How do people in Belize pay online?
Online shopping is still a minority habit. The World Bank’s Global Findex survey found that 18.4% of adults in Belize used a phone or the internet to buy something online in 2024, and that 75.9% of those online buyers paid the merchant digitally rather than in cash. 68% of adults had an account at a financial institution or with a mobile money provider.
Cards are the main way to pay digitally. 44.6% of adults owned a debit card in 2024 and 14.9% a credit card, up from 24.0% and 10.7% in 2014. Google Pay works for online and in-app payments in Belize, while Apple Pay is not on Apple’s list of supported countries.
Bank transfers are growing fast. The Central Bank of Belize reports that transactions through its Automated Payment and Securities Settlement System rose 30.9% to 3.7 million in 2024. Instant funds transfers rose 80.8% to 1.5 million and electronic funds transfers rose from 1.6 million to 1.8 million, while payments by cheque kept falling.
Wallets are a smaller channel. 13.7% of adults had a mobile money account in 2024. E-Kyash, Belize Bank’s wallet, lets people pay in shops by scanning a QR code and offers a merchant service for businesses that sell on social media. DigiWallet is licensed by the central bank as a payment service provider and lists a network of agents across the country.
What rules shape online payments in Belize?
GST is 12.5%. The Central Bank of Belize’s annual report describes the usual 12.5% sales tax on most purchases, and notes that the General Sales Tax (Amendment) Act 2024 enabled electronic tax invoicing and tightened registration compliance. The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry gives a registration threshold of $75,000 in annual sales or gross revenue.
Foreign exchange is controlled. Under the Exchange Control Regulations Act 2003, the central bank approves dealings in foreign currency to protect Belize’s pegged exchange rate. Current transactions in foreign currency go through XCH1 foreign exchange permits, which the central bank aims to process within one business day, and capital transactions between residents and non-residents need central bank approval. The central bank started a project in 2024 to update the exchange control framework and automate the process.
Payment providers need a licence. Under the National Payment System Act, payment service providers, including e-money issuers, are licensed by the Central Bank of Belize, which publishes the list of licensed providers and their agents.
How would Omno route payments in Belize?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Belize:
- Card pay-ins would be routed by BIN, so local debit cards and credit cards each go to the provider set for them, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
- Currency rules could send BZD payments to providers with local acquiring and other currencies to international providers.
- Google Pay would appear in the hosted checkout for Android shoppers, with the underlying card routed by the same rules.
- Bank transfers and wallets could be offered through providers that support them, with the order pending until the provider confirms the payment.
Webhooks would report the final status of every payment, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for debit cards. Debit cards are the most widely held card, so a card form that works well with local debit cards matters most.
Plan for transfers. Instant transfers almost doubled in 2024, so a bank transfer option helps shoppers who pay from their account.
Plan for local currency. Payments abroad go through exchange control, so charging in BZD through local acquiring can make paying simpler for Belizean shoppers.
Plan for GST. Check whether your sales in Belize reach the registration threshold, and watch the move to electronic tax invoicing.