Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority is preparing to turn the Nol card from a transit pass into a domestic payment card, under an agreement announced on Wednesday with Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE.

The new generation of Nol cards will be combined with Jaywan, the national payment scheme, allowing a single card to cover metro, bus and taxi fares as well as everyday retail and online purchases. A trial phase begins this month, with a wider rollout to follow in stages.

For the millions of residents who already tap a Nol card at the gates each morning, the practical change is that the same card leaves the transport network. Jaywan acceptance brings it into shops and e-commerce checkouts, placing a Central Bank-backed payment rail inside a card most commuters carry by default.

The cards will be managed digitally from Android and iOS smartphones, and can be used on public and private transport booking platforms, pointing to a single credential across scheduled services and on-demand rides. Holders will also have access to more than 120 promotional offers and exclusive discounts.

The phased approach matters for existing holders. Rather than a single switchover date, the authority has signalled a pilot in November 2026 followed by a staged introduction, the pattern typically used to test issuance, acceptance and reconciliation before mass migration.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said the step would help improve service efficiency, make public transport more attractive and support the growth of digital payments.

The institutional backing is notable. Al Etihad Payments is chaired by Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking Operations and Support Services at the Central Bank of the UAE, placing the project within the wider national push to build domestic payment infrastructure rather than rely solely on international card networks.

Commuters should expect no immediate action during the pilot. Details of eligibility and timing for each rollout stage have yet to be set out.