Payment methods in Mauritania

Africa

4methods

2banks

Bankily (Banque Populaire de Mauritanie) is the dominant mobile money service, with the largest digital financial services user base in the country.

Market takeaways

Bankily (Banque Populaire de Mauritanie) is the dominant mobile money service, with the largest digital financial services user base in the country.
Formal banking penetration is approximately 20–25%, heavily concentrated in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.
Masrvi is a competing mobile payment platform, contributing to a gradually competitive digital payments landscape.
Diaspora remittances from Mauritanians in France, Spain, and Gulf countries support demand for international transfer services.
The Banque Centrale de Mauritanie has been expanding the regulatory framework for mobile financial services under a National Financial Inclusion Strategy.

Population

~4.6M

Online population

~2.2M

Banked population

~20–25%

Credit card population

~4%

Payment method breakdown

Cash62%
Mobile Money24%
Card8%
Bank Transfer5%
Other1%

Card scheme breakdown

Visa50%
Mastercard42%
Local Schemes5%
Other3%

Cross-border e-commerce

Market data coming soon.

Featured payment methods in Mauritania

Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.

International Remittances

Remittances from the Mauritanian diaspora in France, Spain, and the Gulf states are an important income source. Western Union and MoneyGram operate through bank agent networks, while newer digital remittance services like Wave and Ria Money Transfer are gaining traction for their lower fees and faster processing.

Masrvi

Masrvi is a competing mobile payment service in Mauritania, providing P2P transfers, merchant payments, and utility bill payments. It targets both banked and unbanked users and has been expanding its merchant acceptance network in Nouakchott and other urban centres.

Bankily

Bankily is the leading mobile money application in Mauritania, owned and operated by Banque Populaire de Mauritanie. It offers a broad suite of services including P2P transfers, merchant QR payments, bill payments, airtime top-up, salary receipt, and savings products. Bankily has grown rapidly since its launch and is the closest thing Mauritania has to a mass-market digital payment platform. Its bank backing gives it regulatory credibility and integration with the formal banking system.

Visa / Mastercard

Card payments are accepted at hotels, petrol stations, supermarkets, and formal businesses in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. Local and international banks issue Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards to account holders. POS terminal density remains low outside major urban areas, limiting card use for everyday retail transactions.