When I applied for the FAB Cashback Credit Card back in March 2022, the banker promised me "the best cashback rates in UAE." Three years and roughly AED 185,000 in spending later, I can tell you exactly what that promise meant in real dirhams and where it fell short.
Why I Chose FAB in the First Place
I relocated to Dubai from London in late 2021. My company had accounts with FAB, so opening a personal account seemed logical. The relationship manager pitched the cashback card during our third meeting, and honestly, the numbers looked impressive on paper.
The advertised rates were: 5% on groceries, 5% on utilities, 3% on dining, 1% on everything else. Coming from the UK where 1% cashback is considered generous, this felt like a no-brainer. What nobody mentioned was the monthly cap structure that would eventually cost me hundreds of dirhams in missed rewards.
The First Six Months: Learning Curve
My initial excitement faded around month four. I noticed my cashback credits were consistently lower than my calculations suggested. After three frustrating calls to customer service, a senior representative finally explained the category caps I had completely missed in the terms.
The Cap Structure (as of 2025)
Grocery cashback: Capped at AED 200/month. Utility cashback: Capped at AED 100/month. Dining cashback: Capped at AED 150/month. This means spending more than AED 4,000 on groceries monthly earns you nothing extra in that category.
For context, my average monthly grocery bill at Carrefour and Spinneys runs around AED 2,800-3,200. I hit the grocery cap around the third week of each month, meaning those last few shopping trips earned just 1% instead of 5%.
Real Numbers: What I Actually Earned
I started tracking every transaction in a spreadsheet from January 2023. Over 24 months of detailed tracking, here's the breakdown:
Total Spending: AED 127,400
Expected Cashback (uncapped): AED 4,850
Actual Cashback Received: AED 3,180
That's AED 1,670 in "lost" cashback due to caps. Now, AED 3,180 over two years is still decent money, equivalent to roughly AED 132 monthly. But it's nowhere near the effective 3.8% rate the marketing suggests.
Where FAB Actually Shines
Despite my frustrations with the caps, FAB has genuine strengths. Their mobile app is consistently excellent. Transaction notifications arrive within seconds, card controls are intuitive, and I've never experienced downtime during the three years of usage.
The foreign currency markup is competitive at 2.75%, which matters for online purchases from international retailers. And their fraud detection saved me twice when someone tried to use my card details in the Philippines.
The Merchant Category Code Problem
Here's something that genuinely annoyed me for months. My regular grocery store, a smaller Union Coop branch near Al Barsha, was coded as "retail" instead of "grocery" in the payment network system. This meant I was earning 1% instead of 5% on purchases that were clearly groceries.
After escalating through three levels of support, FAB acknowledged the issue but explained they have no control over how merchants register their businesses with Visa. The workaround? I now drive an extra 15 minutes to a larger Carrefour that's correctly categorized. Not ideal, but it adds up over time.
Utility Bill Payments: A Hidden Win
One area where FAB surprised me positively was utility payments. Paying DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) bills through the FAB app earns the full 5% cashback, and these transactions count toward the utility category, not the general 1%.
If you're paying AED 800-1,200 monthly for DEWA like most Dubai apartments, that's AED 40-60 monthly cashback on bills you'd pay anyway. This single category has probably been my best return on the card.
Customer Service Reality Check
I've had maybe 15-20 interactions with FAB customer service over three years. The call center is responsive, rarely more than 5 minutes wait time. But here's the pattern I noticed: first-level agents often give incomplete or slightly incorrect information about the rewards program.
My advice? If something doesn't match your understanding, politely ask to speak with a supervisor or the cards department specifically. The specialists know the actual terms and have clarified several points that generic agents got wrong.
What Works
- Excellent mobile app experience
- Fast transaction notifications
- Good fraud protection
- Competitive FX rates
- 5% on DEWA bills
- No annual fee first year
What Doesn't
- Low monthly caps limit earnings
- MCC coding inconsistencies
- AED 500 annual fee from year 2
- Points expire after 12 months
- Minimum redemption AED 50
- Customer service knowledge gaps
Should You Get the FAB Cashback Card?
After three years, I still use this card, but it's no longer my primary. It makes sense if your monthly spending in capped categories stays under the limits. For a single person or couple with moderate grocery bills, the math works out.
For families spending AED 4,000+ monthly on groceries? Look elsewhere or use FAB strategically only until you hit the cap, then switch to another card. The UAE Central Bank's consumer guide is worth reading before choosing any credit card here.
My Current Strategy
I use FAB exclusively for DEWA payments (5% uncapped for my usage level), early-month grocery shopping until I approach the cap, and any transaction where I need the superior fraud protection. For everything else, I've moved to Mashreq Neo, which you can read about in my other review.
Final Thoughts
FAB isn't trying to deceive customers. The terms are there if you read them carefully. But the marketing emphasis on headline rates without equally prominent cap disclosures is something that catches many new UAE residents off guard.
Know your spending patterns before applying. Calculate realistic returns with caps in mind. And remember: the best cashback card is the one that matches how you actually spend, not how the bank's marketing department hopes you spend.
Have questions about my FAB experience or want to share yours? Feel free to reach out. I'm always updating this guide as FAB changes their terms.
