Mastercard, LiaPay Issue Prepaid Cards for Workers
Salaried employees in four markets will receive Mastercard prepaid cards linked to LiaPay's earned wage access app.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Employment
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Mastercard has teamed up with LiaPay to issue Mastercard prepaid cards to salaried employees across four markets. The payroll-embedded program lets workers use earned salary ahead of payday without traditional credit.
Why it matters
The collaboration aims to boost everyday spending power for the region's workforce, including many middle-income employees. It also extends earned wage access, which lets workers draw on wages already earned before payday.
The agreement with DEEL and Anvin ERP covers more than 200,000 employees drawing on LiaPay's network across four markets. The source does not give the number of employees who have activated cards or how much has been drawn to date.
The players
Mastercard
Mastercard is a global payments technology company that operates one of the world's largest card networks.
LiaPay
LiaPay is a payroll-embedded earned wage access provider that launched with Mawarid Finance as its BIN sponsor and Paymentology as its processor.
The details
Employees receive a Mastercard Platinum prepaid card linked to the LiaPay app, with authentication and fraud protection built in. The cards can be used in stores, online, and for cross-border remittances, and the model is fully aligned with local Wage Protection Systems.
Timeline
November 10, 2026: Mastercard and LiaPay announce the collaboration.
Initial rollout: Program begins in the UAE and Qatar.
Later: Expansion planned for Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Market Landscape
Earned wage access programs let workers draw on salary already earned before payday, and this partnership extends that model into prepaid card form across Gulf markets. The rollout in the UAE and Qatar, with later plans for Saudi Arabia and Oman, places the program within the wider GCC employment and payments market.
Workers at participating employers can access wages they have already earned before payday through a Mastercard Platinum prepaid card linked to the LiaPay app. The card can be used in stores, online, and for cross-border remittances, which may affect how and when employees manage household spending.
The takeaway
Earned wage access is spreading from payroll platforms into card-based products that workers can use across everyday spending. Employees considering these programs should check how any advance is repaid and what fees, if any, apply before using the card.
What happens next
Initial rollout in the UAE and Qatar is scheduled to begin, with expansion to Saudi Arabia and Oman to follow later.
Further reading
For related coverage of how workers access their pay, see the Employment section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Gulf Daily News Online.
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