# Cash on delivery in the Gulf: fees, limits and local cards

Reviewed by [Fadi Nasser](https://couponsradar.com/team/fadi/) · Updated 26 October 2026

## Short answer

As of October 2026, noon charges AED 12 in the UAE and SAR 18 in Saudi Arabia for cash on delivery, with a maximum order of 6,500 in either currency, while Amazon charges a non-refundable AED 10 on amazon.ae and SAR 17 on amazon.sa and withholds the option once your open orders pass 1,000. Every Gulf country also has a national debit network that works at local online stores: mada in Saudi Arabia, Jaywan in the UAE, KNET in Kuwait, BENEFIT in Bahrain, NAPS with the Himyan card in Qatar and OmanNet with the Maal card in Oman.

Contents
- [What paying at the door really costs](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s1)
- [Store rules compared: noon and Amazon](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s2)
- [Promo codes, gift cards and card offers with COD](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s3)
- [Six countries, six national debit networks](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s4)
- [Paying online with a local debit card: what to expect](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s5)
- [Refusing, cancelling and repeat COD orders](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s6)
- [Before the courier arrives: a short checklist](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#s7)
- [Questions](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#faq)
- [Sources](https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/#sources)

## What paying at the door really costs

Cash on delivery (COD) lets you place an order and settle it with the courier when the parcel arrives. It feels free, but at the largest Gulf stores it is a paid option. The fee is set by the store, not by any government, and it is added on top of the basket total.

The fee hurts most on small orders. Take a SAR 150 basket on noon in Saudi Arabia with a 10% promo code: the code saves SAR 15, and the SAR 18 COD fee wipes that out and costs you SAR 3 more. On an AED 80 order at amazon.ae, the AED 10 fee equals 12.5% of the basket. On large orders the fee shrinks as a share of the total, but large orders run into the caps described in the next section.

Three questions settle whether COD is worth it:

- **Is the fee bigger than the risk you are avoiding?** With a well-known store and a clear returns process, paying by debit card usually costs nothing extra.
- **Is the order under the store's limit?** Above it, the COD option simply disappears at checkout.
- **Do you have a card enabled for online payments?** If not, COD may be your only route for now, and the national debit networks covered below are worth setting up.

## Store rules compared: noon and Amazon

These are the rules published on each store's own help pages when we read them on 26 October 2026. Stores change them without notice, so treat the checkout screen as the final word.

| Store | COD fee | Order limit | Main exclusions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [noon](https://couponsradar.com/stores/noon/) UAE | AED 12 | Maximum order AED 6,500 | Locker deliveries, gift addresses, some doorstep deliveries, items marked for prepaid payment only |
| [noon](https://couponsradar.com/stores/noon/) Saudi Arabia | SAR 18 | Maximum order SAR 6,500 | Same as the UAE |
| [Amazon](https://couponsradar.com/stores/amazon/) UAE (amazon.ae) | AED 10, non-refundable | Not offered once your open orders exceed AED 1,000 | Seller items that do not accept COD, Global Store items, extended warranties, Amazon Home Services, eGift Cards, pick-up locations, orders shipping to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or Oman |
| [Amazon](https://couponsradar.com/stores/amazon/) Saudi Arabia (amazon.sa) | SAR 17, non-refundable | Not offered once your open orders exceed SAR 1,000 | Seller items that do not accept COD, Global Store items, extended warranties, eGift Cards, pick-up locations. The page carried a notice that COD was temporarily unavailable when we checked |

A few details that are easy to miss:

- noon charges shipping and COD fees once per order, not once per shipment, so a split delivery does not double the fee.
- noon may temporarily block new COD orders if you already have several COD orders pending.
- On Amazon, COD is hidden while gift card balance is selected, and it cannot be mixed with a card, instalments or gift card balance. You must also verify your mobile number with a one-time password; verifying a number already linked to another Amazon account disables that other account.

For Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman we could not confirm published COD fees for major stores as of 26 Oct 2026. noon's help page lists COD for the UAE and Saudi Arabia (and Egypt) only. Our [cash on delivery tracker](https://couponsradar.com/data/cash-on-delivery/) collects what each store shows at checkout.

## Promo codes, gift cards and card offers with COD

A promo code and COD can usually sit on the same order, but they do not always help each other.

- **The fee is a separate line.** Neither noon nor Amazon says on its COD help page that a promo code reduces the COD fee. Read the order summary: if the fee still shows after the code is applied, budget for it.
- **Prepaid-only items.** noon marks some items as prepaid only, payable by card, buy now pay later or wallet. If one of them is in your basket, COD will not be offered, whatever code you use.
- **Gift card balance.** On Amazon, a selected gift card balance hides COD altogether, so you cannot use the balance and pay the rest in cash.
- **Bank card offers.** Card discounts are tied to paying with the card. Bank Dhofar's talabat offer in Oman, for example, applies only when the full amount is paid with a single eligible card. By the offer's own terms, cash at the door cannot qualify.

In practice: if a bank code or a large store code is in play, paying online usually keeps more of the discount than paying cash.

## Six countries, six national debit networks

If you avoid COD because you do not want to use a credit card online, the local debit network in your country is the usual alternative. Each one links your bank account to local online stores, and each is run or supervised by a national body.

| Country | Network or card | Run by | What it means for online shopping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Saudi Arabia](https://couponsradar.com/saudi-arabia/) | mada | Saudi Central Bank (SAMA); launched in 1990 | Works on e-commerce sites with 3D Secure checks. SAMA requires online stores inside the Kingdom to process mada payments through mada. Can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay |
| [UAE](https://couponsradar.com/uae/) | Jaywan | Al Etihad Payments | The national card scheme, for online and in-store payments. Nationwide card issuance by banks was announced on 20 July 2026 |
| [Kuwait](https://couponsradar.com/kuwait/) | KNET | Shared Electronic Banking Services Company, set up in 1992 with local banks | Payment gateway that accepts debit cards issued by Kuwaiti banks, confirmed with a one-time password sent by SMS |
| [Bahrain](https://couponsradar.com/bahrain/) | BENEFIT and BenefitPay | The BENEFIT Company, licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain | Payment gateway that accepts locally issued debit cards; BenefitPay is the national e-wallet |
| [Qatar](https://couponsradar.com/qatar/) | NAPS, QPAY and the Himyan card | Qatar Central Bank | NAPS (since 1996) processes debit and prepaid cards; the QPAY gateway (since 2005) handles e-commerce with Qatari merchants. Himyan launched on 30 March 2024 |
| [Oman](https://couponsradar.com/oman/) | OmanNet and the Maal card | Central Bank of Oman | Maal can pay on local websites and apps, is for use inside Oman only, and is being rolled out in phases |

## Paying online with a local debit card: what to expect

- **Domestic and foreign stores are handled differently.** SAMA's rules route payments at online stores inside Saudi Arabia through mada, while purchases from stores outside the Kingdom go through international payment companies. If a foreign site rejects your card, the international scheme on the card, not mada, is what it needs.
- **Expect a verification step.** mada uses 3D Secure, and KNET confirms each payment with an SMS one-time password. That step is the main protection you give up when you pay cash.
- **Himyan is cheap to get.** Qatar Central Bank says first-time issuance is free for local bank customers. At launch it was offered by Qatar National Bank, Doha Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Qatar Islamic Bank, Dukhan Bank, Qatar International Islamic Bank and Commercial Bank.
- **Maal is an extra card, not a replacement.** The Central Bank of Oman says some banks issue it automatically to new customers and others on request, and that acceptance points will be announced in phases.
- **Jaywan is new.** Al Etihad Payments announced a co-badged credit card with Mastercard on 21 July 2026 and an agreement with UnionPay International on 11 August 2026 for global acceptance of Jaywan-only cards. We could not confirm which UAE online stores accept Jaywan-only cards at checkout as of 26 Oct 2026. The same company runs Aani, which sends money to a mobile number, up to AED 50,000 per transfer.
- **Wallets keep your card number private.** mada cards can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, which use tokenisation so the store does not see the card details. Some bank card offers exclude wallets, though, so check before you tap.

## Refusing, cancelling and repeat COD orders

Refusing a COD parcel does not take money from your account, because you have not paid yet. The cost shows up later, in what the store lets you do next:

- **Losing the option.** Amazon says COD may not be offered to customers with frequent past cancellations or delivery refusals.
- **Temporary blocks.** noon may stop new COD orders while several of yours are still pending.
- **Fees you do not get back.** Amazon describes its COD fee as non-refundable in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

In the official sources we checked, these consequences come from store policies rather than from regulators. If you change your mind, cancel in the app before the order is handed to the courier; that is cleaner than refusing at the door. If you accept the parcel and then want to send it back, the store's normal returns policy applies, and our [returns tracker](https://couponsradar.com/data/returns/) compares return windows by store.

## Before the courier arrives: a short checklist

- Open the order in the app and note the exact amount due, including the COD fee.
- Have the exact cash ready, or ask in advance whether the courier carries a card machine.
- Match the store name and order number on the parcel label with the app before you pay.
- If you pay by card on the courier's device, check that the amount on the screen matches the app.
- Share a delivery code only when the store's app asks for it. Never read out a bank one-time password; banks use those to approve payments.
- Ignore payment links sent by text or chat that do not come from the store's official app.
- Keep the receipt or in-app confirmation until any return window has closed.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does noon charge for cash on delivery?

noon's help page lists a COD fee of AED 12 in the UAE and SAR 18 in Saudi Arabia, with a maximum order value of AED 6,500 or SAR 6,500. The fee is charged once per order even if the order arrives in several shipments. COD is not offered for locker deliveries, gift addresses or items marked prepaid only. These figures were current on 26 October 2026.

### Does Amazon refund the COD fee if I return the item?

Amazon's help pages describe the COD fee as non-refundable: AED 10 on amazon.ae and SAR 17 on amazon.sa. Amazon also stops offering COD once your open orders pass 1,000 in local currency, and may withdraw it after frequent cancellations or refusals. When we checked on 26 October 2026, the Saudi page said COD was temporarily unavailable.

### Can I use cash on delivery in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain or Oman?

Many local stores offer it, but we could not confirm published COD fees for major stores in these four countries as of 26 October 2026. noon's help page lists COD only for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and amazon.ae does not offer COD on orders shipping to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or Oman. Check the payment step at checkout for the current fee.

### Does a promo code reduce the cash on delivery fee?

Not as far as the stores say. Neither noon's nor Amazon's COD help page states that a promo code discounts the COD fee, so expect the fee to stay on the order after the code is applied. Check the order summary before you confirm. On small baskets the fee can cancel most of a percentage discount, which is a good reason to pay by card instead.

### Can I pay with mada on a website outside Saudi Arabia?

SAMA's rules say purchases at online stores inside Saudi Arabia go through the mada network, while purchases from stores outside the Kingdom are processed by international payment companies. So a foreign site relies on the international scheme on your card rather than mada itself. If a foreign checkout rejects your card, ask your bank whether it is enabled for international online use.

### What is Jaywan and can I shop online with it?

Jaywan is the UAE's national card scheme, run by Al Etihad Payments. The company says it works for online shopping and in-store payments, and nationwide card issuance by banks was announced on 20 July 2026. A co-badged credit card with Mastercard was announced the next day. We could not confirm which UAE online stores accept Jaywan-only cards as of 26 October 2026.

## Sources

- [noon Help Centre: How does Cash on Delivery work?](https://help.noon.com/portal/en/kb/articles/how-does-cash-on-delivery-work), read 26 Oct 2026
- [noon Help Centre: Everything you need to know about multiple shipments](https://help.noon.com/portal/en/kb/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-multiple-shipments-28-3-2024), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Amazon.ae Customer Service: Cash on Delivery](https://www.amazon.ae/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZSKGA5HH9DSSN27), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Amazon.sa Customer Service: Cash on Delivery](https://www.amazon.sa/-/en/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GZSKGA5HH9DSSN27), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Saudi Central Bank: mada](https://www.sama.gov.sa/en-US/payment/pages/mada.aspx), read 26 Oct 2026
- [SAMA Rulebook: Use of mada bank cards for buying products through the internet](https://rulebook.sama.gov.sa/en/use-mada-bank-cards-buying-products-through-internet), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Al Etihad Payments: Jaywan and Aani](https://aep.ae/), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Central Bank of Kuwait: The development of CBK's payment systems](https://www.cbk.gov.kw/en/payment-systems/development-of-payment-systems), read 26 Oct 2026
- [KNET: Payment Gateway](https://www.knet.com.kw/services/payment-gateway/), read 26 Oct 2026
- [BENEFIT: Payment Gateway](https://benefit.bh/business/payment-gateway/), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Qatar Central Bank: Retail payment systems](https://www.qcb.gov.qa/en/Pages/Retail-payment-systems.aspx), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Qatar News Agency: Qatar Central Bank launches Himyan debit card](https://www.qna.org.qa/en/News-Area/News/2024-03/30/0019-qatar-central-bank-launches-'himyan'-debit-card), read 26 Oct 2026
- [Central Bank of Oman: National Payment Card (Maal)](https://cbo.gov.om/nationalpaymentcard), read 26 Oct 2026

**[Fadi Nasser](https://couponsradar.com/team/fadi/)** · Food delivery, groceries, pharmacy and payments

Fadi tracks food-delivery and grocery apps, pharmacies and payment options: cash on delivery, pay-later plans and bank-card offers, and the fine print that decides whether they combine with a code. [How we check codes](https://couponsradar.com/how-we-check/).

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Source: https://couponsradar.com/guides/cash-on-delivery-gulf/
Publisher: Coupons Radar (https://couponsradar.com/), hello@couponsradar.com