E-commerce: online payments in Morocco take a new turn
2008-01-14
Three million Moroccans who hold a bank card are now able to use them for Internet purchases. This change, which is leading the way in Africa, became a reality thanks to a technical initiative by the Centre Monétique Interbancaire.
By Rachid Jankari for Magharebia in Casablanca – 14/01/08
 [Getty Images] Moroccan web users who want to make an online purchase need only provide the number of his locally-issued bank card, its expiration date and the three-figure security code which appears on the back of the card. |
Since December 2007, computers, PDAs, household appliances, shoes, flights and many more items have been made available for purchase over the internet to Moroccans using cards issued by local banks.
This technological marvel has emerged through the work of the Centre Monétique Interbancaire (CMI), which has just deployed a new platform certified by Visa (Verified by Visa) and MasterCard (MasterCard SecureCode) to provide full security in the processing of online payment operations, in accordance with international standards.
"With this secure infrastructure, public and private organisations can offer their services and sell their goods online to a target population of three million bank card holders," said Rachida Benabdellah, Director-General of the CMI, an umbrella organisation for Moroccan banks.
Whilst the CMI is offering the platform as payment recipient, provision of the electronic payment terminal will be the responsibility of Maroc Télécommerce, the only e-commerce operator currently in the market, whose governing body is essentially made up of banks.
On the ground, the Moroccan web surfer who wants to make a purchase online must simply provide the number of his locally-issued bank card, its expiration date and the three-figure security code which appears on the back of the card.
The merchant, meanwhile, must pay commission to both the CMI (between 2% and 3%) and Maroc Télécommerce (between 1.75% and 2.5%), depending on the volume of electronic transactions. This has to be done before online payment is made available on the vendor's website.
"With the dawning possibility of online purchases using local bank cards, administrators, telecommunications operators and water and electricity suppliers will most certainly be the first to introduce online payment for their services," predicted Azdine Montassir Billah, Director-General of Maroc Télécommerce.
Several companies have already joined this new system, such as technology vendor "Microchoix.ma" and online shoe shop "Auderby.ma". Other companies are currently preparing to roll out online payment modules on their sales sites by the first quarter of 2008, particularly in the field of air travel.
The current year should also see a great rise in the number of locally issued bank cards, since the CMI will introduce cards bearing its logo, which will boost the number of local cards currently in circulation.
The Office de Changes has given its approval in principle for a tourist payment facility of 10,000 dirhams to be included in Moroccan cards in 2008, enabling Moroccan online shoppers to make purchases from foreign websites.
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محمود هجاني Posted 2008-03-12
Your site is useless, you have no conscience.
houda fahi Posted 2008-12-11
This is a very nice article, but you have forgotten one small thing: the sum the CMI requires be deposited for a Moroccan company to do Internet sales. This amounts to thousands of dirhams, and there is not the slightest explanation why. It is just that why. They only lend to the rich.
عبداللة بن ياسين Posted 2009-12-03
Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you. I won't be long. I will be very concise. Thank you for offering us the opportunity to express our opinions. We are in the age of speed. They always say Arabs are underdeveloped. We don't want to be so, because we're smart people, we have our civilisations and history bears witness. If we think a little, we find that we say no to everything new that comes to us, without thinking. For example, no to TV, but in the end yes. Satellite, no, then yes. The mobile phone, the washing machine, the microwave, the air-conditioner. We are free people and have our own decision, 1+1= 2. Things are quite simple. But the time train is very rapid in our times. It should not leave us behind. We must be in the front, because our calculations add a lot of time to decision-making. When we see something new, we should consider, for a short time, its benefits and evils. We take it in order to profit from its benefits and throw away its evils. This is true of everything in life. Everything is a double-edged sword. We should always see and learn positive things, and recognise evil and reject it with our will and determination. Thank you.
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