United Arab Emirates Payments - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The united arab emirates payments market size was valued at USD 201.76 billion in 2025 and is estimated to grow from USD 213.43 billion in 2026 to reach USD 274.79 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 5.18% during the forecast period (2026-2031). This report is Segmented by Mode of Payment (Point of Sale (Card Payments [Credit Cards, and More], Digital Wallets, and More), and Online Sale (Card Payments [Credit Cards, and More], Digital Wallets, and More), End-User Industry (Retail, Entertainment and Digital Content, Healthcare, Hospitality and Travel, and More), and Geography. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

United Arab Emirates Payments Market Trends and Insights

Domestic Card-Scheme “Jaywan” Routing Keeps Interchange In-Country

Jaywan, introduced in 2024, reroutes domestic card traffic away from global networks and retains interchange inside the banking system, trimming acquirer costs by roughly 30-40 basis points per swipe. By mid-2025 the scheme enrolled 12 banks and 8 million cardholders, with acceptance at 95% of terminals nationwide. Merchants see lower merchant-discount rates on local volume, funding faster device upgrades and nudging cash-heavy segments toward digital receipts. Co-badging with Visa and Mastercard protects cross-border acceptance, ensuring travelers retain spend flexibility. Mandatory inclusion of Jaywan on all new cards by 2027 compresses migration timelines and accelerates terminal replacement cycles.

AANI Real-Time Rail Unlocks SME Instant Settlement and Bill-Pay

Operational since 2024, AANI clears payments under 10 seconds and had 1.4 million users executing 500,000 transactions daily by December 2025. Liquidity caps at AED 100,000 (USD 27,200) limit systemic risk yet satisfy 90% of SME invoices. Dubai’s licensing portal now embeds AANI, meaning entrepreneurs receive trade licenses within minutes after fee payment. Large utilities such as DEWA collect bills in real time, cutting reconciliation cycles and surfacing dynamic-pricing alerts to consumers. Fintechs access open APIs, embedding instant pay-by-link features into accounting software; Mashreqbank’s NEOPAY processed 320,000 such checkouts in its first three months.

ATM-Level Cash Preference in Rural Northern Emirates Persists

ATM withdrawals in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah remain 40-50% higher than Dubai averages, reflecting sparse terminal density and cultural leanings toward cash for purchases under AED 50 (USD 13.6). A 2024 survey showed 62% of merchants lacked card readers because monthly fees erode slim grocery and fuel margins. Patchy mobile coverage in mountainous zones hampers QR and NFC uptake. Although a 2025 subsidy program waives device fees for a year, consumer mistrust and limited digital awareness slow conversion. Cross-border remittance workers also reinforce cash ecosystems by favoring exchange houses over e-wallets.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Tourist-driven cross-border QR payments capture visitor spend
• Digital Dirham CBDC reduces cash-handling overheads
• Cyber-Fraud Rings Targeting Hospitality POS Increase Acquirer Risk

Segment Analysis

Point-of-sale transactions controlled 79.92% of 2025 value in the United Arab Emirates payments market, supported by 92% NFC-enabled terminal coverage and contactless card penetration of 87%. The United Arab Emirates payments market size booked to online channels remains smaller but is expanding at a 6.37% CAGR on the back of wallet tokenization, one-click checkout, and AANI account-to-account links. Debit and credit cards still anchor in-store spend, yet buy-now-pay-later plans offered by Tabby and Tamara are diverting electronics and furniture receipts away from revolving credit, compressing interest revenue for issuers.

Digital wallets held 12% of in-store value in 2025, a share expected to climb as Payit, eWallet, and super-apps embed loyalty points and utility bill-pay inside single screens. Online‐only penetration is deeper: roughly 35% of e-commerce orders now close with wallet credentials instead of manual card entry, trimming checkout abandonment rates. Cash-on-delivery has fallen to 18% of parcels, partly because couriers levy fees for cash handling and partly due to merchant discounts on prepaid orders. High-ticket web purchases such as automobiles and jewelry increasingly settle via AANI transfers that dodge credit-card limits and currency-conversion surcharges, signaling a gradual tilt toward direct account debits in the United Arab Emirates payments market.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Mode of Payment
  • Point-of-Sale (POS)
    • Card Payments
      • Debit Cards
      • Credit Cards
      • Bank Financing Prepaid Cards
    • Digital Wallets (includes Mobile Wallet)
    • Other Point of Sale
  • Online Sale
    • Card Payments
      • Debit Cards
      • Credit Cards
      • Bank Financing Prepaid Cards
    • Digital Wallets
    • Other Online Sales (includes Cash on Delivery, Bank Transfer, and Buy Now Pay Later)
• By End-User Industry
  • Retail
  • Entertainment and Digital Content
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality and Travel
  • Government and Utilities
  • Other End-User Industries

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Network International Holdings plc
• First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC
• Emirates NBD Bank PJSC
• Mashreqbank PSC (NEOPAY)
• Checkout FZ-LLC (Checkout.com)
• Telr Pte Ltd.
• PayBy Technology Projects LLC
• Amazon Payment Services Middle East FZ-LLC
• Infibeam Avenues Ltd - CCAvenue UAE
• ADCB Payments LLC
• Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
• Tabby Electronic Payments LLC
• Tamara Electronic Payments LLC
• PayTabs Payment Solutions LLC
• NowMoney Ltd.
• Payit (First Abu Dhabi Bank)
• Etisalat by e& - eWallet
• Stripe Middle East FZ-LLC
• PayPal (PayPal MENA)
• Lyve Global Payments LLC
• M2P Fintech Pte Ltd.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support