Payment methods in Afghanistan

Asia

7methods

1bank

Over 70% of the population is unbanked, making financial inclusion a critical challenge.

Market takeaways

Over 70% of the population is unbanked, making financial inclusion a critical challenge.
Mobile phone penetration is high but smartphone and internet access remain limited, especially in rural areas.
Three major mobile operators (Roshan/M-Paisa, AWCC/My Money, Etisalat/M-Hawala) offer mobile money services.
Hawala informal value transfer networks remain a major component of financial flows.
Western Union and MoneyGram serve Afghan diaspora remittances at over 350 agent locations.

Population

42M

Online population

~8M

Banked population

~26%

Credit card population

<2%

Payment method breakdown

Cash85%
Mobile Money10%
Card2%
Bank Transfer3%

Card scheme breakdown

Market data coming soon.

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Afghanistan

Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.

M-Paisa (Roshan)

Mobile money service operated by Roshan, one of Afghanistan's largest mobile network operators. M-Paisa allows users to send money, pay bills, and receive wages via mobile phone without a bank account. Supported by USAID as part of a broader financial inclusion effort.

My Money (AWCC)

Mobile money service operated by Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC). My Money supports peer-to-peer transfers and mobile-based financial services for AWCC subscribers.

M-Hawala (Etisalat)

Mobile financial services platform operated by Etisalat Afghanistan (now part of e& group). M-Hawala draws on the cultural familiarity with hawala networks to provide digital money transfer services to subscribers.

HesabPay

A blockchain-powered digital payments platform aiming to provide financial access to unbanked Afghans. HesabPay represents a new wave of fintech attempting to operate amid the country's difficult economic conditions.

M-PAiSA

Fiji's leading mobile money service, operated by Vodafone Fiji. M-PAiSA has approximately 600,000 registered users and supports peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, merchant QR payments, and international remittances. The platform expanded to cross-border transfers with Cook Islands (2024) and Vanuatu (2023), and processes over FJD 3 billion annually.

Hawala Networks

Traditional hawala broker networks remain a dominant mechanism for value transfer in Afghanistan, particularly for remittances. Hawala is deeply embedded in Afghan financial culture and continues to operate in the absence of accessible formal banking.