Your Sinder card has arrived — two steps to travel ready

The page behind the QR code on your card carrier: activate in the app, then make one chip-and-PIN payment. Then tap, pay online and spend abroad at the Mastercard rate with 0% Sinder FX markup within the AED 40,000 / month allowance.

Two steps

  • Activate the card in the Sinder app. Open the Sinder app. Go to the Cards section. Select Activate, then scan the QR on the card or type the card number. Set your PIN. Face ID / fingerprint must be enabled for the Sinder app in your phone settings — activation won't complete without it. Only you can activate your card; nobody at Sinder can do it for you.
  • Make one chip-and-PIN payment. Go to any shop with a card terminal. Insert the card (don't tap) and enter your PIN — any amount. That's it: tap-to-pay and online payments are now unlocked. This one-time step is a Mastercard security requirement. Tap or online before it will usually be declined. Your account already has the AED 50 from your application, so there's nothing to top up first.

What it costs

  • Card & account: Free — No issuance, annual, monthly or inactivity fee. No minimum monthly balance.
  • Spending abroad: 0% FX markup — Mastercard exchange rate, 0% Sinder markup on your first AED 40,000 each month. Above that: +0.5% weekdays, +1.5% weekends.
  • ATM withdrawals: 1%, max AED 25 — Per withdrawal, plus anything the ATM owner charges.
  • Replacement card: AED 26.25 — Lost, stolen or extra card. Freezing a card in the app is free.

Legal documents

First-week questions

I activated the card but it was declined. Why?

Three things to check: Have you done one chip-and-PIN payment yet? Tap and online only work after that first insert-and-PIN payment. Is there enough money in the account for this purchase? Top-ups are by bank transfer and usually land in 2–10 minutes. Did you set a PIN during activation? If all three are fine, message us on WhatsApp with the merchant, time and amount and we'll check where the decline happened.

Why is the terminal asking for my PIN?

Chip-and-PIN is required on your very first payment, and for tap payments above roughly AED 500. After the first chip-and-PIN payment, everyday tap payments go through without a PIN.

Can I use the card online?

Yes — after your first chip-and-PIN payment in a shop. Enter the cardholder name exactly as it appears in the Sinder app. Payment confirmation codes arrive as a push notification in the Sinder app, not by SMS — keep notifications switched on.

Can I add the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay?

Not yet. Google Pay and Samsung Pay are targeted for the end of September. Apple Pay is targeted for October–November. Your existing card will be added automatically — you won't need a new one. Until then, the physical card is what you use in person.

The card only shows my first and last name. Is that a problem?

No. The card is printed with the first and last name from your UAE PASS record; your full legal name is held at the bank, so payments and travel are unaffected. For online checkouts, use the name shown in the Sinder app.

How do I top up?

A normal local AED bank transfer from any UAE bank to the IBAN shown in the app — just like paying a friend. Card and Apple Pay top-ups aren't available yet. If your bank asks for a SWIFT code or shows a 'beneficiary update' prompt, ignore it and continue: it's a local transfer. Transfers usually land in 2–10 minutes.

My top-up hasn't arrived.

Most transfers land within 10 minutes; bank holidays can delay them. Check that the transfer actually left your bank. Check the IBAN matches the one in the app exactly. A transfer to a wrong IBAN is returned by your bank, usually within a few working days — it isn't lost. If it's been more than an hour, message us on WhatsApp with the transfer reference and we'll check with the bank.

Is the card really free?

Yes. There is no issuance, annual, monthly or inactivity fee and no minimum monthly balance. 0% Sinder FX markup on the Mastercard Exchange Rate within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance — weekdays and weekends alike; on activity above the allowance the excess is charged +0.5% on weekdays and +1.5% on weekends. International ATM withdrawals cost 1% of the withdrawal amount, capped at AED 25 per withdrawal, plus possible ATM-owner fees. Physical card replacement, additional or reissued cards cost AED 26.25. Third-party charges (ATM owners, merchant currency conversion) are outside Sinder's control. The full schedule is in the FX & Fees Disclosure below.

Should I pay in the local currency or in AED when abroad?

Always choose the local currency. If a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in AED (dynamic currency conversion), decline it — that conversion is done by the merchant's bank at a worse rate and is outside Sinder's 0% FX.

What are the spending limits?

The standard daily limits in the Cardholder Agreement are: ATM: AED 10,000 Online: AED 50,000 In-store: AED 60,000 Lower limits can apply to your profile — many cardholders currently see AED 5,000 a day at ATMs — so treat the limits shown in the Sinder app as the ones that apply to you.

I forgot my PIN.

Right now a PIN can only be changed if you know the current one, so the fix is a replacement card (AED 26.25, delivered in the UAE in 1–2 working days). An in-app PIN reset is being added; if you can wait, it's coming.

I lost my card or think it's been stolen.

Act in this order: Freeze it immediately from the Cards tab in the app — instant and reversible. If it's definitely gone, report it lost in the app and order a replacement (AED 26.25, UAE delivery only). If you're abroad, freeze now and order the replacement when you're back.

Where are my lounge and travel benefits?

In the Sinder app under Travel Club. If lounge access is shown for your Card tier in the Sinder app, it may be provided through Mastercard Travel Pass by DragonPass or another partner shown in the app, subject to eligibility, visit and guest limits, participating locations, capacity, possible fees and partner terms; entry is not guaranteed. Partner benefits are the offers shown in the Sinder app, subject to eligibility, availability and partner terms.

Support

WhatsApp support is staffed by people, 8am–8pm, seven days a week. Message from the button on the page for a reply with the context already filled in.