Our methodology
How we source data, what verified means, how tables are ranked, and where commercial relationships exist and do not affect rankings.
Data sources
Every figure on this site is sourced directly from the bank, provider or regulator that publishes it. We do not use aggregated feeds, broker data or estimated values. The primary sources for each product type are:
| Product | Primary source | Fields collected |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | Each issuer's live product page | Annual fee, FX markup, rewards rate, category caps, offer end date, minimum salary, lounge access |
| Current accounts | Each bank's live product page | Minimum balance, monthly fee (and waiver condition), zero-balance eligibility, linked benefits |
| Savings accounts | Each bank's live product page | Savings rate p.a., minimum balance, Islamic structure, digital-only flag |
| Fixed deposits | Each bank's live product page | Annual rate p.a., minimum amount, tenor options, early-withdrawal penalty, auto-renewal policy |
| Remittance rates | Provider's live rate calculator or published rate page | Exchange rate for corridor, fee for stated amount, capture date and time |
| FX reference rate | CBUAE official daily exchange rate file | Mid-market reference rate for each corridor, published date |
What "verified" means
A product record is "verified" when a person has visited the bank or provider's live product page, read the published terms, and recorded the relevant figures with the date of that visit. The verification date is stored with the record.
Until a record is verified it does not appear in a comparison table. Our data files contain records for all major UAE banks and providers; they display in our tables only once a real verified date has been set. This means a newly seeded record that has not yet been visited stays invisible to users.
Comparison tables and tools never show an estimated, inferred or AI-generated figure for a fee, rate or rewards condition. Figures quoted in our guides date from when each guide was published, have not been re-checked since, and some are still awaiting a check against their source. Confirm any figure with the bank, issuer or provider before you rely on it.
Update cadence
The plan is a monthly check of each record against its primary source, with the date of each check stored on the record so users can see when we last checked. That cycle has not started: no product record has been checked against its source yet, so none appears in a comparison table or tool.
Remittance rates and fees change during business hours. Our corridor data is snapshot data only, captured from the provider's calculator on the named date. We cannot refresh remittance rates on a monthly cycle and present them as current. Every corridor entry carries a capture date and a check-live warning. Always verify the rate directly with the provider immediately before sending money.
Fixed deposit rates track the CBUAE base rate. Once the monthly cycle runs, a central bank rate decision that materially changes published rates will bring the fixed deposit check forward.
Table ranking criteria
Comparison tables are ranked by objective criteria. The ranking logic for each product type:
- Credit cards: net annual value at the spend profile shown. Rewards earned at the stated rates and category caps, minus the annual fee. FX markup applied proportionally to any stated foreign spend. The maths is shown in the table.
- Fixed deposits: annual rate p.a. for the selected tenor tier, highest first.
- Remittance: total cost for the sample AED 1,000 transfer: the fee plus the spread between the provider's rate and the CBUAE reference rate for that corridor. Lowest total cost first.
- Savings accounts: savings rate p.a., highest first.
- Current accounts: absence of a monthly fee as the primary sort; minimum balance requirement as the secondary sort.
Ranking logic is applied identically to every provider in the table. A provider that pays a referral fee is processed by the same ranking function as one that does not.
Affiliate and commercial relationships
moneycompare.ae may earn a referral fee when a user applies for a product through a link on this site. This is how independent comparison sites typically fund their operations. Where a referral relationship exists it is disclosed on the relevant hub or product page.
Commercial relationships have no effect on table ranking. The order in which products appear reflects the objective ranking criteria above, applied to verified data. A higher-paying partner that objectively costs more than a non-partner is ranked below the non-partner in the table.
Products that have no commercial relationship with us are included in our comparisons on equal terms. We do not exclude providers that do not pay referral fees. Exclusions from a table are explained in a visible note on the relevant page.
Common questions
How do you collect and verify product data?
For each product we visit the bank or provider's live product page, read the published terms (fees, rates, rewards conditions, eligibility) and record the figures with the date of verification. A product record that has not been through this process does not appear in a comparison table. We do not use estimated or inferred figures.
How often do you update rates and fees?
The plan is a monthly check of each record against its primary source (bank product page, provider calculator or the CBUAE exchange rate file), with the date of each check stored on the record. That cycle has not started: no product record has been checked against its source yet, so none appears in a comparison table or tool. Figures quoted in articles date from when each article was published; check them before applying. Remittance rates change continuously, so corridor pages carry a snapshot date and a check-live warning regardless of when the last refresh ran.
How are comparison tables ranked?
Tables are ranked by objective criteria relevant to each product type. Credit cards: net annual value at a stated spend profile (rewards earned minus annual fee, FX markup applied to foreign spend). Fixed deposits: annual rate p.a. for the selected tenor. Remittance: total cost for a sample AED 1,000 transfer (fee plus rate spread versus the CBUAE reference rate). Accounts: savings rate for savings accounts; absence of a monthly fee as the primary sort for current accounts. Ranking logic is applied identically to every provider regardless of commercial relationship.
Does a commercial relationship affect where a product appears in a table?
No. A provider that pays a referral fee is ranked by the same objective criteria as one that does not. If the data says a non-partner provider is cheaper, it ranks higher. We disclose all commercial relationships on the relevant page. Products without a referral relationship are included in our comparisons on equal terms.
What happens when you find an error?
Errors are treated as P0 issues. A wrong fee, rate or rewards figure is corrected and re-verified immediately. The correction is logged internally and we check whether the same error appears elsewhere on the site. If you spot an error, email hello@moneycompare.ae and we will investigate and correct it if confirmed.