AANI for Cashless Tips in the UAE: Owner's Guide

Summary

AANI is the UAE’s national instant payment platform (by Al Etihad Payments under CBUAE) supporting mobile number, email, and QR-code payments.
For tips, customers simply scan a QR with their bank app or the AANI app, enter an amount, and pay—funds arrive in seconds, 24/7.
Compared with cards, A2A/instant payments typically mean lower acceptance costs, no POS hardware, and instant settlement.
Works across participating UAE banks and PSPs; ideal for cafés, salons, delivery, hotels, and on‑premise service teams.
Typical single‑payment headroom is up to AED 50,000 (bank‑defined), far above a usual tip.

If your venue still depends on card terminals for gratuities, you’re likely paying more than you need—and waiting for settlement. This guide explains how AANI enables cashless, QR‑based tips that settle instantly to your bank account, and outlines a practical rollout for owners in F&B, beauty, hospitality, and services.

What is AANI?

AANI is the UAE’s instant account‑to‑account (A2A) rail. It lets people and businesses send and receive money in seconds using simple proxies (mobile number or email) or by scanning a standard QR code—no IBAN exchange needed. Core features include Send Money, Request to Pay, and Split Bills, with payments processed 24/7 in near‑real time. Participating banks expose AANI inside their mobile apps, and there is also a dedicated AANI app.

Start Receiving Cashless Tips Today

Make tipping easier for your customers and seamless for your team. Join our platform and accept contactless gratuities with ease.

Why use AANI for tips instead of cards?

Instant settlement & cash flow: Tips appear in your account within seconds, all day, every day.
Lower cost of acceptance: A2A rails avoid card‑scheme interchange and terminal fees; banks often price AANI P2P/P2M competitively.
No hardware dependency: A printed or on‑screen QR replaces card readers; no rental, paper rolls, or device failures.
Universal reach: Customers can pay using most UAE banking apps or the AANI app—no special wallet required.
Transparency & reconciliation: Bank statements and notifications form a clean audit trail for payouts and payroll.

How QR-based tip flows work

Pick the flow that matches your venue and team structure. All start with a static or dynamic AANI QR.

1) Counter / Tip Jar (Static QR)

Generate a static AANI QR linked to your “Tips” account/alias.
Place it at the till, on receipts, and on signage.
Guest scans with their bank app → enters amount → confirms → funds post instantly.
End of shift, export transactions and allocate/pool as per policy.

2) Staff‑level QR (Direct to Staff)

Issue each staff member a unique QR mapped to their payout account.
Use name badges, table tents, or POS screens to display the code for service‑led roles.
Tips are credited instantly to the staff account; managers retain read‑only reporting.

3) Table/Room/Delivery QR (Dynamic)

Print per‑table/room/delivery stickers with a location code.
QR encodes your AANI alias plus metadata (table, room, courier) for cleaner reporting.
Guest scans → picks a tip amount → confirms → instant settlement with context for reconciliation.

4) Request‑to‑Pay (Push a Tip Request)

Staff trigger a Request to Pay from your venue app or dashboard with a suggested amount.
Guest receives a secure payment prompt in their bank app and approves in one tap.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Action is worth a thousand pictures. Scan the QR code and see us in action right away.

Owner’s rollout checklist

Create or nominate a bank account for tips; enroll for AANI and set your default receiving account.
Decide on pooling vs direct‑to‑staff. For pooling, define your split rules (e.g., role, hours, shift).
Generate static/dynamic QRs and place them on counters, menus, tents, bills, delivery slips, and WhatsApp.
Train the team to point guests to the QR at payment time; add suggested tip buttons (e.g., 5, 10, 15 AED).
Set up reporting: daily summaries by site, shift, staff; bank statement mapping; export to accounting.
Publish a one‑liner on your bill: “For instant card‑free tips, scan the AANI QR.”

Costs and settlement

Card terminals bundle network and acquiring fees (MDR) and often settle T+1 or later. AANI moves money account‑to‑account in seconds and avoids card‑scheme interchange; acquiring for AANI/QR is typically lower‑cost and needs no terminal hardware. Consumer P2P transfers are commonly free at many banks; merchant pricing is set by your bank/acquirer. Typical single‑payment limits (set by banks) reach up to AED 50,000, more than sufficient for gratuities.

Reconciliation & payroll

Use your bank notifications and AANI references to tag tips by site/shift/staff.
For pooling, export a daily file and post payouts to staff accounts (AANI transfers are instant).
Name your aliases/QRs clearly (e.g., Brand-DIFC-Tips, Brand-Marina-Table-12) to simplify reporting.

Frequently asked

Do guests need the AANI app?

Not necessarily. Most UAE banking apps support AANI. The dedicated AANI app is an extra option.

Can we cap or pre‑set tip amounts?

Yes. Static QR flows accept any amount; dynamic QR and Request‑to‑Pay can embed suggested presets.

How fast is settlement?

Near‑instant, 24/7. Funds typically post within seconds.

Are there chargebacks?

AANI is account‑to‑account; there is no card chargeback flow. Disputes follow your bank’s instant payment processes.

Sources

Central Bank of the UAE – Aani launch press release (PDF) – CBUAE
Al Etihad Payments – About Aani – AEP
Emirates NBD – Aani (IPP) features incl. Request‑to‑Pay & QR – Emirates NBD
Sharjah Islamic Bank – Aani limits up to AED 50,000 – SIB
ADCB – Aani via mobile, email, QR – ADCB
NBF – Aani Static QR for merchants (instant settlement, no hardware) (PDF) – National Bank of Fujairah
CGAP (World Bank) – Instant Payments & Merchants (pricing & benefits) (PDF) – CGAP
ThePaypers – Aani launch overview & QR merchant enablement – ThePaypers
Accenture – Case study on UAE instant payments (QR, national ID, real‑time) – Accenture
Commercial Bank International – Aani overview & fee‑free P2P – CBI UAE