How do people in Liberia pay online?
Mobile money carries most digital payments. The Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) said in a keynote reported in October 2026 that mobile money transactions reached about LRD 585 billion and USD 6.9 billion in value in 2025. The figures come in both currencies because Liberians transact in both, and the CBL holds settlement accounts in US dollars and Liberian dollars for the instant payment system.
Two providers lead. The CBL names Lonestar Cell MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money Liberia as the country’s two largest mobile money providers. MTN Group reports Liberia as one of its operating markets in its results for the first half of 2026, and Orange lists Liberia among the countries where its Orange Money Web Payment service is available to merchants.
The two wallets are now connected. The CBL launched the Inclusive Instant Payment System (IIPS) on 16 December 2025, so customers can send money instantly between MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money. It is built on the open-source Mojaloop software, with ThitsaWorks as the national switch operator, and had processed more than 5.3 million transactions by 31 August 2026. Liberia also joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) in 2025.
Cash is being made more expensive. From 1 August 2025, the CBL set a standard 2% fee on all mobile money cash-outs, as part of its push to reduce reliance on physical cash. For card payments, Google Pay is available for online and in-app payments in Liberia.
What rules shape online payments in Liberia?
GST is changing to VAT. The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) says the Liberia Tax Amendment Act of December 2025, published on 1 April 2026, set GST on services at 13%, up from 12%, and kept 15% on telecommunications. According to PwC, VAT goes live on 1 January 2027 at a standard rate of 15%, with a mandatory registration threshold of USD 20,000 and a registration window from July to December 2026.
Foreign digital sellers come into VAT. Under Regulation No. 136 of October 2024, a non-resident without a permanent establishment that supplies electronic services in Liberia must register if its sales there exceeded USD 20,000 in the previous calendar year, by 31 March of the following year. It files quarterly, pays in US dollars within 21 days of the period’s end, and cannot claim input tax.
There is no dedicated data protection law. According to DLA Piper, Liberia has no specific data protection authority or privacy statute. The CBL’s e-payment regulation requires e-payment providers to protect customer information and give the CBL prompt access to data when systems are hosted abroad.
How would Omno route payments in Liberia?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Liberia:
- MTN Mobile Money pay-ins would go to a provider with a Lonestar Cell MTN connection, with the order pending until the customer approves the payment on the phone.
- Orange Money pay-ins would be offered in the hosted checkout next to MTN Mobile Money and routed to a provider that holds Orange Liberia’s wallet.
- Currency rules could send LRD and USD payments to providers that settle in each currency.
- Card pay-ins can be routed by BIN, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
Webhooks would carry the final status of each payment, the record a back office should trust before shipping an order, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for two currencies. Customers hold both Liberian dollars and US dollars, so decide which you price in and route each to a provider that settles in it.
Plan for both wallets. MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money are the two largest providers, and offering both reaches most wallet users.
Plan for VAT in 2027. Track sales to Liberia against the USD 20,000 threshold and prepare to register and file quarterly in US dollars.
Plan for pending payments. A wallet payment waits for the customer’s approval, so orders need a pending state and webhook confirmation.