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Morocco’s Central Bank Cuts Domestic Card Interchange Fees to Boost Merchants
On July 6, 2026, Bank Al‑Maghrib issued a new regulation that lowers the ceiling for domestic card‑based interchange fees. The new caps are set at 0.15 % (ex‑VAT) for e‑government transactions and purchases at neighbourhood merchants, and 0.50 % (ex‑VAT) for all other domestic card payments. The change, effective from October 1, 2026, aims to reduce costs for merchants and encourage wider adoption of electronic payments. The central bank also requires acquiring banks to publish the fee tables applied to merchants and to submit regular compliance reports. The regulation supersedes the previous decision from September 2024.
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New Regulation from Bank Al‑Maghrib
Bank Al‑Maghrib signed a decision on 6 July 2026 (Wali Abdellatif Jouahri) that revises the rules governing domestic card interchange fees. The regulation applies to both card‑issuing institutions and acquiring banks.
Fee Caps
- For e‑government (e‑gov) transactions and purchases at local neighbourhood merchants, the interchange fee is capped at 0.15 % (ex‑VAT) of the transaction value.
- For all other domestic card payments, the cap is set at 0.50 % (ex‑VAT).
The general ceiling was reduced from 0.65 % to 0.50 % (ex‑VAT), while a specific lower ceiling of 0.15 % (ex‑VAT) was introduced for the two categories mentioned above.
Obligations for Acquirers
Acquiring banks must forward to Bank Al‑Maghrib the complete table of interchange fees and merchant commissions, and they must provide periodic reports to verify compliance with the new limits.
Transmission of Savings
The reduction in interchange fees is intended to be passed on by acquirers as lower commissions for merchants, especially for e‑gov and local‑commerce operations. The central bank also stresses that any merchant commission may never be charged to the payer, regardless of the acceptance channel used.
Implementation Timeline
The new fee structure becomes effective on 1 October 2026. It replaces the earlier Decision No. 244/W/2024 dated 20 September 2024.