Online banks in Morocco: what really exists in 2026, and what a merchant still needs to get paid

An online bank in Morocco, in 2026, is not a separate legal status: it is a bank licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib that you run from an app or a website, or a mobile-only brand whose accounts are held by a licensed institution. It opens an account, issues a card and executes transfers, often without a branch visit. Getting paid by your customers online — a payment page, payment links, cash at an agency, webhooks — is a different service, which the account alone does not provide. This guide explains what actually exists, what a bank does and does not do for a merchant, and how a payment account held by a licensed payment institution complements your bank without replacing it.

Are there real online banks in Morocco?

The question deserves a legal answer before a commercial one. Law No. 103-12 on credit institutions and similar bodies defines a credit institution by what it does — receiving funds from the public, carrying out credit operations, providing customers with means of payment or managing them — and provides that only banks may be authorized to receive sight deposits from the public (article 12). It creates no category called "online bank", "digital bank" or "neobank". A bank is a bank whether you walk into a branch or open an app; and a brand that is not itself licensed does not hold your money: the licensed institution behind it does.

In practice, what the market calls an "online bank in Morocco" covers three different things.

• The remote banking channel of a branch-based bank. This is the most familiar case: an e-banking portal and an app that give access to the account, transfers, card blocking, statements and sometimes product subscriptions. The branch is still there behind the screen, for account opening, checkbooks, cash and anything that needs a signature.
• Mobile-only brands, often called neobanks. Onboarding happens in the app, with remote identity verification; the card follows. The account itself is held by a licensed institution — generally a bank; if it is a payment institution, the account is a payment account, not a bank account. Knowing which entity carries the license, and the obligations that come with it, is the first thing to check before you deposit a single dirham.
• Remote account-opening programs, in particular for Moroccans living abroad: an online journey, uploaded documents and, depending on the bank, a final step in a branch or through a correspondent.

Who is licensed, and for what? The law tasks Bank Al-Maghrib with drawing up and keeping up to date the list of licensed credit institutions and similar bodies (article 48), and the central bank sets out on its website the composition of the banking system, category by category: banks, participative banks, finance companies, payment institutions. That official source, not a marketing page, is what tells you who is licensed for what. We point to it rather than copying names: the structure of the banking system according to Bank Al-Maghrib.

Before choosing an "online" offer, three questions are enough: which licensed entity actually holds the account; which operations are fully remote, and which still end up in a branch; and what the contract provides for a company, since many mobile offers are designed first for individuals.

Opening an account remotely: what is possible, and for whom

Remote account opening exists, but its scope depends on who you are and on the bank. The documents listed here are the most common ones — each bank publishes its own list; what changes is how much of the journey happens without a visit.

• A resident individual generally provides a valid identity document and proof of address, sometimes proof of income. Online journeys usually include remote identity verification and an electronic signature of the account agreement; some later operations — a checkbook, a power of attorney, a large withdrawal — may still require a branch visit.
• A company generally provides its commercial register extract, articles of association, tax identifier and ICE, the manager's identity document and the signatories' powers. Remotely, the journey may stop at a pre-opening; finalization, delivery of means of payment and multi-user access are then set up with an advisor.
• An association generally provides its statutes, the filing receipt, the minutes appointing the board and the signatories, and the signatories' identity documents.
• A non-resident, whether a Moroccan abroad or a foreigner, is additionally subject to foreign exchange regulations: the type of account that can be opened and the movements allowed follow their own rules, which only the bank and your advisor can specify for your case.

We give neither timelines nor fees here: they vary from one offer to the next, change over time, and are only worth reading on the fee schedule of the bank concerned.

One point that is rarely mentioned: the right to an account. Bank Al-Maghrib states on its dedicated page that any person who has no bank account and has been refused one by one or more banks, after requesting it by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, may ask the central bank to designate a credit institution where the account can be opened; when it considers the refusal unfounded, Bank Al-Maghrib designates that institution, which may limit the services to cash operations. It is not an online offer, but it is a recourse that exists in law.

What an online bank does for an individual and for a company

For an individual, an online bank does what a bank does, with fewer trips: a checking account with a RIB, a card for payments and withdrawals, domestic and sometimes international transfers, direct debits for recurring bills, savings, consumer or mortgage credit, card blocking, foreign currency for travel. The app replaces the counter for everyday needs; the branch remains for the rest.

For a company, the services are the same at a different scale: an account in the company's name, whose RIB appears on your invoices; bulk transfers to pay salaries and suppliers; direct debits; a checkbook; an overdraft or working-capital credit; depending on the offer, a card terminal for the shop; statements and exports your accountant retrieves; and access for several users with different rights. None of this is optional: credit, overdrafts, checkbooks and savings belong to a bank, and no payment account is meant to stand in for them.

That is precisely why the rest of this guide will never tell you to do without a bank. It will tell you what you need in addition.

What it does not do for a merchant who gets paid

Getting paid, for a merchant, means receiving money from a third party — your customer — through a channel you do not control: a payment page on your site, a link sent over WhatsApp, a QR code in the shop window, a reference paid in cash at an agency. That is not the same thing as holding an account. The law says so in its own way: article 16 of Law No. 103-12 lists among payment services (in our translation of the French text) "the execution of payment operations by any means of remote communication, provided that the operator acts solely as an intermediary between the payer and the supplier of goods and services", and article 18 prohibits anyone not licensed as a credit institution or a payment institution from performing these operations as a regular business.

In other words, between your customer and your account there has to be a licensed operator that collects on your behalf. An online account, by itself, does not give you:

1. 1A payment page with 3-D Secure, where your customer enters a card and authenticates with their bank, without that data touching your servers.
2. 2Payment links to send by email or WhatsApp, a QR code to print, a fixed or open amount, single or repeated use.
3. 3Cash collection by reference, for customers who have no card or do not want to use one online.
4. 4Webhooks and an API, so that your site or your software knows a payment succeeded without a person checking a statement.
5. 5Refunds, full or partial, tied to the original payment, with their audit trail.
6. 6Reconciliation per payment, where each sale matches an identified movement rather than a lump-sum transfer received later.

These services belong to a licensed payment institution or to a bank acting as an acquirer, not to a plain account app. The guide to online payment in Morocco describes, method by method, what these services cost and how they are set up. Here, keep the division of labor in mind: your bank holds your cash; a collection service receives your customers' money and pays it out to you.

Bank, payment institution, PSP: who does what (Law 103-12)

Three words come up in any search on this topic, and they do not mean the same thing.

• A bank is a credit institution licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib. Only banks may be authorized to receive sight deposits from the public (article 12), and credit is one of the activities of a credit institution (article 1).
• A payment institution is a similar body (article 11), also licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib (article 34), that offers one or more payment services (article 15): fund transfers, cash deposits and withdrawals on a payment account, execution of remote payment operations as an intermediary, direct debits, card payments and transfers on funds held in a payment account (article 16). The law defines a payment account as "any account held in the name of a payment services user and used exclusively for payment operations", and specifies that the funds recorded in it are not funds received from the public (article 2). Bank Al-Maghrib presents these institutions as a category of non-bank institutions, entitled to hold payment accounts and to offer the related payment services.
• A PSP, or payment service provider, is a term of trade: it is the operator that collects for you. It can be a payment institution or a bank; what matters is the license of the entity that holds your funds.

The table summarizes what each one allows, from a merchant's point of view.

That leaves the question every merchant asks: what does the law say about the money recorded in a payment account? Article 17 of Law No. 103-12 requires that these funds be "deposited in a global, separate and individualized account with a credit institution authorized to receive sight deposits", that they be "distinctly identified and ring-fenced in the accounts of payment institutions", and provides that the balance of that global account cannot be subject to any attachment by the payment institution's creditors. We quote the text without interpreting it or turning it into a promise: for what it means in your situation, only your legal advisor can give an opinion.

The payment account, a complement for getting paid

This is where — and only where — ChariPay comes in. Let us say it plainly first: ChariPay is not a bank, and a payment account is not a bank account. ChariPay is the payment platform of the Chari ecosystem, operated by Chari Money, a payment institution licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib; it serves here as the example of what a payment account adds to your bank. It collects from your customers by card, with 3-D Secure, and in cash at an agency of the Chari network: ChariPay is the only payment gateway in Morocco that also collects cash at agencies.

Every successful payment is available instantly on your payment account, held by Chari Money, with a RIB in your company's name and a downloadable PDF certificate. Here is what this payment account does around your collections:

• Payouts to your bank. As soon as a settlement account is configured, the balance is paid out automatically every night to your bank account; you can also transfer on demand. Your bank remains the destination.
• Transfers. You send money to a Moroccan RIB — a supplier, a partner — with the fees quoted before confirmation, a one-time code if you have enabled it, and a security delay after adding a new beneficiary. The validation rules are detailed on the Security page.
• Bill payment. Phone, water, electricity, vehicle tax: you pay bills to the listed creditors from the balance, with two confirmation codes and a receipt sent by SMS, at no extra charge.

For 50 MAD, order a ChariPay card linked to your payment account and pay with the money you collect.

What this account is not is just as clear. It is not a bank account: the law reserves it for payment operations. Credit, overdrafts, checkbooks and savings remain your bank's business: money leaves the payment account by transfer or by payment. ChariPay complements your bank; it does not replace it: one collects and makes the money available at once, the other receives the payouts and carries the rest of your financial life. The Wallet and payouts page shows, screen by screen, what you see in the portal.

To try it, there is no appointment and no file to wait for: the Start in test mode link opens the sign-up on the portal. Three fields — name, work email, company — then an activation link received by email, your choice of password, and you create your test key from the portal and make a first payment with the test card. The sandbox is free, has no time limit and needs no approval; the verification of your company (KYB) only gates the move to production, billed once at MAD 6,000 including VAT. The commission per successful transaction is set after review of your file, and refunding a customer is free.

Choosing for your situation: freelancer, e-merchant, association

There is no "best online bank" in the abstract; there is a combination that fits the way you get paid and the way you spend. Three cases cover most situations.

The freelancer or small services business — consultant, trainer, craftsman, remote provider — needs a bank account in the name of the activity for taxes, contributions and large purchases, and a way to get paid by customers who settle a quote from a distance. The online bank covers the first need; for the second, a payment link sent after the quote, paid by card or in cash at an agency, avoids waiting for a transfer the customer forgets. Compare bank offers on what you will actually do — transfers, card, accountant access — and check that the collection service pays out to a RIB in your name. Payment links require neither a website nor code.

The e-merchant sells on a website or on social networks and lives off the conversion rate of the payment page. What matters: a hosted page with 3-D Secure, webhooks so the order ships on its own, simple refunds, and an alternative to cash on delivery for customers without a card — a reference paid at an agency replaces the parcel paid to the courier, as explained in collecting cash without a till. On the bank side, the essentials are a company account that receives the nightly payouts and readable exports; the accounting checklist for payment collection lists what your accountant will expect.

The association collects membership fees, donations or event registrations, often in small amounts and from people who do not want to type a RIB. A single-use payment link sent to each member, payable by card or in cash at an agency, or a QR code on the poster for card payments, and a statement that says who paid what, beat a cash collection that has to be re-deposited. The bank remains indispensable for the account in the association's name and for spending; the payment account is for collecting, then paying out. For matching, reconciling your collections explains how to tie each payment to each movement.

In all three cases, the same rule applies: do not look for an online bank that collects, nor for a collection service that replaces the bank. Look for the pair, and check the license of each.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a 100% online bank in Morocco?

There are offers run entirely from an app, including the account opening, but none of them sits outside licensing: Law No. 103-12 provides no separate "online bank" status, and the account must be held by an institution licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib. Before choosing, check which entity holds the account and which operations still require a branch visit, as the fully remote part of the journey varies from one bank to another.

Can I open a bank account from abroad?

Some banks offer remote account-opening journeys, notably for Moroccans living abroad, with uploaded documents and online identity verification; the final step may go through a branch or a correspondent. A non-resident is additionally subject to foreign exchange regulations, which determine the type of account and the movements allowed. Only your bank and your advisor can specify your case.

Is a payment account a bank account?

No. A bank account is held by a bank, and only banks may be authorized to receive sight deposits from the public; a payment account is held by a licensed payment institution and is used exclusively for payment operations, as article 16 of Law No. 103-12 defines it. It can carry a RIB, receive collections and send transfers, but credit and checkbooks are not part of it.

Do I need a bank to use ChariPay?

Yes, to receive the payouts. ChariPay is not a bank: your collections are available instantly on your ChariPay payment account, then go to your company's bank account, automatically every night once a settlement account is configured, or by transfer on demand. Your bank remains the destination of your cash; ChariPay complements it for payment collection, it does not replace it.

Is the money on a payment account covered by a legal framework?

It is framed by the law. Article 17 of Law No. 103-12 requires that the funds recorded in payment accounts be deposited in a global, separate and individualized account with a credit institution, and ring-fenced in the payment institution's books. The ChariPay payment account is held by Chari Money, a payment institution licensed and supervised by Bank Al-Maghrib. For what this framework means in your situation, only your advisor can give an opinion.

Can I pay my suppliers from a payment account?

Yes, by transfer to the supplier's RIB. On the ChariPay payment account, each transfer shows the fees before confirmation, may require a one-time code, and observes a security delay after a new beneficiary is added; the amount is debited from the balance on confirmation. You can also pay bills to the listed creditors directly from the balance.

Which bank should an e-merchant choose?

The one that receives your payouts without friction: an account in the company's name, statements and exports your accountant reads easily, access for several users, and a fee schedule you have actually read. Do not ask it to also be your payment page: online collection belongs to an institution licensed for payment services, whose payouts your bank then receives.

Do I need an online bank to get paid online?

No. To get paid online you need a collection service operated by a licensed institution — payment page, links, webhooks, cash at an agency — and a bank, online or not, that receives the payouts. An online bank makes your day-to-day management more convenient; it does not, by itself, create the channel through which your customers pay you.

Sources

• Law No. 103-12 on credit institutions and similar bodies, consolidated version as of March 31, 2022 (Bank Al-Maghrib, PDF, in French) — read on 2026-10-02
• Bank Al-Maghrib — Structure of the banking system (composition by category and link to the list of licensed institutions) — read on 2026-10-02
• Bank Al-Maghrib — Payment systems and means (legal framework, payment institutions) — read on 2026-10-02
• Bank Al-Maghrib — Right to an account — read on 2026-10-02

Next step

Keep your bank, and add payment collection to it: the Start in test mode link gives you, free and with no time limit, a test account to create a first payment link and pay it with the test card. To understand what you will see next — RIB, payouts, transfers, bills — read the payment account page, then Wallet and payouts for the detail of each screen.