FAQs
About Zywa
We’re the first payments app that is exclusively tailored for Gen Z (10-25 years old) in the Middle East and North Africa – when you sign up, you get your own MasterCard card and app to manage your money. You can pay anywhere, split the bill with your friends, save money, earn rewards on every spend and play games in the app to win rewards like iPhone, PlayStation, gift cards, etc.
We also have the largest community of Gen Z, where like-minded youth come together to learn from each other and make friends. You can join our discord community once you’re a zywa member and get exclusive benefits and invites to exclusive events. We also offer internship opportunities to our community members.
Our team comprises of Gen Z and we are building for Gen Z in UAE – we decided to build a solution for fellow youth, teenagers, students and Gen Z which caters to their needs and is tailored for them.
Zywa is not a bank. Your Zywa account acts like an e-wallet and your card is a Mastercard, which you can use to spend anywhere online and in stores.
No, it is a Mastercard prepaid card that acts like a debit card and gives you perks and rewards like a credit card. You can only spend the money you load on the card, so there’s no overdraft or debt.
With Zywa, you can:
– Get your own account and Mastercard (even if you’re under 18).
– Manage your money and learn healthy financial habits.
– Split the bill with your friends easily
– Save money towards your specific goals
– Earn rewards on every action
– Play games in the app
– Get exclusive offers and discounts
– Join the largest community of like
-minded youth
And it is all FREE
– no minimum balance, overcharge fees, account fees or card fees.
We do not charge any fees from our side. Your account and card are completely free, and there are no charges for any transactions or transfers.
Yes, it is 100% safe. We have partnered with NymCard Payments Services LLC (an entity regulated by the Central Bank), who issue your cards, and your money is stored safely in Mashreq Bank.
Sign up
Super easy!
This is the process with Zywa:
1- Download Zywa on your phone from App Store or Play Store.
2- Sign up with your Emirates ID (it takes 5 to 10 minutes from your end).
3- we will verify the details and open your account for you (it takes max two hours for the process, if all is good).
4- Your virtual card will be instantly activated (which you can use anywhere online – amazon, noon, etc.).
5- Your physical card will be delivered in 7 to 10 working days by SMSA
If you’re under 18, your parent will need to create an account too and connect it with yours.
We have no age limits! We are, though, exclusively tailored for Gen Z, so you can only get your own account and card
if you’re under 30. If you’re above 30, you’ll be automatically registered as a parent of a teen (fill this form
if you’re above 30 and want your own card). If you’re under 18, your parent will need to create an account and connect it with yours.
Only if you’re under 18, your parent will need to create a Zywa account, by verifying their Emirates ID, and connect their account with yours for a one-time approval. They can also send you money anytime through the app directly.
Once your parent signs up, they can enter your matching code on their app or scan the QR code from your app to get connected.
If you are sure you scanned your physical Emirates ID (not a photo or copy) and your Emirates ID is not expired, then usually when this happens, our verification partners just need additional info from you or have to manually verify your ID – but it’s a standard process and most people get their account activated after that.
If this happens to you for more than 2 hours, please contact us through the app help center and our team will help you out.
Account
There is no account number or IBAN. We will be adding this feature within the coming months.
Your Zywa account currently acts like an e-wallet and your card is a Mastercard, which you can use to spend anywhere online and in stores.
Please send an email to care@zywa.co (from your registered email address), and share your registered phone number and your request.
Please send an email to care@zywa.co (from your registered email address), requesting account deletion, and share your registered phone number.
Please send an email to care@zywa.co (from your registered email address), requesting account reactivation, and share the phone number associated with the account you’d like to re-activate.
Card
general
Go to “Card” -> “Card Details” on your app.
It takes about 7-10 working days to receive your physical card, but it usually takes much less. Please contact us through the app help center if your card is taking longer than that.
Follow these steps:
– Scan the QR code on your welcome letter (that you received in your card package)
– Set up a PIN by going to “Card” -> “Settings” -> “Reset PIN” on your app
– For the first transaction, insert your card chip in the card machine at the store
– You would then be able to use Tap-And-Pay/Chip at all stores. Please contact us through the app help center if you have any issues or if a merchant declines the card, we will help you get it resolved as soon as we can.
You can withdraw money using any ATM inside or outside UAE.
Go to “Card” -> “Settings” -> “Reset PIN” on your app.
Go to “Card” -> “Block” on your app. Tap on the same button to Unblock.
Go to “Card” -> “Settings” -> “Spending limits” on your app.
Yes, you will be able to add your card to Apple, Google and Samsung Pay within a few weeks.
Please send an email to care@zywa.co (from your registered email address), and share your registered phone number and your request.
We currently have one design (the black card), but we will be adding more designs very soon, which you can order from.
payments
Once your account is activated, you can use your virtual card to shop anywhere online, and even order ahead in physical stores like McDonald’s, Starbucks, kfc, etc. until you receive your physical card.
You can use your card anywhere in the world – in physical stores, online stores, and ATMs.
You will be able to add your card to Apple, Google and Samsung Pay within a few weeks. But you cannot Tap and Pay from the Zywa app directly.
Yes, your card works anywhere in the world where MasterCard is accepted!
We do not charge any fees for using your card anywhere, locally and internationally.
adding money
There are 3 ways to add money to your card (directly through the zywa app from the “Add Money” option on your Home screen or Card screen – or your parent’s Home screen):
– Load money via an existing bank account (from Zywa app itself) – it’s instant and free.
– Load money via debit or credit card (has a fee charged by our partners, not by us).
– Friends and fam transferring money to you on Zywa.
No, you currently can’t deposit money through ATM. This option will be available in the future.
transfering money
If your friend uses Zywa, you can transfer money to them through the app by going to “Home” > “Transfer”. Then you can search either by phone number (if they are in your contacts), or zywa tag (if they are not in your contacts). The transfer is free and instant.
If your friend does not use Zywa, you cannot send/receive money directyl from them at the moment but we’ll be adding this feature very soon!
Parent
Super easy! This is the process for your child to signup for Zywa after you do:
1- Download Zywa on your child’s phone from App Store or Play Store.
2- Sign up with their Emirates ID (it takes 5 to 10 minutes from your end).
3- Their virtual card will be instantly activated (which you can use anywhere online – amazon, noon, etc.).
4- Their physical card will be delivered to you in 7 to 10 working days by SMSA
If it’s your first time creating an account on Zywa, you can connect your child using a matching code or QR code from their app, once you sign up.
If you already have a parent account on Zywa, go to your Home screen, you will find an icon with a little “+” next to “My Family” text – tap on the icon to scan your additional child’s QR code or enter their matching code.
Go to the homescreen of your app and click on your child’s profile, once you have selected their profile, there is an option for allowance wherein you can set a one-time or periodic allowance.
