You’ll be able to put your points towards further public transport trips, access to public parks and when you shop at any retail outlets that accept nol…  

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a new loyalty programme that will enable nol cardholders to gain points each time they use their card.

The scheme is part of a bigger initiative that aims to transform all Dubai Government transactions into digital or smart transactions by 2021.

According to Abdul Aziz Al Falahi, CEO of Corporate Technology Support Services Sector, RTA.“nol+ programme is mainly aimed to encourage the digitalisation of payments using the latest technology means of nol cards, and therefore scale down cash transactions and eliminate manual paper tickets. It underscores RTA’s keenness to support the Dubai Paperless Transactions Strategy aimed at transforming all Dubai Government transactions into digital or smart transactions by 2021”.

So, how do I earn points? 

Get your hands on a nol card if you don’t already have one. You can purchase them at any metro station at the information desks or top-up machines available all around Dubai.

Blue cards, however, are personalized and come with a fee. You will be required to fill in a form with a photograph which needs to be submitted to the information desks which can be found at any metro station.

The points earned will differ depending on what color card you hold.

Blue cardholders will earn one point for every one dirham spent, while gold and silver card holders will earn one point for every two dirhams spent.

So, for example, a one way trip from Bur Juman to Nakheel using the gold card costs Dhs10, which means you will gain 5 points. Using the silver card for the same trip costs Dhs5, which means you will earn 2.5 points and if you swipe a blue card, you will get 10 points.

Where do I sign up?

Head to nolplus.ae, log in with your RTA account and add in your nol card (You can enter up to four cards per account.)

Answer a few quick questions that will help RTA get to know you better, after which you will be officially signed up to the nol+ loyalty programme.

Your points will start at zero even if you have been using your nol card for a long time, but your points will accumulate quickly especially if you are a frequent traveler using public transportation.

So, what can you do with the loyalty points? 

Once you’ve accumulated points on your nol card, you can use them to pay for your public transportation trips or pay for the fees for at paid parking zones.

The points can also be used to gain entry to Etihad Museum, public parks and also for purchases made at retail outlets.

500 points will get you Dhs5, but remember that you can use your nol card when you travel by taxi, bus, or when you shop at certain supermarkets like Zoom or Carrefour, or even at retail stores and the calculations of points will work in the same way.

You can view your points statement and past transactions on the website to see where you stand.

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Images: Dubai Media Office and Getty Images