UAE premium card rewards at risk as US payment rules shift

US RETAILERS NOW HAVE POWER TO REJECT EXPENSIVE, HIGH-REWARD CARDS

- BY JUSTIN VARGHESE

A landmark legal settlement in the US is challenging the way Visa and Mastercard treat premium credit cards — and the decisions being made there could create new cost pressures that eventually filter into everyday purchases in the UAE.

The settlement gives US retailers more power to reject expensive, high-reward cards and to pass certain fees directly to shoppers.

That shift matters because the UAE relies heavily on premium credit cards for daily spending, travel, and e-commerce — and any change to the global economics of rewards cards can raise costs for consumers here.

Risks for UAE cardholders