Refund nol Cards Balance
Refund your nol card remaining or non-activated balance if your card is lost, stolen, damaged, faulty, or expired, or if you want to cancel it. Refund overcharge in case of itinerary cancellation, failure to check out, swiping the card twice, or charging of a higher fare.
Select the refund type
Output
Remaining balance amount in cash or transferred to an alternative nol card
Ways to Apply
Website
- Website
- RTA Smart Apps
- Self Service Machines
- Ticket Office Machines
Channels
Steps
- Log in to RTA website using your UAE Pass or through your RTA account.
- Select Refund on the dashboard.
- Click Refund Type , then Refund nol card Balance .
- Enter the nol card Tag ID and click Next .
- Select the reason for refund.
- Select the refund method (cash or nol balance transfer) and enter the PIN code.
- Confirm and submit the application.
- The card blocking request is created.
- The refund is approved after 4 calendar days.
- Receive an SMS with the approval.
- Share the nol Tag ID or the first SMS received on your registered phone number with the Metro station staff.
- Collect the refund depending on the selected option:
- In cash at any Metro station listed in the SMS approval.
- Through nol balance transfer: To activate the refunded amount transferred to the alternative card, insert the card or tap it on any online device (nol Pay application, parking machines, solar machines, or check-ins and check-outs at any Metro gates).
Service Time
4 calendar days
Channels
- nol Pay ( Apple Store , Android , Huawei )
Steps
To refund balance to the card
- Log in using your UAE Pass.
- Select Refund nol Card Balance.
- Place the nol card on the NFC area or selects any of the cards linked to your RTA account.
- Select the reason for refund.
- Select Transfer to nol Card.
- Place the card you wish to transfer the balance to on the NFC area or select one of the cards linked to your RTA account.
- Confirm and submit the application.
- The card blocking request is created.
- The refund is approved after 4 calendar days.
- Receive the approval by SMS.
To refund in cash
- Log in using your UAE Pass.
- Select Refund nol Card Balance.
- Place the nol card on the NFC area or select any of the cards linked to your RTA account.
- Select the reason for refund.
- Select Collect Cash.
- Share your Tag ID or the first SMS you received on the registered phone number with the Metro station staff.
Service Time
4 calendar days
Channels
Steps
- Log in to RTA website using your UAE Pass or through your RTA account.
- Select Refund on the dashboard.
- Click Refund Type , then Refund nol card Balance .
- Enter the nol card Tag ID and click Next .
- Select the reason for refund.
- Select the refund method (cash or nol balance transfer) and enter the PIN code.
- Confirm and submit the application.
- The card blocking request is created.
- The refund is approved after 4 calendar days.
- Receive an SMS with the approval.
- Share the nol Tag ID or the first SMS received on your registered phone number with the Metro station staff.
- Collect the refund depending on the selected option:
- In cash at any Metro station listed in the SMS approval.
- Through nol balance transfer: To activate the refunded amount transferred to the alternative card, insert the card or tap it on any online device (nol Pay application, parking machines, solar machines, or check-ins and check-outs at any Metro gates).
Service Time
4 calendar days
Channels
- Ticket Office Machines available at all Metro stations
Steps
- Head to the Ticket Office Machines located at any Metro station.
- Surrender the nol card to the station agent.
- The station agent validates if the card is still valid and active, and its current balance is no more than AED 100.
- If the balance is above AED 100, you must apply through other RTA authorised channels (RTA Website and nol Pay application).
- If the balance is AED 100 or below, the station agent issues the cash refund with service fees of 2.5% or AED 5, whichever is higher.
Service Time
Instantly
Important to Know
You Should Know
| Refund Reason | Eligibility Criteria | Maximum Refund Amount | Refund Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faulty or Damaged nol Card |
| N/A |
|
| Lost/ Damaged/Expired nol Card |
| Full remaining balance |
|
| Pending Balance on Top-up |
| The pending top-up amount |
|
| Unused Travel Pass |
| The Travel Pass value |
|
- You must collect the cash refund within 30 days from the approval date.
- You must activate the refund amount transferred to your alternative nol card within 180 days from the date of approval.
- You can only transfer your nol balance to a personal or registered alternative card.
- You can request a card cancellation and refund only if your nol card is valid and activated.
- You can request a valid personal nol card cancellation and refund at the Ticket Office Machines only if your balance is less than AED 100. Otherwise, you can apply through the RTA website or nol Pay app.
- Your nol card is blocked within 48 hours from reporting it as stolen or lost, and RTA isn't responsible for any financial loss incurred during this period due to any type of card usage or if the card isn't blocked.
- You can refund your virtual nol card (available on compatible Samsung and Huawei phones and Huawei watches) through nol Pay application only.
- If your personal nol card becomes damaged or faulty within 30 days from its issuance or purchase date, hand it over and provide your details to the Metro station staff. A retention card (optional) is issued and you receive your new personal card within 4 calendar days.
- The retention card is an anonymous silver card issued at the station free of charge. You just pay AED 19 for the default balance. If your card becomes faulty after 30 days, you bear the replacement fees.
- You'll receive an SMS confirmation once the refund is approved. In case of a cash refund, the message will include the metro stations where the amount can be collected in cash.
- You'll receive the remaining balance amount in cash (after deducting the service fees) or you can have it transferred to an alternative Personal or Registered nol card for free.
- You can only get a refund in cash if the refund amount is less than AED 100.
- In case of nol balance transfer, the refund is valid for activation and use within 180 days from the approval date. Once the refund is approved, you'll receive an SMS on the registered mobile number.
- Refund requests for lost/damaged cards are only accepted after applying for a replacement or renewal.
- You'll receive 2 SMS messages:
- The first confirms that the refund request was received and includes the nol Tag ID of the card to be refunded.
- The second is sent once the request is approved and includes instructions on how to collect the amount (for cash refunds) or activate it (for transfers to another nol card).
You Should Do
- To collect the refund amount in cash, you must present the refunded nol card Tag ID which is shared in the first SMS sent when the application is submitted.
- After receiving the SMS confirming the refund transfer to another nol card, you must tap the nol card on any online device within 45 minutes to 4 hours for the refund amount to be reflected on the new card.
- In case of a cash refund, you must collect the refund within 30 days from the approval date. Otherwise, the refund request will be cancelled.
Eligible Categories
Citizens, residents, and People of Determination visitors, with personal nol card
Service Requirements
- nol card Tag ID
- A registered or personal alternative nol card in case of a nol balance transfer
Fees
- Cash Refund: 2.5% or AED 5, whichever is higher
- nol Balance Transfer: free
Payment Methods
- nol card
- Cash
Terms and Conditions
- If the card becomes faulty in the middle of a trip, you complete the trip without paying any fees.
- If your card is damaged, lost, or expired, you bear the fees of issuing a replacement card.
- To activate the refund amount transferred to your alternative nol card, insert/tap the card in any of the below online devices after 45 minutes to 4 hours of receiving the refund approval SMS:
- Metro Gates: 45 minutes to 4 hours
- Solar Machines: 45 minutes
- Parking Machines: 45 minutes
- nol Pay: 45 minutes.
- If your nol card is issued by a bank (Go4it), you must apply for a refund at the issuing bank in case of a lost, damaged, faulty, or expired card.
FAQs
- Q : How can I track the status of my refund application?
- A : Once the refund application is processed, you receive an SMS indicating the status of the application (approved or rejected) and the collection method of the refund amount if approved.
- Q: How will I know that the refund request was successfully submitted?
- A: You'll receive an SMS with the TAG ID after submitting the refund request. After 5 working days, you'll receive a second SMS with the collection instructions for cash refund, and activation instructions for the transfer to another nol card.
Updated on: 17-November-2025