ADCB Touchpoints / Etihad Guest / Cashback Cards Review

ADCB has one of the largest credit card portfolios in the UAE, a single bank with cashback versions, its own rewards programme (TouchPoints) and Etihad Guest co-brand cards ranging from entry-level Platinum to top tier Visa Infinite. For ADCB salary-transfer customers, the question is rarely "should I get an ADCB card" but rather "which one." This review looks at the three main families — TouchPoints, Etihad Guest and 365 Cashback — and details which household profile suits which.

The TouchPoints Family

ADCB TouchPoints is the bank's proprietary reward currency. Earned on most ADCB credit cards at variable rates, it can be redeemed for travel (flights, hotels, car rentals), merchandise and statement credit. The value of the flagship redemption is typically 2 to 4 fils per point when used for travel via the ADCB rewards portal, and less when redeemed for non-travel.

TouchPoints cards are available from Platinum (entry level, small fee, base earn rate of about 1 to 1.5 points per AED) to Signature and Infinite (premium tiers with higher earn on travel, dining and international spend, plus lounge access and travel insurance).

The TouchPoints Visa Infinite is ADCB's premium flagship for non-co-brand customers and is competitive on benefits with the Skywards Infinite and Etihad Guest Infinite. The difference is the reward currency. Cardholders who don't mind staying within the ADCB travel portal and redeeming within the ADCB ecosystem get strong value, while those who want airline-specific miles should look at the Etihad Guest variant instead.

The Etihad Guest Family at ADCB

ADCB also has a number of Etihad Guest co-brand variants, providing a parallel option to FAB's Etihad Guest lineup. The earn structure is built around Etihad Guest miles per AED, with higher earn rates on Etihad and travel-category spend.

Generally, tiers range from a Platinum entry variant (lower fee, base 1 to 1.5 miles per AED) to Signature and Infinite (premium tiers offering 2 to 4+ miles per AED, increased international earn, and Etihad Guest tier benefits including status fast-track).

The ADCB Etihad Guest Visa Infinite compares well with the FAB Etihad Guest Infinite, but the choice is generally driven by where the cardholder banks rather than card features, since both earn Etihad Guest miles into the same loyalty programme. Benefits on the ADCB side include the ADCB Privileges and Privileges+ ecosystem, while FAB-side benefits stack on Etihad Guest with FAB's own concierge and travel curation.

For an ADCB salary-transfer customer who flies Etihad, the ADCB Etihad Guest Infinite is generally a better answer than the TouchPoints Infinite, since Etihad Guest miles are more valuable when redeemed for premium-cabin awards than TouchPoints are when used to book travel portal bookings.

The 365 Cashback Card

The ADCB 365 Cashback is the bank's flagship cashback product. It has a tiered cashback rate — typically 1 percent on all spend, with higher rates (3 to 5 percent) on rotating categories such as supermarkets, dining, fuel, transport and education, subject to a monthly cap. The annual fee is waived for ADCB customers who hit monthly spend thresholds (typically AED 5,000 to AED 8,000), making it virtually fee-free for salary-transferred users.

The 365 Cashback is one of the cleanest cashback products in the UAE. No miles to track, no portal lock-in — cashback is credited to the statement and reduces the next bill. For a household running AED 8,000 to AED 15,000 per month through the card with wide spend distribution, the blended return is around 2 to 3 percent, which is significantly higher than the 1 percent base return of mid-tier cards.

The limitation is the capped monthly bonus structure. A household spending AED 4,000 a month at supermarkets will only earn the higher rate up to the cap (often AED 200 to AED 300 a month across all categories), with anything above earning at the base rate. For very high-spend households, the cap is the binding constraint.

How to Choose Among the Three Families

It is decided by three questions.

First, do you fly Etihad regularly? If so, the answer is the Etihad Guest tier that matches your level of spend (Platinum, Signature or Infinite). The Etihad Guest tier benefits grow and the miles pile up.

Second, do you want flexibility over loyalty? In that case, the TouchPoints lineup provides a flexible currency that can be redeemed for travel and statement credit, with premium tiers offering Visa Infinite benefits.

Third, do you want simplicity over points? If so, the 365 Cashback gives you direct cashback — no point tracking, no expiry and no need to navigate portals. The fee waivers essentially make it free for active users.

A common ADCB two-card setup is the 365 Cashback for daily spend (capturing the bonus categories) plus a TouchPoints or Etihad Guest Infinite for travel and large purchases. The split means the cashback card handles the predictable categories where caps don't bite, while the premium card captures international spending, large travel bookings and lounge benefits.

Where ADCB Cards Fit in the Wider UAE Market

Versus ENBD: ADCB's TouchPoints and Etihad Guest lineup is a direct competitor to ENBD's Smiles and Skywards portfolio. The choice is usually between airline preference (Etihad vs. Emirates) and which bank holds the salary transfer.

Versus FAB: For Etihad-flying customers, the choice between FAB and ADCB Etihad Guest variants is mostly driven by banking relationship, with FAB's wealth-banking integration stronger and ADCB's cashback alternative cleaner.

Versus Mashreq: ADCB's cashback offering matches Mashreq's on rates and structure, with ADCB's salary-transfer benefits (loan rates, account services) as a tiebreaker.

Final Verdict

ADCB provides a coherent portfolio with a clear answer for most household profiles. Etihad flyer with high spend: Etihad Guest Infinite. Flexible-currency seeker with premium tastes: TouchPoints Infinite. Cashback simplicity seeker: 365 Cashback. Most ADCB salary customers should hold just one card from the bank — chosen on reward currency preference — rather than trying to stack multiple ADCB products.

The right ADCB card aligns your reward currency to your real spend pattern. The wrong one chases marketing rates that the cap or the lock-in eventually erodes.