Taptap Send UAE Paused: Service Halts for Expats Relying on Zero-Fee Remittances
A popular free remittance app, Taptap Send, has unexpectedly paused its services in the UAE, creating significant inconvenience for the country’s large expatriate community. The suspension comes at a critical time, as many users prepare to send money home following their payday.
The app, a favourite for its zero-transfer-fee model, displays an in-app message stating: “Sending temporarily unavailable. We’ve temporarily paused transfers from the UAE while we upgrade our service. We look forward to resuming our low-cost, fast transfer service as quickly as possible.”
Expats Face Frustration as Key Service Halts
The service interruption has persisted for nearly a week, according to multiple user reports. For countless expats, the timing is highly inopportune, disrupting their regular financial routines for supporting families abroad.
Mohammed, a 35-year-old Indian marketing executive in Dubai, highlighted the app’s appeal. “I like the app because I can send multiple times in a month without thinking about the service charge. That’s why I was really surprised when I was not able to use it since last Friday,” he said. He and his friends regularly use the service to send money to India.
Similarly, Michael Ortega, a Filipino expatriate, cited the “zero transfer fee” as the primary reason he uses Taptap Send to remit funds to the Philippines two to three times monthly. He noted that traditional remittance centres typically charge between AED 15–25 plus VAT, making fee-free mobile apps a significantly more cost-effective solution.
The Challenge of a Zero-Fee Remittance Model
Taptap Send was launched in the UAE in June 2023, rapidly gaining traction among cost-conscious users. However, its business model—relying on free transfers—raises questions about long-term sustainability in a highly regulated market like the UAE.
Jay Adrian Tolentino, a UAE-based financial coach, explains that companies offering minimal fees typically depend on foreign exchange (FX) spreads and high transaction volumes to remain profitable.
“Once compliance, licensing, or operational costs increase—especially under UAE regulations—the business may be under pressure to alter its pricing or service model,” Tolentino stated. He added that sustainable operations in this competitive industry require a combination of massive volume, sufficient external funding, or very low margins on FX.
A History of Service Interruptions
This is not the first time UAE users of digital remittance services have faced issues. In July of this year, some Taptap Send users experienced transaction delays of several days due to a technical glitch. On that occasion, the company compensated affected customers with vouchers and pledged to enhance its systems to prevent a recurrence.
Currently, Taptap Send users are left in a state of uncertainty. While the in-app notice attributes the outage to a “service upgrade,” the company has not provided a detailed public statement or a clear timeline for resuming operations, despite media inquiries.
The Bottom Line for UAE Expats
The sudden pause of Taptap Send’s services underscores the potential fragility of ultra-low-cost remittance models. While these platforms offer invaluable savings for low-to-moderate income earners sending smaller amounts, regulatory and operational pressures in markets like the UAE can test their viability.
For now, the app’s promise to resume its “low-cost, fast transfer service” offers some hope. However, without a definitive return date, millions of expatriates in the UAE may need to seek alternative—and potentially more expensive—channels to send money home for the foreseeable future.
