Using UAE discount cards with a cashback credit card

The short answer

A membership card like Fazaa or Esaad gives a discount at the shop. A cashback credit card gives money back from your bank. They come from different places, so they can often work together, but each has its own terms. Check both before you count on both.

Quick facts

Membership discount: Applied by the shop when you show the card or enter a code (source: Jumbo Electronics terms and conditions)
Card cashback: Paid by your bank under your card terms, often with minimum spend and caps
Common limit: Some offers cannot be combined with other discounts (source: Apparel Group: privilege and discount cards)

Two different kinds of saving

A membership such as Fazaa, Esaad or Homat Al Watan is a discount card. The shop or brand takes money off the price, or gives you a code. Cashback is different. It comes from your bank, on what you pay, and under your card's own terms.

Because the shop and the bank are separate, the question is not one rule. You need to read two sets of terms.

Can you stack them?

Often the order is simple. The shop applies the membership discount, you pay the lower price with your credit card, and the bank looks at the amount you paid. We did not find any card terms in our research that ban stacking in general, and we cannot promise it for your card. Read your own card's terms and conditions.

Look first at the shop's terms. Apparel Group states that its offer for Fazaa, Esaad and other cards cannot be used with any other discount or promotional offer, and applies to full-priced items. du says its Fazaa plans cannot be combined with other offers such as Esaad. So the more likely clash is between two discounts, not between a discount and cashback.

What to check on the cashback card

Cashback cards in the UAE often have a minimum monthly spend and monthly caps, and exclude some transactions. Always read the terms of your own card. Banks publish these on the card page or in the terms and conditions document, so read them before you rely on a rate.

Check whether the cashback is on the amount you actually paid, which is usually after the membership discount. Check the categories the cashback covers, any minimum spend, and the monthly cap. Check also whether the shop counts as a category the bank excludes.

Minimum monthly spend to earn the higher rate
Monthly cashback cap
Excluded transactions or merchants
Whether online and in-store spend count the same
Whether the offer is for specific categories only

What to check on the membership offer

Read the offer page in the app. Look for exclusions, such as brands or products that are left out, whether it covers sale items, and the maximum amount. Jumbo Electronics, for example, says Fazaa and Esaad holders get coupon codes at checkout, but you must show the card when you collect the order or it can be cancelled. Some offers also need payment in full at the time of purchase.

Ask at the till if the card discount can be used with another promotion. Staff can tell you before you pay.

A simple routine at the till

Open the membership app and find the partner's offer before you go.
Check whether the offer has exclusions or cannot be combined with sales.
Show the card or QR code before you pay, and enter any code online.
Pay with the card that suits the purchase, after checking its cashback terms.
Keep the receipt in case you need to question the discount or cashback later.

Which memberships can you hold together?

Fazaa and Esaad are separate programmes. Fazaa is for people in the groups the programme accepts, and Property Finder says expats can qualify through a registered employer. Esaad is run by Dubai Police, and Wego lists groups such as Golden Visa holders and relatives of eligible holders. Some people qualify for more than one.

Having two does not mean you can use both on one purchase. Pick the one with the better offer at that partner, or ask the partner.

Worked example in plain numbers

Imagine a shop that gives a 10 percent discount to Esaad holders on an AED 500 item. You pay AED 450. If your cashback card gives 5 percent on that category, your bank looks at the AED 450 you paid, so the cashback would be AED 22.50. These numbers are only an illustration, not an offer from any bank or shop.

The two savings add up to a bit more than 14 percent of the original price. The order matters little here. What matters is whether the shop allows the discount to apply with the way you pay, and whether the bank counts the shop in its cashback categories.

When to skip the membership

Sometimes the membership discount is small, for example 1 or 2 percent on one product category, while a supermarket flyer or a card offer gives more. Compare before you pay. On a small purchase it may not be worth the effort. On a large purchase a few percentage points can matter.

If the shop says the card discount cannot be used with its own sale, work out which is better. Take the larger saving, then add your card cashback on top if your card terms allow it.

How Fawz helps

Fawz is not released yet, and you can join the waiting list. It suggests which of your cards or memberships to use at the till, and it keeps your membership cards (Fazaa, Esaad, Homat Al Watan) on your phone, only sent to us if you choose.

Fawz also tracks your minimum monthly spend and caps, so you hit the higher cashback rate, and plans big purchases across cards. It never stores card numbers or bank logins and never reads SMS.

Join the waiting list

Questions people ask

Can I use a Fazaa or Esaad discount and get credit card cashback?

Often yes, because the shop gives the discount and your bank gives the cashback. But we cannot promise it for your card. Read the cashback terms and the shop's offer terms.

Can I use Fazaa and Esaad together on one purchase?

Usually the shop will accept one. Apparel Group says its offer cannot be used with any other discount, and du says its Fazaa plans cannot be combined with Esaad. Ask the partner.

Is cashback calculated before or after the membership discount?

Normally on what you paid, which is after the discount. This depends on your bank's terms, so check them.

Do I need to show the card before I pay?

Yes, show it before you pay. Jumbo Electronics also says you must present the card when you collect an order and may cancel it if you cannot.

Do membership discounts work on sale items?

Often not. Apparel Group says its offers apply to full-priced merchandise only. Read each offer.

Does a cashback card have limits I should know about?

Many have a minimum monthly spend and a monthly cap, and exclude some transactions. Check your own card's terms.

Which is better, a membership discount or cashback?

It depends on the percentage and the purchase. Compare the actual amounts. Where the terms allow it, you may use the membership discount and still earn cashback on what you pay.