Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), has signed strategic co-badging agreements with leading international card schemes, including Discover, Mastercard, UnionPay and Visa.
These agreements enhance Jaywan, the UAE’s Domestic Card Scheme, by enabling international transactions while ensuring a strong and efficient domestic payment network.
According to the press release, with these partnerships, Jaywan cardholders will have the flexibility to transact worldwide, leveraging the global reach of leading international payment networks. Within the UAE, transactions will continue to be processed securely through UAESWITCH, maintaining a high standard of reliability and performance.
Jaywan will introduce debit and prepaid co-badged cards for everyday transactions, salary disbursements, and secure cross-border payments. UAE financial institutions will begin issuing Jaywan co-badged cards in the second half of 2025.
As per the statement, Jaywan co-badge cards will provide international acceptance, and cardholders can use their cards abroad, ensuring that travel and cross-border payments remain seamless. These partnerships enhance Jaywan’s usability by extending its reach to international merchants, ATMs, and online payment platforms, allowing users to transact effortlessly both in the UAE and beyond.
Al Etihad Payments-Visa Deal
In March, Al Etihad Payments and Visa signed a strategic agreement to jointly launch ‘Jaywan- Visa’ debit and prepaid cards in the UAE. This co-badging partnership reinforces ongoing collaborations, supporting the UAE authorities’ ambition to drive the digital economy.
Under the agreement, both entities will collaborate with local financial institutions, fintechs, and merchant partners to issue co-badged cards to customers, offering a range of benefits and value-added services tailored to market needs.
