The best payment app in the UAE depends on what you use it for. For everyday contactless spending, Apple Pay and Google Pay are the most widely accepted. For a full digital wallet with no bank account required, Payit by First Abu Dhabi Bank and e& money lead the market. For sending money home, Careem Pay and the Al Ansari Exchange app are the strongest options. Most residents end up using two or three of these apps together rather than picking a single winner.
Careem Pay
Careem Pay lives inside the Careem super-app you may already use for rides, food delivery, and grocery orders. It is a full digital wallet approved by the Central Bank of the UAE, not just a way to pay for a taxi.
You can fund the wallet from any UAE debit card or bank account and then pay utility and postpaid telecom bills, top up your Salik toll account, and send money to another person using only their phone number. Local transfers and bill payments are free of charge. Because the wallet sits inside the Careem ecosystem, spending and cashback accumulate across rides, food, and Quik grocery orders in one place.
International transfers are where Careem Pay stands out for expats. The service runs through a partnership with Lulu Exchange and is authorized by the Central Bank. You can send money to more than 30 countries, and Careem advertises fees around half of what a typical bank charges. Careem Plus subscribers, who pay AED 29 per month as of mid-2026, get zero fees on global transfers to some corridors along with other perks. You need a valid Emirates ID and UAE visa to complete identity verification before sending abroad.
Choose Careem Pay if you already live inside the Careem app. It is the most convenient option when your rides, food, and money all sit on one account. It is less compelling as a standalone wallet if you rarely open Careem.
e& money
e& money, run by the telecom operator e& (formerly Etisalat), is the first digital wallet directly licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE. It is a standalone financial app rather than a feature bolted onto a telecom or delivery service.
The wallet itself is fee-free with no minimum balance. It issues a virtual and physical prepaid Mastercard that earns 1% cash back on card transactions and can be added to Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet for tap-to-pay. You can pay utility and telecom bills, top up Salik and Nol cards, pay Dubai parking through the mParking feature, and send money locally using just a mobile number.
For international remittances, e& money supports transfers to more than 200 countries with options for bank deposit, cash pickup, and wallet transfer. That broad reach makes it a practical choice for expats who send money to family across South Asia, the Philippines, and Africa. In late 2025, e& announced plans to become the UAE’s first wallet linked directly to PayPal, which would let a PayPal balance convert to dirhams and land in the e& money app, though no launch date had been confirmed at the time of writing.
Pick e& money if you want a full Central Bank-licensed wallet with a cash-back card and wide international reach. It is especially convenient if you are already an e& telecom subscriber, since your phone plan and wallet live in one place.
Al Ansari Exchange
Al Ansari Exchange is one of the UAE’s oldest and largest money exchange and remittance houses, operating for roughly 60 years with more than 280 branches across the country. Its mobile app brings the same service online, making it one of the most trusted ways for expats to send money home.
The app supports bank transfers and cash pickup to a large network of countries, with money available in minutes for many corridors. It also offers flash remittances that credit select bank accounts in real time and a direct-to-door delivery option in some countries. You can complete registration through UAE PASS without visiting a branch, and pay from a bank account, debit or credit card, or salary card. Fees are corridor-specific; as an example, sending to India was advertised at around AED 18.57 for amounts under AED 1,000 and AED 25.24 above that at the time of writing.
Beyond remittances, Al Ansari offers prepaid cards including a TravelCard and FlexiblePay, which work like standard Visa or Mastercard debit cards for shopping and ATM withdrawals. It has also integrated with the national Aani instant payment platform, and its Visa cards can be added to Google Wallet.
Al Ansari is the right choice when your priority is sending money abroad cheaply and reliably, particularly if your recipients prefer cash pickup. It is less of an everyday spending wallet than the dedicated payment apps, though its prepaid cards close some of that gap.
Payit
Payit is the digital wallet from First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank. It is one of the most widely used wallets in the country, and you do not need a FAB account to use it. You register with your Emirates ID and can start using the wallet without any minimum balance, annual fee, or service charge.
The wallet lets you pay bills, top up Du, Etisalat, Nol, Mawaqif, and Salik, transfer money to any UAE bank account in seconds, and pay by QR code at thousands of retail locations. The Letsgo Payit card is a Visa prepaid card you can add to Google Pay and Samsung Wallet, and you can withdraw cash from FAB ATMs. International transfers reach more than 200 countries through partnerships including MoneyGram and Mastercard.
Payit is also built for people without traditional bank accounts. The Payit Universal Account is a zero-minimum-balance digital account with its own IBAN, aimed at residents earning AED 5,000 or less per month who hold no other UAE current or savings account. If your employer pays through FAB payroll, you can receive your salary directly into a Payit Plus Account and unlock lending and rewards features. Initial wallet limits start around AED 3,500 and rise to AED 25,000 per month once you complete full verification.
Choose Payit if you want a bank-grade wallet with an IBAN, salary options, and broad everyday payment features. It is the strongest all-rounder for residents who want one app to replace a basic bank account.
Apple Pay and Google Pay
Apple Pay and Google Pay (Google Wallet) are not wallets in the same sense as Payit or e& money. They are contactless payment layers that sit on top of your existing bank cards. You add a supported card, then tap your phone or watch at any terminal that accepts contactless payments, or use it for online checkout.
These two dominate day-to-day retail spending in the UAE because they work nearly everywhere contactless cards are accepted, with no separate balance to manage. Apple Pay supports cards from Emirates NBD, ADCB, Mashreq, HSBC, RAKBANK, Standard Chartered, Emirates Islamic, and Sharjah Islamic Bank, among others. Google Wallet’s list of supported UAE banks and cards is even longer and includes prepaid cards from wallets like e& money and PayBy.
The cost is whatever your underlying card already charges, since Apple Pay and Google Pay add no fees of their own. You keep your card’s rewards and protections.
If you only need to pay in shops and apps, you may not need a full wallet at all. But note that Apple Pay and Google Pay do not by themselves send money to a phone number, pay Salik, or remit funds abroad. For those jobs you still need one of the wallets above.
PayBy
PayBy is an Abu Dhabi-based fintech that built its reputation on QR-code payments and government service integration. Backed by First Abu Dhabi Bank, it is now a payment option on Abu Dhabi’s TAMM platform, letting residents pay government fees without a credit or debit card.
The app is built around QR codes. In a store, you present your QR code for the cashier to scan; online, you select PayBy at checkout and scan the code on screen, which removes the need to type card details or wait for a one-time password. PayBy also supports bill splitting, mobile top-ups, utility and parking payments, and merchant discounts and coupons across supermarkets, pharmacies, and hotels.
Security is a selling point, with facial recognition and fingerprint authentication guarding the wallet. PayBy also issues a prepaid Mastercard that can be added to Google Wallet, and it partners with UnionPay for virtual card payments. It launched around 2020 and has positioned itself as a merchant-friendly, low-cost payment option for small businesses and everyday consumers alike.
PayBy makes the most sense if you live in Abu Dhabi and regularly pay for government services, or if you prefer QR-code payments over carrying cards. Its feature set is narrower than Payit or e& money, but it excels at what it focuses on.
How They Compare
| App | Type | Best for | International transfers | Notable fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Careem Pay | Wallet inside Careem app | Careem users, remittances | 30+ countries via Lulu Exchange | Free local transfers and bills; Careem Plus AED 29/month |
| e& money | Central Bank-licensed wallet | Cash-back card, wide remittances | 200+ countries | Fee-free wallet; 1% cash back on card spend |
| Al Ansari Exchange | Exchange house app | Remittances, cash pickup | Large global network | Corridor-based, e.g. ~AED 18.57–25.24 to India |
| Payit | Bank-backed digital wallet | Everyday payments, salary accounts | 200+ countries | No minimum balance, annual, or service fees |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Contactless card layer | In-store and online retail | Via linked card | No added fees; card terms apply |
| PayBy | QR-code payment app | Government services, QR payments | Limited | No monthly fees or minimum balance |
FAQ
Which payment app is most popular in the UAE?
Apple Pay and Google Pay dominate contactless retail spending, while Payit and e& money are the most widely used full digital wallets. For remittances, Careem Pay and the Al Ansari Exchange app lead among expats. There is no single winner because each app serves a different job.
Do I need a bank account to use these apps?
No. Payit, e& money, Careem Pay, and PayBy all let you sign up with an Emirates ID and mobile number without holding a UAE bank account. You will generally need a debit card or bank transfer to load funds into the wallet, but the wallet itself can replace a basic account. Payit even offers an IBAN-bearing digital account for lower-income residents.
Which app is cheapest for sending money abroad?
It depends on the corridor and amount. Careem Pay advertises fees around half of bank rates and gives Careem Plus members zero fees on some corridors. Al Ansari Exchange offers competitive exchange-house pricing with cash pickup. Wise and similar services remain worth checking for transparent mid-market exchange rates. Compare the total cost including the exchange rate, not just the headline fee.
Are these apps safe and regulated?
Yes. The major wallets, including e& money, Payit, Careem Pay, and Al Ansari Exchange, are regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE. They use PIN, biometric, and encryption controls, and most require identity verification before larger transfers. Stick to licensed providers and enable your app’s security features.
Can I receive my salary into a payment app?
Yes, in some cases. Payit offers salary accounts (Payit Plus and Payit Universal) that can receive WPS salary payments, and Al Ansari Exchange and e& money issue payroll and salary cards under the Wage Protection System. Check with your employer and the app whether your specific payroll arrangement qualifies.
Related Guides
Download the Apps
Careem
e& money
Al Ansari Exchange
PayByThe Bottom Line
Start with what you already use. If you order food and rides on Careem, enable Careem Pay. If you send money home every month, the Al Ansari Exchange app or Careem Pay will likely save you the most on fees. If you want one app to handle everyday payments, bills, and possibly your salary without a bank account, Payit or e& money is the strongest choice. And for simple tap-to-pay at shops, add your existing card to Apple Pay or Google Pay and keep it moving.
Most UAE residents run two or three of these apps in parallel: one wallet for transfers, one for everyday payments, and a contactless layer for retail. All of them are Central Bank-regulated and free to start, so you can try a couple and settle on the mix that fits your life. Fees and limits change regularly, so check the app’s published rate and fee schedule before a large transfer.