In July 2026 the UAE launched Jaywan, its first national card payment scheme. It is operated by Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE, and it does for card payments what national schemes like India's RuPay or Saudi Arabia's mada do in their markets: routes domestic card transactions through domestic infrastructure.
Banks are issuing Jaywan cards in phases. Debit and prepaid cards came first, along with a co-badged Jaywan and Mastercard credit card. Large merchants have started accepting it: from September 2026, Emirates passengers could book flights with Jaywan cards.
For merchants, Jaywan is not a reason to panic and not a reason to ignore. It is a new card type that your customers will increasingly carry, and whether you accept it smoothly depends on your acquirer, your terminals and your checkout. Here is what to check.
The short version
- Jaywan is a domestic card scheme run by a Central Bank subsidiary. Cards are issued by UAE banks, alongside or co-badged with international schemes.
- Acceptance runs through your acquirer. You do not sign up with Jaywan directly; your payment provider enables it.
- Check three things: terminal readiness, online gateway support, and how Jaywan transactions appear in your settlement reports.
- Co-badged cards add a routing question. When a card carries two schemes, which network the transaction uses can affect your costs.
- Ask your acquirer about pricing. Domestic schemes are often positioned as lower cost; get the actual numbers for your business in writing.
What is Jaywan, and why did the UAE build it?
National card schemes exist for three main reasons: resilience, so domestic payments keep working even if an international network has problems; cost, because domestic routing can be cheaper; and data, keeping domestic transaction data within national infrastructure. Jaywan sits alongside the UAE's instant payments platform, Aani, as part of the Central Bank's financial infrastructure programme.
For a merchant, the most important point is that Jaywan cards are real cards in your customers' wallets, and that number will grow as banks reissue cards over time.
What do merchants need to check?
| Area | What to ask your acquirer or provider | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| In-store terminals | Are our terminals certified for Jaywan? Is a software update needed? | An uncertified terminal may decline a Jaywan-only card |
| Online gateway | Does our payment gateway accept Jaywan cards for ecommerce, including 3D Secure authentication? | Declined cards at checkout are lost sales you never see |
| Co-badged routing | For co-badged cards, which network is used, and who decides? | Routing can affect your fees |
| Pricing | What is our rate for Jaywan transactions compared to other schemes? | Domestic schemes may be cheaper; confirm rather than assume |
| Settlement and reporting | How do Jaywan transactions appear in settlement files? Same timing? | Reconciliation breaks if a new card type appears unexpectedly |
| Refunds and disputes | What is the chargeback and dispute process? | Different schemes have different rules and timelines |
How do you roll it out without disruption?
1. Ask your acquirer for a written readiness statement. Which of your terminals and channels accept Jaywan today, and which need updates by when.
2. Update terminals and test. Run a real transaction with a Jaywan card on each terminal type and on your website checkout. Testing with staff cards is cheap and catches problems.
3. Check your reconciliation. Make sure your accounting or point-of-sale system maps the new card type correctly. A new scheme appearing in settlement files is exactly the kind of small change that breaks a reconciliation routine nobody has looked at for years. We wrote about why reconciliation is the real value of digital payments in our piece on Raast and digital payments in Pakistan, and the same applies here.
4. Brief your staff. Front-line staff should recognise the card and know it is valid. A cashier who refuses an unfamiliar card costs a sale and a customer.
5. Show acceptance. Once you accept it, display the Jaywan mark at the till and on your checkout page. Early in a scheme's life, customers look for it.
Does Jaywan change anything for ecommerce?
Potentially, in two ways. First, if your gateway does not support Jaywan, customers with Jaywan-only cards will fail at checkout, and you will often not know why your conversion dipped. Second, government and large enterprise buyers may increasingly favour domestic payment rails. If you sell online in the UAE, put Jaywan acceptance on your gateway checklist now.
Should merchants push customers toward Jaywan?
Only if your acquirer's pricing makes it worth doing, and only gently. Your priority is accepting every card your customers carry. Steering payment methods can annoy customers, and surcharging by card type has rules attached. Check your acquirer agreement before doing it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate contract with Jaywan?
No. Merchants accept Jaywan through their existing acquirer or payment provider.
Will Jaywan replace Visa and Mastercard in the UAE?
It is designed to sit alongside them. Many Jaywan cards are co-badged with international schemes, so customers can still use them abroad.
Is Jaywan cheaper for merchants?
Domestic schemes are often positioned as lower cost, but your actual rate depends on your acquirer. Ask for it in writing.
What is the single most common mistake?
Assuming your online checkout accepts a new card type because your shop terminals do.
Where to go next
If you are setting up payment acceptance, reconciliation and the daily routine together, that is our retail shop setup work, and online stores sit with ecommerce store setup. See also our notes on fintech and retail, or talk to us.
