SIB Smiles Titanium Mastercard
Free for life, and it still earns
at Sharjah Islamic Bank's secure site
No annual fee and free supplementary cards. Terms apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
"There's nothing to lose here — no annual fee, free supplementary cards, and double points when you spend abroad. Just don't apply for the lounges. SIB's '1,300 lounges in 135 countries' is a flight-delay benefit, and you have to have registered the flight a day in advance to use it."
Earning and redeeming Smiles
SIB runs Smiles as its own loyalty programme at sibsmiles.com — it is not the etisalat Smiles app that ADIB and CBD co-brand with. The Titanium earns 2 Smiles for every 2 spent internationally and 1 Smile per 2 at home, with education, utility, government and supermarket transactions halved to 0.5 Smiles per 2. European Economic Area spending is carved out of the international rate and SIB publishes no replacement rate for this card. There is no welcome bonus — everything you earn comes from spending.
The redemption side is where the programme is strongest: flights on 300+ airlines with no blackout dates and no cash top-up for taxes, free stays at 300,000+ hotels including five-star properties, gift vouchers, cashback and the SIB Online Shop. What SIB never publishes is what a Smile is worth, so you cannot convert the earn rates above into a return per — you have to log into sibsmiles.com and compare each redemption against its cash cost. Smiles expire 36 months after the transaction and are forfeited entirely if you close the card.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- Free for life — no annual fee and free supplementary cards
- Earn rate
- 2 Smiles per 2 international, 1 Smile per 2 domestic, 0.5 on education/utility/government/supermarket
- Welcome bonus
- None advertised — the 50,000-Smile bonus applies to the Smiles World, not this card
- Monthly profit rate
- 2.49% a month — the Murabaha and Wakala profit rates are equal, and the difference is rebated as a bonus when you settle the statement in full by the due date
- Grace period
- Up to 17 days from the statement date
- Minimum payment
- 5% of the utilised amount
- Foreign currency
- 2.5% administration fee on non- transactions, excluding Mastercard's own fees — so the effective markup is higher
- Cash withdrawal
- Up to 80% of the card limit; fee of 3.15% of the amount (minimum 78.75)
- Late payment
- 236.25, treated as a commitment to donate to charity
- Minimum salary
- Not published by SIB for the Smiles cards
- Card replacement
- 78.75; additional statement 47.25; copy of a purchase slip 68.25
- Card network
- Mastercard Titanium (covered card)
Rates verified against SIB's published Smiles Covered Card Key Facts Statement (English and Arabic) and sib.ae on 21 August 2026. All charges are stated by SIB as VAT inclusive. SIB's cards hub labels the 2.49% profit rate 'p.a.' while the Key Facts Statement states it is monthly. Always confirm on SIB's site before applying.
Card benefits
Free for life
No annual fee, ever, and free supplementary cards — there is no cost to earn back before the points count as profit.
Double Smiles abroad
2 Smiles for every 2 spent internationally against 1 at home — though a 2.5% FX admin fee applies on top of Mastercard's charge.
300+ airlines, no blackout dates
Redeem Smiles for flights across more than 300 airlines with no blackout dates and no cash payment for taxes or surcharges.
300,000+ hotels
Free stays at over 300,000 hotels worldwide, including five-star properties, plus up to 30% off through Mastercard's hotel booking portal.
Lounges — but only on a delay
Over 1,300 lounges in 135+ countries open up when your flight is delayed an hour or more, and only if you registered it 24 hours before departure via Mastercard Travel Pass.
Instalments and Easy Cash
Convert purchases to instalments over up to 12 months, transfer balances from other banks, or draw up to 80% of your limit as cash — all on a no-fee card.
Pros and cons
- Genuinely free for life, with free supplementary cards too — there is no fee to earn back
- Still earns on everything, including double points on international spending
- Smiles redeem widely: flights on 300+ airlines with no blackout dates, 300,000+ hotels, vouchers and cashback
- Easy Payment Plan, Easy Cash and balance transfer are all available on a no-fee card
- Sharia-compliant covered card: settle in full and the Murabaha profit is rebated as a bonus, so you pay nothing
- The advertised '1,300 lounges in 135 countries' only unlocks when your flight is delayed by an hour or more, and needs registering 24 hours ahead
- SIB does not publish what a Smile is worth, so you cannot calculate the card's real return
- Only about 17 days of grace from the statement date, where most UAE cards give 45–55
- Education, utility, government and supermarket spending is halved to 0.5 Smiles per 2
- A 2.5% foreign-currency admin fee sits on top of Mastercard's own charge, cancelling out much of the double international rate
- No welcome bonus, no travel insurance and no minimum salary published
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You want a points card that costs nothing to hold and nothing to renew.
- A decent share of your spending is international, where the rate doubles.
- You want free supplementary cards for family members on an entry-level card.
Consider skipping it if
- You're applying for the lounge access — it only works when your flight is already delayed.
- You want a welcome bonus; this card has none, while the Smiles World offers 50,000 Smiles.
- You need to know your rewards' value up front — SIB never publishes what a Smile is worth.
Alternatives to consider
For 525 a year the Smiles World gives unconditional unlimited lounge access, 1.5x the earn rate, travel insurance and a 50,000-Smile welcome bonus.
Best lounge access cards →
SIB's Cashback card pays 10% on online and wallet spending up to 300 a month — in you can actually value, unlike Smiles.
Best cashback cards →
CBD's Smiles card runs on etisalat's Smiles app, not SIB's own programme — worth comparing if food delivery and telecom rewards matter more to you than flights.
Best Islamic 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
Is the Smiles Titanium really free?+
Yes. SIB's Key Facts Statement lists it as 'free for life', with a free annual fee and free supplementary cards. There is no first-year-only condition and no minimum spend to keep it free.
How many Smiles do I earn?+
2 Smiles for every AED 2 spent internationally and 1 Smile for every AED 2 spent in the UAE. Education, utility, government and supermarket transactions earn half that — 0.5 Smiles per AED 2. European Economic Area and Specific Merchant transactions are excluded from the international rate; SIB does not publish an EEA rate for this card.
Does the card include airport lounge access?+
Only conditionally. SIB's card page says you get complimentary access to over 1,300 lounges in more than 135 countries if your flight is delayed by one hour or more, and you must register the flight at least 24 hours before the original departure time through the Mastercard Travel Pass app. The Key Facts Statement separately lists 'free unlimited lounge access in 10 key Middle East airports'. If you want unconditional lounges, the Smiles World is the card that has them.
What can I redeem Smiles for?+
Flights on over 300 airlines with no blackout dates and no cash top-up for taxes or surcharges, free stays at over 300,000 hotels including five-star properties, gift vouchers, cashback and the SIB Online Shop. Redemption is done at www.sibsmiles.com.
What is a Smile worth?+
SIB does not publish a value. Neither the card page, the Key Facts Statement nor the Smiles Covered Card terms state a conversion rate for flights, hotels, vouchers or cashback, so the only way to price a redemption is to check sibsmiles.com against the cash cost.
When do Smiles expire?+
36 months from the transaction date, after which they are cancelled. Smiles also stop accruing if you miss a minimum payment, redemption is blocked for a statement cycle if the minimum due is unpaid, and cancelling the card forfeits everything you have accrued.
Is the card Sharia-compliant?+
Yes. It is a covered card built on a Bonds Murabaha contract paired with a Wakala investment account that holds your spending cover. The Murabaha and Wakala profit rates are both 2.49% a month, and if you pay the full statement balance by the due date SIB credits the difference back as a bonus so no profit is payable. The card cannot be used for non-Sharia-compliant purchases such as alcohol, pork, gambling or tobacco.
Is Titanium the only Smiles card?+
No. SIB also offers the Smiles World Mastercard at AED 525 a year, which earns 1.5 times the Titanium's rate, adds unconditional unlimited lounge access, travel insurance and a 50,000-Smile welcome bonus.
What happens if I pay late?+
A late payment fee of AED 236.25, which SIB treats as a commitment to donate to charity rather than bank income. Profit is then calculated daily on your utilised cover and the delay is reported to Al Etihad Credit Bureau.
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.