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United Arab Emirates: Merchant Acquiring & Risk

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Merchant acquiring is a licensed retail payment service under the RPSCS Regulation, with the merged Network International/Magnati the dominant acquirer/processor alongside bank-owned and fintech acquirers (Mashreq/NeoPay, Magnati, Mamo, Telr). Acquirers onboard merchants for card-present and online acceptance, route domestic debit/prepaid through Jaywan/UAESWITCH, and increasingly support Aani QR and UPI acceptance. Onboarding, fraud, tokenisation and chargeback/dispute mechanics are embedded in scheme rules plus CBUAE technology-risk and AML guidance for payment-sector participants.

Standing sub-brief · as of 7 July 202649 words · last cycle 2026-06-27

Merchant Acquiring & Risk

Acquiring and processing capacity has concentrated post-merger under the Network International-Magnati platform, and NPCI-Magnati UPI QR acceptance has been launched at Dubai Duty Free.

Outlook

Merchant-acquiring risk concentration is likely to persist while the merged platform's scale advantages play out across the region's 50-plus markets.

no periodic updates on record for this sub-brief

Sources and findings (4)
  1. T3https://www.kayrouzandassociates.com/insights/cbuae-payment-service-provider-licensing-uaeretrieved
  2. T3https://tbreak.com/network-international-magnati-merger-uae-mea/retrieved
  3. T3https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/npci-and-magnati-partner-to-boost-upi-use-in-uae/retrieved
  4. T1https://rulebook.centralbank.ae/en/rulebook/guidance-licensed-financial-institutions-risks-relating-paymentsretrieved