RABAT — Morocco’s central bank, Bank Al-Maghrib, has introduced new limits on domestic electronic payment fees, including a reduced cap for neighborhood businesses and government digital services, as part of efforts to promote cashless payments and accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
Under the new regulatory decision, interchange fees for electronic payments made to small local merchants and through e-government (e-Gov) services will be capped at 0.15% before tax. The measure is intended to lower transaction costs and encourage wider adoption of electronic payments among businesses and consumers.
Bank Al-Maghrib has also lowered the general ceiling on domestic interchange fees—from 0.65% to 0.50% before tax—further reducing the cost of card-based transactions within Morocco.
Interchange fees are the commissions paid between banks and payment institutions to process transactions made with bank cards. By lowering these fees, the central bank aims to make digital payments more affordable for merchants while supporting the expansion of electronic payment services.
The new rules do not apply to cash withdrawals from automated teller machines (ATMs), payments made using foreign-issued bank cards, or transactions processed through three-party payment schemes, according to Bank Al-Maghrib.
The decision was issued by the central bank’s Directorate of Payment Systems and Means of Payment and communicated to the Professional Grouping of Moroccan Banks (GPBM) on July 8.
Electronic payments have gained momentum in recent years as Morocco works to modernize its financial sector and reduce its reliance on cash. Authorities have introduced a range of initiatives to expand digital financial services, strengthen payment infrastructure, and improve access to banking and electronic payment solutions.
Despite these efforts, cash remains the dominant payment method across much of the Moroccan economy. Industry stakeholders have long advocated for lower transaction costs and stronger incentives to encourage both merchants and consumers to adopt digital payment methods.
The latest fee reductions are expected to support Morocco’s broader transition toward a more digital economy by making electronic payments more accessible and cost-effective, particularly for small businesses and users of public digital services.