Payment methods in Central African Republic

Africa

3methods

1bank

CAR is among the world's least financially included countries; formal banking is largely confined to Bangui.

Market takeaways

CAR is among the world's least financially included countries; formal banking is largely confined to Bangui.
The CEMAC regional mobile money market (covering CAR, Cameroon, Congo, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea) processed €44B in transactions in 2023, a 24% increase.
The agent network in CEMAC grew 37% in 2023 following regulatory changes ending operator exclusivity.
CAR adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2022, though adoption has been very limited in practice.
Cash dominates all economic activity; mobile money is present mainly in Bangui and larger towns.

Population

~5M

Online population

~0.8M

Banked population

~10%

Mobile Money Penetration

~15% of adults

Credit card population

~0.5%

Payment method breakdown

Cash80%
Mobile Money15%
Bank Transfer4%
Card1%
Other0%

Card scheme breakdown

Visa60%
Mastercard35%
Local Schemes5%
Other0%

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Central African Republic

Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.

Airtel Money

Airtel Money is Kenya's second-largest mobile money provider, holding approximately 6.6% market share as of 2024 (up from 2.8%). It operates similarly to M-Pesa and enables money transfers, bill payments, and merchant payments via USSD and the Airtel Money app.

e& money

e& money is the first digital wallet licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE, offered by e& life, supporting online payments, money transfers and bill payment. Operator: e& life (formerly Etisalat). Est. users: Large user base, telecom-backed (2024, best estimate).

Orange Money

Orange Money is Orange Jordan's mobile wallet connected to CliQ under Central Bank of Jordan supervision, enabling online payments, transfers and bill payment. Est. users: Large telecom-backed user base (2024, best estimate).