Central Bank of Tunisia Releases 2024 Payment Figures
The Central Bank of Tunisia published the payment figures for Tunisia for the entire year 2024 yesterday, revealing some interesting trends.
Decline in Bank Cards
The number of bank cards continued to decline, reaching 5,490 million by the end of December 2024. This decline is attributed to the cleanup efforts made by the National Post Office. The payment infrastructure consists of 3,305 DAB/GAB and 39,100 Electronic Payment Terminals.
Growth in Card-Based Transactions
Card-based transactions, on the other hand, have shown significant growth, with 163 million operations (149 million in 2023) worth 27,891 MTND (25,230 MTND in 2023). The average transaction size has increased to 171,110 TND (169,328 TND in 2023).
Cash Withdrawals Remain Dominant
Despite the growth in card-based transactions, cash withdrawals remain the primary use of cards, with 62% of monetary operations and 77% of their values being withdrawals. This is a positive evolution, as the proportion of withdrawals was 64% the previous year.
Average Payment Values
On average, a card payment, whether online or offline, amounts to 103,566 TND, down from 108,182 TND the previous year. This reflects a preference for cash usage among merchants and a decrease in consumers' purchasing power. The average proximity payment is 124,871 TND (128,754 TND in 2023), while the average e-payment is 61,445 TND (64,511 TND in 2023).
Cash Remains King
The average withdrawal amount is 212,508 TND, up from 203,723 TND the previous year, indicating that despite measures to reduce banking fees, cash remains the preferred method of payment. This also reflects the increase in prices of essential consumer goods in Tunisia.
Mobile Payments on the Rise
The 15 authorized mobile payment service providers have 370,000 wallets, which have enabled nearly 5.1 million transactions worth 1,394 MTND, with an average payment value of 273,333 TND. The improvement in mobile payment penetration is a positive trend, although it highlights the underdeveloped e-commerce sector in Tunisia, with only 1,126 active merchant sites.
