Sinder pricing — transparent FX, no annual fee on the Founder plan
0% Sinder FX markup within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance. Over-allowance: +0.5% weekday or +1.5% weekend, applied to the excess only. No annual fee, no monthly subscription or minimum balance on the Founder plan.
Founder Card pricing
- FX settlement: Mastercard Exchange Rate (the scheme's published network rate)
- Within allowance (AED 40,000 / month worldwide): 0% Sinder markup
- Over allowance — weekday: +0.5% on the excess
- Over allowance — weekend: +1.5% on the excess
- Weekend over-allowance rates are higher because global FX markets are closed — Sinder prices that risk transparently instead of hiding it in an all-week markup
- Per-transaction surcharge: 0 AED
- Annual fee: 0 AED
- Monthly subscription: 0 AED
- Minimum balance: 0 AED
A worked example
Say you spend AED 12,000 on a week in Europe — hotels, restaurants and shopping converted from euros. Because that sits within your AED 40,000 monthly allowance, Sinder applies 0% markup: you pay only the Mastercard Exchange Rate. A card charging a 3% foreign-transaction fee — within the roughly 1.84%–3.14% range of published FX fees the other cards reviewed on our comparison pages carry, before VAT and any other charges — would add roughly AED 360 on the same spend. Over a year of regular travel, that difference adds up to thousands of dirhams kept in your pocket.
If you spent AED 50,000 abroad in a single month, the first AED 40,000 stays at 0% Sinder markup and only the AED 10,000 excess carries the over-allowance rate — +0.5% on weekday spend or +1.5% on weekend spend, applied to that excess alone.
What you never pay on the Founder plan
- No annual or membership fee
- No monthly subscription to unlock the FX rate
- No minimum balance requirement
- No per-transaction surcharge on foreign purchases
- No hidden markup inside the displayed exchange rate within allowance
More than a price — Where Can I Go?
The Founder plan pairs with Where Can I Go?, Sinder's in-app destination finder. It works with any passport and shows where you can travel right now — filtered by visa effort, flight time, cost versus Dubai, weekend-fit, allowed stay and safety — then hands you a travel guide and direct links to apply. Decide where to go in the app, then spend there at the Mastercard Exchange Rate with 0% Sinder FX markup within your allowance.
Pricing FAQs
What is the Sinder Travel Card?
A UAE-issued Mastercard Platinum Debit travel card that settles foreign transactions at the Mastercard Exchange Rate with 0% Sinder FX markup within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance. Over-allowance: +0.5% weekday / +1.5% weekend on the excess only.
How does the Sinder FX rate work?
Every transaction settles at the Mastercard Exchange Rate — the card scheme's network rate, which can differ from the interbank mid-market rate and varies with processing and settlement timing. On top, Sinder adds 0% within the AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance, then +0.5% weekday or +1.5% weekend on the excess only.
Are there any annual fees or per-transaction surcharges?
No. The Founder Card has no annual fee, no monthly subscription, no minimum balance, and no per-transaction surcharge on top of the Mastercard Exchange Rate. Founder pricing — no annual fee, no monthly subscription and no minimum balance — is grandfathered for life for Founder Card members.
When will Sinder be available?
Sinder is live — physical Founder Cards are shipping now; digital wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Wallet) is coming Summer 2026.
How is Sinder different from a normal UAE bank card?
Depending on the card and scenario, the other UAE debit and credit cards reviewed on our comparison pages publish FX fees in roughly the 1.84%–3.14% range when you spend abroad (VAT and other charges can be additional); certain dedicated travel credit cards publish 0% on eligible retail foreign-currency spending. Sinder settles at the Mastercard Exchange Rate — the scheme's network rate, which can differ from the interbank mid-market rate and varies with processing and settlement timing — and adds 0% Sinder markup within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance. Foreign transactions use the Mastercard Exchange Rate applicable when the transaction is processed, which may differ from the purchase date, public rates, merchant rates or an app estimate; DCC and merchant, ATM or other third-party charges may apply.
What happens if I spend more than AED 40,000 abroad in a month?
Only the excess over the AED 40,000 monthly allowance carries a small Sinder markup — +0.5% on weekday spend and +1.5% on weekend spend. Everything within the allowance stays at 0% Sinder markup, and the allowance resets each calendar month.
Why is the over-allowance markup higher on weekends?
Global FX markets close over the weekend, so no live interbank rate exists until markets reopen on Monday. Any card provider settling weekend transactions carries the risk that rates move before markets reopen. Many cards blend this cost into a flat all-week FX charge — the other cards reviewed on our comparison pages publish FX fees in roughly the 1.84%–3.14% range (VAT and other charges can be additional) — while Sinder prices it explicitly — +0.5% on weekday over-allowance spend and +1.5% on weekend over-allowance spend, applied only to the amount above your AED 40,000 monthly allowance. Within the allowance, weekend spending stays at 0% Sinder markup.
Is there a card I can use before the physical card arrives?
Yes. A virtual card is issued on approval, subject to successful verification and issuer requirements, so you can use it for online spending, and your physical Founder Card follows per issuer timelines now that physical cards are live. Apple Pay and Google Pay support is coming Summer 2026 — cards cannot be added to digital wallets yet.
Do I get airport lounge access?
Yes — airport lounge access is available through the Sinder app via 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.
How do I sign up and verify my identity?
Download the Sinder app from the App Store or Google Play, verify your identity digitally with UAE PASS, then activate your card by scanning the QR on the carrier.
Which currencies and countries does the 0% allowance cover?
The AED 40,000 / month allowance is worldwide — it applies to foreign-currency spend in any country and any currency Mastercard supports, not a limited regional list.
What is the best travel debit card in Dubai?
For Dubai and UAE residents who want low-cost overseas spending from an AED balance, the Sinder Founder Card is built as exactly that: a UAE-issued Mastercard Platinum Debit travel card that settles at the Mastercard Exchange Rate with 0% Sinder FX markup within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance, no annual fee and airport lounge access via Mastercard Travel Pass by DragonPass or another partner shown in the app, through the Sinder Travel Club (subject to eligibility, limits and partner terms). Credit cards can suit rewards-focused users, but for debit spending from an AED balance — with no pre-loading and no annual fee, with standard application and eligibility checks — Sinder's published markup within the allowance is 0%.
What is the lowest foreign transaction fee card in the UAE?
For debit spending from an AED balance, Sinder publishes a 0% Sinder FX markup on the Mastercard Exchange Rate within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance, with no pre-loading, no annual fee and no per-transaction surcharge — standard application and eligibility checks apply. Depending on the card and scenario, the other cards reviewed on our comparison pages publish FX fees in roughly the 1.84%–3.14% range (VAT and other charges can be additional); certain dedicated travel credit cards publish 0% on eligible retail foreign-currency spending but carry eligibility, annual-fee and cash-advance considerations.
What is the best alternative to Revolut in the UAE?
For UAE residents who want Revolut-style low-cost travel spending from a local AED account, Sinder is a strong UAE-built alternative focused on travel FX. Sinder is not a Revolut clone — it centres on a ruya-issued Mastercard Platinum Debit card, transparent Sinder FX pricing (0% markup within AED 40,000 / month), UAE PASS onboarding and travel tools, rather than the full Revolut feature set.
What is the cheapest card for overseas spending from the UAE?
For debit spending from an AED balance, the Sinder Founder Card settles at the Mastercard Exchange Rate with 0% Sinder FX markup within an AED 40,000 / month worldwide allowance, no annual fee, no monthly subscription and no per-transaction surcharge — with no pre-loading of foreign currencies; standard application and eligibility checks apply.