Just over half of online purchases in Lebanon are now settled electronically, according to figures from the Ministry of Economy and Trade. In a country that ran almost entirely on cash after the 2019 banking collapse, a share of roughly 51 percent is the clearest sign yet that the habit is moving.
Banque du Liban has issued a set of circulars, prepared with the relevant ministries, to reduce cash transactions and tighten compliance standards. The rules apply to electronic wallets, money transfer companies, financial institutions, exchange houses and banks. Getting Lebanese money back into traceable channels is a prerequisite for almost every reform file the country has open.
Coverage Is Still Patchy Outside the Cities
Ministry of Economy data puts card terminals at around 1,100 of Lebanon's 3,200 petrol stations, roughly one in three. Pharmacies are thinner still, with about 1,000 machines across some 3,600 outlets.
Large supermarkets are the exception. Around 150 points of sale operated by 27 companies are counted, and most are equipped to take cards. Restaurants also accept card payment on a wide scale.
Usage Is Growing Faster Than the Hardware
What changed is not only how many machines exist but how often people reach for a card instead of a bill. At pharmacies, the electronic payment share rose from 16 percent to 23 percent. Restaurants moved from 15 percent to 35 percent, and large supermarkets from 17 percent to 36 percent.
Those are more than doubling rates in two of the three categories, achieved without any meaningful jump in terminal coverage. Online payment sits highest at about 51 percent, which makes sense in a market where e-commerce never had a cash option to fall back on.
The Commission Was the Real Barrier
Merchants had a straightforward reason to prefer cash. Card commissions reached around 2.5 percent and sometimes higher, a level that eats a meaningful slice of margin in low-margin businesses such as pharmacies and grocery retail.
Following the Banque du Liban initiative with the concerned ministries, commissions in essential sectors are now capped between 0.9 percent and 1.2 percent. That is roughly half the previous ceiling, and it removes the strongest argument a shop owner had for waving customers toward the ATM.
Surcharging Customers Is Not Allowed
One point matters directly for consumers: the commission is paid by the merchant, not the buyer. Adding any extra fee to an online purchase is described as entirely illegal.
Payment applications fall under Ministry of Economy supervision. Consumers who are charged a surcharge can file a complaint through MOET Digital Services and receive a reference number to track it.
Ministries Start Taking Cards Themselves
The state is applying the policy to its own counters. Around 38 payment devices are now distributed across all governorates, including offices attached to the Ministry of Finance.
Terminals have also been installed at the Ministry of Justice, and two machines were placed at the Ministry of Labour. Work is under way to extend the rollout to further public institutions.
