Sharjah Adds UAE’s Jaywan Card to Tahseel Payment Platform

The Sharjah Finance Department has enabled Jaywan card payments across every channel of Tahseel, the emirate’s government payment platform. Customers can use the UAE’s national payment card through the Tahseel website and mobile application, as well as at its physical service centers.

The integration gives residents and businesses another way to pay fees for government transactions, regardless of whether they complete the process remotely or visit a service center. It also places Jaywan alongside the other payment methods already connected to Tahseel rather than creating a separate route for cardholders.

Usage has already begun.Tahseel processed more than 558 transactions with Jaywan cards during the first half of 2026, after recording its first Jaywan payment on September 20, 2025, the Sharjah Finance Department said.

Tahseel Expands Its Payment Options

Tahseel is not a new system created specifically for Jaywan. The Sharjah Finance Department describes it as a comprehensive platform that processes digital financial payments in real time and collects fees for services delivered by Sharjah government entities. Its payment infrastructure serves both individuals and companies through multiple channels.

Over time, the department has added new ways for customers to access or fund the system. Tahseel customers were able to use digital wallets including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay by 2020, according to an earlier Sharjah Finance Department announcement. A digital Tahseel card was introduced in 2021 and updated in 2024, showing that the platform has developed through a series of payment and access changes rather than through a single overhaul.

Huda Al Yasi, director of the Financial System Department at the Sharjah Finance Department, said: “At Sharjah Finance Department, we are continuously developing ‘Tahseel’ as a core component of the government’s digital financial infrastructure, strengthening the integration of payment channels, enhancing the efficiency of collection processes, and providing customers with a more flexible and seamless experience.”

“Enabling Jaywan cards across the system’s various channels is not simply the addition of another payment option; it is a step that strengthens the diversity of national payment solutions and enhances our ability to provide an integrated and secure payment experience that meets the needs of different customer segments,” she added.

Jaywan’s Role in the UAE Payment System

Jaywan is the UAE’s first domestic card scheme and is operated by Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE. Unlike an individual bank card product, a card scheme provides the rules and infrastructure under which participating financial institutions issue cards and process payments. Jaywan currently supports debit and prepaid cards.

Jaywan’s formal rollout followed its inauguration as the UAE’s first national payment card scheme in July 2026. Banks and licensed financial institutions are issuing the cards in phases, while transactions made inside the country are processed through domestic infrastructure. The launch forms part of a wider effort to reduce dependence on overseas payment networks and retain more control over local transaction processing.

The infrastructure supporting the scheme was declared ready for local and international activation in February 2025. Al Etihad Payments said Jaywan transactions could be processed and stored inside the UAE, reducing reliance on international card infrastructure for domestic payments. The operator has also entered co-badging arrangements with international payment networks, allowing participating banks to issue cards that use Jaywan domestically and a partner network when required outside the country.

Al Etihad Payments and UnionPay International have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand the international acceptance of mono-badged Jaywan cards. Once implemented, the arrangement will allow cardholders to use them through UnionPay’s network of more than 100 million points of sale and 1.8 million ATMs across 183 countries and regions.

Acceptance has also moved beyond retail and government payments. Etihad Airways became the first airline to accept Jaywan for flight bookings in August 2026, allowing UAE-based customers to select the card at checkout on the carrier’s website. The option applies to eligible bookings made directly through Etihad, linking the domestic payment scheme with international travel purchases.

Tahseel Users Gain Another Payment Option

Someone paying a Sharjah government fee through Tahseel can now select Jaywan if the card issued by their bank is eligible. The option is available both online and at service centers, which avoids limiting the integration to customers comfortable with mobile or web-based payments. Existing Tahseel payment methods remain available, leaving users free to choose another supported card or wallet.

The change is operationally narrow: it adds a payment choice but does not alter the government services themselves, the fees charged or the agencies responsible for delivering them.

Its broader relevance lies in acceptance. A domestic card scheme can only become useful if cardholders have places to use it, and government payment portals represent one such category. Tahseel’s integration adds Sharjah government transactions to Jaywan’s acceptance network while giving the finance department another locally operated payment option.