Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)
Do I need a licence for merchant acquiring in the UAE?
Content reviewed 2026-08-14 · How we check sources
Short answer
Yes, if your company itself provides Merchant Acquiring as defined under the CBUAE retail-payments framework. Merchant Acquiring is one of the regulated Retail Payment Services and must sit within the appropriate CBUAE licence structure unless an exemption applies.
What this means
The acquiring perimeter is about the contractual and settlement role with merchants, not merely supplying checkout software or terminals. A technology vendor supporting an authorised acquirer can have a different regulatory position.
Map merchant onboarding, transaction acceptance, settlement responsibility and fund flows before deciding whether the business is the acquirer or a service provider to one.
Official sources
CBUAE — Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes Regulation ↗Ask with your entity, activity and regulator.
Regulatory research, not legal advice. This answer has the scope and review date shown above; your institution decides applicability.