Tabby, the Saudi Arabia-based financial services app, has been granted consumer finance and SME finance licences by SAMA. The approvals allow the company to offer longer instalment plans on larger purchases, in addition to its existing four-instalment, interest-free model, and to provide working capital to small and medium-sized businesses.
The SME finance licence allows Tabby to provide working capital funding directly to retailers operating on its platform, supporting their growth alongside the consumer-facing payment options.
Extended payment plans now live across retail partners
The longer plans are already available across several of Tabby's retail partners, including Noon, Fitness Time, Almanea, IKEA, Almosafer, Almatar, and flynas. They apply to purchases above USD 533, with a limit of up to USD 13,333. The plans are being rolled out to an initial group of customers, with availability extending to all eligible users over the coming weeks.
The plans are structured to be Shariah-compliant, based on a Murabaha model in which the total cost is agreed upfront and remains fixed for the duration of the plan. There is no compounding interest and no late fees, consistent with the no-fee, no-interest structure of Tabby's existing four-instalment offering.
The extended plans are intended to support purchases in categories that typically involve higher costs than everyday retail, such as education, travel, used cars and short-term rentals. Merchants operating in these sectors can integrate Tabby at checkout to offer instalment-based payment over a longer period.
Regulatory background
The two licences extend Tabby's regulatory footprint in Saudi Arabia, following its graduation from SAMA's regulatory sandbox and its Buy Now, Pay Later licence, received in 2025. SAMA grants finance licences to companies that meet its requirements for compliance, security and consumer protection. The move aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which includes expanding access to fair and transparent financial services.
A company official said the new licences extend the flexibility Tabby already provides to a broader range of larger purchases, including education, home furnishings and travel, in response to demand from existing customers.
Tabby reports more than 25 million registered users and over 65,000 partner businesses across the GCC. The new licences are expected to support the company's expansion into higher-value payment categories within its largest market.
