Merchant Country Restrictions let you control where your card can be used based on the country of the merchant. This helps you manage and secure your card by limiting transactions to specific countries.
When you make a purchase, the system checks the merchant’s country against your allowed or restricted list. If the country isn’t on your allowed list, the transaction won’t go through. For example, if you choose “UAE Only,” you can make payments to services like Careem.
Some merchants may process payments in locations different from what you might expect. For example, Uber taxi rides made in the UAE are often processed in the Netherlands, while Meta Ads (Facebook, Instagram) payments are processed in Ireland.
Available Options
We’ve made it easy to set up restrictions. You can choose to restrict transactions to:
UAE Only
GCC Only
Ireland, UAE, UK, and US (We recommend this option if you make ad payments with your card.)
All Countries
Custom Countries: Select specific countries where you want to allow card use.
How others are using this feature
Use Case | Setting | Why? |
Driver | UAE Only | If you’re using the card for fuel or parking tickets, setting it to UAE Only is ideal. |
Marketing | Ireland, UAE, UK, and US | For expenses on platforms like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, we recommend Ireland, UAE, UK, and US. |
Airlines | All Countries | When purchasing airline tickets, consider setting it to All Countries, as airlines often process payments in their home countries. For example, Air India processes payments in India. |
Software suppliers | Ireland, UAE, UK, and US | For buying technology, software licenses, or software services, Ireland, UAE, UK, and the US is usually a good option. |
PRO Expenses | UAE Only | For PRO-related expenses, you can limit the card to UAE Only. |
E-commerce | Custom Countries | For purchases on international platforms, Customer Countries is generally recommended. |
Sales Team | GCC Only or Custom Countries | Usually depends on the region covered by the cardholder, but GCC Only or Custom Countries are often selected. |
Office Managers | UAE Only | For regular office supplies and stationery, UAE Only should be adequate. |