13 Ways Corporate Cards Improve Business Spending in 2025

Managing team spending with shared debit cards and petty cash isn’t just inefficient, it’s expensive, costing businesses hundreds of thousands in lost time, productivity, and untracked spending. As UAE businesses scale in fast-changing times, these types of traditional payment methods create bottlenecks that slow growth and drain valuable resources. 

In this guide, you’ll learn the key benefits of corporate cards for UAE businesses, how to control company spending effectively, and why corporate cards are the best solution for scaling faster.

Why use corporate cards as a UAE business?

If you’re considering switching from traditional business debit cards or petty cash, now’s the time to understand corporate cards and the advantages of using them.

Corporate cards are company-issued payment cards designed to make team spending easy. For security and visibility, they come with built-in controls, spending limits, and real-time tracking. They also don’t carry the same compliance risks as using personal or debit cards in business. 

Why corporate cards matter for UAE businesses

As a UAE business, you face unique challenges, like distributed teams, multi-currency operations, and fast scaling, to name a few. Traditional methods like shared debit cards and petty cash create operational chaos that slows growth and won’t help you scale.

Corporate cards give you back control, visibility, and efficiency, so expense management and cashflow aren’t bottlenecks to growth. The advantages of corporate cards go beyond payment processing — they transform critical areas of business, from managing spending and tracking expenses to sustaining financial control.

What happens when you switch to corporate cards 

Here's what improves in your day-to-day operations when you move from traditional payment methods to corporate cards:

Your finance team gets time back

Eliminate the hours your finance team spends manually entering expenses.

What used to take 20+ minutes per expense becomes automated, so your team can focus on strategic work instead of data entry.

Your financial visibility becomes instant

See spending in real time, not days or weeks later.

Clear categorization shows exactly where your money is going, so you can make informed decisions before budget problems spiral.

Your spending stays under control

Set limits per person, per category, and per time period. Freeze or cancel cards instantly when needed. Prevent overspending before it happens — not after the damage is done. 

With spending controls, budgets stay on track without constant micromanagement.

Your team morale improves

Automated approval workflows eliminate bottlenecks and speed up operations. Employees spend directly from company cards, so there’s no more using personal funds and waiting weeks for reimbursement.

Better employee experience = better productivity and job satisfaction.

Your compliance becomes effortless

Every transaction is tracked, categorized, and tied to a specific person automatically. Clean, complete audit trails make compliance simple.

Analyzing spending and identifying cost-saving opportunities becomes straightforward and proactive.

Your business earns while it spends

Turn every business expense into an opportunity.

Corporate cards with cashback reward your business for spending, putting money back in your pocket with every transaction. That's revenue traditional payment methods leave on the table.

These operational improvements happen immediately when you switch to corporate cards. Traditional methods simply can't deliver these outcomes.

13 ways corporate cards improve UAE business spending

Modern corporate cards like Mamo Cards deliver specific features that make operational efficiency and growth possible. Here’s how:

1. Spend limits and controls‍

Set individual and team-level spending limits, like daily, weekly, or monthly limits per card, per person, or per project. Block specific merchant categories or select approved vendors only. This prevents overspending and unauthorized purchases, and gives managers real-time oversight.

2. Zero FX fees on international spends

Have the option to spend in any currency without foreign exchange fees eating into your budget. 

Your global operations and international transactions stay cost-effective. 

3. Cashback on every transaction

Earn up to 0.5% cashback on AED spends and 2% cashback on non-AED spends. Every 

dirham your team spends puts money back into your business. Unlike traditional debit cards that 

earn nothing, your cashback turns everyday expenses into savings. 

4. Free ATM withdrawals

Your team can access cash when needed and without fees cutting into budgets. ATM access 

stays free and convenient.

5. Modern payment integrations

Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay are fully supported. Your team pays however works 

best for them — tap-to-pay in stores, online checkouts, or through mobile wallets. Plus, physical 

and virtual cards work across all platforms.

6. Instant card generation globally

Get cards for any employee, anywhere in the world, in seconds. No Emirates ID required for 

cardholders. Cards stay in the business’s name, making onboarding and offboarding easy. 

7. Instant card top-ups

Top up cards directly from your wallet balance in real time. You don’t have to wait for 

lengthy bank transfers, and there are no delays between collecting payments and funding team 

spending. This integrated approach is unique to Mamo. 

8. Expense receipts via WhatsApp

Team members can upload receipts directly via WhatsApp. There are no logins to remember or a 

complicated process to go through. Receipts are captured and automatically matched to 

transactions, so your team gets back hours spent on month-end reconciliation.

9. Card APIs for automation

Automate card issuance and management with robust APIs. This is perfect for businesses that 

need to integrate corporate cards into existing workflows or custom systems. Issue cards, set 

limits, and track spending — all through code.

10. Virtual corporate card (VCC) APIs

Generate single-use or multi-use virtual cards on demand through API. This is ideal for securing 

online transactions, managing vendor payments, or controlling subscription spending. Each VCC 

can have its own limits and expiration rules for maximum security and control.

11. Unlimited free cards

Issue as many virtual or physical cards as your business needs. No caps or per-card fees, and no 

limits on how many employees, departments, or projects get their own cards. 

12. Zero transaction fees

No fees on card purchases, whether spending in AED or foreign currency. Plus, no setup fees, 

monthly fees, or hidden charges. Total transparency means every dirham you allocate to 

spending actually goes where intended, not to fees.

13. Direct payouts from wallet

Pay vendors and partners directly from your Mamo wallet without separate processes and admin 

overhead. This means you can accelerate supplier payments while strengthening those relationships. 

When corporate cards make the most sense

Corporate cards are built for team spending, while debit cards work best for basic banking needs.

Use traditional debit cards for:

• Basic banking access
• Owner-only transactions
• Simple account operations

Use corporate cards for:

• Team spending (2+ people)
• Employee expenses
• Department budgets
• Subscription management
• Travel and events
• Any business spending that needs tracking and limits

Rule of thumb: If more than one person needs spending power, corporate cards give you more control, visibility, and efficiency over traditional methods.

Choosing the right corporate card provider

Unlike other corporate card providers in the UAE that charge setup fees, cap cashback earnings, or require a lengthy onboarding process, Mamo offers unlimited cards with no hidden costs, uncapped cashback, and instant global issuance. 

When evaluating providers, look for transparent pricing, real-time visibility, and flexibility as your business scales.

Transform your business spending

Corporate cards are no longer optional for growing UAE businesses, they’re essential for compliance, fraud prevention, budgeting, visibility, and much more. They give you a level of efficiency that traditional payment methods, like debit cards and petty cash, just can’t match.

Mamo Corporate Cards are built specifically for UAE businesses that need speed, control, and flexibility as they scale.

Sound like your business? 👉 Get started with Mamo Corporate Cards today.