Latest News
The Competition Council held a follow-up meeting with Bank Al-Maghrib representatives, the Interbank Electronic Payment Center (CMI), its shareholder banks, and their Payment Institutions (EDP) on May 13, 2025.
The purpose of this meeting was to review the progress made in implementing the behavioral and structural commitments undertaken by the CMI and its shareholder banks, as mandated by the Competition Council in its decision No. 152/D/2024 dated October 31, 2024. The meeting also aimed to assess the readiness of the various Payment Institutions (EDP) duly authorized in accordance with current regulations, for the effective start of the acquisition activity[1].
In this context, and in accordance with the aforementioned Council decision, Payment Institutions and bank subsidiaries dedicated to acquisition that have been duly authorized can, starting from May 1, 2025, operate in the market and begin marketing their acquisition service offerings. The entry of these new players will bring a new competitive dynamic to the acquisition market, replacing the previous situation characterized by the quasi-monopoly of the CMI.
It should be noted that, pursuant to the aforementioned decision, the CMI has committed to:
- Transfer all merchant card system membership contracts to Payment Institutions or any other bank subsidiaries dedicated to acquisition, whether related to these entities or not, as well as contracts related to its online payment gateway activity within a maximum period of twelve (12) months from the aforementioned Council decision;
- Refrain from soliciting any new clients or entering into new card system membership contracts or contracts related to its online payment gateway activity with merchants from November 1, 2024;
- Transform the CMI into a technical processing platform on behalf of all payment institutions in the market, ensuring access to its services under fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory pricing and non-pricing conditions;
- Establish a compliance program with competition law within twelve (12) months from the aforementioned Council decision;
- Ensure the principles of continuity and service permanence in acquisition services without interruption or decrease, leveraging technical and technological achievements in the field;
As for the CMI’s shareholder banks, they have committed to:
- Ensure that Payment Institutions or bank shareholder subsidiaries are legally and economically independent, allowing them to enjoy functional and accounting autonomy;
- Not market Electronic Payment Terminal (EPT) or online payment (PEL) affiliation offers from their payment institutions or acquisition-dedicated subsidiaries. However, banks may promote the acquisition activity within their branch networks or through any other means, without prejudice to the bank’s customer’s right to contract with the acquirer of their choice;
As part of monitoring these commitments, the Competition Council has been notified of the first semi-annual report on the implementation of the CMI’s and its shareholder banks’ commitments covering the period from 11/01/2024 to 04/30/2025.
After reviewing the content of this first report, the Competition Council wishes to congratulate all stakeholders for their commitment. Their strong involvement has led to significant progress in preparing for the transformation of the CMI into a technical platform offering processing and acquisition services for all players in the electronic payment market in Morocco in a short time. The Council acknowledges the efforts made by the CMI and its shareholder banks to ensure a smooth transition from a single acquirer model to a multi-acquirer architecture while maintaining service continuity and the expected level of security during the transitional period provided for in the aforementioned Council decision.
In this regard, the Competition Council calls on the relevant stakeholders to maintain this virtuous dynamic by ensuring the timely implementation of the remaining commitments, which represent competitive levers aimed at consolidating the progress made, promoting fair and healthy competition in the electronic card payment market in Morocco.
Finally, the Competition Council will monitor the progressive implementation of the other commitments during the transitional period, which ends on November 1, 2025.
[1] A merchant acquirer is a financial institution that collects payments for a merchant. When a customer (cardholder) submits their card details for electronic payment, the acquirer initiates a payment authorization request. This request is transmitted to the customer’s bank through card system networks.
[2] A payment gateway is a technological interface between an e-commerce website and a payment processor. It secures payment card details by encrypting sensitive information and securely transmits payment information for authorization and settlement.
Done in Rabat, May 19, 2025
