Morocco's central bank cuts fees on domestic card payments

Bank Al-Maghrib announced on Monday that it will lower the ceiling on domestic interchange fees for bank card payments from 0.65% to 0.50% (excluding tax) starting October 1, 2026, as part of efforts to promote electronic payments.

The central bank also introduced a reduced ceiling of 0.15% for e-government services and transactions carried out with small local merchants. These fees are one component of the commission charged to merchants for accepting card payments.

The central bank reaffirmed that merchants remain solely responsible for these commissions, which cannot be passed on to customers, regardless of the payment method used.

The new regulation also strengthens consumer transparency by requiring payment institutions to clearly disclose applicable fees in merchant contracts and ensure payment terms are visibly displayed at points of sale.

According to the regulatory decision, the lower interchange fees should be reflected in the commissions charged to merchants for e-government and proximity commerce transactions. The new rules replace the previous regulation adopted in September 2024.