Tabby and Tamara on UAE credit reports: what changed in 2026
UAE credit reports now include Tabby and Tamara data. What was announced, what's still unknown, and the Central Bank's limits on fees and borrowing.
Checked 5 November 2026
Short answer
- Etihad Credit Bureau said it adds Tabby and Tamara account information to reports from July 2026.
- It covers existing and new UAE customers, and includes relevant historical transactions.
- Neither main report says how scores change, and we won't guess.
- Central Bank rules cap total fees at 30% of the credit, and limit borrowing to AED 20,000 or three months' income.
Tabby and Tamara accounts now appear on UAE credit reports. Etihad Credit Bureau announced on 27 July 2026 that it adds their account information from July 2026, for both existing and new UAE customers, including relevant historical transactions. What the announcement doesn't explain is how that affects your score.
This page sets out the rules and the changes. It isn't financial advice, it doesn't compare providers, and it doesn't predict scores.
What was announced
Here's what Gulf News and Khaleej Times both reported on 27 July 2026, and what they didn't.
| Question | What's reported |
|---|---|
| Which providers? | Tabby and Tamara |
| From when? | July 2026 |
| Who's covered? | Existing and new UAE customers |
| Is past activity included? | Relevant historical transactions, yes |
| How do scores change? | Not stated in either report |
What it means for your credit score
We don't know, and we'd be cautious about anyone who says they do.
A credit-marketplace blog, Kredit, says that using these services doesn't automatically lower your score and that no fixed point impact has been published. That's a secondary source from a company in the credit business, so treat it as a hint rather than a rule.
A burst of news appeared in July 2026, and we found little after it. If it matters to you, for example because you're about to apply for a mortgage or a loan, these are reasonable steps:
- Get your own credit report from Etihad Credit Bureau, and see how these accounts appear.
- Check for anything you don't recognise, or accounts you thought you'd closed.
- Ask the bureau, or the lender you're applying to, how they treat these accounts.
The Central Bank's limits
Short-term credit of this kind falls under the Central Bank's Finance Companies Regulation. Here's what White & Case described in February 2024, and The National also reported the fee limit.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Length | Up to 12 months |
| Interest | None |
| Security | No lien and no security deposit |
| Limit per borrower | The lower of AED 20,000 or three months' verified net income |
| Total fees, including late fees | No more than 30% of the original credit |
| Credit check | Above a total limit of AED 5,000, the provider must review your credit report |
| Disclosure | Providers must disclose fees, late-payment consequences and hardship options |
Those rules date from early 2024. Check that they haven't changed, since a rule like this can be updated.
A worked example
Here's how the 30% limit works on an illustrative purchase. The figures are ours and don't reflect any provider's charges.
| Purchase on short-term credit | Most that total fees could be | Most you could pay in all |
|---|---|---|
| AED 500 | AED 150 | AED 650 |
| AED 2,000 | AED 600 | AED 2,600 |
| AED 5,000 | AED 1,500 | AED 6,500 |
That's the ceiling in the rule, not what any provider charges. Actual fees are in the provider's documents.
How the borrowing cap works
The cap is the lower of two figures, so it depends on your income. These examples are ours, for illustration, and a provider's own limit may well be lower.
| Verified net monthly income | Three months' income | Cap under the rule |
|---|---|---|
| AED 3,000 | AED 9,000 | AED 9,000 |
| AED 5,000 | AED 15,000 | AED 15,000 |
| AED 7,000 | AED 21,000 | AED 20,000 |
| AED 12,000 | AED 36,000 | AED 20,000 |
So anyone earning about AED 6,667 a month or more reaches the same AED 20,000 ceiling. The separate AED 5,000 point is about checks rather than limits: above that total limit, the provider must review your credit report.
How this has developed
It helps to see the dates in order, because older articles describe an earlier stage.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | Central Bank rules on short-term credit reported | The National |
| Feb 2024 | Law firm summary of the framework | White & Case |
| Jul 2025 | AED 300 minimum story, and Tabby's denial | Arabian Business |
| Jul 2026 | Credit bureau adds Tabby and Tamara account information | Gulf News; Khaleej Times |
If you read anything written before July 2026 that says these accounts don't appear on your report, it's out of date.
Late payments
Late charges are set by the provider, within the limit above. For example, Tabby's help page says that a missed Tabby Card payment brings a collection charge and possible limit cuts, and that the amounts are in its key facts statement.
Before you commit to any plan, find these details in the provider's own key facts statement:
- what a late payment costs
- what happens to your limit
- whether the provider offers hardship options, and how to ask for them
If you're struggling with repayments, contact the provider early and ask about hardship options, since providers are required to disclose them.
The AED 300 minimum story
In 2025, reports suggested these platforms had set a new AED 300 minimum order. Arabian Business, updated on 18 July 2025, said the minimum was set by a retailer rather than being a rule, and that Tabby denied any new threshold. So if a shop tells you a minimum applies, it may be that shop's own policy.
Buying with instalments and your rights
Paying in instalments doesn't change your consumer rights against the shop. If an item is faulty, the faulty goods rules apply just as they would to a cash purchase. What we couldn't find is a source on how a refund flows back through an instalment plan, so if you return an item, ask the provider to confirm that your remaining instalments have stopped.
Sale events can bring instalment offers. Dubai Home Festival 2026, for example, was reported as featuring them. If you're planning around a sale, check the calendar, and remember that "up to" discounts don't apply to every item.
Complaints
Dubai's consumer service doesn't handle banking disputes, according to the Gulf News guide to its scope. We haven't verified the right channel for a dispute with a finance company, so start with the provider's own complaints process and ask which regulator covers it. See who handles what for the channels we could verify.
Be careful of messages asking for a one-time password to "fix" your account or your credit report. Dubai's consumer department has said it never asks for OTPs, and it's sensible to treat any such request with suspicion. If you're in doubt, contact the provider through its own app.
What to check before you act
- Have you read the provider's key facts statement, including late charges?
- Will this plan keep you within the AED 20,000 or three-months'-income limit?
- Are you applying for other credit soon? Ask how these accounts are treated.
- Have you checked your own credit report since July 2026?
- These rules date from 2024. Confirm they still apply.
Questions people ask
Do Tabby and Tamara show on my UAE credit report?
Etihad Credit Bureau announced on 27 July 2026 that it adds Tabby and Tamara account information to reports from July 2026, for existing and new UAE customers, including relevant historical transactions.
Will using Tabby or Tamara lower my credit score?
The main reports don't say how scores change. A credit-marketplace blog says use doesn't automatically lower scores and that no fixed point impact is published, but that's a secondary source. Ask Etihad Credit Bureau if it matters to you.
What is the limit on buy now, pay later in the UAE?
White & Case says the Central Bank's per-borrower cap is the lower of AED 20,000 or three months' verified net income, for short-term credit of up to 12 months.
How much can late fees be?
White & Case and The National say total fees, including late fees, can't exceed 30% of the original credit. Actual amounts are in your provider's key facts statement.
Is there an AED 300 minimum to use Tabby or Tamara?
Arabian Business reported in July 2025 that the AED 300 minimum was set by a retailer rather than being a rule, and that Tabby denied a new threshold.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and fees change, so check the sources below. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Sources
- UAE credit reports to include buy now, pay later data (Gulf News, 27 Jul 2026) checked 5 November 2026
- UAE credit reports add BNPL data (Khaleej Times, 27 Jul 2026) checked 5 November 2026
- Tabby and Tamara on UAE credit reports (Kredit, 27 Jul 2026) checked 5 November 2026
- UAE Central Bank introduces regulatory framework for BNPL providers (White & Case, 2 Feb 2024) checked 5 November 2026
- UAE Central Bank introduces rules to regulate short-term credit (The National, 27 Dec 2023) checked 5 November 2026
- How are late fees applied? (Tabby help) checked 5 November 2026
- UAE BNPL platforms and the AED 300 minimum (Arabian Business, updated 18 Jul 2025) checked 5 November 2026
- Dubai Home Festival returns (Focus by hiDubai, 19 Oct 2026) checked 5 November 2026
- Dubai online fraud and scam prevention (Khaleej Times, 28 Aug 2025) checked 5 November 2026