Some UAE bank customers say annual fees appeared on their credit cards after promotional exemptions ended, with charges of 400 dirhams to 500 dirhams reported for some cards.
Emirates 24|7 reported on 17 September 2026 that customers who had received fee-free offers for two or three years were surprised when annual charges appeared. The report did not identify the banks involved or establish how many cardholders were affected.
The issue is not necessarily whether a card can have an annual fee. A time-limited exemption may end under the card's terms. The practical question is whether the offer made the expiry date, the returning fee and the customer's options clear enough before the charge was applied.
### What the UAE rules say
Under the Consumer Protection Standards, a financial product advertised as free for a specific period must clearly state that it will not remain free after that period. The regular fee and expiry period should be disclosed. Consumers must also be advised 30 calendar days before becoming liable for the expected fee.
Furthermore, these standards require clear information about applicable fees. This includes whether they are one-off or recurring and how often they apply. While this does not resolve an individual dispute, it gives customers a useful checklist when comparing the accepted offer with statement charges.
### What to check
Start with the original application, welcome email or promotion terms. Look for:
- the date the exemption ends
- the annual fee that applies afterwards
- any spending or balance condition attached to the exemption
- how the bank says it will notify you
- the cancellation process and any fee or penalty
Next, compare those terms with the latest fee schedule and the billing date. Check messages, email folders and account notices for a warning. A fee appearing on a statement does not, by itself, show whether the required information was provided.
### If a fee appears unexpectedly
Ask the bank to explain the charge in writing. Request the exemption end date, the term that authorises the fee, the date and method of any notice, and the bank's cancellation or refund process. Keep the statement, offer terms and correspondence together.
If you do not want to keep the card, ask the bank how to cancel it. Confirm whether any balance or instalment remains. Do not stop a payment or ignore the account while a dispute is open without checking the bank's instructions.
In the Emirates 24|7 report, bankers said customers should read card terms and statements. They added that banks should make offers and later fees clear. Both points matter: a long fee-free period can make a card feel permanently free, but written terms and advance notice should settle the transition.