Dubizzle backs Tern for rent payment push

Dubizzle Group has taken a strategic stake in Tern, a UAE rental rewards platform, in a move aimed at extending its property business beyond search listings into rent payments, loyalty benefits and landlord-facing digital services.

The investment, made through Dubizzle Group Ventures, will place Tern inside Bayut and dubizzle on an exclusive basis, allowing tenants to pay rent by credit card while earning rewards that can be redeemed across retail, travel and lifestyle partners. The companies are positioning the arrangement as a response to one of the biggest friction points in the UAE rental market: large recurring payments that are still often handled through cheques, bank transfers or fragmented property-management systems.

Tern, founded in 2024 by Said Al Sayyed and launched in May 2025, says more than AED150 million in annualised rent payment volume is already moving through its platform. The service allows tenants to use UAE-issued credit cards without an added tenant fee, while landlords receive the rent amount directly into their bank accounts. The model is designed to give renters more payment flexibility and give landlords, property managers and agents a more digital collection process.

For Dubizzle Group, the transaction fits a broader push to build a property ecosystem that follows users beyond the point of search and discovery. Bayut and dubizzle already sit at the centre of the UAE’s online property listings market, connecting tenants, buyers, landlords, sellers, brokers and agencies. Adding a rent-payment layer gives the group a route into post-listing services, where payment convenience, loyalty and tenant retention are becoming more important as rents remain elevated.

Haider Ali Khan, chief executive officer of Dubizzle Group UAE, said the company’s focus had moved beyond helping people find a home to solving problems across the wider property journey. He described rent as one of the largest recurring household expenses and said the traditional payment experience had offered limited flexibility or added value. The partnership with Tern, he indicated, was intended to create a more convenient rental payment process while opening fresh opportunities for landlords and agents.

Surya Raviganesh, who leads Dubizzle Group’s investments, said the group is seeking early-stage businesses that can create value around its property, automotive and consumer marketplaces. The company says its platforms draw about 58 million monthly visits and 20 million monthly users across the region, giving Tern potential access to a high-intent audience of renters and property professionals.

The timing is significant. Dubai’s rental market continued to expand in 2025, with registered tenancy contracts rising 6 per cent in volume and 17 per cent in value to 1.38 million contracts worth AED126.4 billion. That scale has made rent payments an attractive target for financial technology providers, banks, loyalty platforms and property portals seeking to digitise large household transactions.

The pressure on tenants has also increased interest in products that can spread, reward or simplify rental payments. Rent remains among the largest fixed expenses for households, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where population growth, migration, job creation and limited ready supply in some communities have kept demand resilient. Although rental growth has shown signs of moderation in parts of the market, affordability and payment flexibility remain central concerns for residents.

Tern’s proposition is built around a four-step process: tenants link their lease, add a UAE credit card, the platform pays the landlord, and the tenant retains card-linked benefits such as points, miles or cashback. The platform also promotes rewards from everyday spending categories including food, entertainment, household goods, travel and family services. For landlords, the attraction lies in receiving the agreed rent on time while offering tenants a smoother payment method.

The model will still need to prove that it can scale while absorbing or managing payment-processing costs, maintaining compliance standards and preventing misuse. Credit-card rent payments can create value for users when fees are low or subsidised, but platforms in this space must balance rewards, merchant economics, bank relationships and risk controls. The durability of the business will depend on repeat usage, landlord acceptance and integration with property-management workflows.

Dubizzle Group’s move also shows how major classifieds platforms are trying to deepen monetisation around the property transaction chain. The group has added tools tied to valuation, verified market activity, broker visibility and property intelligence, including its acquisition of Property Monitor in 2025. Tern gives it exposure to another layer of the rental journey, where payments, data and loyalty can reinforce user engagement after a property has been selected.

For tenants, the integration could make rent payment more similar to other digital transactions, with app-based onboarding and rewards attached to spending that previously generated little benefit. For landlords and agents, the proposition is more operational: fewer manual steps, faster collection and a payment option that may make listings more attractive in a competitive rental market.