Liv Cashback Credit Card
Best for: digital-first residents who want a free-for-life card that earns cashback on all spend.
Why it ranks
- Free for life with no category tracking
- Lower FX fee than most UAE cards
- Quick app-based application
What holds it back
- Only 0.75% below AED 5,000 of monthly spend
- Cap is tied to your credit limit, so a low limit means low cashback
- Government, utility and bill payments earn just 0.1%
Advertiser disclosure: we may be paid if you apply through our links. Ratings are editorial. Confirm today's terms on the issuer's site — offers change.
Why the Liv Cashback Credit Card ranks where it does
Liv Cashback is a free-for-life card that pays on everything, with a rate that depends on how much you spend in the month: 0.75% below AED 5,000, 1.5% from AED 5,000 to 9,999 and 2% from AED 10,000, applied to the whole month's spend once you reach a tier. Government, utility and bill payments earn only 0.1%, and the monthly cap is AED 750.
The whole-month rule creates a clear threshold effect. Spending AED 4,900 earns about AED 37; spending AED 5,000 earns AED 75, so crossing a tier is worth more than the extra spend itself. The less obvious limit is that monthly cashback is also restricted to a share of your credit limit, 2% of the limit in Liv's example, so a low limit means low cashback whatever the tier.
Two features make it more useful than most free cards. Points can be taken as cashback or as Emirates Skywards Miles, up to 5,000 miles a month, and the 1.99% currency conversion fee plus Mastercard's roughly 1.15% is lower than most UAE cards charge. There is lounge access at more than 25 airports under Liv's visit rules. The salary bar is AED 5,000, and you can apply in the Liv app without an existing Liv account.
Good fit if
- People who want one free card for all spending without categories
- Residents spending AED 5,000 to 10,000 a month on one card
- Occasional travellers who want a lower currency fee
Skip it if
- Anyone with a low credit limit, which caps the cashback
- People whose spending is mostly government payments and bills
Assume AED 10,000 a month of eligible spend and a credit limit of AED 40,000. The 2% tier applies to the whole month, giving AED 200, and Liv's example cap of 2% of the credit limit, AED 800, is not reached. That is AED 2,400 a year with no fee. If spend fell to AED 9,500 in a month, the 1.5% tier would pay AED 142.50, so the last AED 500 of spend is worth AED 57.50 in that month.
How it stacks up
The Liv Cashback+ raises the tiers to 1%, 2% and 4% and the cap to AED 1,500, for an AED 735 fee and an AED 15,000 salary bar. The RAKBANK Red is also free for life, pays up to 1.5% on retail and includes a free international remittance each month, but requires a security cheque. On salaries below AED 15,000, the standard Liv card is the better of the two Liv options.
The Liv Cashback Credit Card from Emirates NBD's digital bank is free for life and pays a flat rate on all spend that rises with your monthly total. Figures are as of September 2026.
Liv Cashback Credit Card at a glance
| Issuer | Liv (Emirates NBD) |
| Card network | Mastercard |
| Annual fee | Free for life (no joining or annual fee) |
| Welcome bonus | See issuer for the current offer |
| Rewards rate | 0.75% on monthly spend up to AED 4,999, 1.5% at AED 5,000 to 9,999, 2% at AED 10,000+ (the rate applies to the whole month); 0.1% on government, utilities and bills; AED 750 monthly cap |
| Intro APR | None |
| Regular APR | 3.49% per month (41.88% APR) |
| Foreign transaction fee | 1.99% currency conversion fee plus Mastercard's processing fee (about 1.15%) |
| Airport lounge access | Access at 25+ airports (visit rules set by Liv) |
| Credit needed | Minimum monthly salary AED 5,000; age 21+; debt burden below 50%; good AECB score |
| Best for | Digital-first residents who want a free-for-life card that earns on all spend |
Key features
- Cashback on all spend, with the monthly tier rate applied to every purchase that month
- Redeem points as cashback or Emirates Skywards Miles (up to 5,000 miles a month)
- Apply in the Liv app; an existing Liv account is not required
- Monthly cashback is also limited to a share of your credit limit (Liv's example: 2% of the limit)
- VOX Cinemas: 2 tickets a month plus 25% off food and drinks
Before you apply: confirm the current fee, reward rates and eligibility on the issuer's official site. BestCreditCards is an independent ranking site, not the card issuer, and this is not financial advice.
How it ranks against similar UAE cards
| Rank | Card | Annual fee | Rewards | Welcome offer | Foreign fee | Who qualifies | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L(Liv (Emirates NBD)Liv CashbackNo annual fee · AE Liv Cashback Credit CardDigital-first residents who want a free-for-life card that earns on all spend |
None | 0.75% on monthly spend up to AED 4,999, 1.5% at AED 5,000 to 9,999, 2% at AED 10… | See issuer for the current offer | 1.99% currency conversion… | Minimum monthly salary AED 5,000… | |
| 2 | R(RAKBANK (The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah)RAKBANK RedNo annual fee · AE RAKBANK Red Credit CardSalaried residents who want a card that never charges an annual fee |
None | Up to 1.5% cashback on retail spend (subject to a minimum spend per statement cy… | See issuer for the current offer | 2.57% of the transaction a… | Minimum monthly salary AED 5,000… |
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