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AEP partners with international card schemes to improve Jaywan cards

Friday 18 April 2025 09:22 CET | News

Al Etihad Payments (AEP), a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE, has signed co-badging agreements with international card schemes.

 

Its collaboration with Discover, Mastercard, Visa and UnionPay aims to improve Jaywan, the UAE’s domestic card scheme, by enabling international transactions and ensuring an efficient domestic payment network.

Al Etihad Payments partners with international card schemes

 

Global and local transactions for Jaywan cards

AEP is the national payments entity in the UAE and plays a significant role in developing and operating the national payment infrastructure. Its mission is to support the government’s vision of creating a society less reliant on cash and national digitalisation.

With the new partnerships, Jaywan cardholders can transact worldwide, leveraging global reach and international payment networks. Within the UAE, transactions will continue to be processed securely through UAESWITCH, which links the ATM networks of all banks in the region. UAESWITCH is also available to customers across GCC countries, where a GCCNET logo is displayed. Additionally, it processes domestic POS debit card transactions.

AEP representatives believe that Jaywan is a step forward in improving the UAE’s financial infrastructure, offering a locally rooted payment solution that supports economic development and digital transformation. The company aims to leverage its partners' technology to create a secure, efficient payment ecosystem that aligns with the nation’s vision for innovation and financial growth.

Jaywan will introduce debit and prepaid co-badged cards for everyday transactions, salary disbursements, and cross-border payments. UAE financial institutions will begin issuing Jaywan co-badged cards from H2 of 2025. The cards will offer international acceptance, and cardholders can use their cards abroad, ensuring that travel and cross-border payments remain convenient. These partnerships advance 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.


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Keywords: partnership, cross-border payments, payments , local payment method, card scheme
Categories: Payments & Commerce
Companies: Al Etihad Payments, Central Bank of the UAE
Countries: United Arab Emirates
This article is part of category

Payments & Commerce

Al Etihad Payments

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Central Bank of the UAE

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