Algeria prepared to launch a mobile payment system in January 2025 to advance digital transformation.
Mohand Bourai, President of the Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (ABEF), announced the initiative to enable Algerians to make secure payments and transfer money through smartphones.
The system aligned with Algeria’s objectives of promoting financial inclusion and digitalisation, aiming to simplify daily transactions for individuals and merchants. It offered features for QR code payments, ensuring convenience and security.
The National Bank of Algeria (BNA), Al Salam Bank Algeria, and Algeria Post led efforts to provide mobile-based payment services. The service targeted all mobile banking users and remained free of charge for both users and merchants to promote widespread adoption.
Algeria’s mobile payment ecosystem saw steady growth, with 2025 marked as a crucial year for modernization. Mobile payments gained traction since 2022, and the launch of the Switch Mobile platform in June 2024 enhanced interoperability across banks.
By October 2024, Algeria recorded over 14.8 million online transactions and more than 75 million smartphone-based transactions.
