Tools · Interactive

What your credit card
really charges you.

A 3.25% monthly rate is a 46.8% effective APREffective APR: the annual cost when monthly interest compounds: (1 + monthly rate)¹² − 1. It's always higher than "monthly rate × 12".. Compare 113 UAE cards from 18 issuers, with rates and fees drawn from the banks' own schedules of charges, then see what paying only the minimum costs.

01Rates & fees, side by side

Every major UAE card issuer, sorted your way.

Filter, search and sort; the effective APR column is the honest, compounded number.

113 cards · 18 issuers · updated 4 July 2026 · verify with the bankiEach bank's monthly rate and FX markup are drawn from its own official schedule of charges (see the Sources section). Figures were updated on 4 July 2026 from the banks' published rates and fees; banks reprice, so confirm on the bank's own page before applying. Tap a header to sort ↕
Bank / card Monthly rateiThe rate charged each month on any balance you don't clear in full by the due date. Islamic cards call it a profit rate, but it is applied the same way. Effective APRiThe real annual cost when monthly interest compounds: (1 + monthly rate)¹² − 1. It is always higher than monthly rate × 12. Min. salaryiThe lowest monthly salary the bank accepts before it will issue this card. It is an eligibility floor set by each bank; AED 5,000 is the market minimum. Annual feeiThe yearly fee for holding the card, including VAT where known. The note under each fee shows the waiver: many cards are free for life or waive the fee once you pass an annual spend threshold. FX markupiThe bank's own markup on foreign-currency spending, from its schedule of charges. The Visa/Mastercard network processing fee (about 1.15%) is charged on top. Abroad, always pay in the local currency; letting the terminal convert to AED (dynamic currency conversion) usually costs even more.

Every figure is drawn from the bank's own schedule of charges (see Sources); confirm the current rate on the bank's page before applying.
Where a bank publishes one schedule-of-charges rate for its whole card range, that rate is applied to every card shown. The FX figure is the bank markup; the Visa/Mastercard network fee (~1.15%) is extra.

02The minimum-payment trap

Pay the minimum, and a AED 20,000 balance takes 13 years.

As the balance shrinks, so does the minimum payment; compare it against a fixed monthly payment.

Your numbers

= 46.8% effective APR · 39.0% nominal

Assumes no new spending; minimum = the higher of the % of balance or AED 100.

Paying the minimum Fixed monthly payment
Minimum only: debt-free in
Fixed payment: debt-free in
Interest saved by paying a fixed amount
03Sources

Where these numbers come from.

Each issuer's monthly rate and foreign-transaction markup are drawn from that bank's own official Schedule of Charges, rates-and-fees document or Key Fact Statement, reviewed on 4 July 2026. Banks reprice often, so confirm the current figure on the bank's page before you decide.

Educational tool only: not financial, legal or tax advice. Rates, fees, salary requirements and FX markups are drawn from and verified against the banks' official schedules of charges as of 4 July 2026. Banks change pricing frequently and individual offers vary by credit profile. Always verify current terms in the bank's Key Fact Statement and schedule of charges (linked above), and consult the Central Bank of the UAE's consumer-protection resources before making borrowing decisions.

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