GuideUpdated YaPromo editorial team
Tabby vs Tamara: Fees, Limits and Promo Codes
Both split a purchase into instalments, usually four with no interest. Tabby charges collection charges if you miss a payment, without publishing the amount, and charges a service fee on plans longer than four payments. Tamara removed late fees from 16 December 2023, but some stores show a processing fee: Amazon lists 1% + VAT on Tamara’s 4-month plan. With Tabby, using a coupon code means you give up Tabby cashback on that purchase.
How each one works
- Tabby: pay in 4 interest-free payments with no fees, or up to 12 monthly payments, where a service fee may apply. Tabby says it works at more than 65,000 stores. You need to be 18 or over, have a valid national ID, link a debit or credit card and have a good credit history. Tabby LLC provides Pay Later, and Tabby says it is regulated by the UAE Central Bank (Tabby).
- Tamara: its UAE site offers up to 4 payments (Tamara UAE). Its Saudi site advertises paying over up to 24 months (Tamara KSA). Tamara Finance Company is supervised by the Saudi Central Bank, and its footer country list shows Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain (Tamara).
Spending limits
Neither provider publishes a fixed personal limit. Tabby says your limit depends on your Tabby payment history, unpaid balance, the basket amount and the store (Tabby). Tamara's terms say it may run credit-bureau checks and restrict access after a negative report (Tamara UAE terms).
Stores set their own minimum and maximum orders. Amazon's are:
- Amazon.ae: AED 100 to AED 15,000 for both Tabby and Tamara (Tabby, Tamara).
- Amazon.sa: SAR 100 to SAR 15,000 for Tabby, with some exceptions above that, and SAR 100 to SAR 20,000 for Tamara (Tabby, Tamara).
In Saudi Arabia, SAMA caps BNPL plans at 12 instalments and sets a per-consumer cap on outstanding BNPL financing. That cap was SAR 10,000, and the rulebook notes it was raised by a circular dated 24 December 2025 without giving the new figure (SAMA).
Late payments, as published
- Tabby: "collection charges" apply if you miss a due date; no amount is published. You cannot make new purchases until overdue payments are cleared, and consistently late payments hurt your credit score (Tabby help). Amazon.ae adds that Tabby charges a collection fee the day after a payment is due (Amazon.ae).
- Tamara: late fees were removed from 16 December 2023 (Tamara). Its Saudi terms say Tamara charges no interest or late payment penalties (KSA terms). In both countries' terms, a failed payment is retried every two days, and late payments may be reported to credit bureaus (UAE terms).
Fees you may see at checkout
"No late fees" does not always mean no fees. At Amazon:
- Tabby on Amazon.ae: 4 payments with no processing fee. Longer plans cost 5% (6 payments), 9% (8 payments) or 17% (12 payments), though some items qualify for 0% (Amazon.ae).
- Tabby on Amazon.sa: 4 or 6 payments with no fees (Amazon.sa).
- Tamara on Amazon.ae: 4 months with a 1% + VAT processing fee. Amazon's example is AED 12.60 on an AED 1,200 order. The fee may not apply to Tamara Smart members (Amazon.ae).
- Tamara on Amazon.sa: 3 months with no fee and 4 months at 1% + VAT. Orders over SAR 3,000 can run up to 12 months, at 0% to 2% a month plus the 1% + VAT fee (Amazon.sa).
Tamara Smart is a paid membership. Tamara's site says it is free for the first month and then 19 a month, but the currency symbol did not display clearly (Tamara).
Where you can use them
Tabby's and Tamara's store directories both list noon, and Tabby's also lists Amazon (Tabby shop, Tamara stores). Amazon.ae and Amazon.sa accept both on everything except gift cards. Tabby also offers in-store payment links and a Tabby Card for anywhere Visa is accepted (Tabby).
Availability can still vary by item and seller, so check the payment page before you rely on a plan.
Using promo codes with Tabby or Tamara
- Apply the code first. Enter the store's code at checkout before choosing Tabby or Tamara. The plan is then built on the reduced total. This is our reading of how the checkout works; neither provider states it in so many words.
- Tabby cashback vs codes: if you apply a coupon code you will not earn Tabby cashback, and if you earn cashback you cannot apply a code (Tabby help).
- Tamara deals: Tamara's exclusive deals are applied automatically at checkout or redeemed with promo codes on the store's checkout page (Tamara KSA).
- Bank offers: card-linked bank discounts often exclude BNPL. A past Mashreq offer on noon, for example, was not valid with Tabby or Tamara (Mashreq).
- Refunds: with Tabby, a refund smaller than your remaining balance reduces upcoming payments. If the store refunds as store credit, your Tabby payments do not change (Tabby refunds). For Amazon orders, Amazon says Tamara processes the refund within 3 to 5 business days (Amazon.ae).
Comparison table
| Tabby | Tamara | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plan | 4 payments, no interest or fees | Up to 4 payments (UAE); longer plans in KSA |
| Longer plans | Up to 12; service fee may apply | Up to 24 months advertised in KSA |
| Missed payment | Collection charges (amount not published); purchases blocked | No late fees; retried every 2 days; may be reported to credit bureaus |
| Amazon.ae limits | AED 100 to AED 15,000 | AED 100 to AED 15,000 |
| Amazon.sa limits | SAR 100 to SAR 15,000 | SAR 100 to SAR 20,000 |
| Codes | Code or Tabby cashback, not both | Deals applied automatically or by promo code |
| Regulator stated | UAE Central Bank | Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) |
Questions people ask
Does Tabby charge late fees?
Tabby says it charges collection charges when you miss a due date but does not publish the amount. It also blocks new purchases until you pay, and late payments can affect your credit score.
Is Tamara completely free?
Tamara does not charge late fees or interest on its standard plans, but some stores show a processing fee. On Amazon, Tamara’s 4-month plan has a 1% + VAT processing fee.
Can I use a promo code and still get Tabby cashback?
No. Tabby says you can apply a coupon code, but you will not earn Tabby cashback on that purchase.
Do bank card discounts work with Tabby or Tamara?
Often not. Bank offers are tied to paying with the bank’s card, and some exclude BNPL outright, as a past Mashreq offer on noon did. Check the offer terms.
Sources
- Tabby: Pay later (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tabby: Missed payments (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tabby: Refunds (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tabby: Cashback and coupon codes (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tabby: Shop directory (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tamara: No late fees (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tamara KSA: Home (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tamara UAE: Home (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tamara KSA: Terms and conditions (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tamara UAE: Terms and conditions (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Tamara: Stores (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Amazon.ae: Tabby (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Amazon.ae: Tamara (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Amazon.sa: Tabby (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Amazon.sa: Tamara (read Oct 16, 2026)
- SAMA: BNPL rules (read Oct 16, 2026)
- Mashreq: noon Yellow Friday offer (read Oct 16, 2026)
Rules and fees change. Each figure above was read on the official page on the date shown; the provider's own page is always the final word.