Payment Methods in 2024: Trends and Insights
In 2024, telecompensation services processed 24.5 billion checks with a total value of 129,675,300 MTND. The average check value stands at approximately 5,293 TND. This amount is on an upward trend in recent months, driven by a rapid increase in the overall value of checks (+5.5% year-over-year), despite a concurrent decrease in their total number (-2.7%). This reflects a less intense use of this payment method, marking a difficult end to the year for checks, which have not regained their status since February 2, 2025. The reduced usage has led to a decline in the number of rejected checks, limited to 367,500 in 2024 (a proportion of 1.5%) with a total value of 3,241,882 MTND.
Bills of Exchange: A Growing Importance
In 2024, 1.8 billion bills of exchange were processed, a 3.7% increase compared to 2023. In terms of value, the amounts totaled 33,957,500 MTND, a 5.5% year-over-year increase. The average bill of exchange value stands at 18,865 TND, a amount that corresponds to 3.6 times that of a check. This payment method is essentially used in commercial operations and is expected to gain importance in the coming months.
Wire Transfers and Direct Debits: Steady Growth
During 2024, 34.6 billion wire transfers (+3.2% compared to 2023) were secured for a total value of 55,936,500 MTND, a 10.0% year-over-year increase. The average wire transfer value stands at 1,617 TND.
Over the same period, 6.7 billion direct debits (+23.4% compared to 2023) were carried out for a total amount of 25,154,400 MTND. The average direct debit value stands at 3,754 TND. We believe that in 2025, the average will be pulled down by the use of direct debit for salary payments to compensate for checks for household appliance and computer purchases. Overall, we are talking about 67.6 billion banking operations, a cash cow for a sector under the scrutiny of tax authorities.
