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We covered what Jaywan is and how it works back in January, when the UAE’s national card scheme was still ahead of its official rollout. That rollout is done. Jaywan launched on July 20, 2026, and a day later Mastercard launched the first Jaywan credit card through a co-badge partnership, adding to a scheme that already had debit and prepaid cards live. Here’s what actually changed.
Jaywan Credit Card Launch Details
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official launch | July 20, 2026, inaugurated by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| First card issuers | First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), debit and prepaid |
| Merchant acceptance | Enabled by Network International |
| Domestic fees | No additional merchant acceptance fees on domestic transactions, per Al Etihad Payments |
| New this week | Mastercard’s first Jaywan co-badged credit card, announced July 21, 2026 |
| Also new | New card switching and processing infrastructure, plus a Mastercard operations centre in the UAE |
What’s confirmed now that wasn’t in January
When we first wrote about Jaywan, the co-badging deals with Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay and Discover were already signed, but the scheme itself hadn’t launched. Two things are now confirmed rather than projected: who’s actually issuing cards, and what domestic transactions cost.
First Abu Dhabi Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai were among the first to launch Jaywan debit and prepaid cards on launch day, with Network International enabling merchant acceptance across the UAE. Domestic transactions route through the UAE’s own UAESWITCH infrastructure, and Al Etihad Payments has confirmed there are no additional merchant acceptance fees on those transactions, rather than the projected fee-reduction range we reported in January.
Mastercard’s new Jaywan credit card
The new piece is specifically credit. Jaywan already had debit and prepaid cards co-badged across all four international networks. What launched on July 21 is the first Jaywan credit card, co-badged with Mastercard, and Mastercard got there first.
The announcement also covers new card payment switching and processing infrastructure, and a new Mastercard operations centre in the UAE that becomes part of Mastercard’s global network, handling cybersecurity, fraud prevention and threat intelligence work alongside the processing itself.
Neither Al Etihad Payments nor Mastercard has said when the credit card will actually reach customers, which banks will issue it, or how it will be priced.
Why it matters now, differently than in January
In January, the co-badging story was structural: four networks signed on before a single card existed. Now it’s operational. Banks have to decide whether and when to issue Jaywan credit cards on the Mastercard co-badge specifically, the same choice FAB and CBD already made for debit and prepaid. Whichever bank moves first on credit will set the pace for whether Visa, UnionPay and Discover follow with their own credit co-badges, or whether Mastercard holds that lane alone for a while.
For everyday users, the launch is the more concrete change: Jaywan debit and prepaid cards are things you can actually get now, not a scheme that’s been announced but isn’t live yet.
What’s next
The credit card side is the open piece. No launch date, no named issuing bank, no fee structure. Worth watching whether another network matches Mastercard’s credit co-badge, and which bank issues the first Jaywan credit card.
FAQs
Is Jaywan actually live now?
Yes. It officially launched July 20, 2026, with First Abu Dhabi Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai issuing the first debit and prepaid cards.
Is Jaywan actually live now?
The first Jaywan co-badged credit card was announced July 21, 2026, along with new switching infrastructure and a new Mastercard operations centre in the UAE.
Are there fees for using a Jaywan card domestically?
No additional merchant acceptance fees on domestic transactions, according to Al Etihad Payments.
Is Mastercard Jaywan’s only international partner?
No. Visa, UnionPay and Discover already co-badge Jaywan’s debit and prepaid cards. Mastercard is the first to extend into credit specifically.
When can I get a Jaywan credit card?
Not disclosed yet. No launch date, issuing bank or fee structure has been announced for the credit product.
Editor’s take: The January piece was about a scheme on paper: real co-badging deals, but no cards in anyone’s wallet yet. This is the same scheme with actual issuers, actual acceptance, and actual transactions happening. The Mastercard credit co-badge is a real milestone, but it’s also the newest and least-finished part of the story: no bank and no price. The debit and prepaid rollout with FAB and CBD is the part that’s real right now. Worth coming back to this once a bank actually names a Jaywan credit card launch date.