Tabby vs Tamara: Fees, Late Charges & Rules in UAE and KSA

How Tabby and Tamara work

Tabby and Tamara pay the store for you at checkout. You then repay them on a fixed schedule from a linked card. The first instalment is usually taken when you order. Which plans you see depends on the store, the amount and your own record, and both say not every plan is offered to everyone.

• Tabby, UAE: a free plan split into equal instalments (the classic Pay in 4), paid plans of 6, 8 or 12 monthly payments, and Pay Next Month: all purchases from the 1st to the end of the month go on one bill due on the 3rd of the next month. You can also pay in full.
• Tabby, Saudi Arabia: 4 interest-free monthly payments. In June 2026 Tabby announced Saudi Central Bank finance licences and longer plans of up to 12 monthly payments on purchases over SAR 2,000, with limits up to SAR 50,000, rolling out to eligible customers.
• Tamara, UAE: splits of 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 or 12 instalments, plus Pay in Full and Pay Next Month, according to its Key Facts Statement.
• Tamara, Saudi Arabia: splits of 3, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 24 months, with a spending limit of up to SAR 50,000. Tamara says Pay in 3 is always fee-free.

Fees and late charges, country by country

Tabby, UAE (Key Facts Statement, version of 17 July 2026):

• Free plan: no fee and no interest.
• Paid plans: a service fee of 5% (6 payments), 9% (8) or 17% (12) of the purchase. Tabby gives a minimum APR of 26% to 43%.
• Missed payment: a collection charge of 15% of the instalment, capped at AED 40 (loans up to AED 370), AED 50 (AED 371 to 1,200), AED 60 (AED 1,201 to 5,000) or AED 70 (above AED 5,000). It is charged on the missed date, and the same amount again on day 15 and day 29 if still unpaid. Collection charges are non-refundable.
• Total repaid, including fees, never exceeds 130% of the loan.

Tabby, Saudi Arabia: Tabby removed late fees on Pay in 4 for purchases from 16 December 2023. It says its newer longer Saudi plans have a cost fixed upfront, no compounding and no late fees.

Tamara, UAE (Key Facts Statement, 3 April 2026): a processing fee of 0% for 2 or 3 instalments and 1% for 4, 6, 9 or 12. Some longer plans can also carry a service fee. Tamara gives a minimum APR of 12% to 48%, a 130% total cap, and says it "does not charge interest or penalty fees" if you miss a payment.

Tamara, Saudi Arabia: its terms say it does not impose interest or late payment penalties. Its APR calculator shows the cost of longer plans before you buy.

No late fee does not mean no consequence. Both can pause your account, cut your limit and report late payments to the credit bureau.

Who can use them

• Tabby, UAE: 18 or older, a legal UAE resident with a valid Emirates ID, a UAE mobile number, a linked debit or credit card, and good standing with Al Etihad Credit Bureau.
• Tabby, Saudi Arabia: Tabby's Saudi eligibility page was not available to us; its public help pages describe the UAE rules. Check the Tabby app.
• Tamara, UAE: 18 or older (60 or younger for Pay in 9 or 12), a legal UAE resident with an Emirates ID valid for at least one more month, a UAE mobile number and good standing with Al Etihad Credit Bureau.
• Tamara, Saudi Arabia: over 18, a verifiable mobile number, a valid ID and a valid payment card. Tamara's help centre says first-time ID checks use your National ID or Iqama and the Nafath app.

Using promo codes with Tabby or Tamara

A store promo code is applied on the store's own checkout, before you pick a payment method. Tabby or Tamara then splits whatever total the store shows. So the order is simple:

1. Add items to your cart and enter the store code.
2. Check that the total has dropped.
3. Choose Tabby or Tamara as the payment method and confirm the plan.

Tamara says its own Exclusive Deals apply automatically or through promo codes on the store's checkout page. Some store offers are tied to a specific payment method, so read the code's terms.

Returns and refunds

You return the item to the store under the store's policy. Neither Tabby nor Tamara issues the refund itself; they adjust your plan once the store records it.

• Partial refund smaller than what you still owe: both spread it across your upcoming instalments, so each one gets smaller.
• Refund bigger than what you still owe: both cancel the remaining instalments and send the difference back to your original payment method.
• If the card can't take the refund: both may credit your Tabby or Tamara balance instead.
• Store credit: Tabby says that if the store refunds you in store credit, your Tabby payments are not adjusted, so keep paying.

Tabby says card refunds usually arrive in 5 to 7 days. Its UAE fees are refunded pro rata, except collection and extension fees.

Tabby+, Tamara Smart and Sharia claims

• Tabby+ (UAE): free for the first month, then AED 49 a month. It lets you pay in 4 wherever Visa is accepted with the Tabby Card, and gives up to 5% cashback in categories you pick.
• Tamara Smart (UAE): free for the first month, then AED 19 a month. 1% cashback per order up to AED 250 a month, processing fees waived up to 1%, and one monthly statement on the 25th with payments due on the 1st.
• Sharia: Tamara describes itself as 100% Sharia compliant with a Sharia committee, and its Saudi terms say it charges no interest or late payment penalties. Tabby says its longer Saudi plans are Shariah-compliant on a Murabaha structure; we found no such statement on its UAE pages.

Tabby vs Tamara at a glance

Fees and plans change. Always read the plan summary on the checkout screen before you confirm.