The UAE’s Al Etihad Payments has announced a new partnership with Visa to launch co-badged ‘Jaywan – Visa’ debit and prepaid cards. This development allows UAE residents to make payments both locally and internationally.

With the new cards featuring both the Jaywan and Visa logos, customers will have the ability to shop at over 150 million merchants across 200 countries and territories. This is the first co-badged Jaywan card available in the UAE, designed for both online transactions and international travel.

According to Khaleej Times, banks and financial institutions will provide a mono-badge Jaywan card for local use and transactions within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. In contrast, the co-badge card will facilitate payments in foreign countries through partnerships with international payment networks like Discover, Mastercard, Visa, and UnionPay.

Transactions within the UAE will be processed via the UAESWITCH, while cross-border transactions will leverage Visa’s global network known as VisaNet. Al Etihad Payments operates as a subsidiary of the Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE).

In February, the Central Bank confirmed that the financial infrastructure was prepared to launch the domestic Jaywan card, emphasizing its role in reducing payment costs for individuals and businesses. Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, the chairman of Al Etihad Payments, highlighted that the collaboration with Visa aims to create a “seamless, secure, and efficient card payment ecosystem.”

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for the GCC at Visa, noted that with approximately 30% of transactions still conducted in cash, the new agreement is crucial for extending the benefits of digital payments to a broader range of consumers and businesses, thereby supporting the overall UAE economy.