EOI and booking payments for Dubai off-plan property

Treat EOI, booking and SPA as three separate commitment points. Before sending money for an off-plan property in Dubai, compare the written effect of each step: what it holds, for how long, whether the amount is credited to the purchase price, and in which exact cases the money is returned, retained, or carried into the SPA.

Read the document, not just the label

In ordinary sales language, an EOI is an early expression of interest, booking is a reservation step, and SPA is the main sale and purchase agreement. But the label alone does not tell you your real position. One project may call the first payment an EOI, while another may call a similar payment a booking. Your actual commitment comes from the text you sign and the receipt you receive.

Stage	What it may do	What should be written before you pay	Reason to pause
EOI	Shows interest and may place you in an allocation queue or hold a unit temporarily	Exact unit or unit type, payment amount, hold period, whether the amount is refundable, when it is returned, whether it is credited to the price, and what happens if you reject the SPA	No unit identification, no refund trigger, or only verbal assurances
Booking	May reserve a specific unit and prepare the move to contract signing	Unit number, booking amount, expiry date, whether the amount forms part of the price, refund or retention terms, and what happens if documents are incomplete or the SPA differs from the booking form	The seller can change key points later without a clear buyer remedy
SPA	Sets the main purchase obligations	Final price, payment plan, unit details, annexes, and cancellation or default wording	Material terms appear for the first time only at SPA stage

A good working rule is simple: if a point matters to your decision, ask to see the exact clause before payment. If the answer stays verbal, treat it as not agreed.

Questions to settle before any pre-SPA payment

Use the same questions whether you are reviewing a launch in the off-plan catalogue or comparing projects from different developers.

1. What exactly is being held? A named unit, a unit type, or only a place in a queue.
2. For how long? State the date and time when the hold expires or converts into the next step.
3. Where does the money go? Check the payee name, account details, and the payment reference you must keep.
4. Is the amount credited to the purchase price? “Pay now” and “counts toward the price” are not the same statement.
5. What are the refund triggers? Separate each case: unit not allocated, buyer changes mind, SPA wording changes, financing does not proceed, documents are incomplete, seller does not countersign.
6. What proof will you receive? Ask for the form, receipt, and any countersigned copy or statement of account.
7. What happens if the SPA is different from the earlier paper? This is the key comparison point, because the largest commitment may only become fully visible when the SPA arrives.

Use one worksheet for every project

Copy this into your notes and complete it from the actual document, not from a brochure, chat message, or launch presentation.

• Project and developer:
• Document reviewed: EOI / booking form / draft SPA
• Date and version of document:
• Exact unit or unit type:
• Payment amount:
• Payee name and bank details shown on the document:
• Does the amount form part of the purchase price? Yes / No / not stated
• Hold period or deadline:
• If the unit is not allocated, what happens to the payment?
• If I stop before SPA, what happens to the payment?
• If the SPA changes a material point, what happens to the payment?
• If my documents are delayed or rejected, what happens?
• If financing is needed, is that addressed in writing?
• Who must sign or countersign, and by when?
• Evidence saved: PDF, receipt, bank confirmation, email, version number, salesperson name
• Contractual amount retained in each stated cancellation scenario:

This worksheet forces you to turn sales wording into decision wording. You are not asking whether a payment feels safe. You are identifying the exact condition that releases your money, keeps it pending, or puts part of it at risk.

Calculate contractual retention by scenario

The most useful comparison is not the payment name but the amount you could lose in each scenario.

Use this simple line for each document:

Contractual retention in a stated scenario = amount paid before SPA − contractual refund in that scenario.

This is a comparison of written terms, not a cap on total risk. Refund timing, non-performance, recovery costs and other payments need separate assessment.

A conditional example:

• Option A: AED 50,000 called EOI. The document says the full AED 50,000 is returned if the unit is not allocated or if you decline the SPA after review.
• Option B: AED 50,000 called booking. The hypothetical document says that, if you cancel after booking, AED 40,000 is returned and AED 10,000 is retained.

Both options ask you to transfer AED 50,000. But they do not create the same pre-SPA risk. In this example, the contractual retention for the stated cancellation is AED 0 under Option A and AED 10,000 under Option B. These figures assume the written refund terms are honoured.

Run that calculation for at least three separate situations:

• unit not allocated;
• you reject the SPA because a key term is different;
• you decide not to proceed for your own reason.

That three-line comparison will usually tell you more than the words “refundable” or “non-refundable” on their own.

Wording that deserves a pause

Pause and review carefully if you see any of the following:

• “Refundable” appears in marketing material but not in the form you sign.
• The paper names no unit, no unit type, or no clear allocation method.
• The deadline to sign the next document is missing.
• The receipt does not clearly say whether the amount is part of the price.
• The document is silent on what happens if the SPA contains new material terms.
• The payee details in the form do not match the payment instruction you received.
• A substitute unit can be offered without your written acceptance.
• Annexes or payment schedules are mentioned but not attached.

A practical go or wait rule

Pay before SPA only when you can explain, in one sentence each, what you are securing, how long it is secured, and under which exact written conditions the money returns or stays applied to the purchase price. If you cannot answer those three points from the document set in front of you, wait.

For the broader buying sequence after this stage, see our step-by-step guide to buying property in Dubai. If you are still comparing launches, start with the off-plan catalogue and request the actual EOI, booking form, and draft SPA before sending the first dirham.