions. The cardholders are offered unlimited complimentary access to over 10 VIP lounges on various airports.
This free for life credit card offers various discounts on entertainment and travel and is ideal for regular spending purpose. It provides various benefits such as cashback on the payments made using the card, different offers on Carrefour and a wide range of offers and discounts on shopping, dining, movies, entertainment, and travel with partner outlets in UAE.
This credit card is ideal for those who use their credit cards on a daily basis for school fee, dining, grocery shopping, entertainment and many more. It offers various benefits which include complimentary unlimited access to airport lounges, cashback of up to 10 percent on school fee, utility bills, and shopping at supermarkets.
In a Nutshell
If you are planning to apply for a credit card in UAE, then you can consider these options which are amongst the best credit cards available. Any card which might be ideal for you, might not be as suitable for some other applicant and hence, this above-mentioned list of credit cards is not ranked in any order.