Card face-off
Liv Cashback+ vs Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus: which is better in the UAE? (2026)
Emirates Islamic
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
Liv Cashback+ and Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus both compete for everyday UAE spend. The figures below come from each card's live reward rules at AED 9,000 a month, net of annual fees.
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card vs Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card compared
A side-by-side snapshot of annual fees, salary requirements, and standout benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Joining fee | Foreign transaction fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | AED 735 | AED 735 | 3.14% | AED 15,000 | Up to 4% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities. |
| AED 313.95 | Free | 2.54% | AED 12,000 | Up to 10% cash back on groceries, education, dining, and telecom. |
| Card | Annual fee | Joining fee | Foreign transaction fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 735 | AED 735 | 3.14% | AED 15,000 | Up to 4% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities. |
| AED 313.95 | Free | 2.54% | AED 12,000 | Up to 10% cash back on groceries, education, dining, and telecom. |
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Annual feeAED 735
Joining feeAED 735
Foreign transaction fee3.14%
Min. salaryAED 15,000
HighlightUp to 4% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities.
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
Annual feeAED 313.95
Joining feeFree
Foreign transaction fee2.54%
Min. salaryAED 12,000
HighlightUp to 10% cash back on groceries, education, dining, and telecom.
Which card is better for what
Five answers compare Liv Cashback+ and Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus on general everyday spend; general everyday spend past AED 15,000 a month; groceries; dining and food delivery; spending abroad. Each is priced on a month of its own, because a household that spends heavily on one thing does not spend the same total as one that does not. Within an answer both cards see the identical month.
Spending abroad prices AED 3,990 of the total as non-AED and takes each card's foreign transaction fee off the annual result. One answer prices air travel (spending abroad) and counts the airport benefits a traveller uses, each at that card's own published allowance. Every other benefit these cards carry is worth nothing to this household and counts as nothing.
Those months run from AED 13,300 to AED 21,200 a month, and every answer states the one it was priced on. They are the same curated spend profiles every comparison page uses, so the household behind an answer here is the household behind it anywhere.
Annual totals are net of each card's annual fee: AED 735 for Liv Cashback+ and AED 314 for Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus. Liv Cashback+ needs a salary of AED 15,000 a month and Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus AED 12,000.
Best for general everyday spend: Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus returns more across the whole profile — AED 3,466 a year against AED 2,183, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
GroceryAED 3,500
DiningAED 2,800
Government, UtilitiesAED 1,200
Everything elseAED 5,800
TotalAED 13,300
Annual return
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,918
Annual fee– AED 735
Total1.37% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,183
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 3,780
Annual fee– AED 314
Total2.17% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,466
Best for general everyday spend past AED 15,000 a month: Liv Cashback+
Liv Cashback+ clears its AED 15,000 rung on this profile, and returns 3.71% of an AED 21,200 month against 1.83% of an AED 13,300 one. That puts it on AED 8,692 a year against AED 4,486 for Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus.
Modelled monthly spend
DiningAED 5,000
GroceryAED 4,500
Government, UtilitiesAED 1,600
Everything elseAED 10,100
TotalAED 21,200
Annual return
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 9,427
Annual fee– AED 735
Total3.42% of the profile, after everything+ AED 8,692
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit CardCap reached
Rewards+ AED 4,800
Annual fee– AED 314
Total1.76% of the profile, after everything+ AED 4,486
Best for groceries: Liv Cashback+
On AED 6,500 a month of groceries, Liv Cashback+ earns AED 260 against AED 200. It keeps more over the year too, AED 6,527 against AED 3,766, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
GroceryAED 6,500
DiningAED 2,800
Government, UtilitiesAED 1,200
Everything elseAED 5,800
TotalAED 16,300
Annual return
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 7,262
Annual fee– AED 735
Total3.34% of the profile, after everything+ AED 6,527
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 4,080
Annual fee– AED 314
Total1.93% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,766
Best for dining and food delivery: Liv Cashback+
On AED 5,500 a month of dining and food delivery, Liv Cashback+ earns AED 220 against AED 200. It keeps more over the year too, AED 6,383 against AED 4,186, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
DiningAED 5,500
GroceryAED 3,500
Government, UtilitiesAED 1,200
Everything elseAED 5,800
TotalAED 16,000
Annual return
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 7,118
Annual fee– AED 735
Total3.32% of the profile, after everything+ AED 6,383
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 4,500
Annual fee– AED 314
Total2.18% of the profile, after everything+ AED 4,186
Best for spending abroad: Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus
On AED 3,990 of foreign spend a month, Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus charges 2.54%, which comes to AED 1,216 a year. Liv Cashback+ charges 3.14%, which comes to AED 1,503 a year. That leaves Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus ahead over the year, AED 3,776 against AED 2,252.
Modelled monthly spend
Spent abroad, in another currencyAED 3,990
Spent in the UAEAED 9,310
TotalAED 13,300
Annual return
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,958
Benefits usedAirport lounge × 8, Airport transfers × 1+ AED 1,532
Annual fee– AED 735
Foreign transaction fee3.14% on spend abroad– AED 1,503
Total1.41% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,252
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 3,834
Benefits usedAirport lounge × 8+ AED 1,472
Annual fee– AED 314
Foreign transaction fee2.54% on spend abroad– AED 1,216
Total2.37% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,776
Which card earns more on your spend?
Adjust your monthly spending to see how cashback changes across cards.
Dining
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Dining
—
Education
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Education
—
Grocery
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Grocery
—
Telecom
0.1%
AED 0
0.1% · AED 0
Telecom
—
Government, Utilities
0.1%
AED 0
0.1% · AED 0
Government, Utilities
—
Other Spends
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Other Spends
—
Unlimited Airport Lounge Access
AED 1,472
Unlimited Airport Lounge Access
AED 2,760
Golf
—
Golf
—
VOX Cinemas BOGO
AED 528
VOX Cinemas BOGO
—
Careem Airport Transfer
AED 60
Careem Airport Transfer
—
Annual Fee
– AED 735
Annual Fee
– AED 313.95
Total
+ AED 1,325
Total
+ AED 2,446
Estimates based on your monthly spending. Actual cashback depends on merchant classification, caps, and card terms.
Compare any UAE cards
Try the full rewards calculator
Add more cards, adjust every spending category, and see exactly how much cashback and rewards each UAE credit card earns on your real monthly spend.
The verdict
On an ordinary AED 13,300 month Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus comes out ahead by AED 1,283 a year, AED 3,466 against AED 2,183 for Liv Cashback+. That is after each card's annual fee and after every cap, which makes it the number to judge them on rather than either advertised rate.
Neither card answers every question. Liv Cashback+ answers three: general everyday spend past AED 15,000 a month; groceries; dining and food delivery. Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus answers two: general everyday spend and spending abroad. Which of those months looks most like yours is what decides it, so the calculator above is worth a minute with your own figures.
Both charge an annual fee, AED 735 on Liv Cashback+ and AED 314 on Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus, so both have to earn their keep before anything reaches you. Every figure above is already net of that.
There is a condition attached. Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus pays nothing at all in a month where total card spend falls below AED 3,000 — not a reduced rate, zero. Every figure here assumes a month that clears that gate, so if your spend is uneven month to month the annual total will not hold.
Eligibility separates them too: Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus opens at AED 12,000 a month against AED 15,000 for Liv Cashback+. If you sit between the two thresholds the comparison is settled for you regardless of which earns more.
Ready to choose?
Apply online in minutes — no branch visit needed.
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card
Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card
ApplyApply for Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card credit cardNot sure which card to pick?
Try the UAE Credit Card Picker
Answer a few quick questions and we'll match the best UAE credit card to your monthly spending — personalised cashback, rewards and perks in under two minutes.
Liv Cashback+ Credit Card vs Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card: FAQ
Common questions about choosing between Liv Cashback+ Credit Card and Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus Credit Card.