"Just bring your Visa and you'll be fine" - that advice almost ruined my first week in Dubai.
After moving to Dubai in 2021, I learned the hard way that payment methods here work differently than back home. This isn't another generic travel guide. These are real lessons from actually living here - the places that don't take cards, the hidden fees I discovered, and the digital wallets that changed everything.
Three years of trial and error, condensed into guides that actually help. No fluff, no sponsored content - just honest experience.
Most Popular
Everyone says UAE is card-friendly. They're mostly right - but "mostly" cost me AED 200 in my first month. Here's what nobody tells you about using plastic in the Emirates, from the best cards to get to the fees that sneak up on you.
Essential
That moment at the parking machine with no card reader. The street food vendor with the best shawarma you've ever tasted. Some places here still run on dirhams only, and knowing them saves major headaches.
Game Changer
I resisted digital wallets for two years. What a mistake. Now I barely touch my physical cards. Here's how mobile payments work here, which UAE-specific apps are worth downloading, and the one thing that still doesn't work.
Don't have time to read everything? Here's what I wish someone told me before I landed in Dubai.