Dealing with the Samba Visa Card
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Fatwa No. ( 17611 )
Q: Currently circulating among people is the (Visa) Samba card , issued by the Saudi American Bank. The value of this card, if it is gold, is 485 riyals, and if it is silver, 245 riyals. This amount is paid annually to the bank by the holder of the (Visa) card to benefit from it as an annual subscription. The method of using this card is that the holder has the right to withdraw from the bank branches the amount he wants (a loan) and repay the same amount within a period not exceeding fifty-four days. If the withdrawn amount (the loan) is not repaid within the specified period, the bank takes from every hundred riyals of the (loan) withdrawn interest valued at one riyal and ninety-five halalas (1.95). Also, the bank takes from every cash withdrawal operation by the card holder 3.5 riyals for every 100 riyals withdrawn from them, or they take 45 riyals as a minimum
for every cash withdrawal operation. The holder of this card also has the right to purchase goods from commercial establishments that deal with the bank without paying cash, and it becomes a loan from the bank to him. If he delays repaying the value of what he purchased for fifty-four days, they take from the card holder, for every hundred riyals of the value of the goods purchased from the commercial establishments that deal with the bank, interest valued at one riyal and ninety-five halalas (1.95). What is the ruling on using this card and the annual subscription with this bank to benefit from this card? May Allah preserve you and care for you.
A : If the state of the (Samba Visa) card is as mentioned, it is a new issue of the works of usurers, and eating the money of people by falsehood, and making them sinful and defiling their earnings and dealings. It does not go beyond the ruling of the riba of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, which is forbidden in the pure Shari'ah: "Either you repay or you increase"; therefore, it is not permissible to issue this card or to deal with it.
Q: Currently circulating among people is the (Visa) Samba card , issued by the Saudi American Bank. The value of this card, if it is gold, is 485 riyals, and if it is silver, 245 riyals. This amount is paid annually to the bank by the holder of the (Visa) card to benefit from it as an annual subscription. The method of using this card is that the holder has the right to withdraw from the bank branches the amount he wants (a loan) and repay the same amount within a period not exceeding fifty-four days. If the withdrawn amount (the loan) is not repaid within the specified period, the bank takes from every hundred riyals of the (loan) withdrawn interest valued at one riyal and ninety-five halalas (1.95). Also, the bank takes from every cash withdrawal operation by the card holder 3.5 riyals for every 100 riyals withdrawn from them, or they take 45 riyals as a minimum
for every cash withdrawal operation. The holder of this card also has the right to purchase goods from commercial establishments that deal with the bank without paying cash, and it becomes a loan from the bank to him. If he delays repaying the value of what he purchased for fifty-four days, they take from the card holder, for every hundred riyals of the value of the goods purchased from the commercial establishments that deal with the bank, interest valued at one riyal and ninety-five halalas (1.95). What is the ruling on using this card and the annual subscription with this bank to benefit from this card? May Allah preserve you and care for you.
A : If the state of the (Samba Visa) card is as mentioned, it is a new issue of the works of usurers, and eating the money of people by falsehood, and making them sinful and defiling their earnings and dealings. It does not go beyond the ruling of the riba of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, which is forbidden in the pure Shari'ah: "Either you repay or you increase"; therefore, it is not permissible to issue this card or to deal with it.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.