Raqma

Banking & payments for UAE companies

Every product a UAE company needs to hold, move and spend money — catalogued in one place. Pick a category, compare the available options on fees and requirements, then apply with the provider.

99 products from 86 providers · 46 head-to-head comparisons · 43 practical guides

Start with what you need

Each category solves a different problem — compare on the fields that decide the outcome, not on brand familiarity.

Business accounts You need one to invoice clients, pay salaries and keep company money separate from personal funds. Compare on: Monthly fee · minimum balance · approval time · free-zone licence acceptance Wio Business Essential Wio Bank AED 99/month ruya Business Current ruya Community Islamic Bank AED 79/month Online payments You need one to accept card payments on a website, in an app or via a payment link. Compare on: Card rate · fixed fee · payout speed · payment links and plugins Stripe UAE Stripe Card rate 2.9% + AED 1/transaction Tabby for Business Tabby Card rate not published Corporate cards & spend You need one when several people spend company money and you want receipts and limits in one place. Compare on: Limits and controls · expense capture · FX markup · per-seat pricing Pemo Pemo AED 0/month Qashio Qashio AED 0/month Multi-currency & FX You need one if you pay suppliers or invoice clients outside AED on a regular basis. Compare on: Currencies held · local IBANs · markup vs mid-market · transfer speed Wise Business Wise 40+ currencies Hubpay Business Account Hubpay 30+ IBANs, 150+ pairs SME financing You need one to bridge a cash-flow gap or fund inventory, hiring or expansion. Compare on: Funding type · revenue requirement · term · total cost of capital CredibleX SME Financing CredibleX Decision in 1–2 days (soft approval) Wio Business Loan Wio Bank Decision in a few days (in-app) E-invoicing Every in-scope UAE business must appoint an accredited provider before its phase of the mandate goes live. Compare on: MoF accreditation · delivery model · integrations · pricing model Wafeq Wafeq AED 69/month Zoho Books + e-invoicing Zoho AED 60/month Accounting & tax Every UAE company files VAT quarterly and corporate tax annually — and needs books that survive an FTA review. Compare on: Software vs outsourced service · VAT & CT filing · e-invoicing readiness · monthly cost Wafeq Accounting Wafeq AED 69/month sol.online sol.online AED 125/month Payroll & WPS Every UAE employer must pay through the Wage Protection System — late or malformed SIF files can freeze work permits. Compare on: Delivery model · WPS compliance · unbanked-worker cards · per-employee cost Bayzat Bayzat Per-employee or quoted pricing botim Payroll botim money Per-employee or quoted pricing

Compare by industry

The right stack depends on what you sell — pick your industry and see which products across every category fit it.

Restaurants & F&B — POS and pay-at-table payments, WPS payroll for a large workforce, VAT-compliant accounting and e-invoicing E-commerce & online retail — Payment gateways with local acquiring, BNPL for conversion, multi-currency accounts for marketplace payouts and e-invoic Trading & import/export — Multi-currency accounts, FX and cross-border payments, invoice and trade financing Professional services & agencies — Fast-onboarding business accounts, e-invoicing for B2B work, lean accounting and team spend cards Construction & contractors — WPS payroll for a largely unbanked workforce, project and equipment financing, milestone e-invoicing and business accoun

Popular head-to-head comparisons

All comparisons →
Wio Business Essential vs RAKBANK RAKstarter Wio Bank · RAKBANK Wio Business Essential vs ruya Business Current Wio Bank · ruya Community Islamic Bank Mashreq NeoBiz Lite vs Wio Business Essential Mashreq · Wio Bank Alaan vs Pemo Alaan · Pemo Alaan vs Qashio Alaan · Qashio Wise Business vs Hubpay Business Account Wise · Hubpay

Fees, costs & tools

UAE business banking fees — published account, card and transfer fees across providers, in one dataset. Account approval data — stated approval times, free-zone acceptance and branch-visit rules per provider. Payment gateway costs — rates and modelled monthly cost at three volumes. Payment cost calculator — model what a payment gateway actually costs at your monthly volume. Where to compare UAE business banking — every comparison site and what each one is good for.

Practical guides

All guides →
Best Edenred alternatives in the UAE — salary cards and WPS payroll 2026 Edenred in the UAE means salary cards and Wage Protection accounts for unbanked staff. Here are the WPS payroll providers that compete on the same job — with published pricing where it exists. Best greytHR alternatives for UAE payroll in 2026 greytHR is built around Indian payroll. If your team is in the UAE you need WPS-compliant salary processing — here are the providers that actually do it. Best Tabby alternatives for UAE merchants in 2026 Tabby does one thing — BNPL at checkout. If you need card acquiring, payment links or lower fees, here are the UAE alternatives worth pricing. Best Ziina alternatives for UAE businesses in 2026 Ziina sells payment links and invoicing to freelancers and micro-merchants. If you outgrew it, need POS, subscriptions or a full gateway — here is what to price instead.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a business account to run a company in the UAE?

Practically yes. A corporate account keeps company money separate, is expected for most licence renewals and visa processing, and is required to accept card payments. Compare monthly fees and minimum-balance rules before you choose.

Can a free-zone company open a business bank account?

Yes, but acceptance differs by provider. Some digital-first providers onboard free-zone entities remotely, while traditional banks may ask for a physical office or a UAE-resident signatory. Each comparison lists the provider’s free-zone policy.

How long does business account approval take?

Digital-first providers usually answer within days; traditional banks can take several weeks of compliance review. Approval time is one of the fields Raqma tracks for every product.

How much does it cost to accept card payments online in the UAE?

Expect roughly 2.5–3.5% plus a fixed fee per transaction, and sometimes monthly or settlement costs. Model your real volume with the payment cost calculator before choosing a gateway.

Is Raqma a bank or a lender?

No. Raqma is an independent comparison service. We catalogue the published terms of UAE business banking, payments and financing products — you apply directly with the provider you choose.

Not sure which product fits?

Answer three questions — we point you to the right category and the strongest options in it.

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