Perkly Card Index · September 2026 · No annual fee

Best no annual fee credit cards in the UAE: September 2026

Eight cards that never charge an annual fee, ordered by the interest Perkly users showed in September, and what each one pays.

By the Perkly research team · Published 14 October 2026 · Covers September 2026 · Card details checked 4 October 2026

Based on Perkly data for September 2026: more than 300 card searches, and the card pages, Apply clicks and applications that followed, on perkly.ae between 1 and 30 September 2026. Card fees, rates and offers on this page update live from Perkly’s card database.

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A card with no annual fee starts ahead: every dirham of reward is profit. These are the 8 no-annual-fee cards Perkly users applied for, clicked and read about most in September.

Perkly lists a card here only if it charges no annual fee in any year. Cards that are free for the first year and then charge a fee, such as September's most popular card overall, Invest Bank's Mastercard Platinum, are not included, because that fee is part of the real cost.

Apply for the top picks

#3DIB Prime Platinum CardNo annual fee · salary from AED 5,000
#4Emirates NBD noon One Visa Credit CardNo annual fee · salary from AED 5,000
#5Wio Credit CardNo annual fee · salary from AED 7,000

How this list is made. The order comes from Perkly’s own data and nothing else. No bank pays to appear here, and no placement on this page can be bought. If you apply through Perkly and a bank issues your card, Perkly may earn a referral fee, which never changes the order or the figures you see.

Mawarid Finance Platinum Credit Card

Not available through Perkly at the moment. It earned this place in the month this article covers, so it stays on the list, but you cannot apply for it here at present.

Mawarid Finance Titanium Credit Card

Not available through Perkly at the moment. It earned this place in the month this article covers, so it stays on the list, but you cannot apply for it here at present.

DIB Prime Platinum Card

Rewards · Islamic

RewardsPerkly

Dubai Islamic Bank

Prime Platinum Card

Annual fee

Free

Min. salary

AED 5,000

Rewards in

Wala'a Rewards

Top rate

1.1% international spend

2 Wala'a Rewards per AED 1 on general retail and 2.2 on foreign currency spend, about 1% and 1.1% at Perkly's value of AED 0.005 a Reward. Supermarkets, fuel, bills, transport and real estate earn 0.2, and spending in European Union countries earns nothing. Rewards redeem for flights, hotel stays, shopping and bill payments, and expire after 24 months. A Shariah-compliant covered card.

Best for: Islamic banking customers who want a free points card for shopping and dining.

Earn 2 Wala'a Rewards per AED 1 on retail spend, 2.2 on foreign currency spend
Complimentary travel and medical cover up to USD 100,000 for cardholder, spouse and up to 4 children
Roadside assistance up to 2 times a year and 365-day buyers' protection on new purchases

Applications:: Joint #3
Application starts:: Joint #4

Full card details →

Emirates NBD noon One Visa Credit Card

Retail

RetailPerkly

EmiratesNBD

noon One Visa Credit Card

Annual fee

Free

Min. salary

AED 5,000

Rewards in

noon Credits

Top rate

20% dining & food (partner only)

Top rates apply only within the noon ecosystem: 20% on noon Food, 10% on NowNow grocery, 5% on noon, noon Minutes, Namshi and supermall. Most other spend earns 1%, but supermarkets, fast food, telecom, utilities, government, education and real estate paid outside noon earn 0.30%. noon Credits can only be spent on noon.

20% back on noon Food, 10% on NowNow and 5% on noon, Namshi and supermall in noon Credits worth AED 1 each, capped at AED 2,000 a month. Those rates apply only inside the noon ecosystem. Most other spend earns 1%, and supermarkets, fast food and bills paid outside noon 0.3%. noon Credits can only be spent on noon.

Best for: Regular noon customers.

Earn 20% back on noon Food, 10% on NowNow, 5% on noon/Namshi/supermall, 1% elsewhere (0.3% on groceries, utilities and several other categories)
Complimentary noon One membership for 1 year, then 50% off annually
Buy 1 Get 1 on up to 3 movie tickets a month at Reel Cinemas (min AED 3,500 spend)

Current welcome offer: Earn AED 500 cashback as a welcome bonus

Application starts:: Joint #4
Apply clicks:: Joint #6

Full card details →

Wio Credit Card

Cashback · Wio plan holders

Annual fee

Free

Min. salary

AED 7,000

Rewards in

Cashback

Top rate

2% travel

2% cashback on most purchases and 0.5% on fuel, transport, telecom, government, real estate and utility payments, capped at AED 2,500 a month. Cashback needs Wio's Salary, Family or Plus plan: the free Standard plan earns none, and Plus costs AED 49 a month unless you keep AED 35,000 with Wio. The credit line needs a salary of AED 7,000.

Best for: People who bank with Wio on a Salary, Family or Plus plan.

Earn 2% cashback on most purchases, 0.5% on fuel, transport, utilities and government spend
Cashback capped at AED 2,500 per month; requires Salary, Family or Plus plan
Free ENTERTAINER access: 600+ buy-one-get-one offers at 200+ venues in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Page visits:: Joint #2

Full card details →

Emirates Islamic Barça Cashback Card

Cashback · Islamic

Annual fee

Free

Min. salary

AED 5,000

Rewards in

Cashback

Top rate

4% supermarket

4% on supermarkets, dining, fuel and sports (each capped at AED 100 a month, and only UAE merchants count for supermarkets and fuel), up to 2% abroad and up to 1% on other domestic spend, in months you spend AED 1,000. Below that it pays nothing.

Best for: A simple free card with a solid everyday rate.

4% cashback on supermarkets, dining, fuel and sports (capped at AED 100/month each)
Up to 2% cashback on international spend; up to 1% on other domestic spend
FC Barcelona prize draws: match tickets, signed jerseys and club experiences

Page visits:: #1 of all cards

Full card details →

Blue FAB Infinite Credit Card by Al-Futtaim

Retail

RetailPerkly

First Abu Dhabi Bank

Blue FAB Infinite Credit Card by Al-Futtaim

Annual fee

Free

Min. salary

AED 40,000

Rewards in

Al-Futtaim FAB Rewards

Top rate

8% retail (partner only)

The top rates apply only inside the Al-Futtaim network. 8% is earned at Al-Futtaim retail brands such as M&S, IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us. 4% is earned at other Al-Futtaim brands, which FAB names as Deira International School, Universal American School and the car brands Volvo, BYD, Dodge, Honda, Jeep and Lexus. FAB's list of other Al-Futtaim brands includes Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate, but rent (merchant category 6513) is in the Selected Categories at 0.15%, which is the rate stored for real estate. Education is held at the 4% Al-Futtaim specialty rate because FAB's product page pays that rate at its two named schools, but FAB's Al-Futtaim FAB Rewards terms place education merchant categories 8211 to 8299 in the 0.15% Selected Categories list, so every other school, college or university earns 0.15%. All other spending earns 1%, and Selected Categories earn 0.15%.

8% back in Al-Futtaim FAB Rewards at Al-Futtaim retail brands such as M&S, IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us, and 4% at 2 Al-Futtaim schools and named car brands, at those brands only. Other spending earns 1%, and supermarkets, fuel, transport, rent, utilities, government, insurance, fast food and other schools earn 0.15%. Earning is capped at AED 4,000 of value a month. It includes lounge access for you and a guest at more than 1,000 airport lounges, and needs a salary of AED 40,000.

Best for: High earners who shop regularly at IKEA, M&S and other Al-Futtaim brands.

Earn 8% Al-Futtaim FAB Rewards per AED 1 at M&S, IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us; 4% at Al-Futtaim schools and select car brands
1% on general domestic and international spend (0.15% on groceries, fuel, utilities, transport, rent and similar categories)
Complimentary airport lounge access for you and 1 guest at 1,000+ lounges worldwide

Current welcome offer: Earn AED 5,000 back as 1,000,000 Al-Futtaim FAB Rewards

Expected offer expiry: November 2026

Applications:: Joint #3
Application starts:: Joint #4

Full card details →

Al Hilal Cashback Credit Card (3% tier, Dining + Education)

Cashback · Islamic

Al Hilal Bank Cashback Credit Card (3% tier, Dining + Education)

Annual fee

Free

Min. salary

AED 5,000

Rewards in

Cashback

Top rate

3% dining & food

You choose 2 of 5 categories (groceries, fuel, international, dining and education) for boosted cashback, tiered by your total retail spend in the month: 1% up to AED 3,000, 3% above AED 3,000 and up to AED 8,000, and 5% above AED 8,000. Other retail earns 1% and government spending nothing. Cashback is capped at AED 250 a month in each chosen category and AED 500 a statement in all, and is paid only if you pay at least the minimum due on time.

The card panel shows the Dining and Education pair at the 3% tier. A Shariah-compliant card with up to 4 lounge visits a year through Mastercard Travel Pass (1 on enrolment, the rest after a purchase abroad or with an overseas merchant). Al Hilal publishes no minimum salary; the AED 5,000 shown is the UAE's regulatory minimum.

Best for: People who spend more than AED 3,000 a month and can steer it into 2 chosen categories.

3% cashback on Dining and Education when monthly spend is AED 3,000-8,000
1% cashback on all other retail spend; 0% on government and app-paid utility spend
4 complimentary airport lounge visits or dining offers a year via Mastercard Travel Pass

Applications:: Joint #3
Application starts:: Joint #4

Full card details →

Side by side

Live figures from Perkly’s card database. Earn rates are the value you get back per AED spent, after converting miles or points to dirhams.

Card	Annual fee	Min. salary	Top rate	Welcome offer
#3DIB Prime Platinum Card	Free	AED 5,000	1.1%	None right now
#4Emirates NBD noon One Visa Credit Card	Free	AED 5,000	20%*	Yes
#5Wio Credit Card	Free	AED 7,000	2%	None right now
#6Emirates Islamic Barça Cashback Card	Free	AED 5,000	4%	None right now
#7Blue FAB Infinite Credit Card by Al-Futtaim	Free	AED 40,000	8%*	Yes
#8Al Hilal Cashback Credit Card (3% tier, Dining + Education)	Free	AED 5,000	3%	None right now

* Applies only at the card’s partner merchants or airline; other spend earns less. A number missing from the list is a card that cannot be applied for through Perkly at the moment.

What September's data shows

Free cards held their pull. About 1 in 3 searches on Perkly in September asked for free cards only, up from 28% in August, and Mawarid's two free cards were #2 and #3 of all cards. See the 10 most popular credit cards of September 2026 for the paid cards that joined them.

The list changed more than the leaders. Four cards are new: Mawarid's Titanium, and DIB Prime Platinum, Al Hilal Cashback and Blue FAB Infinite, each with an application. CBD One, NBF Islamic Platinum, Emirates NBD's SHARE and the ADCB talabat card, all on August's list, dropped out. Barça is here on card page visits alone, the weakest signal we count, and Wio mostly on them. At this volume a single application moves a card several places, so read the order as "what people gravitated to", not a settled trend.

What free really means

A card with no annual fee can still cost you if you carry a balance, and several free cards only pay in full when you meet a condition:

Minimum spend. Barça pays nothing below AED 1,000 a month, and Al Hilal's boosted rates need more than AED 3,000.
A plan. Wio's cashback needs a Salary, Family or Plus plan, and Plus costs AED 49 a month unless you keep AED 35,000 with Wio.
Partner-only rates. noon One's 20%, 10% and 5% apply only inside noon, and Blue FAB's 8% only at Al-Futtaim brands.
Caps. Mawarid's 10% is capped at AED 250 of cashback a month per category on the Platinum (AED 150 on fuel), so it stops paying at AED 2,500 of spend (AED 1,500 on fuel), and at AED 100 a category on the Titanium, or AED 1,000 of spend.

Compare the conditions, not just the fee. The Perkly wizard lets you rank only no-fee cards against your own spending, after caps, and flags partner-only rates and minimum-spend conditions beside each card.

How we built this list

This list is built from what people did on Perkly between 1 and 30 September 2026, not from what banks advertise and not from payments: no bank can pay to appear here or to move up. We count four things per card, and each visit counts once, at the furthest point it reached: an application submitted through Perkly, an application started, a click on Apply now, and a visit to the card's page. Each is weighted by how far it went: an application counts 10, a started application 5, a click on Apply now 3 and a page visit 1, and the list is ordered by the total. So a card many people explored closely can sit above one with a single application, and the signal shown beside each card is its strongest one, not the whole picture.

The data covers more than 300 card searches in September. Our own testing is excluded, and visitors who opted out of analytics are not counted. About one day of activity, 25 September, was lost in a technical incident and is not included. At this scale a single application can move a card several places, so read the order as "what people gravitated to", not as a precise league table. We publish ranks rather than raw counts for the same reason.

Card details in the text were checked on 4 October 2026 against Perkly's card data, which was reviewed bank by bank against each bank's own documents between 26 and 27 September 2026. The fees, earn rates and welcome offers shown in each card panel are live from Perkly's card database, so they stay current after this article was written. Always confirm the final terms with the bank before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

What was the most popular free credit card in September 2026?

On Perkly, Mawarid Finance's Platinum drew the most Apply clicks of any card in September 2026, and its Titanium sister the joint most applications. Both are free for life. Mawarid's cards are not available through Perkly at the moment. Dubai Islamic Bank's Prime Platinum, next on the list, also received an application.

What is the best free credit card in the UAE?

It depends on where you spend. The Mawarid Finance Platinum pays 10% on groceries, dining and fuel up to its caps, noon One pays most inside noon, and Wio pays 2% on most purchases if you hold a qualifying plan. Mawarid's cards are not available through Perkly at the moment. The Perkly wizard ranks free cards on your own spending.

Are there credit cards in the UAE with no annual fee for life?

Yes. Every card on this list charges no annual fee in any year: the Mawarid Finance Platinum and Titanium, Dubai Islamic Bank Prime Platinum, noon One, Wio, Emirates Islamic Barça, Al Hilal Cashback and Blue FAB Infinite. Mawarid's cards are not available through Perkly at the moment.

How often is this list updated?

Every month. Each edition of the Perkly Card Index covers one calendar month of activity on Perkly and is published early the following month. Card details on every page update automatically from Perkly's card database.

Is one of these your best card?

Popular is not the same as right for you. Tell Perkly your salary and how you spend and it ranks every card in the UAE for you, or talk your options through with Perkly Chat.

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