In a world where digital payments are becoming the norm, Morocco stands out with its strong
. Despite recent data indicating significant strides towards adopting new technologies, cash still reigns in this North African country. The balance between old and new methods of handling money makes us wonder: Is Morocco ready to embrace a digital financial future?
. By fostering financial inclusion in the country,
has increased, and consequently, this has played a role in the rise of card usage. However,
dropped noticeably in 2024. The reason for this is likely due to merchants not accepting certain cards as a means of payment. In March 2023, a survey revealed that most Moroccans made use of cash-on-delivery and credit cards as their
.
Are Moroccan users warming up to digital payments?
In recent years, Moroccan users have slowly begun to trust alternative payment methods and online platforms to make purchases, as well as send and receive money. In 2023,
internet users mainly bought products or services online. In terms of
open banking, most consumers used its services to pay bills or manage their banking, and a significant portion felt safe using apps to send money from their phones. The
usage of mobile phones to make payments at points of sale in 2023 has also shown a trending increase since 2018.
Mobile wallets and the emergence of By-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL)
In 2022,
mobile wallets gained popularity in Morocco. The service is made to be user-friendly, flexible, and has added security as a benefit. Another emerging digital payment method is
Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL). Most consumers in Morocco are familiar with this option, but a lesser share feel comfortable using it. One of the main players incorporating BNPL in Morocco is Chari, a B2B e-commerce and FinTech startup. Chari commenced a BNPL pilot experiment with their existing customers, and if proven successful, the company plans to acquire a local credit company to facilitate shop owners to loan money to their end-users so they can continue growing their business.
What it will take to become a cashless society
Morocco is providing its consumers with a plethora of digital payment methods for online shopping, money transfers, bill payments, and more. However, Moroccans seem to deem physical currency as the most reliable. In March 2023,
payments at point of sale were predominantly conducted in cash. Therefore, it can be concluded that significant efforts still need to be made for Morocco to have a cashless society as a feasible option in the future. This is mostly due to the lack of trust in alternative payment methods, which can remedied by educating the Moroccan consumers on how efficient they are, and making local sellers aware of such services.
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