Arab Bank Visa Travel Mate Credit Card
0% foreign exchange commission in seven currencies
at Arab Bank's secure site
Elite Programme customers only. Terms apply. See rates & fees.
Foreign exchange
"Strip away the travel-card branding and this is a foreign-exchange card, which is precisely why it's useful. Zero commission on dollars, euros and sterling beats every other card Arab Bank issues. Just don't expect a lounge, insurance or points — there are none."
What you save instead of earn
The Travel Mate has no rewards programme. Arab Bank's Arabi Points earning table lists the Gold, Classic, MasterCard Titanium, Platinum, Signature and MasterCard World Elite — and not this card — and the product page never mentions automatic enrolment. So the value is entirely in what you don't pay.
That value is real. Arab Bank charges up to 3% plus the exchange rate on foreign spend across its range; here it is 0% in USD, EUR, GBP, JOD, SAR, CAD and TRY. Spend 10,000 abroad in those currencies and you keep roughly 300; at about 20,000 the 600 fee is covered. What the bank does not publish is the rate for other currencies — assume the standard up-to-3% until it tells you otherwise.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 600 primary and 300 supplementary, Elite Programme customers only
- Foreign transaction fee
- 0% on transactions in USD, EUR, GBP, JOD, SAR, CAD and TRY. Other currencies are not priced on the card page — Arab Bank's general credit-card term is up to 3% plus the exchange rate
- Interest rate
- 3.59% per month (about 43.08% a year) on the outstanding balance
- Interest-free period
- Up to 52 days on retail purchases when the full balance is paid by the due date
- Cash advance fee
- 3% of the amount, minimum 100
- Late payment fee
- 230
- Over-limit fee
- 275
- Minimum payment
- 5% of the statement balance or 100, whichever is higher
- Credit Shield insurance
- Optional, 0.5% of the total outstanding balance
- Rewards
- None published — the card is absent from Arab Bank's Arabi Points earning table
Rates verified against Arab Bank's UAE Credit Cards Key Facts Statement and the Fees and Charges schedule dated 01/01/2025. All figures are quoted exclusive of 5% VAT. Always confirm on the issuer's site before applying.
Card benefits
0% cross-border commission
No FX commission on USD, EUR, GBP, JOD, SAR, CAD and TRY — against up to 3% on every other Arab Bank card.
Purchase protection for 365 days
Visa cover against theft or accidental damage for a year from the purchase date on the receipt.
Extended warranty
Additional cover on top of the manufacturer's warranty, through Visa International.
Easy payment plans from 1%
Convert purchases into instalments, with repayment options of 5%, 25%, 50% or 100% of the balance.
Elite contact centre
A dedicated Elite line on 04 445 0111, plus 24-hour customer contact.
Credit Shield insurance
Optional cover at 0.5% of the outstanding balance, settling 100% on death or permanent total disability.
Pros and cons
- 0% cross-border and foreign-exchange commission in USD, EUR, GBP, JOD, SAR, CAD and TRY — the single best FX deal Arab Bank offers
- Visa purchase protection against theft or accidental damage for 365 days, plus extended warranty on top of the manufacturer's
- Up to 52 interest-free days and easy payment plans from as low as 1%
- A dedicated Elite contact centre and high cash advance limit
- Saves roughly 300 a year in FX on 10,000 of spend in the covered currencies — the fee starts paying for itself around 20,000
- No airport lounge access, no travel insurance and no concierge — unusual gaps for a travel card
- No rewards at all: Arab Bank's Arabi Points earning table does not list the Travel Mate, and the card page never mentions the programme
- Elite Programme customers only, so most applicants cannot get it
- 600 a year with no first-year waiver, and 300 for each supplementary card
- The 0% only covers seven named currencies; Arab Bank does not say what other currencies cost
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You spend more than about 20,000 a year in dollars, euros, sterling or the other covered currencies.
- You are already an Arab Bank Elite customer, which is the only way to get this card.
- You already hold another card for lounges and insurance, and want a cheap card for foreign spend.
Consider skipping it if
- You want a complete travel card — there is no lounge access, travel insurance or concierge.
- You want rewards: this card earns no Arabi Points at all.
- Your foreign spend is in currencies outside the seven named ones, where Arab Bank does not publish a rate.
Alternatives to consider
Lounges in 500+ cities, family travel insurance and concierge for 1,000 — but foreign spend costs up to 3%.
Best travel cards →
Free for life and earns Arabi Points — below about 20,000 of foreign spend it works out cheaper overall.
Best no-annual-fee cards →
An openly available premium travel card to compare on lounge access and foreign-exchange markup.
Best travel cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the Travel Mate different from Arab Bank's other cards?+
Foreign exchange. It charges 0% cross-border and foreign-exchange commission on transactions in USD, EUR, GBP, JOD, SAR, CAD and TRY. Every other Arab Bank credit card charges up to 3% of the transaction value on top of the exchange rate.
What is the annual fee?+
AED 600 for the primary card and AED 300 for each supplementary card, available to Elite Programme customers only. Fees are quoted excluding 5% VAT.
Does the Travel Mate include airport lounge access?+
No. Neither the product page nor the Key Facts Statement lists lounge access, travel insurance or concierge for this card. It is a foreign-exchange product rather than a full travel card.
Does it earn Arabi Points?+
The card page does not mention Arabi Points enrolment, and Arab Bank's published Arabi Points earning table lists Gold, Classic, MasterCard Titanium, Platinum, Signature and MasterCard World Elite — but not the Travel Mate. Treat it as a no-rewards card and ask the bank if that matters to you.
When does the AED 600 fee pay for itself?+
At 3% saved on covered-currency spend, AED 600 of fee is recovered at about AED 20,000 of foreign spend a year, before VAT. Below that, a free card with a 3% markup can work out cheaper.
What happens with currencies outside the seven listed?+
Arab Bank does not say. The card page and Key Facts Statement name only USD, EUR, GBP, JOD, SAR, CAD and TRY as commission-free, and the bank's general credit card term is up to 3% plus the exchange rate. Confirm the treatment of other currencies before relying on it.
What protection is included on purchases?+
Free Purchase Protection Cover through Visa insures purchases against theft or accidental damage occurring within 365 days of the purchase date on the receipt, and Free Extended Warranty Cover adds to the manufacturer's warranty. Visa's insurance terms apply.
What are the borrowing terms?+
3.59% per month on the outstanding balance (about 43.08% a year), up to 52 interest-free days on retail purchases when you pay in full, minimum payment of 5% or AED 100 whichever is higher, late payment AED 230 and over-limit AED 275.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.