CMI

CMI — Centre Monétique Interbancaire — is neither a bank nor a lender. It is the infrastructure that makes card payments work in Morocco. It was legally created in 2001 and launched operations in 2004; its site states that it was 'founded by 9 Moroccan banks that are its shareholders'. It announces 55,000 equipped points of sale, more than 35 partner banks and payment institutions, and a customer relations centre reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Why 'CMI' appears on your bank statement: when you pay by card at a Moroccan merchant or on a Moroccan e-commerce site, the transaction goes through CMI, which acts as acquirer and processing platform between the merchant, its bank and yours. That is why the wording 'CMI', or a reference to it, can appear next to the merchant's name. It does not mean CMI has charged you anything on its own account.

Disputing a transaction: the right contact: if you see an abnormal debit, a double debit or a transaction you did not authorise, your contact is the bank that issued your card, not CMI. It holds your cardholder agreement, it can block the card and it opens the chargeback procedure with the network. First call the blocking number shown on the back of your card or in your bank's app, then file a written complaint. If the answer does not satisfy you, refer the matter to the Moroccan Banking Mediation Centre, then, as a last resort, to Bank Al-Maghrib through its complaint form.

What has changed since 2024: CMI was for a long time the only acquirer on the Moroccan market. Through its decision no. 152/2024 of 31 October 2024, as amended and supplemented, the Competition Council made binding the commitments given by CMI and its shareholder banks. According to the joint statement of the Competition Council and Bank Al-Maghrib, those commitments cover the cessation of CMI's card-acquiring activity and the opening of that market to new operators on a precise timetable: a ban on canvassing new merchants from 1 November 2024, and transfer of the portfolio by 31 January 2026 for private contracts and by 30 April 2026 for public contracts. The decision also guarantees payment institutions access to CMI's services as a technical processing platform, on fair, transparent and non-discriminatory terms.

What this changes for you: as a cardholder, nothing immediately — you keep paying as before. For merchants, however, the card acceptance contract is no longer necessarily signed with CMI: several payment institutions and bank subsidiaries now offer their own acquiring service, and terms are negotiable. If you are a merchant, compare commissions, settlement times and terminal rental fees before renewing your contract.

What we do not publish: CMI does not publish a merchant pricing schedule, and acquiring commissions are negotiated case by case. Wafir.ma therefore publishes no commission rate. The latest activity volume shown on CMI's site — 85 million payment transactions processed — relates to 2019: it is a dated order of magnitude, not a current figure.

To choose a card that fits your habits, see our premium bank card comparison and our prepaid card comparison.