UAE banks have discontinued SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs) for online transactions from January 6, 2026, moving customers to app-based and biometric authentication as part of a wider security overhaul led by the Central Bank of the UAE. This marks a significant shift in how digital payments are approved, aiming to curb SIM-swap and phishing-related fraud while streamlining user experience for cardholders across the country.
Since January 6, customers making online card payments are no longer receiving OTP codes via SMS or email to complete their purchases. Instead, banks will push transaction-approval requests directly to their official mobile applications, where users must confirm the payment using in-app prompts.Major UAE lenders, including names like Emirates NBD and others, have started sending alerts to customers, warning that online payments may fail if the banking app is not installed and activated before the deadline.
Role of biometrics and app authentication
The new model relies heavily on biometric verification such as fingerprint and facial recognition, along with secur
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