UAE Jaywan Prepaid Card Launched by Botim With Plans To Reach 4m Workers

Botim has launched the Botim One Jaywan Prepaid Card, becoming the first fintech platform in the UAE to issue a prepaid card under the country’s national card scheme, with plans to extend access to as many as 4m workers.

The initial rollout, delivered through Botim’s corporate payroll relationships and partnerships with exchange houses, is expected to reach more than 200,000 workers across the UAE.

The prepaid card will allow employees receiving salaries through Botim’s Wages Protection System (WPS) payroll solution to make purchases at payment terminals and online.

Botim said the service has no minimum salary or minimum balance requirement, with multilingual digital onboarding available through its platform.

Jaywan prepaid card

Jaywan is the UAE’s national card scheme, operated by Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE.

The scheme processes domestic card transactions within the UAE and supports payments at point-of-sale terminals and through e-commerce channels.

Through Botim’s regulated WPS payroll service, employers can disburse salaries digitally, while employees can use the Botim One Jaywan Prepaid Card for everyday purchases.

Botim is accredited by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) to provide WPS services.

The launch is intended to extend digital salary payments beyond wage disbursement and cash withdrawals, giving workers additional ways to use their earnings.

Botim targets UAE workers

Botim said its initial distribution will focus on existing corporate payroll relationships and strategic partnerships with exchange houses. These channels are expected to reach more than 200,000 workers during the first phase.

The company aims to expand the Botim One Jaywan Prepaid Card to up to 4 million workers across the UAE as adoption grows.

Botim has more than 8.5m users in the UAE.

Within its fintech user base, approximately 65 per cent are blue-collar workers, while a further 31 per cent work in grey-collar professions.

The company said this workforce concentration positions it to expand access to digital payment services among employees who have traditionally had limited access to financial products.

Alongside everyday card payments, eligible customers can access other financial services available through Botim.

These include international money transfers to more than 170 destinations, access to over 125 dining, travel and lifestyle offers, and fractional investments in gold and silver starting from AED10 ($2.72).

Eligible customers may also access credit products through the platform.

Dr. Tariq BinHendi, CEO of Botim, said: “Botim is proud to contribute to this national priority by supporting wider adoption of the scheme among workforce communities that are central to the UAE’s economy.”

Andrea Cianchetti, Chief Products Officer at Al Etihad Payments, said: “This launch shows how prepaid products can extend secure digital payments to workforce communities and extends their participation in the UAE’s national payment strategy in adopting the UAE’s domestic card scheme.”

The upcoming rollout supports the national Financial Infrastructure Transformation Programme and National Digital Economy Strategy, alongside the We the UAE 2031 agenda.