A FAB salary card is a prepaid card your employer loads your salary onto. It is not a bank account. To check the balance, use the prepaid card inquiry (PPC) portal — not the FAB Mobile app or online banking. This guide explains how salary cards work and how a salary card differs from a salary account.
FAB was formed in April 2017 when First Gulf Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) merged. NBAD no longer exists as a separate bank. FAB is licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE. Its official website is bankfab.com — type it yourself, and never follow a balance-check link sent by SMS or email.
What Is a FAB Salary Card?
A salary card is a prepaid card issued through an employer under the UAE Wage Protection System (WPS), supervised by MOHRE and the Central Bank of the UAE. Your employer loads your salary onto the card each pay cycle.
A salary card has no chequebook and no overdraft. There is no account behind it to log in to, so the balance check uses a separate portal. The best-known FAB salary card is Ratibi, for workers earning up to AED 5,000 per month. Other WPS prepaid cards work the same way, including Lulu salary cards.
Your employer arranges the card. You do not open a bank account to get one. If you change jobs, your new employer may issue a new card.
Salary Account vs Salary Card — The Key Difference
A salary account is a bank account. Your salary is paid into the account. Check it in the FAB Mobile app or FAB Personal Online Banking, at an ATM, or by phone on 600 52 5500.
A salary card is a prepaid card. Your salary is loaded onto the card. There is no bank account behind it. Check it on the PPC portal, at an ATM, or in the Payit app.
Rule: if you opened a FAB bank account, use the app. If your employer gave you a card and you never opened an account, use the PPC portal. If you hold both, check each separately. See our FAB bank balance check guide and Ratibi card balance check guide.
How to Check Your Salary Card Balance Online: The PPC Portal
The PPC portal is the fastest online way to check a salary card balance. No registration or app is needed:
- FAB portal: https://ppc.bankfab.com/PPCInquiry/
- Magnati portal: https://ppc.magnati.com/ppc-inquiry/
Magnati is FAB’s payments technology partner. The old PPC NBAD portal is decommissioned. Type the address yourself.
The fields vary by portal version. On the Magnati portal the fields are the last 4 digits of the card number, your Card ID, and a CAPTCHA — verified on the live portal. The FAB portal at ppc.bankfab.com asks for the details shown on its own page; enter only what the live page asks for. Enter only what it asks for and submit. If one portal does not load, try the other. Never enter your PIN on a balance-check page.
Card ID Explained
The most common reason a salary card check fails is Card ID confusion. Your Card ID is not your card number. It is a separate reference number printed on the card or on its welcome-envelope carrier — the paper the card arrived attached to. Your card number is the long 16-digit number on the front of the card. Your Card ID is a different reference number.
If the portal asks for Card ID and you enter the card number instead, the check will fail. Look for “Card ID” on the card or carrier paper. If you cannot find it, ask your employer or call FAB on 600 52 5500.
Other Ways to Check a Salary Card Balance
At a FAB ATM: insert your card, enter your PIN, and select Balance Inquiry. The ATM shows your balance, and you can also request a mini-statement. Checks at FAB ATMs are free. A balance enquiry at another UAE bank’s ATM costs AED 1 per transaction under FAB’s official schedule of charges.
In the Payit app: Payit is FAB’s wallet app. Ratibi cardholders register as a “Ratibi Cardholder”: download Payit, select “Ratibi Cardholder”, scan your Emirates ID, confirm your details, then add your card ID and the last 2 digits of your card number, enter your mobile number, enter the 6-digit SMS code, and create a 4-digit PIN. If it does not work, use the PPC portal or an ATM instead.
By phone: FAB customer care is on 600 52 5500 in the UAE, or +971 2 681 1511 from outside the UAE. Use these numbers for Ratibi questions too. Never share your PIN or OTP on a call.
What to Do If Your Salary Has Not Arrived
First, check the PPC portal again. Second, check with your employer. Under WPS, your employer sends the salary; the portal only shows what has been loaded onto the card. Most late salaries are an employer payment delay, not a card problem.
Third, if your employer says the salary was sent but the portal still shows no credit, call FAB on 600 52 5500. Tell them the date and amount. A blocked card can stop you using the balance even when the money is there. Under the UAE Wage Protection System, your salary for a month is due on the 1st of the following month (MOHRE Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, in force 1 June 2026). Your employer may pay earlier, but if it has not arrived by the 1st, it is late.
Stay Safe When You Check a Salary Card
FAB warns that it never asks for your PIN, OTP or password via phone, SMS, email or WhatsApp. FAB does not offer balance checks via WhatsApp: in 2026 the Central Bank of the UAE directed all UAE banks to stop using WhatsApp for customer communication and financial services. Never share your PIN or OTP on WhatsApp, and never click a balance-check link.
Type portal addresses yourself. Do not enter card details on any site other than ppc.bankfab.com or ppc.magnati.com, and never enter your PIN on a balance page. To report fraud, call 600 52 5500 or email atyourservice@bankfab.com — the address FAB publishes on its official fraud and security page. If you shared details with a scammer, call FAB on 600 52 5500 immediately. See our balance enquiry guide and FAB Balance Check.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is an independent informational guide. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). Always confirm balances, fees and procedures through FAB’s official channels at bankfab.com or by calling 600 52 5500.