Card payments (CMI) and cash on delivery: a guide for online stores in Morocco

Building an online store in Morocco starts with one question: how will customers pay? Cash on delivery remains very common, but card payments through CMI are growing and reassure part of your audience. This guide explains how online payments work in Morocco, the steps to enable them and how to combine both methods without losing sales.

How card payments work in Morocco

The Centre Monétique Interbancaire (CMI) provides the payment gateway Moroccan banks use to accept cards online. The customer is redirected to a secure payment page, enters the card, the bank authenticates it, and the customer returns to your site with the confirmation. Your store never stores card numbers.

Note that CMI does not sign with you directly: your bank offers an online merchant contract, then CMI provides the technical access. Since 2025, CMI also supports multi-currency payments on Moroccan sites, useful for foreign customers.

Steps to enable card payments

1. Prepare your site: terms of sale, delivery and returns policy, legal notice, full contact details. Banks check them.
2. Request the online sales contract from your bank with your company documents.
3. Receive CMI test credentials once the file is approved.
4. Integrate the gateway: modules exist for the main platforms (WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento), and custom integration is possible for bespoke sites.
5. Test accepted, declined, cancelled and refunded payments.
6. Go live after approval and check the first real transactions.

What about Shopify?

Shopify Payments is not offered to businesses registered in Morocco. A Shopify store in Morocco uses a compatible third-party gateway or manual cash on delivery, so payments must drive the platform choice. See WordPress, Shopify or custom.

Keep cash on delivery, but organise it

• Confirm orders by call or message before shipping.
• Track statuses in the store: to confirm, confirmed, shipped, delivered, refused, collected.
• Connect your courier to avoid re-typing addresses.
• Reconcile payouts from the courier with orders.
• Encourage card payment with a simple perk at checkout.

If you sell only through messages today, see selling on WhatsApp: a backup plan.

Common mistakes

• Building the store before requesting payments from the bank.
• Choosing a platform without checking Moroccan payment compatibility.
• Not testing refunds and declined payments.
• Managing cash-on-delivery orders in a notebook or in chats.

We build your store

We build online stores with CMI card payments and cash on delivery, order tracking and tool integrations. See also starting an online store in Morocco. Let's talk.