Mobile payment operations in Algeria Q1 2023 and Q1 2024

Mobile payment operations in Algeria have seen a significant surge, with 12.5 million transactions recorded in the first quarter of 2024. This marks a 71 percent increase from the same period in 2023, highlighting the rapid adoption of digital payment methods in the North African region. The growth in mobile payments reflects a broader trend of increasing digital financial inclusion across the country. 

Digital payment landscape

The rise in mobile payment operations is part of a gradual shift towards digital transactions in Algeria. As of 2022, around 26 percent of the population aged 15 and older had engaged in digital payments. This growing acceptance of digital payments is further confirmed by the surge in internet transactions, which reached 2.2 billion Algerian dinars, some 16.3 million U.S. dollars, in the first quarter of 2021, representing a 340.65 percent increase from the previous year. 

Infrastructure and user adoption

The expansion of digital payment infrastructure has played a crucial role in facilitating this growth. Starting with the adoption of e-banking services, the National Bank of Algeria reported 106,231 e-banking customers as of 2024. Additionally, the mobile payment app Wimpay-BNA, which uses QR code technology, has attracted 137,228 users. These developments have culminated in mobile payment transactions reaching over 9.3 billion Algerian dinars (69 million U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2024, further underscoring the rapid growth in this sector.