Cash Remains Preferred Method in Tunisia Despite New Regulations
According to a survey published on May 27 by the Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE), 47% of respondents continue to use cash as their preferred payment method in Tunisia.
Bank transfers and checks follow closely, each accounting for 16% of the respondents, according to the survey, which aimed to evaluate the reform's effects on payment habits among consumers.
Conducted a month after the reform's implementation (February 2, 2025), the survey involved 1,100 regular users, mostly aged between 30 and 50, with 61% earning a monthly income between 1,000 and 3,000 dinars. The survey reveals a low adoption rate of the new check, used by 7% of the respondents.
For the IACE, these results highlight the need for pedagogical accompaniment, simplified procedures, and incentive measures to promote the adoption of the new device. The institute also emphasizes that an adaptation period is inevitable before the effective appropriation of the reform by users.
Another striking finding is that payment domiciliation remains almost non-existent, with an adoption rate of only 0.4%, reflecting a lack of automation culture, despite the benefits it provides in terms of regularity and traceability.
Before the reform, scriptural payments were dominated by bank transfers, followed by checks, direct debit, and finally, letters of credit. This ranking has been reversed: today, letters of credit and bank transfers occupy the top position (16%), ahead of bank cards (14%), the new check (7%), and payment domiciliation (0.4%). The IACE sees a notable change induced by the new regulation.
Moreover, a significant portion declares having encountered difficulties during certain payments since the introduction of the reform. Nearly 47% of respondents claim to have been confronted "sometimes" with payment problems, while 27% say they never encountered any.
According to the institute, these data indicate that, although recent, the reform is exerting a concrete effect on payment behaviors and transaction fluidity.
