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Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback Credit Card

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The short answer

The card is called the Switch Cashback Credit Card (a Visa Signature card from Emirates Islamic). You pick one of two plans, Lifestyle or Travel, and you can change plan through the bank's app. You need to spend at least AED 2,500 in a calendar month to earn cashback, and the high rates have monthly caps. Always check the bank's current terms before you apply.

Quick facts

Product name
Switch Cashback Credit Card (Visa Signature) (source: Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback card page)
Issuer
Emirates Islamic (source: Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback card page)
Minimum spend to earn cashback
AED 2,500 billed per calendar month (source: Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback terms and conditions)
Plans
Lifestyle or Travel, switchable in the EI+ app (source: Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback terms and conditions)
Annual fee
Free in year 1; AED 299 from year 2 (AED 313.95 including VAT), waived with AED 30,000 spend in the last 12 months (source: Emirates Islamic Schedule of Charges (cards))
Cashback paid
Accrues monthly and shows in the cashback balance the following month (source: Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback terms and conditions)

What the card is

Emirates Islamic's own page calls it the Switch Cashback Credit Card, and it is issued as a Visa Signature card. Some people shorten it to the Switch card. The idea is simple: instead of one fixed cashback table, you choose between two spending plans.

The two plans are Lifestyle and Travel. In both, a few categories earn a high rate up to a monthly limit, and everything else earns a small flat rate. The bank's page says you can switch between them through the EI+ Mobile Banking app.

How the cashback works

Cashback is only earned if you are billed at least AED 2,500 in the calendar month. Below that, the bank's terms say no cashback is earned on those spends. Rates and caps below are from the bank's product page and terms, checked on 2 October 2026.

  • Lifestyle plan: 8% on domestic fuel (AED 100 monthly cap), 4% on domestic supermarkets, dining and education (AED 200 monthly cap each).
  • Travel plan: 4% on airlines, hotels and dining (AED 200 monthly cap each).
  • Both plans: 0.5% on telecom, utilities, real estate, government and charitable spends, with no cap.
  • Both plans: 1% on all other spends, with no cap.

How switching plans works

The terms say the plan that is active at the end of the calendar month is the one used to calculate that month's cashback. So you can change plan during the month, but only the plan you end on counts for the whole month.

That matters if your spending changes. If you spent on groceries and fuel for three weeks and then book flights in the last week, you still get only one plan's rates for the month. Pick the plan that matches most of your eligible spending, not just the last purchase.

Cashback accrues on a calendar-month basis to the card account and shows in your cashback balance during the following month.

What does not earn cashback

The bank's terms say these do not earn cashback: cash withdrawals, balance transfers, card fees, bill payments made through the bank's channels and cryptocurrency purchases. Cards that are delinquent, blocked or closed do not get cashback either. The terms have the full list, so read them before relying on a category.

Fees and charges

The product page says the first year is free. From year 2 the annual fee is AED 299, and the Schedule of Charges shows AED 313.95 because charges there include VAT. The fee is waived if you spend more than AED 30,000 in the last 12 months.

Other charges on the Schedule of Charges include a monthly profit rate of 3.69%, a cash advance fee of 3.15% or AED 103.95 (whichever is higher), and a foreign currency fee of 2.54% on non-AED transactions. Fees and rates change, so check the bank's current terms.

The product page also lists a welcome bonus of AED 500 on AED 15,000 spend within 60 days, and benefits such as airport lounge access. The page also says cashback is valid for 24 months from the credit date and needs a AED 300 balance to redeem. These offers and rules can change, so confirm them before you apply.

Eligibility and how to apply

We could not find a minimum salary for this card on the pages we opened, so we are not quoting one. The bank sets salary and document requirements, and they can change. Check the application page or ask the bank.

To apply, use the Emirates Islamic official card page linked below. It is better to apply there or in the bank's app than through a third-party site, so you see the bank's own terms.

Getting the most from it

Work out which category you spend most in. If it is groceries, dining and fuel, the Lifestyle plan covers all three. If you travel a lot, the Travel plan covers airlines and hotels.

Keep an eye on the caps. At 4% with an AED 200 cap, a category stops paying the high rate once you have earned AED 200, which is AED 5,000 of eligible spend in that category. Fuel at 8% with an AED 100 cap reaches its limit at AED 1,250. After that, a different card may suit that shop better.

Make sure you reach AED 2,500 each month, because missing it means no cashback for the month.

How Fawz helps

Fawz is not released yet, and people join a waiting list. When it is out, it tracks your minimum monthly spend and caps, so you can see how close you are to AED 2,500 and to each category cap.

It also suggests which of your cards to use at the till, so once a cap is reached you can see when another card makes more sense. Fawz never stores card numbers or bank logins and never reads SMS.

Join the waiting list

Questions people ask

What is the Emirates Islamic Switch card called officially?

The bank's page calls it the Switch Cashback Credit Card, a Visa Signature card.

What is the minimum spend for Switch cashback?

The terms say AED 2,500 billed per calendar month to earn cashback on eligible spends. Check the bank's current terms.

How do I switch between Lifestyle and Travel?

The bank says you can switch through the EI+ Mobile Banking app. The plan active at the end of the calendar month is used for that month's cashback.

Is there an annual fee on the Switch Cashback card?

The product page says year 1 is free, then AED 299 from year 2 (AED 313.95 on the Schedule of Charges, which includes VAT). It is waived with AED 30,000 spend in the last 12 months.

What are the cashback caps?

From the bank's page: AED 100 monthly on domestic fuel, AED 200 monthly each on supermarkets, dining, education, airlines and hotels depending on your plan. Telecom, utilities, real estate, government and other spends have no cap.

When is the cashback paid?

It accrues by calendar month to the card account and shows in your cashback balance during the following month, per the bank's terms.

What is the minimum salary for the card?

We could not confirm it from the official pages we opened. Check with Emirates Islamic.

Sources

  1. Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback card pageemiratesislamic.ae
  2. Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback terms and conditionsemiratesislamic.ae
  3. Emirates Islamic Schedule of Charges (cards)emiratesislamic.ae

Last checked . Terms change, so check the current terms before you rely on an offer.

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