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Saving money in the UAE: cards, discount memberships and supermarket offers

Country guideUAELast checked

The short answer

You can save in the UAE by using the right card, adding a discount membership and comparing supermarket offers. Most goods and services carry 5% VAT, so shelf prices include a tax you cannot avoid. This page links to our detailed guides.

Quick facts

Currency
UAE dirham (AED) (source: UAE Federal Tax Authority: VAT)
VAT
5% standard rate (source: UAE Federal Tax Authority: VAT)
Pay later apps covered
Tabby and Tamara (source: Tabby help: about Tabby)

What to know about prices and VAT

Value Added Tax in the UAE is a tax on consumption charged at each stage of the supply chain and in the end paid by the shopper. The Federal Tax Authority's VAT page shows the standard rate as 5%. A discount applies to the price before or after VAT depending on the shop, so look at the final total on your receipt rather than the shelf tag alone.

Everything else in this page is about reducing what you pay inside that price: card cashback, membership discounts, supermarket deals and instalments. None of them change the VAT rate, which is set by the federal government.

Cards and cashback

Most savings in the UAE come from using the right card for the right shop. Many cards give a higher cashback rate or points on groceries, fuel, dining or online shopping, and some have a minimum monthly spend before the higher rate applies. Others cap the cashback you can earn in a month.

The details change often, so read your card's current terms from your bank. Look for four things: the categories that earn more, the minimum monthly spend, the monthly cap in AED, and what the card excludes, such as rent, fees or utility bills. If you hold two or three cards, write down which one is best for which kind of shop.

Card offers usually have an end date and a list of shops that qualify, so check both before you pay.

Think about timing too. Some cards count spending from the statement date, not the calendar month, so a purchase at the end of the month may land in the next cycle. Keep a note of your statement date and of how much you have spent so far in AED, so you know whether you are near a minimum or a cap before a big purchase.

Do not spend more just to earn a reward. Cashback of a few percent is only worth it on money you would have spent anyway. Pay the card balance in full each month, because interest on an unpaid balance can cost more than the cashback earns.

Discount memberships

Several membership cards give you a discount at partner shops, restaurants, hotels and services. We have separate guides for Fazaa, Esaad and Homat Al Watan. Eligibility differs, and each scheme has its own partner list and rules, so check who can join before you apply. We also have guides to the Sanad card and Qtick. Loyalty schemes built for other countries, such as Saudi or Qatar programmes, are separate and do not carry over.

Many shops accept more than one membership. At the till you may be able to use a card discount, a membership discount or both, but not always. Ask the cashier which one applies, and check the shop's current terms, because partner lists change.

If you bank with Emirates Islamic, our guide to switching to Emirates Islamic explains the process step by step. Our guide to cashback credit cards in the UAE compares what to look for in a card before you apply.

Supermarket offers and flyers

Groceries are the shop most people visit every week, so small differences add up. Supermarkets in the UAE publish flyers with weekly deals, and the same item can have a different price at each chain. A flyer price is only valid for the dates printed on it, and often only while stock lasts.

Our guide to supermarket flyers in the UAE explains how the weekly deals work, and our Lulu and Carrefour guides explain how to read their offers and loyalty schemes. Compare unit prices, such as the price per kilo or per litre, rather than the headline price on a pack. A larger pack is not always cheaper per unit.

Loyalty cards at supermarkets can add small extras, such as points or member prices. Ask at the till what a card gives you, and check how long points stay valid. Prices in the flyer may already include the discount, so do not count it twice. A simple habit helps. Before the weekly shop, check the flyers for the three or four items you buy most, then pay with the card that earns the most on groceries.

Pay later with Tabby and Tamara

Tabby and Tamara let you split a purchase into instalments at partner shops. Tabby's help page says it is active in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. Tamara's websites say it works in the UAE too. Read our Tabby and Tamara guides for what each company says about fees and late payments.

Pay later is not a discount. It spreads the cost, so you still pay the same price. Missing payments can lead to a suspended account, so only split what you can afford.

A simple saving routine

  • Know which card earns the most for groceries, fuel and dining.
  • Check your monthly spend against any minimum your card needs.
  • Carry your membership cards on your phone so you do not forget them.
  • Check supermarket flyers before the weekly shop.
  • Ask at the till which discount applies if you have more than one.

How Fawz helps

Fawz is not released yet, and you can join the waiting list. When it is out, it suggests which of your cards or memberships to use at the till, tracks minimum monthly spend and caps so you hit the higher cashback rate, and compares supermarket flyer prices so you see where an item is cheapest.

Fawz also plans big purchases across your cards. It never stores card numbers or bank logins and never reads SMS.

Join the waiting list

Questions people ask

What is the VAT rate in the UAE?

The Federal Tax Authority's VAT page shows a 5% standard rate.

What is the best way to save at the supermarket in the UAE?

Compare weekly flyers for your regular items, look at the price per unit, and pay with the card that earns most on groceries. See our UAE supermarket flyers guide.

Which discount cards are there in the UAE?

We have guides for Fazaa, Esaad, Homat Al Watan, the Sanad card and Qtick. Eligibility and partners differ, so check each scheme's current terms.

Can I use a membership and a bank card at the same time?

Sometimes. It depends on the shop and the offer, so ask at the till and check the terms of each.

Is Tabby or Tamara available in the UAE?

Tabby's help page says it is active in the UAE, and Tamara's sites list the UAE as one of its countries. Read our guides for details.

Does pay later save me money?

No. It splits the payment, but the price is the same. It helps cash flow, not the total.

Sources

  1. UAE Federal Tax Authority: VATtax.gov.ae
  2. Tabby help: about Tabbytabby.ai
  3. Tamara Kuwait (list of countries)tamara.co

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

All guides for UAE

  • Discount membership cards across the GCC

    Discount and benefit cards across the GCC: Fazaa, Esaad, Homat Al Watan and Sanad in the UAE, and where we could not confirm a public equivalent elsewhere.

    MembershipUAEQatarSaudi ArabiaKuwaitBahrainOman

  • Esaad card in the UAE

    What the Esaad card is, who runs it, who is eligible including Golden Visa holders and family members, how to register and how to use the offers.

    MembershipUAE

  • Fazaa card in the UAE

    How the Fazaa discount card works in the UAE: who can join, whether expats qualify, the free 2026 family route, how to renew and how to use the offers.

    MembershipUAE

  • Homat Al Watan card in the UAE

    What the Homat Al Watan discount card is, who it is for (Ministry of Defence and armed forces), how the app works and what is confirmed about the offers.

    MembershipUAE

  • Sanad card in the UAE

    The Sanad card for People of Determination in Dubai: who issues it, who can apply, documents, how to apply, benefits, and how long the card lasts.

    MembershipUAE

  • Using UAE discount cards with a cashback credit card

    How to use Fazaa, Esaad and Homat Al Watan with a cashback credit card at the till, what can stack with what, and which terms to check first.

    MembershipUAE

  • Carrefour in the GCC

    Where Carrefour still operates in the Gulf, how SHARE points work, what the MAF Carrefour app offers, and what replaced Carrefour in Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.

    SupermarketUAEQatarSaudi Arabia

  • Cheapest groceries in the UAE with weekly flyers

    How to find the cheapest groceries in the UAE with weekly flyers: which chains publish them, how to compare unit prices in AED, and tips for a family shop.

    SupermarketUAE

  • LuLu Hypermarket in the GCC

    LuLu offers across the GCC: how the free Happiness rewards programme works, where to find the weekly flyers, how the LuLu app works and simple ways to save.

    SupermarketUAEQatarSaudi ArabiaKuwaitBahrainOman

  • Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback Credit Card

    How the Emirates Islamic Switch Cashback Credit Card works in the UAE: Lifestyle and Travel plans, AED 2,500 minimum spend, monthly caps and fees.

    CardUAE

  • How cashback credit cards work in the UAE

    How UAE cashback credit cards work: minimum monthly spend, category rates, monthly caps, excluded spends and payout, with examples from three banks.

    CardUAE

  • Mastercard Priceless Specials offers in the Gulf

    How Mastercard Priceless Specials works for cardholders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, plus Priceless in Qatar: cards, redeeming, limits.

    CardUAEQatarSaudi ArabiaBahrainOmanKuwait

  • Minimum spend and cashback caps, explained

    What minimum spend and cashback caps mean on a credit card, a worked AED example, and why using the right card at the right shop changes what you earn.

    CardUAEQatarSaudi ArabiaKuwaitBahrainOman

  • Visa card offers in the Gulf

    Where Visa lists card offers for UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait cardholders, how the offers work, which cards qualify and how to check the terms.

    CardUAESaudi ArabiaKuwait

  • Tabby in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

    How Tabby split payments work in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the fees and late fees Tabby states, where to use it, and tips to avoid missed payments.

    Pay laterUAESaudi ArabiaKuwait

  • Tamara in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain

    How Tamara split payments work in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain: what Tamara says about late fees, who can use it, where, and tips.

    Pay laterUAESaudi ArabiaKuwaitBahrain

Fawz is not affiliated with the companies named here. Names and trademarks belong to their owners.