The Botim One Jaywan Prepaid Card will be distributed through the company’s corporate payroll network and partnerships with exchange houses
UAE-based fintech platform Botim has launched what it describes as the Gulf country’s first fintech-issued prepaid card under Jaywan, the UAE’s national card scheme, targeting more than 200,000 workers in its initial rollout as it seeks to expand access to digital financial services.
The Botim One Jaywan Prepaid Card will be distributed through the company’s corporate payroll network and partnerships with exchange houses.
The platform aims to extend its reach to as many as four million workers across the UAE over time, connecting digital salary payments with everyday spending and other financial services.
The launch builds on Botim’s existing payroll operations under the UAE’s Wages Protection System (WPS), which enables employers to pay salaries electronically. Botim is accredited by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation to provide WPS services.
Workers receiving their wages through the platform will be able to use the prepaid card for purchases at point-of-sale terminals and online shopping platforms.
The initiative is designed to extend the benefits of digital salary payments beyond receiving wages and withdrawing cash, allowing workers to use their money for routine transactions.
Jaywan is operated by Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE.
The domestic card scheme is intended to strengthen the country’s payments infrastructure by enabling domestic transactions to be processed within the UAE, supporting national control over payment systems and data.
Reaching underserved workers
Botim said it has more than 8.5 million users in the UAE, giving it an established customer base through which to distribute the new card.
Around 65% of its fintech users are blue-collar workers, while a further 31% work in grey-collar professions, according to the company.
The demographic profile makes payroll-linked distribution a potentially important channel for expanding access to digital payments among workers who may face barriers to conventional banking services.
The company offers multilingual digital registration and says users do not need to meet a minimum salary threshold or maintain a minimum account balance to access its services.
Dr Tariq BinHendi, chief executive of Botim, said the launch would support the UAE’s efforts to strengthen its payments ecosystem, promote financial inclusion and advance digital transformation.
“Jaywan marks an important step in strengthening the country’s payments ecosystem, supporting financial inclusion and advancing the UAE’s digital transformation,” he said, according to the company’s announcement.
Andrea Cianchetti, chief products officer at Al Etihad Payments, said the launch would expand the national card scheme’s reach by bringing more workforce communities into the digital payments ecosystem.
He added that participation by fintech companies, banks and other regulated financial institutions would help Jaywan serve a wider range of everyday payment needs.
Beyond payments
The prepaid card will connect users with Botim’s wider financial services offering, which includes international money transfers to more than 170 destinations, dining, travel and lifestyle offers across more than 125 outlets and services, and fractional investments in gold and silver starting at Dh10.
Eligible users may also access credit products through the platform.
For Botim, the card represents an opportunity to deepen relationships with customers who already use its services to receive wages or transfer money overseas. For Jaywan, the partnership provides another distribution channel beyond traditional banks and exchange houses.
The UAE formally began nationwide issuance of Jaywan cards in July 2026, with banks, licensed financial institutions and exchange houses participating in the rollout.
The scheme supports payments at physical retail terminals and e-commerce platforms, alongside cash withdrawals and contactless transactions.
The initiative is part of the UAE’s broader Financial Infrastructure Transformation Programme and National Digital Economy Strategy, as the country seeks to expand digital payment adoption and strengthen its domestic financial infrastructure.
