Card face-off
Liv Cashback vs FAB Cashback: which is better in the UAE? (2026)
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Liv Cashback and FAB Cashback both compete for everyday UAE spend. The figures below come from each card's live reward rules at AED 8,000 a month, net of annual fees.
Liv Cashback Credit Card vs FAB Cashback 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Free | Free | 3.14% | AED 5,000 | Up to 2% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities. |
| AED 315 | Free | 3.89% | AED 5,000 | 5% cashback on fashion, dining, and groceries. |
| Card | Annual fee | Joining fee | Foreign transaction fee | Min. salary | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 3.14% | AED 5,000 | Up to 2% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities. |
| AED 315 | Free | 3.89% | AED 5,000 | 5% cashback on fashion, dining, and groceries. |
Liv Cashback Credit Card
Annual feeFree
Joining feeFree
Foreign transaction fee3.14%
Min. salaryAED 5,000
HighlightUp to 2% Cashback on all spends. Reduced to 0.1% on Government and Utilities.
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Annual feeAED 315
Joining feeFree
Foreign transaction fee3.89%
Min. salaryAED 5,000
Highlight5% cashback on fashion, dining, and groceries.
Which card is better for what
Seven answers compare Liv Cashback and FAB Cashback on general everyday spend; general everyday spend past AED 10,000 a month; groceries; dining and food delivery; spending abroad; fuel and commuting; rent. 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 2,400 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 8,000 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: none for Liv Cashback and AED 315 for FAB Cashback. Both need a salary of AED 5,000 a month.
Best for general everyday spend: FAB Cashback
FAB Cashback returns more across the whole profile — AED 2,432 a year against AED 1,289, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
GroceryAED 2,500
DiningAED 1,500
Government, Utilities, TelecomAED 900
TransportationAED 400
Everything elseAED 2,700
TotalAED 8,000
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.34% of the profile, after everything+ AED 1,289
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,747
Annual fee– AED 315
Total2.53% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,432
Best for general everyday spend past AED 10,000 a month: Liv Cashback
Liv Cashback clears its AED 10,000 rung on this profile, and returns 1.86% of an AED 21,200 month against 1.34% of an AED 8,000 one. That puts it on AED 4,723 a year against AED 4,403 for FAB Cashback.
Modelled monthly spend
DiningAED 5,000
GroceryAED 4,500
Government, Utilities, TelecomAED 1,600
TransportationAED 1,200
Everything elseAED 8,900
TotalAED 21,200
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.86% of the profile, after everything+ AED 4,723
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 4,718
Annual fee– AED 315
Total1.73% of the profile, after everything+ AED 4,403
Best for groceries: FAB Cashback
On AED 4,500 a month of groceries, FAB Cashback earns AED 150 against AED 90. It keeps more over the year too, AED 2,732 against AED 2,195, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
GroceryAED 4,500
DiningAED 1,500
Government, Utilities, TelecomAED 900
TransportationAED 400
Everything elseAED 2,700
TotalAED 10,000
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.83% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,195
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 3,047
Annual fee– AED 315
Total2.28% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,732
Best for dining and food delivery: FAB Cashback
On AED 3,000 a month of dining and food delivery, FAB Cashback earns AED 150 against AED 45. It keeps more over the year too, AED 3,332 against AED 1,559, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
DiningAED 3,000
GroceryAED 2,500
Government, Utilities, TelecomAED 900
TransportationAED 400
Everything elseAED 2,700
TotalAED 9,500
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.37% of the profile, after everything+ AED 1,559
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 3,647
Annual fee– AED 315
Total2.92% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,332
Best for spending abroad: FAB Cashback
On AED 2,400 of foreign spend a month, FAB Cashback charges 3.89%, which comes to AED 1,120 a year. Liv Cashback charges 3.14%, which comes to AED 904 a year. The charge is not what decides it: FAB Cashback earns more on that spend and keeps AED 2,974 a year against AED 1,135.
Modelled monthly spend
Spent abroad, in another currencyAED 2,400
Spent in the UAEAED 5,600
TotalAED 8,000
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 1,303
Benefits usedAirport lounge × 4+ AED 736
Foreign transaction fee3.14% on spend abroad– AED 904
Total1.18% of the profile, after everything+ AED 1,135
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,787
Benefits usedAirport lounge × 8, Airport transfers × 1+ AED 1,622
Annual fee– AED 315
Foreign transaction fee3.89% on spend abroad– AED 1,120
Total3.1% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,974
Best for fuel and commuting: FAB Cashback
On AED 900 a month of fuel and commuting, Liv Cashback earns AED 14 against AED 1. FAB Cashback still shows the higher annual total, AED 2,513 against AED 1,487, because it earns more across the rest of the month.
Modelled monthly spend
TransportationAED 900
GroceryAED 2,500
DiningAED 1,500
Government, Utilities, TelecomAED 900
Everything elseAED 3,300
TotalAED 9,100
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.36% of the profile, after everything+ AED 1,487
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,828
Annual fee– AED 315
Total2.3% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,513
Best for rent: Liv Cashback
On AED 6,000 a month of rent, Liv Cashback earns AED 120 against AED 9. It keeps more over the year too, AED 3,155 against AED 2,540, after each card's annual fee.
Modelled monthly spend
Real EstateAED 6,000
GroceryAED 2,500
DiningAED 1,500
Government, Utilities, TelecomAED 900
Everything elseAED 3,100
TotalAED 14,000
Annual return
Liv Cashback Credit Card1.88% of the profile, after everything+ AED 3,155
FAB Cashback Credit Card
Rewards+ AED 2,855
Annual fee– AED 315
Total1.51% of the profile, after everything+ AED 2,540
Which card earns more on your spend?
Adjust your monthly spending to see how cashback changes across cards.
Grocery
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Grocery
5%
AED 0
5% · AED 0
Fashion & Apparel
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Fashion & Apparel
5%
AED 0
5% · AED 0
Apparel
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Apparel
5%
AED 0
5% · AED 0
Dining
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Dining
5%
AED 0
5% · AED 0
Fast Food
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Fast Food
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Coffee Shops
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Coffee Shops
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Education
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Education
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Insurance
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Insurance
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Transportation
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Transportation
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Bookstores
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Bookstores
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Florists
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Florists
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Photo
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Photo
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Laundry
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Laundry
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Automotive
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Automotive
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Charity
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Charity
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Real Estate
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Real Estate
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Car Rental
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Car Rental
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Equipment Rental
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Equipment Rental
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Government, Utilities, Telecom
0.1%
AED 0
0.1% · AED 0
Government, Utilities, Telecom
0.15%
AED 0
0.15% · AED 0
Other Spends
0.75%
AED 0
0.75% · AED 0
Other Spends
1%
AED 0
1% · AED 0
Airport Lounge Access
AED 736
Airport Lounge Access
AED 1,472
Movie Tickets
AED 528
Movie Tickets
—
Airport Transfers
—
Airport Transfers
AED 150
Annual Fee
Free
Annual Fee
– AED 315
Total
+ AED 1,264
Total
+ AED 1,307
Estimates based on your monthly spending. Actual cashback depends on merchant classification, caps, and card terms.
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The verdict
On an ordinary AED 8,000 month FAB Cashback comes out ahead by AED 1,143 a year, AED 2,432 against AED 1,289 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. FAB Cashback answers five: general everyday spend; groceries; dining and food delivery; spending abroad; fuel and commuting. Liv Cashback answers two: general everyday spend past AED 10,000 a month and rent. Which of those months looks most like yours is what decides it, so the calculator above is worth a minute with your own figures.
The fee asymmetry matters. Liv Cashback carries none, while FAB Cashback has to return AED 315 a year before it breaks even, roughly AED 26 of rewards a month just to draw level. Every figure above is already net of that.
There is a condition attached. FAB Cashback 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.
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Liv Cashback Credit Card vs FAB Cashback Credit Card: FAQ
Common questions about choosing between Liv Cashback Credit Card and FAB Cashback Credit Card.