🇦🇪 Best Buy Now Pay Later Apps In UAE [2023]

Buy now pay later apps in UAE are popular financing options available in UAE that facilitate the option of making upfront purchases then spreading the cost over a specified period of time through installments.

Demand for BNPL services in the UAE has largely been influenced by a variety of factors that portray them as worthy alternatives to the more conventional credit options such as loans and credit cards.

Why Is BNPL Popular In UAE?

Some of the reasons that make BNPL apps very popular in UAE include;

Convenience: Unlike physical cash or credit cards, buy now pay later apps in UAE are convenient in relation to making purchases whereby you only need to enter your payment details online at checkout.

Flexibility: this refers to the ability of buy now pay later apps in UAE to allow the spread of purchase costs across a given time period especially when faced with budget constraints.

Transparency: Buy now pay later apps in UAE do not have any hidden charges in regards to their services since all their applicable fees are laid out clearly within their terms and conditions.

Security: In order to prevent data breaches, identity theft as well as misuse of personal information, buy now pay later apps in UAE implement the latest security features inline with the relevant legal requirements.

Wide adoption: With the rise of e-commerce platforms, most merchants not only rely on buy now pay later apps in UAE to boost sales but also to offer more targeted products using the customer data collected by the BNPL apps.

Financial empowerment tool: BNPL apps in UAE are more popular with the young generation due to their ability to provide instant gratification despite financial constraints.

Lenient regulations: As a result of lenient regulations within the BNPL market in UAE, most buy now pay later apps in UAE are able to expand their operations not only targeting regional consumers but also global markets spanning different industries.

Zero interest/fees: Most buy now pay later apps in UAE do not impose interests or fees to their consumers as long as timely payment of installments are adhered to.

How Does BNPL Work In UAE?

As previously highlighted, Buy Now, Pay Later apps in UAE allow customers the benefit of buying products and services with the intention of paying at a later date through affordable installments.

However before using any of the buy now pay later apps in UAE, certain conditions must be met in regards to;

Eligibility: this refers to basic requirements based either on age, citizenship, availability of valid national ID, phone number, email address or debit/credit card.

Registration: this involves account creation through provision of basic details like your name, email address, phone number etc

Credit check: this refers to a financial background check to determine creditworthiness.

Credit approval: Depending on the results of the credit check analysis, credit approval/denial may follow. For instances of credit approval, a credit limit is assigned.

You can then proceed to use your limit to either shop online or in-store at BNPL partner merchant shops. To do this, select the BNPL option as your payment method while at checkout then select your installment period options to complete your purchase.

According to your due dates, the installments will be automatically debited from your bank account.

Buy Now Pay Later Apps In UAE

Some of the top BNPL providers in UAE include Tabby, Spotti, Careem, Postpay, Payit, Flexxpay, Tamara, Payfort, Cashew, Payby. 

These providers offer a variety of BNPL plans, so it may be necessary to settle on your preference based on a variety of factors such as eligibility requirements, interest rates & fees, payment terms, customer service, return policy etc

With the above in mind, below are some of the BNPL providers in UAE highlighting their features, registration & on-boarding processes, payments options and many other useful information to help you make the right choice.

1. Tamara

Tamara is a BNPL app in UAE provided by Nakhla IT Systems LLC through the Tamara app available on the Playstore | Appstore 

You must either create an account in-app or in-store during checkout in order to utilize Tamara by providing your phone number, email address, national ID number, and bank card.

Upon completion of the account creation process, a credit check will be initiated to determine your minimum/maximum Tamara purchase limits. Such limits are usually based on two elements i.e store determined limits as well as individual credit history based on the SIMAH report.

Upon determination of this limit, you can then proceed to shop at any of Tamara’s partner stores

Upon checkout, an order may be approved/declined based on a variety of factors relating to e-commerce card activation, credit rating, outstanding balances, purchase limit exceeded etc

Following order approval, you can initiate payment using any of the available methods, including Apple Pay, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, by simply login into your account via the Tamara app or Web App.

In the event that your payment is rejected, it may be due to insufficient funds, use of a prepaid card, card may not be activated for e-commerce transactions or temporary card suspension by your bank.

To avoid interest/fees charges, timely repayment is recommended failure to which penalties may be imposed whereby on the first day of delay 25 AED will be added which will increase by the same amount after every 15 days until it reaches its 150 AED limit or 25 % of the order value (the lowest of the two)

Prolonged delay may result in your data being shared with Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB)