Tamara review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Tamara suits Gulf shoppers who want to split a purchase and pay nothing in interest. Its APR of 0% and an origination fee of SAR 0 (Pay in 3) make it the cheapest of these brands, while a hard credit check and a 3 to 24 term window keep it a short commitment.

Key facts

Best for
Gulf shoppers splitting a purchase into short instalments at no interest cost.
APR
0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan amount
up to SAR 50,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Term
3 to 24 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Arrangement fee
SAR 0 (Pay in 3) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
Hard (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Direct lender (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
18+ and citizen or resident of Saudi Arabia, UAE or Kuwait; 21+ and citizen of Bahrain (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
BNPL (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Tamara Finance Company (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Saudi Arabia (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Official website
tamara.co

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
LinkedInXapps.apple.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • APR of 0%, against 9.5% to 3,696% at Solcredito MX
  • An origination fee of SAR 0 (Pay in 3) on the interest free plan
  • Licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) under 95/A Sh/202502

Cons

  • The credit check is hard, so any application is recorded on the file
  • Terms run 3 to 24, so a long repayment window is not offered
  • Buy now pay later is the only product listed under bnpl, with no consolidation or credit line
  • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, which leaves live chat out
Tamara

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Scored 9.4 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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Who it suits

  • Adults who are citizens or residents of Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Kuwait, and adult citizens of Bahrain, splitting a purchase at a merchant
  • Readers who want a regulated direct lender with nothing charged in interest on the short plan
  • Shoppers with a larger basket in mind, since amounts reach up to SAR 50,000

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers who need a debt consolidation loan or a credit line, since buy now pay later is the only product under bnpl
  • Anyone who wants a soft prequalification rather than a hard credit check, or who lives outside the Gulf markets Tamara serves
  • Borrowers after a small personal loan, where Kviku's ceiling of up to €2,000 is a better fit, or a much larger one, where Oney Préstamos ES runs to €1,000 to €45,000

Regulation

Tamara is a direct lender, not a broker or a marketplace, so the credit decision and the contract sit with the same firm rather than being passed on to a panel of third parties. In Saudi Arabia the lender holds a licence from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), recorded as 95/A Sh/202502. That licence is the starting point for anyone checking a firm against a public register, because it names a supervised company as the counterparty on the account. Lending directly at this scale is common in the region, so the structure is not unusual in itself. The licence is what separates one provider from another.

Rates and costs

The headline figure is the APR of 0%, which reads as nothing to pay in interest. On the interest free plan the origination fee is SAR 0 (Pay in 3), so there is no separate setup charge stacked on top. The brands on show sit far apart on cost: Solcredito MX runs an APR of 9.5% to 3,696%, so a Tamara plan costs a fraction of a typical personal loan rate. Kviku caps out at up to €2,000 and Oney Préstamos ES runs to €1,000 to €45,000, and neither shows an interest free plan here. The practical point for cost watchers: a longer Tamara plan sits outside the 0% headline, so the instalment schedule decides what a longer commitment really costs.

Safety and regulation

Safety comes down to who holds the money and who licenses the firm. As a direct lender, Tamara keeps the balance on its own books, so the repayment terms come from the lender itself rather than from a spread of outside funders. In Saudi Arabia the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) licenses the company under 95/A Sh/202502. That structure means a single contract and a single counterparty, which is easier for a reader to check against the register and to complain to if a payment goes wrong. Nothing else about the arrangement is stated, so the licence and the lender's own name are the two things to verify.

Applying and getting the money

Terms run 3 to 24, so the shortest plan spreads a purchase over a small number of instalments while the longest stretches the commitment further. For readers used to UK style personal loans the shape is different: this is a merchant linked instalment plan rather than a free form cash loan, and what you can take is tied to the basket in front of you. Anyone budgeting month by month should read the instalment schedule before the first payment date.

Who runs it

The contracting entity is Tamara Finance Company, headquartered in Saudi Arabia. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a phone line, an email address and a help centre are all in place, and phone and email sit in the mainstream for this kind of lender. The Saudi licence under 95/A Sh/202502 is the anchor for anyone checking the firm against a public register. A single regulated lender with a single listed product keeps the contract simple to read, though the reach of a local company stops at its own market.

How Tamara compares

Where Tamara is available

Available
Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
Licence in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) (95/A Sh/202502), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to split a purchase with Tamara?+

The APR is 0% on the interest free plan, so nothing accrues on the balance. The origination fee is SAR 0 (Pay in 3) on that same plan, which means there is no separate setup charge either. Solcredito MX, by contrast, charges an APR of 9.5% to 3,696%.

Is Tamara regulated?+

Yes. In Saudi Arabia the lender is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), and the licence number is 95/A Sh/202502. The contracting entity is Tamara Finance Company, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia and lends its own money rather than passing borrowers on.

Who can open an account?+

Applicants must be adults. In Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait you must be a citizen or resident, while in Bahrain you must be a citizen at an adult age. Residents outside those markets are not eligible. The lender behind the account is Tamara Finance Company, based in Saudi Arabia.

How much can I borrow?+

Amounts reach up to SAR 50,000, which covers anything from a routine basket to a larger purchase. That ceiling sits well above the €681.38 most balances in this category reach on the site, so it points at bigger tickets.

How long do I have to repay?+

Terms run 3 to 24. The shortest plan splits a purchase over a small number of instalments and the longest stretches the commitment further. A longer plan sits outside the 0% headline, so read the instalment schedule before choosing one.

Will applying affect my credit file?+

The credit check is hard, so an application is recorded on your file whether or not you go ahead. That is the most common type in this category, at 61.7% of the listings. A declined application still leaves a trace.

How do I get help if something goes wrong?+

Support runs on email, phone and help centre. You can call, email or use the help centre, which covers most questions about a plan or a payment. Chat is not listed among the channels, so live chat is not the quickest route when a payment date is close.

Is Tamara a lender or a broker?+

It is a direct lender, so it lends its own money and the contract runs with Tamara Finance Company. Nothing is handed to another lender, which keeps the agreement in a single set of terms. The same firm also holds the Saudi licence, 95/A Sh/202502.

Sources

  • tamara.co checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan types, Licences

    “Buy now pay over 24 months in Saudi Arabia (BNPL)”

  • tamara.co/en-sa/app checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Eligibility

    “If you're older than 18 years of age and are a legal citizen or resident of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, or Kuwait, or if you're older than 21 years and are a legal citizen of Bahrain,...”

  • tamara.co/en-sa/financing-product-prices checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan amount, APR, Arrangement fee, Term

    “Tamara offers a maximum spending limit of 50,000 SAR”

  • tamara.co/en-sa/terms-and-conditions checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Credit check, Headquarters, Legal entity, Lender type, Support channels

    “Tamara may, from time to time, for Customer due diligence purposes pass your details on to applicable credit bureau agencies to run a credit report on your credit history and creditworthiness.”

Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Funding time, Representative example.

Related by the facts

Tamara

Tamara

Gulf shoppers splitting a purchase into short instalments at no interest cost.

9.4/10See alternatives

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