HIBAPRESS – Economic Section
The Bank of Morocco has decided to reduce the general ceiling for interchange fees related to transactions made by Moroccan bank cards within the national territory, from 0.65 percent to 0.5 percent, effective from October 1, 2026.
The central bank explained, in an awareness video on the advantages of electronic payment methods, that this measure comes as part of the continued regulation of fees associated with bank card payments, with the aim of encouraging the use of electronic payment methods and facilitating merchants' and customers' access to these services.
Under the new decision, a special ceiling for interchange fees has been set at 0.15 percent for e-government services and transactions made at local merchants, compared to a general ceiling of 0.5 percent for other relevant transactions.
Interchange fees are one of the components associated with the cost of bank card payments. The payment process involves deducting the purchase amount from the customer's account and transferring it to the merchant's account, with commissions calculated for the various services involved in the process.
These services include, in particular, the provision of electronic payment terminals (TPE), transaction processing, and technical services related to accepting card payments.
The bank that issued the customer's card also benefits from interchange fees, according to the specified percentages for each transaction category.
This reduction follows a first phase of regulating interchange fees, during which its ceiling was set at 0.65 percent, after it was uncapped before October 1, 2024, according to information in the awareness video.
The Bank of Morocco is banking on this measure to contribute to reducing the cost of accepting card payments for merchants, and encouraging the expanded use of electronic payment methods, thereby supporting the development of the payment system in Morocco.
