FAB launches cashback offer to drive salary transfers

By Milan Rojan

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has launched a salary transfer offer providing eligible customers with up to $2,450 in cashback through December 2026, as the bank has sought to encourage customers to save or spend through its services.

The offer has been available to customers transferring a minimum monthly salary of $1,361 to First Abu Dhabi Bank. Eligible customers have been able to earn cashback equivalent to 20% of one month’s salary, paid in monthly instalments over 12 months.

To qualify for the monthly cashback, customers have had to meet one of two conditions. They have either needed to save an amount equivalent to 20% of their monthly salary in a First Abu Dhabi Bank account or spend 20% of their salary using a First Abu Dhabi Bank credit card.

FAB has positioned the offer as an incentive to link salary transfers with everyday financial behaviour, including saving and spending. The approach has differentiated the campaign from incentives that reward customers solely for moving their salaries to a bank.

The offer has highlighted growing competition among UAE banks for salary-transfer customers, with lenders increasingly using rewards and cashback to attract and retain retail banking relationships.

First Abu Dhabi Bank’s campaign has provided a guaranteed cashback structure for customers meeting the monthly eligibility requirements, in contrast to some competing salary-transfer promotions that have used prize draws or limited winner pools.

The bank has said the campaign has been aimed at supporting customers’ financial habits while increasing engagement with its accounts and cards.

The promotion has also underscored the role of digital and rewards-led banking propositions in the UAE, as financial institutions have sought to deepen primary banking relationships by combining salary services with savings, spending and loyalty incentives.